Thursday, August 28, 2008

Act Like Men

[13] Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. [14] Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Cor. 16:13-14 (ESV)

I like this verse. I assume here he is addressing the men, as there is nothing wrong with a woman being feminine. But there is an essential manliness in the Christian faith. We are to stand firm, and be strong, act like men. The church it seems is being overcome with feminization. It isn’t just the misguided macho complex of men that is being corrected. Acting like men doesn’t mean go be a womanizer, or that you have to prove your manliness in drinking contests, or other such things. It means get a back bone, stand up for what is right when the word of God is being compromised, stand your ground. Have integrity, and be honest in what you do. This is love. Love isn’t limp like milquetoast, it has a backbone. It doesn’t bow under pressure, and concede to things like women’s ordination, or the blessing of homosexual activity just because it is politically correct. Love doesn’t turn a blind eye to cohabitation for fear of hurting feelings. Consider the source of this verse, do you see Paul doing those things in the name of love?
We need to teach our boys to be men in this manner, in the manner of Paul. Educated, cultured, able to work with his hands, competent, independent, and loving, but uncompromising in the faith. They should be able to take charge and lead when need be, and follow those worth following. They might not have to be John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, but neither should the be Richard Simmons.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You don't think that Richard Simmons is manly? Compared to some bishops I know of...he is.

You are right, Bror. We need to be firm and uncompromising in standing up for the work of Christ for us, and the work of Christ for us...ALONE.

If we are not firm on this one needful thing, then we start to make the church over into a sickly man-made religion.

Anonymous said...

This is off subject, but I went to a sister LCMS Church yesterday, and one of the elderly ladies read the New Testament reading before the Gospel.
What is the Church's position and your thoughts on this practice.

Bror Erickson said...

Anon,
I am not in favor of it. I can't say that it is absolutely wrong. However, I do think that reading the scriptures in Church is a duty assigned to the pastor. I don't even really care to have the elders reading. I don't know that the church has an opinion on the matter.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for writing this.