What does it take to be a real man? Does it take physical strength, athleticism, power, money, a certain type of personality, ruggedness, ability to fit into skinny jeans, or simply being interesting? We will spend the next few weeks looking at the character, calling, and conviction of a man to try to determine what the Bible says about manhood.
Character is fundamental to any definition of manliness. Anyone can fake anything for any given amount of time, but character can never be faked. Character is who someone is as proven and shown over time. Character describes the hidden attributes of a person, the inner man, who someone truly is when everything else is stripped away. Godly character is what a man is as he has been transformed by the gospel, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and maturing in the Word of God. A man’s character will determine what he does, what he is convinced of, and who he lives for.
There are three major areas of character that are imperative for a man to live a Godly life:
- Work Ethic – This is not a typical place to start when we think about manliness or character, but a man’s work ethic will determine everything else he does. Genesis 1-3 shows how Adam was created to subdue and have dominion over the earth as well as work and keep the garden where he was placed. He was to work. This was pre-Fall, pre-sin, pre-death. He was to work as a means of worship, to the glory of God. Now sin made work difficult, but how we work now matters. Men are to work as a way of pleasing the Lord, not man (see 1 Pet. 2:18-25; Eph. 6:5-8; Col. 3:23-25). Working as a means of worship allows men to see all that they do as an opportunity to bring glory to God, and helps them to work hard at their job, in their home, in their community, and their church.
- Humility – Men have been plagued with the sin of pride since the beginning. Maybe this is why men don’t like going to the doctor, asking for directions, or admitting they were wron… (I can’t even finish the word). But a humble man realizes that he should follow the example of Jesus (Phil. 2:5-8) who, although the greatest man in the world, humbled Himself to become a servant and die for those He loved. Without humility, men can never lead, love, or serve the way God intended (see 1 Pet. 5:1-5)
- Purity – In a world bombarded with visual and sexual material, a Godly man makes a commitment to purity, in his mind, heart, and body. Men are geared differently than women when it comes to sex (this is why God calls women to modesty in dress, but men to sobriety and self-control), but in a world where there is a siren song calling men to indulge their sexual lust, a Godly man knows God’s will: to be sanctified, to run far away from sexual sin, and walking by the Spirit so to exercise self control (see: 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Gal. 5:19-23). A pure man will be a useful man, keeping him away from the dreaded no man’s land of sin dabbling, leaving him unready, unfit, and unrighteous (see 2 Timothy 2:21-22).
Men, is this what we are striving for? Ladies, is this what you are praying for, or single ladies, is this what you are waiting for? Next week we will look at the calling of a man…stay tuned.
