What is biblical manhood?

From the great break-up at the time of the Reformation the power and presence of God have not been with any company on earth as such, but with individuals who walk in separation from iniquity, call on the Lord out of a pure heart, speak often one to another, and together follow righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Such are men of God, devoted to the interests of Christ, diligent in His service, unworldly to a degree, and finding the home of their hearts in the love of God, as it has come to light in Jesus.

Finally, we come to "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." The object of the Apostle in thus leading us from one point to another is that we may all take our place as men of God. While engaged in the translation of this part of Scripture, I thought in reading about "the man of God," it would be a man, who, like Saul in the Old Testament, was head and shoulders above all his fellows. I thought that the word describing the man of God would indicate some strong masculine character; a man who was a man, courageous and distinctive; a man who never flinched; a man who was something more than a man. I was astonished, however, to find that the word used is that for a simple, ordinary man of God. And I will tell you why it seemed to acquire such importance in my mind from that day. If you have a company of soldiers occupying and defending a certain territory; we will say a thousand in number, and nine hundred and ninety-nine turned cowards, and began running away, like the Israelites in conflict with the Philistines they are not true soldiers. But, if one man stands as a simple ordinary soldier, when all the rest are slipping away not because he is distinctive, nor because he is remarkable, but because he is a soldier; that is the idea underlying "the man of God." It is the man who stands in the simple, ordinary truth, that God has given for this day; not that he is extraordinary, deeply taught, or anything of that kind, but a simple ordinary Christian who stands in the truth of his calling when everybody else is giving up. There ought to be thousands of others with him, but if they slip away, and he stands, he is extraordinary, not because he is extraordinary, but because the others have gone away from what is ordinary.

"That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." How do you get that? From the Scriptures, you say; yes, that is true in a way; through the Scriptures, supposing that you are a man of God. That is in some sense a very individual kind of title; a title, which, as you take up the history of the Scriptures, you find very few had. For instance, in the Old Testament you find as to Elijah that he was distinctly a man of God. So with Elisha, Moses and David. Men of God we must be. What does that mean? Scripture will not furnish any but men of God to all good works. Men of God are people who know how to stand for Him, people who have His ear, people who have intelligence in His ways, people who, as being near Him, can stand for Him, speak for Him, and walk with Him. That is what all Scripture is written for - for these men of God. If you say, "Then few have it," I say, you can be one of them if that is your heart's desire.

The value of the man by whom God renders testimony is so insignificant that the prophet is not even called by name in this account. He is simply a man of God — but what a title! A man of God is a servant who represents God before men and upon whom God has impressed his own character. Such a man speaks for God, speaks as the oracles of God: an august and solemn function, but one which reduces man to nothing and removes all confidence in the flesh from him. Moses and David are each called a man of God; this name is also applied to the prophets in a time of ruin. Timothy was a man of God. 2 Timothy 3:17 shows us that he was prepared for his commission by the Word; 1 Timothy 6:11 shows us that he could not carry it out except by bringing his life and conduct into accord with what he was proclaiming.

Another thing that characterizes the man of God, is that he is aware of the ruin of the public testimony of Christianity. Nevertheless, he doesn't become bitter or discouraged, but goes on to carry out God's own will in every area of his responsibility. In this way, he has a good understanding of God's thoughts, e.g. with regard to His eternal purpose, the Church according to His counsel, the total depravity of fallen man, God's sovereign grace, the condition of this world. In other words, he knows the pattern which God has shown on the mountain, our position in Christ Jesus. This knowledge is necessary in order to maintain God's thoughts here on earth.

The injunction to Timothy is also for us, “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” If we are to be men of God, we are to flee what naturally attracts the men of this world, and to follow what has been seen in Jesus here below; for all these precious moral features were seen in their fulness and perfection in the Son of God.

There never had been such a moment of declension and departure from the truth as the moment when Elijah comes in view, and it is then that the widow of Zarephath says, "Now by this I know that thou art a man of God" (1 Kings 17:24). It is a fine thing when the widows round about you recognise you as a man of God. I think to be God's man in the devil's world is an unspeakable privilege. Fellow-Christian, you may be that, and I may be that, through grace. I find the same term used in the New Testament regarding Timothy: "But thou, O man of God, flee these things" (1 Tim. 6:11). And again, in view of any who are really such: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished to all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). God is always looking out to have men for Himself in this world. It is an immense thing for you or me to be able to say, By grace I desire above all things to be a man of God; I desire to be on the Lord's side; and, in a world where Satan rules, to be for God. Do not forget that Satan is the god of this world. It is a great thing for you to be a man of God here. This widow knew by his ways that Elijah was a man of God.

In this last scene in the verses I have read to you we find the third thing in the discipline of the man of God, — and a thing that is above all needed to be known in order that he should really fulfill this character. As I have said, it is what we all are by position, it is therefore what we all must be practically, or else our very profession of Christianity condemns us. Being a man of God is not being something very exalted, and which God would leave, so to speak, to our choice, whether we would be so or not. As we have seen already, all Scripture is given to furnish the man of God thoroughly unto all good works. Mark well, it does not speak of furnishing any body else, and we are necessarily God's by the fact that we are purchased by the blood of Christ. Beloved friends, to be according to his mind, therefore, is what we are called to, and throughout history, — especially, I may say, that of the Church of God, — the very failure of His professing people has only forced those true to Him the more to take that character.

God’s gentlemen will not be unmanly or soft, but will stand for truth unswervingly, yet will do so with gentleness and graciousness. “Thy gentleness has made me great” (Ps. 18:35). The writer has in mind one, now with the Lord, who was at once the most gracious of men, and yet at the same time most firm in his upholding of divine principles and right conduct. He was one who could be very happily described by Psalm 15. May we all aim at answering to this description.

In Him we learn also the disposition which becomes man, set in relationship with, and in accountability to, God. He took upon Himself the form of a servant and became in the likeness of men; and in His path of humiliation we see how man should conduct himself in every department of life. With Him there was no self-seeking, no attempt at self-exaltation, no assertion of rebellious will, no murmuring on account of the roughness of the path marked out for Him to travel, no complaining because of the apparent neglect of God, though made to suffer hunger, thirst, rejection, betrayal, persecution, and death, and that upon a tree as one accursed of God. His meat was to do the will of Him that sent Him, and whatever was good in the eyes of the Father was right in His. His language ever was, “Not My Will, but Thine be done.” What became of Him was of no importance in His eyes if the Father was glorified (John 12:27-28). What a contrast to all other men! But this mind is the only right one for man.