Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 35 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and five amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has written several books, including two that are available on Amazon - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles.

Husbands Represent Christ to Their Wives

godly man

Two significant gender specific roles men may play over a lifetime are husbands and fathers.

Both are weighty and beyond our natural ability requiring us to rely on God’s help. If we get these two roles right, we will be a huge blessing to those we love. If we fail through ignorance, neglect, or sinful rebellion, we will damage those we should be protecting and blessing. First, we will look at how husbands represent Christ to their wives.

The following passage written by Paul to the church in Ephesus is often used to teach husband their responsibilities with regard to their wives.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26  that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27  so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28  In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Ephesians 5:25-28 (ESV)

Unfortunately, men often focus more on what Paul wrote to wives regarding obeying their husbands, instead of on what God says to us men. Scripture was never meant to be used as a means to nag others into conformity. Rather, God uses it to bring each of us to repentance and obedience in our own right. When men learn to love their wives properly, their wives will be encouraged to lovingly and biblically relate to their husbands.

God has made us husbands responsible to love our wives as Christ loves the church. There could hardly be a more challenging and humbling role.

Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd. Husbands are shepherds to their families, representing the Chief Shepherd in various ways. We husbands are to model Christ to our wives and families in attitude, word, and deed. We will only be able to get this right with the help of God’s Spirit. It is no small thing to be Christ’s representative in the home. We will greatly influence our wives and children either positively or negatively, depending how well we do this.

God charges every husband with the duty to love his wife sacrificially, provide for her, protect, teach, develop her as a person and disciple, and provide godly leadership.

Many young men come into marriage with a very selfish perspective, which is the opposite of Christ. Young men are selfish sexually and in their use of time and money. The wife is often more naturally nurturing and unselfish and can be deeply hurt by her immature self-centered husband over and over again during these early years. Husbands are told to be gentle with their wives. Harshness undermines our role as Christ’s representative.

In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7 (NLT)

God works in men through marriage to make us more other-centered and unselfish.

This is part of our preparation for dynamic fatherhood. Let’s take a look at some specific aspects of our responsibilities as husbands.

Husbands model Christ’s unselfish love through serving.

Shepherds exist to care for the sheep. If you are a man who thinks that your wife and children are supposed to wait on you because you work so hard all day, you do not yet understand Christ’s relationship to the church. Jesus literally sacrificed his life for his church, his bride. He washed his disciples’ feet. He served them in countless ways while at the same time having oversight and authority. Despite clearly understanding his role as Lord, he did not “lord it over” them.

Husbands should view themselves as the family’s chief servant who models Christ.

Sacrificially loving our wives means we put their needs and desires in front of our own, which is not easy for us to do. This means we cannot do everything we want to do as young men. As Jesus put it: we are not here to serve ourselves, but others.

So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43  But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44  and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45 (NLT)

 

Husbands are providers.

As shepherds of their families, an important way that men serve is by providing for them.

Some men feel overwhelmed by this responsibility, but that is only because they have not learned that Abba Father is fully committed to provide for them.

As husbands and fathers grow in their relationship with Abba, it helps them properly represent Christ. In years past, men were expected to be the sole breadwinners. Today the husband and wife often share this burden, and in some cases the wife may be the primary earner. There is nothing inherently wrong with this set up. It may simply reflect the wife’s greater abilities and opportunities. It can go wrong, however, if the husband begins to think less of himself because of his wife’s success, or if the wife begins to despise her husband as a result. Regardless of who makes the most money for the family, the husband can never abdicate his responsibility carry the primary spiritual weight of being the provider. Nor is he allowed to slip into a despondent or passive attitude, thereby thrusting the weight of the role of provider onto the shoulders of his wife.

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2  He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. Psalm 23:1-2 (NLT)

 

Husbands are protectors of the family.

Shepherds protect their flocks from outside attack and from bullies inside the flock. This protection includes financial, spiritual, relational, and physical aspects.

Husbands are called to be the “point men” who directly confront the enemy and stand in the gap for their families.

A husband who is introverted and less bold should never press his wife to do the hard and and uncomfortable things so he can avoid his responsibilities. Any woman who does this for her husband becomes an enabler. The husband is supposed to take the initiative to ensure that the forces of darkness are kept at bay. He should close all known doors of temptation and demonic oppression through personal repentance, careful watching, and using Christ’s authority appropriately.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 5  You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Psalm 23:4-5 (NLT)
Husbands are teachers.

Many adults were never taught the great truths of the Bible or how to do even the simplest things by their parents. Husbands should take the lead in seeking the Lord with their wives and helping them grow in the Lord. We should be humble enough to draw upon whatever knowledge and wisdom our wives possess. Wives may come into the marriage far ahead of us in spiritual matters, but this is no excuse for our not taking responsibility. There is an “anointing” upon the husband to lead and teach. God will help us “catch up” if we are behind.

We cannot allow ourselves to be intimidated in spiritual matters. This puts a responsibility on husbands to study and grow spiritually.

Many men are lazy when it comes to spiritual things and, as a result, have little to offer, which is a great travesty and robs the wife and family of what God would have provided for them.

Husbands are leaders.

Leading does not mean that husbands get their way exclusively or have permission to “lord it over” their wives and children. It does mean that we must seek God and work with our wives to arrive at wise and godly decisions.

Even if a husband delegates some of the decision making to his wife, he is ultimately responsible before God.

Modeling leadership is one of the most effective ways to lead. The husband models what it means to be a servant leader. His wife and children benefit from the way he pours himself out in loving service to them.

He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. Psalm 23:2 (NLT)
Husbands are developers.

One of the goals of a godly husband is to help his wife become all God intends, thereby enabling her to reach her full potential. Wives were never intended to be passive doormats. They complement their husbands and often have tremendous callings and abilities that need to be developed and flourish. The amazing woman in Proverbs 31 is our model.

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The Copernican Captivity of the Church

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Any lie we believe brings us into captivity to some degree, and the truth is what sets us free.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31–32 (NASB95)

God’s Word of truth in the Bible is our written source and guarantee of freedom. The Holy Spirit, also called the Spirit of truth (John 16:13), is the one who reveals God’s Word to us. This combination of revelation from the Holy Spirit and the infallible written Word has the ability to break the power of Satan’s lies. Since this is true, it is only logical that Satan will always try to separate us from God’s Word and truth in some way or another. Sometimes he contradicts it outright, as he did with Eve in the garden when he told her she would not die because of disobeying God’s command. Other times, especially with those of us who say we are devoted to the scriptures, he is more diabolically clever.

Satan entices us to deny what God plainly says without compromising our integrity by simply reinterpreting the Bible to suit us.

This sinister ploy is how he duped a great percentage of the church into rejecting the literal truth of Genesis Chapter One. 

We dare not underestimate the pull in all of us to be smarter than God.

The Scientific Revolution of the 1600’s was an offshoot of the Renaissance, which was a return to non-biblical classical thinking. One of the driving forces behind this movement was a determination to discover scientific truths without being “hemmed in” by what the Bible teaches. Copernicus said it like this.

copernicus scripture quote 1

In other words, Copernicus judged that believing in the literal truth of Genesis Chapter One and other relevant scriptures now constitutes “wresting” them to suit us. Many, if not most, of us in the church have adopted Copernicus’ position based on theories proposed by modern astrophysics.

Martin Luther, a contemporary of Copernicus, utterly condemned that man’s theories as heresy because he upheld the Reformation ideal of sola scriptura. He considered that the Bible is the ultimate source of truth, even when it comes to science. In the following quote, he refers to Joshua 10:12-13.

luther flat earthJohn Calvin, another contemporary of Copernicus, challenged that man’s authority to negate the scriptures.

copernicus quote

 

 

 

 

 

 

What was so clear to these reformers who accepted the authority of Bible has been lost to the modern church when it comes to cosmology.

Today we so firmly accept the heliocentric system that we now demand the Bible to conform to it. We reinterpret Genesis Chapter One to be mere poetry with no scientific accuracy. Is it any wonder that atheist laugh at us.

If a lawyer discovers that a witness is guilty of fabricating a story to make his testimony more palatable, that witness loses all credibility.

If the Bible got creation wrong, why on earth should anyone believe anything else it says?

Since admitting that I believe in the literal accuracy of Genesis, I have been accused of not knowing how to properly read or understand the Bible. I have been teaching the Bible for 54 years, yet suddenly I do not know how to interpret scripture! The author of Genesis believed in its literal accuracy, however. That puts me in pretty good company.

Napoleon Bonaparte is reputed to have said:bonaparte 1

 

Whether he actually is the source of this saying or not is insignificant to my point. The statement is true. People believe the most outlandish things if so-called experts tell them it is the truth. This was on display during the Covid crisis.

God created us to believe his Words. Satan takes advantage of our inherent need to believe. He knows that we are relatively simple beings who can be easily duped.

If we do not adhere to the Words of God in the Bible, we will fall for most anything.

When Satan tempted our Lord at the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus always defeated the devil by quoting scripture. This is our most reliable defense. Paul called this weapon the “sword of the Spirit.” (Ephesians 6:17) If we abandon God’s Word as our ultimate source of truth, we will always go into captivity.

The Scientific Revolution duped the church by telling us that the Bible is good for spiritual and moral truth, but not for science, and we believed it!

Not immediately, though, but Satan knows that he doesn’t have to fool everyone right away. He understands that a lie can become firmly entrenched in just one generation. After the initial truth contenders die off, the younger generation, which has been told that the lie is the truth by the “expert” testimony of scientists, is prone to fall for the new way of seeing things. And that is exactly what happened.

For the last five hundred years we have endured the Copernican captivity of the Church. 

Many Bible-believing Christians will fight “tooth and nail” to preserve the heliocentric system while at the same time insisting that they believe the Bible 100%. Both cannot be true at the same time. We cannot destroy the literal truth of Genesis One and maintain the literal truth of the resurrection. It is a logical impossibility. Either both are true, or both can be dismissed. Satan knows this, but many Christians do not.

Atheists understand that if we do not even believe Genesis is true, our testimony of Christ’s resurrection crumbles.

It is time for the church to repent of this duplicity and forsake its worship of the globe, space travel, and the other lies that were spawned from the heliocentric occult religion that denies the existence of the firmament and makes the sun the “super power” of the cosmos instead of the God of the Bible. It is time for the church to cast aside its fear of being called foolish by a world that rejects God’s truth. It is time for the church to reclaim its lost heritage of “Sola Scriptura.” It is way overdue for us to return to believing the literal truth of Genesis Chapter One.

The wise men are put to shame, They are dismayed and caught; Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, And what kind of wisdom do they have? Jeremiah 8:9 (NASB95)
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Part 3 – Don’t Skip This!

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Before moving forward in our study of men’s gender-based roles, we should not skip the most basic role every born-again child of God has while here on the earth – being a disciple!

Jesus said:

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19 (NIV)

Being a disciple means we follow Christ in order to learn more about him and become more like him.

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! Philippians 3:10–11 (NLT)

He is a real person who can be known in the Spirit. We also follow his teachings (the Scripture) and embrace his mission (the Great Commission). The role of being a disciple springs from our eternal core identity as children of God, but it is a temporary role. ln heaven we will know as we are known. At the present, we are learners (disciples).

Jesus’ method of discipleship was a combination of teaching and doing. He modeled the behaviors and ministry skills he wanted his followers to develop and gave them opportunities to learn who to use them. True discipleship must include active ministry, or we only have a Greek-style school that merely provides information.

Being a disciple is not so much about filling our heads with knowledge as it is about developing our relationship with God and putting our faith into practice in ways that will glorify God and impact the people around us.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NASB)

We shine as lights in the world by living out our faith in a loving way, performing love-motivated good deeds in Christ’s name, and by sharing the Good News about our Savior and Lord. Disciples model God’s love in order to help people get past their objections to the message of love, the gospel. Disciples learn to share the gospel effectively, minister in the power of God’s Spirit, and generally love on people. Disciples make a point of going to where the lost and unchurched are, instead of expecting them to come to us at our church m meetings. Disciples value and model Christian hospitality as a means to extend God’s kingdom. Disciples see their neighborhoods as their mission field and invest in the people who live, work, and play around them. Fishers of men develop friends outside the church. How else will we reach them?

When Dads wholeheartedly devote themselves to the pursuit of God’s kingdom, they model for their children what it means to be a Christ follower. When Dad’s include their children in reaching out (fishing for men), it teaches them what is most most important.

I have observed that children of parents who are devoted to Christ in word and deed are more likely to adopt kingdom values and commitments than the children of nominal believers.

This is not rocket science. Kids notice what their parents love and serve, and, if there is love and respect, they will imitate them. What we do is more important than what we say, because kids see through shallowness and hypocrisy in adults who only pay God lip service. They will likely reject our words, if our lifestyle does not back them up.

We Dads cannot afford to be passive or lukewarm with regard to Christ, the gospel, discipleship, and mission.

There is much more at stake than our own eternal reward. We must think generationally and realize that how we live will impact generations to come.

Most parents feel the tension between being on mission and raising a family. The solution is to include the family when we are doing missional activities We can include them when you have friends and neighbors over. We can take them when we go on any kind of outreach, including visiting neighbors. Children have a way of disarming people and opening hearts in ways that adults cannot.

We can model what we hope to see develop in our children.

It is possible to figure out ways to include unreached people in our family meals, events, and celebrations. It is wonderful for our children to watch us share the gospel and pray for people. We can include them when we do acts of kindness for neighbors and friends.

Our children are our most important disciples. If we fail with them, our other successes will be rather hollow.

We can only give away what we have. If we give ourselves to being a disciple, we can hope to see the same develop in our children. I encourage us all to prioritize being a disciple, or we sabotage everything else.

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Embracing Our God-given Roles

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In this life God has provided us with roles to play, some voluntary and others imposed.

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
(Shakespeare,  As You Like It)

We enter the world as dependent babies and may exit as dependent old folks. In between we might play many different roles. Most of us, at least traditionally, become either husbands or wives and mothers or fathers. Some of us may become bosses at work. More will become employees. Some will become military leaders, and others, soldiers under command. Some will become political leaders, perhaps a president, governor, senator, or congressman or congresswoman. Most of us will be citizens who have the privilege and responsibility of voting them in and out. All of us who live long enough will play the role of baby, child, student, teenager, young adult, and middle-aged adult. Many of us will eventually become seasoned citizens and grandparents, maybe even great grandparents!. Our roles in life come and go. They are all important, but none of them completely define us.

The role that comes closest in our natural lives to defining us as persons revolves around whose child we are. We inherit a great deal from our parents that goes into forming our personalities. 

The only truly defining role in all of life, that, sadly, not everyone gets to experience, is “child of God.” From being God’s child we derive our core identity, which is an eternal reality. It is our greatest privilege and carries with it enormous responsibilities.

Born-again believers are first, foremost, and always God’s children. That will never change. 

The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. John 8:35 (NASB95)

In fact, all born again followers of Christ can rightly claim to be “sons,” the whole lot of us – men, women, and children. This is because we find our true identity in Christ, and our relationship with Abba Father derives from Jesus’ relationship. He is the Son, and we are in Him; therefore, we are all sons, too.

Everyone’s proper and intended core identity is being God’s son.

See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! But the people who belong to this world don’t know God, so they don’t understand that we are his children. 1 John 3:1 (NLT)

Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”  Galatians 4:6 (NASB)

Building out from this core identity, God gives us various roles to play over a lifetime. We must be careful not to let any of these other temporary roles interfere with our understanding of who we are at the core. Yet, at the same time, these temporary roles are very important. How we fulfill them can affect our eternal reward.

We have already established in the first article in this series that in Christ, that is in the present spiritual and future resurrection reality, there is neither male nor female. Nevertheless, in this physical life on earth, first and foremost our roles derive from our gender. When a baby arrives in this world, or now when we get the ultrasound results, the key question is whether “it” is a boy or a girl. Then we can accurately label “it” a “he” or “she.” The idea that gender is fluid and can be chosen at a later date is absurd. Gender is established by God and permeates our entire being down to the chromosomal level.

We all experience life through the filter of our gender.

No one can fully know what it is like to live as a member of the opposite sex, regardless of claims to the contrary. Infusions of sex hormones and surgeries may indeed alter some things, but our chromosomes cannot be changed. Gender is assigned by God and is a determining factor in our life experience.

A wise person embraces God’s gender choice for him or her.

Over a lifetime, we play many different roles, some which are gender-based and some which are not. We begin as children whose main responsibility is to obey our parents. Next we move into adolescence, when we begin to think more like and adult and take on some adult responsibilities and privileges, in addition to experiencing adult temptations. Adulthood provides us with many role options – husband, father, wife, mother, breadwinner, boss, employee, leader, follower, disciple, mentor, etc. But none of these roles change our core identity.

Each role carries its own responsibilities, privileges, and rewards. Each of us should attempt to excel at the roles God allows us to play in life. None are insignificant or unimportant to God.

One huge problem with role playing is if we start to think that our roles define us. When those “under” authority start thinking that those “over” them are superior to them, it strikes a blow at our true identity. Unfortunately, those in authority often see themselves as actually being superior and communicate that directly or indirectly to those they oversee, thus denigrating and diminishing the perceived worth of those people. This is a serious violation of the authority role. Those in authority have the responsibility to serve and build up those under their care, as well as lead them. 

But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. Luke 22:26 (NASB95)

Since I am a man and understand masculine roles more than feminine ones, that is the focus of this series. Women cannot experience or partake of the roles God gives to men that are gender-based, just as women have roles that cannot be experienced by men.

Two unique potential male roles are being a husband and a father. Each of these has specific responsibilities, privileges, and rewards.

These roles, when properly carried out, constitute a very high calling, just as being a wife and mother do. I hope this series will help you to gain a greater appreciation for manhood and inspire men with a determination to be faithful with what God has placed in our hands. Husband and fathers are given the role and responsibility of being the loving “head” of the wife and family, respectively. Wives and children are assigned the role of being “under” the benevolent headship or authority of the husband or father.

It takes faith and humility to properly function in all of these roles.

As is obvious to most women, there may be nothing inherent in the man that makes him better qualified than the wife to be the head of the family. Sometimes wives have more wisdom, discerning, and natural leadership ability than the husband God has placed over them. Unless the husband, in such cases, operates in his headship with humility, wisdom, and grace, he may make it extremely difficult and unlikely that his wife will submit properly to him. Unless the wife understands her role and identity properly, she may find it next to impossible to follow the husband God has put in her life. We all must see that God is at work in all of these things and is bigger than we imagine.

It requires tremendous faith to be the head of a family or other organization or group, but perhaps it takes even more faith to be a follower.

Husbands and fathers, especially those who are aware of their own deficiencies, may be reluctant to lead, but they must do so nevertheless. Failing to lead betrays our calling and the grace supplied to us by God. So, whether we are gifted leaders or reluctant ones, it is vital that we humbly accept the roles God gives to us. Our humility as leaders and heads can make it possible for others to develop fully under our care.

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Roles, Responsibilities, and Privileges Given to Men – Summary

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God has given unique roles, responsibilities, and privileges to men. Each of us were born into this world with significant choices having been made for us. For example, none of us chose to be born. Our gender was not our own decision. Neither was our physical, intellectual, or personality makeup. We did not choose to which family we would belong, in what part of the world to be born, or what skin color to have. We were not given the option of being poor or wealthy. We were not given the option of being born into a two-parent family, a single parent family, or being an orphan. We did not get to select whether the nation in which we were born was free or oppressed, at peace or at war, impoverished or flourishing. Who made those choices? Since God is sovereign, the obvious answer is the Lord, at least indirectly. Some of these situations are a result of sin and injustice in the world.

The big takeaway is that  we have the option of being reconciled to our lot in life or resenting and fighting against it.

Adam and Eve chose to rebel against how God created them to be dependent beings who don’t know everything and who must rely on God’s help. Satan, who had already thrown aside God’s creation order for himself, deceived Adam and Eve into falling for the lie that God did not have their best interests in mind. They thought that being able to decide how to live for themselves was far superior to trusting and obeying God. By casting off their dependence on God, they thrust the entire human race into darkness and destruction, the consistent result of sin. This mindset has been passed down through the ages to every single person born from Adam’s and Eve’s line.

It is the nature of sin to distrust God and seek to run our lives independently from him.

Jesus became a man, embracing his role as the Lamb of God who provided us with forgiveness for our rebellion and offered to us rebellion’s antitoxin – complete surrender to our loving God. All this was to put humanity and the cosmos back on the right track. This brings us to my first big point.

No one can be truly and thoroughly happy until he or she repents from thinking and living independently from God and surrenders to Christ’s lordship in every area of life.

Gender and Godliness

The new birth makes us all “sons” of God because the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Son, comes to live inside us, crying out “Abba” Father. Spiritually speaking, we are all sons of God.

Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:6–7 (NASB95)

Paul went so far as to say that, in this new birth spiritual reality, there is neither male nor female.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 (NASB)

Jesus also taught us that in the future resurrection, there will be no marriage, indicating that gender will not be relevant, which agrees with the previous passage in Galatians.

"For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. Matthew 22:30 (NASB)

But what about now? Clearly in the present situation in which we find ourselves, gender is of great significance. Our physical and soulical makeup is vastly different depending on whether we are male of female. The way we view and experience life differs as well. The roles we play in the reproductive process are very dissimilar. Only males can be husbands and fathers, and only females can be wives and mothers. This is by God’s design.

Even though spiritually men and women are the same, we must embrace the gender-based roles given to us by God in our present historical situation as we await the resurrection, if we are going to fully glorify God.

Roles Given Specifically to Men

A role, like a part in a play, does not fundamentally define who we are. It merely gives us parameters or boundaries for living. We might think of it as a test of our obedience to God’s choice for us.

As believers, we are truly defined by our identity in Christ as children of God. At the identity level there is no distinction based on gender, race, age, nationality, politics, social status, or wealth. However, in the historical time-bound world in which we all presently live, we are given roles to play. Over a lifetime, these roles may change. We first play the role of a child. Later, if we live long enough, we become adults. Within the adult world there are many roles we may play: boss, worker, leader, follower, husband, wife, father, mother, grandmother, etc. A boss is not superior to his workers, but he does have authority and deserves honor based on his role.

Being able to distinguish between identity and role helps us to properly play our role as unto the Lord. Properly serving based on the roles we have in this life is part of what it means to be godly in this present age.

Disciples

The first role every man or woman of God needs to embrace is that of a disciple.

Until we surrender to Christ and become his follower or disciple, we will not be successful at properly functioning in the other roles available to us.

Allowing God’s Spirit to transform our thinking and behavior enables us to live as God intends.

Husbands

A very important gender-based role that most men will be able to play during their lives on earth is that of a husband. Only men can be husbands, if we accept the biblical and true definition and understanding of the word. What does it mean to be a husband? Paul gives us insight in the fifth chapter of Ephesians.

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23  For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24  But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. 25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26  so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27  that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28  So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; Ephesians 5:22-28 (NASB)

Let’s focus on two aspects of what it means to be a husband that are found in this passage.

First of all to be a husband means to be “head” of the wife and family. Secondly, husbands are to pour themselves out in love and service for those under their care.

Headship refers to the authority and leadership associated with the responsibility of being a husband. In God’s kingdom, the more responsible we are, the more authority we are given. Otherwise, being the head would be an exercise in frustration. Conversely, God does not give authority simply for its own sake or to be used selfishly.

Authority and responsibility go together. Husbands have authority from God to lead their wives, provide for them, nurture and develop them, and protect them.

In no way does this infer that the husband is superior to the wife. Quite the opposite, as Jesus pointed out, the lesser serves the greater. 

For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. Luke 22:27 (NASB95)

Even though the husband has authority as the head, he is the chief servant in the family.

This is how it works in God’s kingdom. Husbands are commissioned to lay down their lives in loving service to their wives and family, even as Christ laid down his life for the church. This brings us to an important insight about husbands.

Husbands have the unique privilege and responsibility to represent Christ to their wives.

It is hard to imagine a nobler or more challenging role in life than that! We need God’s help to do this, obviously. Most men are inherently selfish and self-centered. Marriage is designed to deliver us from this sinful orientation as we learn to properly love and serve.

When husbands properly model Christ to their wives, it is a way we indirectly preach the gospel. By demonstrating Christ’s selfless love toward our wives and families, people outside the faith get some understanding of Christ, especially when wives return the favor by loving and respecting their husbands.

Children of such a marriage are greatly impacted and will carry into adult life a positive image of marriage. When the wife reciprocates by loving, honoring, respecting, partnering with, and following her husband’s leadership, family life will become heavenly.

Each spouse must choose to focus on what Christ has commanded him or her.

Husbands should focus on loving and serving their spouses, and wives, on loving and respecting their husbands. It is usually a mistake to focus on what our spouse is supposed to do, especially if we try to nag them into doing their part. We can trust the Spirit to work in our partners, if we do our part.

Fathers

Fatherhood is usually the natural outcome of marriage, if our reproductive systems are functioning properly and we cooperate in the process. If we cannot have biological children, we usually have the option to adopt. As challenging as marriage is, fatherhood may be even more so.

Our heavenly father is the source of life itself. Paul wrote:

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, Ephesians 3:14-15 (NASB)

In the human realm, God allows fathers to become the source of life for their children. Likewise, all blessings flow from Abba to us.

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17 (NASB)

Father God desires for human fathers to be conduits of blessings from God to their families.

God’s goodness is past human comprehension. Jesus had to become a human being in order to reveal to us by his words and example what Abba is like. We can only understand God’s nature by observing his Son. In a similar yet lesser way, children gain their first understanding of Abba through their human Dad.

Fathers represent Abba Father to their children.

How we fulfill this responsibility has an enormous impact on our children. If we are present in their lives in a loving and affirming way, it gives our children an enormous head start in life. If we fail our children by being absent or by actually harming them, we undercut their ability to know and trust their Father in heaven.

Some of the ways that Dad’s are commissioned to properly represent Abba are as follows.

  • Fathers should lavish love, delight, and affirmation on their children. This includes speaking blessings over them. Blessings release grace into their lives. Words have the ability to build up or tear down. Fathers’ words have extraordinary impact.
But even as he spoke, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” Matthew 17:5 (NLT) 

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.Proverbs 18:21 (NASB)
  • Fathers should provide a safe and secure environment for development and growth.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table. Psalm 128:3 (NASB)
  • Fathers discipline their children in order to form them into God-fearing responsible adults.
He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently. Proverbs 13:24 (NASB)
  • Fathers teach their children the values and skills necessary to be successful in life. This includes spiritual, social, and practical things.
  • Fathers release their children into adulthood gradually at first and completely when they are ready. The goal of fatherhood is to produce responsible adults who will duplicate the discipleship process in their own children. Godly fathers get more pleasure in seeing their sons and daughters excel than in succeeding themselves.

Leaving a Legacy

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. Proverbs 13:22 (NASB)

Whether we intend it or not, each of us will leave a legacy to those who follow.

It will be either a blessing or something to be overcome. While we are alive, we are able to choose which sort we will leave behind at our deaths.

No matter where we may begin our journey in life, we have the opportunity to move forward in God. Those who were born into unkind circumstances or inherited a poor legacy from their forefathers have a starting line for their race that is behind where those with a good inheritance may begin. God does not compare us one against the other, and neither should we. The important thing is that we move our family legacy forward.

The Allied soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day laid a foundation for those who followed at great expense to themselves. Perhaps we find ourselves in a similar situation regarding our family. If our family has a long history of abuse, addiction, crime, abandonment, or other forms of sin and destruction, it will be very challenging for us to break free from that cycle in order to provide a better starting place for our children, but it will be worth it.

Salvation is generational in that each generation builds on what the previous ones provided for them.

I encourage you fathers to make the decision to build a lasting legacy for succeeding generations. Though future sons and daughters may not fully appreciate what you do for the future, God sees and will reward you.

A Father’s Reward

Jesus came to restore us to a right relationship with Abba Father. He did this to bring his Father glory and honor and us enduring joy.

By turning our hearts back toward Abba Father, he made it possible for earthly Dads and their children to be in right relationship, too.

When a proper relationship exists between father and son or father and daughter, it is a source of great blessing. The absence of the father – child connection opens the door to many negative consequences.

“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD arrives. 6  His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6 (NLT)

Much of the trouble we see in our nation and around the world originated in the break of the relationship between fathers and their children, which ultimately goes back to a broken or damaged relationship between human dads and Abba. When we get the Abba-human dad relationship right, the other can more easily follow.

Fathers who have been reconciled to Abba can help their own children grow up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2  “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3  “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4  Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:1-4 (ESV)

A father’s joy is seeing his children do well.

Solomon said that a wise son makes a glad father. (Proverbs 10:1) Conversely, having a fool for a son or daughter is a heavy load for any parent to bear. Ultimately, our children must make their own way in life. A parent’s role is to give them the love, affirmation, blessings, and other tools they will need to succeed, but children must make their own choices.

Perfect parenting does not guarantee perfect results. Neither does poor parenting guarantee that children will fail.

Where human dads miss the mark, our heavenly Abba can supply what is missing. Where dads hurt their children, Abba can bring healing. Where parents do a good job, but kids nevertheless go down a wrong path, Abba can bring comfort to the parents and correction to the children. If parents realize they failed their children, there is forgiveness and hope for the future. We do our best, hopefully, but all of us make plenty of mistakes as a parent and as a child, even when we try to do it right.

For those of us who do not have our own natural children, there are lots of opportunities to be a “father” to those who are natural or spiritual orphans.

Adoption is a very important theme in the Bible. Moses was adopted. So was Jesus. Every born again follower of Christ is God’s child through adoption. For those of us whose children are now grown, we can now invest in however many others God brings our way who need a fatherly touch.

One day we will receive a reward for our labors, but even now we can rejoice as we watch our proteges successfully navigate life using the skills and blessings we passed on to them.

A father’s reward comes from pouring out his life into his children and watching them succeed and go even farther than he ever did.

The blessing continues as we watch our children pass the blessing forward to their own offspring. And when we ultimately stand before God’s throne at the judgment, we will hear him say, “Well done!” Hallelujah!

After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! 20  Yes, you are our pride and joy. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 (NLT)
Click here to see entire series.
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Part 1 – Introduction

godly man

By way of introduction to this series on godly manhood, it is important that we understand that we live in a time in which some minimize or even deny the God-given distinctions between men and women. The source of this dangerously flawed thinking is a deeply embedded rebellion and hatred against the God who created us. Until we experience a change of heart and thinking that comes from being born again and through surrendering our lives to Christ and his Word, we insist on governing our lives as we see fit without reference to God or his will for us. Even those of us who have decided to follow Christ must battle the destructive impulse to try to live independently from God. When we choose to submit to Christ’s lordship, however, the Holy Spirit begins to transform our thinking, which eventually will result in a change in how we live.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1–2 (NASB95)

The Spirit’s goal is to bring every area of our lives into alignment with God’s perfect design, order, and will. Not only will this glorify God, but it will also maximize our fulfillment and happiness.

What does it mean for a man to live as God intends? What are our unique responsibilities has God given to men? Are there any corresponding privileges? This series of teachings will look at two important roles God may give to us as men – husband and father. I will also explain the importance of leaving behind a godly legacy. But first, let us consider something very important that is sometimes overlooked.

The New Resurrection Order

Christians live in a tension between that which was, already is, and that which is coming. Sometimes the lines blur between the last two, making the Christian life challenging to navigate.

When Jesus died on the cross, he put to death much of the old order of things which came from Adam. When our Lord rose again, he birthed a brand new resurrection reality.

This new reality is something about which Paul wrote.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 (NASB)

When Jesus died on the cross, the following aspects of the old order of things were put to death with him.

  1. Racism – When Jesus, the Jew, died on the cross, God destroyed the inherent spiritual difference between the Jews and those outside the old covenant promises, called Gentiles. Jesus’ resurrection created “one new man” in Christ – the church. All forms of racism were dealt a death blow, making every person equal in God’s kingdom. There is now only one chosen people, the elect. (Ephesians 2:15, 19)
  2. Legalism – The Law’s power to point out our failures and condemn us was put to death on the cross as a result of our dying with Christ. (Romans 7:4) Jesus’ resurrection gave birth to a new age of living as justified children of God in the power of the Spirit. There is a fundamental difference between trying hard to please God and life in the Spirit by those who have already been made pleasing to God through faith in Christ.
  3. Religion and Ritual – Sacrifice, circumcision, Sabbath observance, the Temple, and that nation of Israel were rendered obsolete after the resurrection. Jesus fulfilled all of those shadows that merely pointed toward Christ and his life, crucifixion, resurrection, and lordship. In the New Covenant, the church of born again saints is called the “Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:16) Now we worship in Spirit and truth instead of according to the Old Covenant rituals. (John 4:24)
  4. Gender and Socio-Economic Distinctions – When Jesus rose from the dead, he put to death the old order of things which often focused on outward distinctions, such as gender and social status. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

In the new “resurrection reality,”  there is no longer a male-female distinction in the Spirit, even though it is still true biologically, since we all still live in physical bodies as part of the Adamic order.

A Dynamic Gender Tension

Jesus said that in heaven there will be no marriage because gender will be a thing of the past. (Matthew 22:30)

However, we now live in the dynamic tension between what is and what is to come. We live in bodies that are part of the old Adamic order of things, but our born again spirits are in union with God and participate in the new resurrection reality. (1 Corinthians 6:17)

We are born into this world as either a male or a female. Our sexual identity affects us physically, emotionally, and in countless other ways. We are wired differently in our brains, have different muscular and skeletal structures, and have been given radically different functions in the reproductive process. To pretend that there are no essential differences is to be in willful denial. God separated Adam into male and female partly to illustrate that we need each other for companionship and completion. Together, as married couples, we are able more perfectly to reflect God’s image and experience what it means to be human.

As Christians, we must navigate the challenging tension of the “already here – not yet arrived” aspect of God’s kingdom. Spiritually there is no male or female, but naturally speaking there is. Can we integrate the two realities? Since God created us with the ability to interface with the natural and spiritual worlds, we are challenged to discover what aspects of each dimension have priority at the present time in a given situation. In this natural world which we presently inhabit, we have God-given gender-specific roles. Only a man can be a father and a husband, despite the protests by the radical Left to the contrary.

To rebel against God’s creation order is to rebel against the Creator.

However, to limit our understanding and application solely to the natural order of things is to miss out on some of the wonders of the New Covenant and revert back to a form of legalism.

It is important for us to understand that God can take any aspect of the resurrection and apply it to our present natural reality any time he desires.

Before Christ’s resurrection, the only way to be included in God’s covenant with Abraham was to join the Jewish covenant community. This meant adhering to all of the Law’s commandments and regulations. It also meant that every male had to be circumcised as an external sign of his covenant inclusion and commitment. Circumcision was uniquely male, of course, signifying that males had greater privilege and access to God. This was reinforced in the Law of Moses with regard to sanctuary access. Women were kept on the outside. They were not even regarded as reliable witnesses and not afforded the same educational opportunities as men. Their intrinsic worth was valued below men by the Law of Moses, as is shown by the relative fees for redemption being different for males and females.

Jesus erased these inequalities through his death and resurrection. The “one new man” created in him includes both male and female, slave and free, and Jew and Gentile, making the church the greatest of all “melting pots.”

At first, many of the early Jewish Christians assumed that the requirement of circumcision was still in effect. Many in the church did not yet understand the radical changes connected to the New Covenant. The requirement of circumcision was clearly stated in the Scriptures. (Genesis 17:14) It was shocking to Peter when he witnessed an uncircumcised Gentile named Cornelius begin to speak in tongues without having been previously circumcised. This surprising act of the Holy Spirit required the apostles to rethink their position regarding circumcision. It God were not demanding it, why should they? The Holy Spirit was only available to God’s children. (Acts 11:15-18) God showed that Cornelius was one of God’s children based simply on believing the gospel. Such an event demanded a revision of the church’s theology. After all, our theology should be one that God follows!

Paul seemed to be the first to develop this into a comprehensive theology. He understood that Abraham was justified by faith before ever being circumcised. (Romans 4:10-13) This scriptural precedent allowed him to develop the doctrine of justification by faith, one of the most important part of the New Covenant. In his Letter to the Romans, Paul explained that circumcision is no longer necessary. Now what is required is faith in the finished work of Christ, through which the heart is circumcised.

For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. Galatians 5:6 (NLT)

But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:29 (NASB95)

Christ fulfilled the Law, thereby making it’s ritual aspects obsolete.

True “circumcision” is now something spiritual that happens on the inside, in the heart, as a result of the new birth and the indwelling Spirit. (Philippians 3:3) For followers of Christ now to submit to outward circumcision as a means to obtain or maintain a right standing with God would be reverting to Old Covenant externals and legalism and would result in our “falling from grace.” (Galatians 5:1-4) New Covenant believers must stand on faith in Christ’s finished work or not stand at all.

For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. Galatians 5:4 (NLT)

What does this have to do with our topic? Not only is circumcision no longer critical in the resurrection reality that Christ introduced, but other things have changed as well. What about the distinction between men and women in God’s kingdom? Judaism offered women greater nobility and protection than other religions, but Jesus took things to a whole new level by including women in his band of disciples. He dignified women by first appearing to them after his resurrection, making them the very first to be witnesses his resurrection glory. Women were also significant ministers in the early church.

How did Paul make the huge leap to go from including women in the band of disciples to saying there is “neither male nor female?” He saw the Spirit at work in women, just as he saw evidence of the Spirit’s work in the uncircumcised Cornelius. He also knew that there was an Old Testament antecedent. God previously raised up Deborah to lead Israel and command generals.

When we observe a present work of the Spirit that is corroborated by a biblical antecedent, it gives us insight into God’s New Covenant resurrection reality. This is what Paul did regarding circumcision and regarding women.

Gender Roles Still Exist

However, please do not assume at this point that I am throwing out all teaching on male headship. I am not. In this present male-female oriented natural world, we still have gender specific roles to play. Some of these roles are non-transferable. Others are more malleable. Hopefully this series of articles will help to shed some light on these things and help us to better understand and fulfill our gender specific roles in life.

Click here to access all articles in this series.

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Here I Stand

flat earth

When on trial before the Roman Catholic Church for teaching biblical truth, Martin Luther was asked to recant. He famously stated: “My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.” Much to my surprise, I find myself in a similar position today regarding the doctrine of the shape of the earth. What once was commonly understood by the church, now has become the subject of intense debate and controversy.

The church has backslidden into gross idolatry, having elevated what is falsely called science above God’s Word. 

Some think that I have embraced deception because I believe in the literal accuracy of Genesis Chapter One and other scriptures that describe the earth and heavens quite differently from what now is generally accepted as being true. While it disturbs me that I am considered to be a scientific heretic and a misinterpreter of the Bible, I take heart that my belief agrees with Luther’s, Calvin’s, and the authors of the Bible.

About the same time God restored the primacy of God’s Word and the wonderful truth of justification by faith during the Protestant Reformation, Satan counterattacked, introducing one of his most mind numbing deceptions – heliocentrism – with its corollary, the spherical earth. Copernicus theorized that the earth revolved around Helios, the sun (god), which became the center and ruling power of the “solar system,” instead of the earth’s being the stationary center of God’s creation over which the sun, moon, and stars run their “circuits.” (Psalm 19:6)

Here is what Copernicus wrote. Judge for yourself whether it is empirical science or an occult religion dressed up in scientific garb.

In the middle of all sits Sun enthroned. In this most beautiful temple could we place this luminary in any better position from which he can illuminate the whole at once? He is rightly called the Lamp, the Mind, the Ruler of the Universe: Hermes Trismegistus names him the Visible God, Sophocles’ Electra calls him the All-seeing. So the Sun sits as upon a royal throne ruling his children the planets which circle round him. The Earth has the Moon at her service. As Aristotle says, in his On Animals, the Moon has the closest relationship with the Earth. Meanwhile the Earth conceives by the Sun, and becomes pregnant with an annual rebirth.  —Nicolaus Copernicus , De Revolutionibus, Of the Order of the Heavenly Bodies

Hermes Trismegistus was an Egyptian sun worshiper and originator of the occult practice of hermetics or alchemy, something to which both Copernicus and Isaac Newton subscribed.

Heliocentrism is a clear example of Satan’s countering God’s truth with an audacious lie, the purpose being to turn people away from belief in the Bible and faith in God.

When Copernicus introduced his novel ideas about the solar system, the reformers were quick to condemn him. Here are the words of Martin Luther.

luther flat earth

The error of Copernicus’ declaration that the earth revolved around the sun was evident to those men who held that the Scripture was the sole foundation of faith and truth.

John Calvin, a preeminent Reformation theologian, asked this question to which modern heliocentric Christians should pay heed.

Calvin's stand

Luther referred to Joshua’s command to the sun to stand still as an elegantly simple refutation of Copernicus’ error, but, today, many Christians merely shrug off this important text by nonsensically replying that God can do anything. I have heard it said that God could stop the earth from rotating and the moon from revolving around the earth without killing everyone by massive tsunamis and the force of the sudden stop from a 1039 mph rotation. Satan truly makes us into fools when we abandon the simple truth of God’s words, even though we imagine that we are incredibly wise. I cannot condemn such answers. I too formerly threw up my hands when faced with the supposed conundrum of trying to reconcile Bible truth with what I thought was proven science. When we wake up to the simple fact that anything that contradicts the Bible is by definition false?

The heliocentric model of the universe stands in absolute contradiction to God’s Word. It suppresses the truth about the creation and God himself, who is revealed through an accurate apprehension of what he made. (Psalm 19:1-2)

The Bible warns us that the truth will be suppressed in the Last Days (Romans 1:18), leading to wholesale delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:11). We have arrived.

The heliocentric lie, coupled with the Big Bang expanding universe, fundamentally changed how humanity viewed the cosmos, God, the Bible, and ourselves.

Instead of there being a benevolent Creator who fashioned an earth protected from outside threats by the firmament, Copernicus launched us into the dark and hostile void of “outer space,” without any sort of tether or protection at all. Heaven became lost in space, an amorphous spiritual place instead of an actual location atop the firmament. This monumental deception gave birth to a whole host of derivative lies.

  • Deism – An impersonal God created the world and left us to our own devices.
  • Atheism – The earth sprang out of nothing through mechanistic processes.
  • Evolution – All life evolved from nothing by random processes. There is no Creator.
  • Moral Relativism – Since there is no God and we evolved, there is no such thing as absolute truth or right and wrong.
  • Meaninglessness – Life is a meaningless existential pursuit of pleasure and power, leading to totalitarianism, hedonism, and despair.
  • A Culture of Sexual Perversion, Abuse, and Suicide since there is no God and Judge, no absolute truth, and no inherent value to life.
  • Living in fear from any number of internal and external threats – viruses, global warming, aliens, and asteroids – which fear allows the powers that be to enslave us.

When we realize that the earth is a stationary plane enclosed by the firmament, above which is God’s throne, our eyes are opened to the truth about the God of the Bible and the accuracy of his Word.

I have listened to testimonies of people coming to believe in the Creator and Jesus as a result of finally understanding that the earth is just as describe in the Bible. I have collected some of these on my resource page.

Making a stand for God’s truth is always controversial.

Jesus caused division wherever he went because truth divides those who receive it from those who reject or suppress it. (John 7:43) Several early Bible translators, such as John Hus and William Tyndale, gave up their lives in order to provide us with access to the Scripture in our own language. The early reformers faced the very real threat of death for adhering to such basic truths as justification by faith and believer baptism. The doctrine of the baptism and gifts of the Spirit still is being resisted to this day. Arguments are made by those who do not value the gifts of the Spirit that, since the gifts are not a salvation issue, we should keep quiet about them in order to preserve unity. Some churches do not allow people to operate in the spiritual gifts in order to maintain cohesiveness.

I do not think we should participate in suppressing biblical truth in order to maintain a superficial unity. Nor do I believe that we should try to force our views on others. 

As long as freedom of conscience and expression are allowed, we should tolerate divergent opinions, unless such a position clearly violates God’s Word. Then the church must erect some sort of barrier to preserve truth.

A primary reason that I left the Roman Catholic Church after being born again was because I could not remain in unity with false doctrine, nor was it proper for me to be a source of disunity within their ranks by teaching doctrine that is contrary to the official church position.

We should always strive to maintain a balance between making a stand for God’s truth and being lovingly patient with those who do not see it yet.

As we press forward into God’s truth, I believe it is wise to keep in mind the following saying.

all things charity

I realize that the doctrine of the shape of the earth is a “non-essential” doctrine in the sense that one does not need to believe it to get to heaven. However, I believe it is a vastly important doctrine which needs to be taught because it strikes a blow at one of Satan’s biggest lies.

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Principles of New Covenant Giving

god and money

God’s generous giving springs from the love that somewhat defines him. Perhaps the best known Bible verse in the world is John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave…” He gave his best. He gave sacrificially. He gave with no strings attached. He held nothing back in reserve. He gave knowing that what he gave away would return again many times over. Jesus’ solitary, surrendered life has produced an ongoing harvest of millions of people who have been born again into God’s New Covenant family. It is Jesus who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

The kind of love that flows from God is called agape. It is selfless and focuses on others. Jesus was and is the perfect example of agape love. He freely gave his life away to provide salvation for those who were God’s enemies and have no ability ever to repay the debt.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:1-7 (NLT)

God has given his Holy Spirit to those who put their faith and allegiance in our Lord Jesus. The Spirit of God lives within and develops in each follower of Christ the giving nature of God.

Our giving is an expression of and a response to God’s love and is intended to be free, generous, joyful, and sacrificial.

Stinginess among followers of Christ is incongruous with having been liberated by the gift of God. Unfortunately, just as those who have received mercy are sometimes unmerciful to others, giving among Christians as a group in the United States, as a percentage of income, is under 3-5 % at the time of this writing. This amount reflects poorly on the Gospel and the transforming power of God’s Spirit. That percentage is not enough to properly underwrite the work of God’s kingdom, which includes caring for the poor.

Early Christians were famous for their love and care for the poor and the oppressed in the Roman Empire. We do not know if they gave a tenth of their income, but we do have the following record from the time of Justin Martyr, an early Christian apologist who lived from 100-165 AD. When followers of Christ shared the Lord’s Supper, they would also give to support the poor.

…those who are well off and who are willing, each according to his own choice, give what they want, and that which is collected is put aside by the leader. And he himself helps the orphans and widows, and those who are in want because of sickness or for some other reason, and those who are in bonds, and the sojourning strangers, and, in a word, he is guardian for all who are in need. (First Apology, 675b-6)

It is common knowledge that the poor tend to use their limited means to take better care of their needy neighbors than do many of those who have greater wealth. Often wealthier people tend to hoard what they have. According to the Bible, the love of money is a root of many evils. (1 Tim. 6:10) We think that we possess money and goods, but they may actually possess us, according to our Lord. (Luke 12:15-21) Jesus warned his followers to hold loosely to their possessions, even asking some, such as the rich young ruler, to sell everything and come follow him.

That man sadly turned away from Christ’s invitation to part with his money and radical trust in God because apparently he loved money and the supposed security it provides more than he loved God.

Old Covenant Giving

Under the Old Covenant, God commanded the Israelites to give a tenth (a tithe) to the Lord from their agricultural produce and from the offspring of their herds. The tithe was connected to the things that only God could increase, which came from life itself. There were three separate tithes, which, if taken together, mandated that the Israelite apparently would contribute 23.3% per year from their produce and herds. The tithe was used for the maintenance of the priests and Levites, to support the poor, and to provide food for annual festivals.

It is important for us to see the heart of God in the purpose of the tithe. It was instituted to provide for the ministers and service of worship and for the needs of the poor and those who were unable to support themselves.

The tithe in the Law of Moses had antecedents in pre-law passages in Genesis, when Abraham tithed to Melchizedek and when Jacob promised to tithe to God, if the Lord came through on his promises to him. Because of this, many expositors of the Bible believe that the tithe is a principle, which over-arches the covenants and is still in effect in the New Covenant; while others believe that the tithe was strictly an Old Covenant institution.

Regardless, of which position we may take, my position is that Old Covenant laws often contain eternal principles which go forward by grace in the new age of the Spirit.

Certainly, in light of how Jesus always “raised the bar” when translating Old Covenant laws into New Covenant principles and practices, we would expect that New Covenant giving would be elevated and deepened as we move forward from the law of tithing. For example, under the Old Covenant, the Jews offered sacrifices consisting of animals and the produce from the ground. Under the New Covenant, we offer ourselves to God as the primary sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). In addition, giving, worship, and hospitality are acceptable sacrifices for us who live in the age of the Spirit. (Hebrews 13:15-16) Sacrifice remains as an important principle, even though the way it was carried out in the Old Covenant has changed dramatically under the New Covenant. 

A big question I will attempt to answer in this article is:”Does tithing continue as a benchmark for giving today under the New Covenant?” 

Jesus, the Law, and Giving

When Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all his possessions and come follow him (Matthew 19:21), it elevated the principle of tithing to a new level. When Jesus told his interrogators to give to Caesar what belonged to Caesar and to God what belonged to God (Matthew 22:21), he affirmed that governments which coin money may properly demand a payment of that money in the form of taxes, but everything we are and all we have belongs first and foremost to God, the creator and sustainer of all things. That young man was shocked and saddened by Jesus’ call to such extravagant and sacrificial giving, not understanding that what Jesus offered him in return was incalculably valuable.

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 (ESV)

Whereas adherence to the principle of tithing might tempt us to think that 10% belongs to God and 90% is ours, Jesus clearly taught that 100% belongs to God.

If God owns it all, he can ask for it all, which Jesus did in the case of the rich young ruler. Christ’s followers’ grasp on money and possessions should be extremely loose, since the Master may require it at any time. Not everyone is asked to part with all they own, but we all should be willing to let it go. Such radical obedience carries its own reward and opens the door to experiencing God as our provider on an entirely new level.

Jesus addressed tithing, at least indirectly, in the following verse.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Matthew 23:23 (ESV)

Proponents of New Covenant tithing believe that Jesus here affirmed the ongoing principle of tithing for his followers going forward into the New Covenant. Opponents of New Covenant tithing believe this was spoken to Old Covenant people who were still under the Law and has nothing to do with New Covenant giving. No matter which side we take at the moment, I hope we can agree that, in the above verse, Jesus addressed the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders who scrupulously tithed but failed to embrace the deeper meaning or intent of the Law – the pursuit of justice, mercy, and faith.

Under the Old Covenant, tithing gave stability to the community by providing for:

  • Those whose work was caring for the temple and its service,
  • The poor and those who had little or no means to support themselves, and
  • Those who participated in the worship connected with the annual festivals.

Jesus taught that people can fastidiously tithe without having a proper heart attitude, which renders the practice somewhat worthless in God’s eyes, at least in terms of heavenly reward.

If love for God and people is not behind our giving, it is worthless from an eternal perspective.

The apostle Paul wrote:

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:3 (ESV)

The Law is a set of rules which regulates behavior, defines sin, helps us understand God’s holiness, and makes it apparent that we are in desperate need of a savior. The New Covenant is based on a relationship with God rather than on a obeying a set of rules. Giving misses God’s intent in the New Covenant when it is viewed merely as a rule or duty. However, routinely giving as a matter of principle can be a very good thing.

Whether we give routinely or spontaneously, we should always lean on any directives from God’s Spirit.

Under the New Covenant, God wants his people to relate to him and communicate with him as they give. Relationships depend on communication; so, it is reasonable to think that we should communicate with God about how much we should give, rather than always simply calculating a tenth. Many New Covenant tithers automatically give a the tenth and then ask God whether they should give anything more as an “offering.” This certainly fits the New Covenant paradigm.

However we may arrive at our giving amount, Jesus wants us to focus on the more important matters associated with our giving. Is my faith engaged in my giving? Whom do I love more, God or my money? Do I love people enough to part with my cash to assist them? Am I more like a Pharisee, scrupulously giving a tenth, or the poor widow, who gave all she had? Is the work of God’s kingdom being advanced by my generosity? Do those whose work is the full-time ministry have enough? Are the poor being cared for adequately? Is God’s generous nature reflected in how I give?

If we look at Christ’s teachings on giving, we can make the following list of important points.

  • Seeking first God’s kingdom guarantees that God will supply our every need. (Matthew 6:33)
  • Give and it will be given back to you. (Luke 6:38)
  • It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)
  • A person’s wealth does not consist of his possessions. (Luke 12:15)
  • Beware of the sin of covetousness. (Luke 12:15)
  • When you tithe, keep in focus justice, mercy, and faith. (Matthew 23:23)

Sometimes God asks us to give in a way which defies logic, prudence, or wisdom, at least from the world’s perspective. That was certainly true for the rich young ruler. Some are called to sell all that they have and give to the poor. (Matthew 19:21) The poor widow was commended for giving all she had to live on. (Mark 12:41-44) This kind of giving opens the door to heavenly riches and a deeper relationship with God.

Paul’s Principles for New Covenant Giving

Paul extensively addresses giving in 2 Corinthians 8-9. Before reading any further, I suggest you take a few minutes to read these two chapters, which can be accessed by clicking on the link in this paragraph. We can derive several New Covenant giving principles from these passages, which are in agreement with the deeper purposes of Old Covenant tithing – justice, mercy, and faith.

  • When we share, God will supply our every need according to his riches in Christ.
  • Generosity comes from a heart set free which trusts in God.
  • New Covenant giving is purposeful and marked by joy and eagerness.
  • Generosity does not depend on our circumstances.
  • Giving is a ministry that starts with the giving of ourselves to God.
  • Giving is directly connected to relationships. We are to support and bless those whom we love and who have needs.
  • God wants us to excel in the ministry of giving.
  • Through giving we diminish our surplus to meet genuine needs of those who have too little.

This is what Jesus and the Macedonians did. However, we are not told to give to the point where we afterward need assistance. Giving beyond our natural ability should only be done at the leading of God’s Spirit, who will resupply us after our act of obedience.

In an age when we are taught to save for the future (unexpected needs, college for the kids, and retirement), it may be challenging to give what we have so that the needs of others can be satisfied.

Sacrificial giving requires us to believe that God will take care of us in our own time of need, which is exactly what the Bible teaches.

  • We are to give proportionately in relationship to our ability. Proportional giving means that those who have more will give proportionately more, but it will always be a free-will gift and not conscripted, as when the government redistributes wealth through taxation. New Testament giving is not governmental socialism. 
  • Giving demonstrates God’s love to the receiver and to those who observe, resulting in thanksgiving to God and an affirmation of the gospel. When we demonstrate Christian generosity it is a strong witness to the gospel message and demonstrates the reality of Christ’s work in our lives.
  • Giving should be done regularly.
  • Giving follows the principle of sowing and reaping. Generosity begets abundance; whereas, miserliness begets lack.
  • Joyful eager giving is what God is looking for in his people and is that which will earn eternal reward. Grudging obedience is better than rebellious disobedience, but resentful giving is not the fruit of the Spirit’s work inside us. God judges the motives of the heart as well as our outward compliance. 

From these general points, Reggie Kidd, in his contribution to Perspectives on Tithing – 4 Views, has proposed the following points. I have added my own thoughts to the mix.

  • Giving is relationally driven. (2 Corinthians 8:5) The Macedonians gave themselves first to God and then to Paul. Because they loved and valued God and Paul and the work of God’s kingdom, they were willing to give. We ask God what he wants us to give and to whom. We examine our hearts to see what we desire to give. We open ourselves to sacrificially sharing what we have to please God and bless people, knowing that God is in relationship with us and will supply our need.

Whereas a tithe is a simple mathematical calculation, relational giving springs from the heart.

  • Giving is grace driven. (2 Corinthians 8:7) Grace is God’s free gift to us of himself and all he has through his Son via the Holy Spirit. It is unmerited and unearned. Our giving is meant to spring out of a heart that is willing as the result of a response to God’s gift to us, not out of fear of punishment or a mere sense of duty.
  • Giving is love driven. (2 Corinthians 8:8-9) This principle is a restatement of the first two. Giving is a grace that springs from loving relationships. Without love, our giving is worthless from an eternal perspective. We learn to give by meditating on and responding to Christ’s gift of himself at the cross. This kind of love produces generous and sacrificial giving.
Putting It All Together: The Basis of New Covenant Giving

What principles can we establish based on everything I have covered so far? New Covenant giving is based on the following principles. It is:

From the Heart
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NASB95)

The tithe was mandated by law and carried a blessing and a curse. Those who tithed were blessed financially, and those who robbed God by withholding the tithe suffered in the financial realm as a consequence. (Malachi 3:6-12 and Haggai 1:6)

At Calvary, Jesus became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13-14); so that, in the New Covenant, we move beyond condemnation as a motivator and learn to live by the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1-2) Whenever we allow God’s Spirit to inspire and empower us to live out the eternal essence of the Law, it is called grace.

God’s Spirit never leads us into sin, lawlessness, or selfishness. He shows us what has been freely given to us by God (1 Corinthians 2:12), so that we can learn to freely give. (Matthew 10:8) The blessings of obedience come to those who live by the power of grace, and the consequences (not condemnation) of disobedience come to those who live by the power of the “flesh”. (Galatians 5:16-25)

God is a giver, and all who live by God’s Spirit will be extraordinary givers as well and will experience the amazing blessings attached to generosity.

We should also properly fear the consequences of failing to be generous, which are clearly delineated in Proverbs and other places and will also result is our having less blessings than God would desire for us.

Income Based

(1 Corinthians 16:2, 2 Corinthians 8:3 and 12)

The Bible teaches wealthier followers of Christ to give proportionately more because they can, but it is always a matter of choice. Discipleship is our choice to follow Jesus. This principle elevates the New Covenant grace version of giving beyond the minimums of the tithing law. As a general rule, Jesus never reduced the level of the bar set by the Law. Instead he extracted the eternal principle and applied it in a deeper and more challenging way that can only be obeyed through the Holy Spirit’s enabling.

Jesus took the commandment against adultery and enlarged it to include lust in the heart. Likewise, Jesus widened and deepened the law of the tithe when he asked the the rich young ruler to give all he had to the poor. He commended the poor widow for giving all she had to live on. He asks every disciple to give up his or her rights to every possession, including physical life.

Rather than merely moving the decimal point one place to left to calculate our giving, Jesus wants us to release all our possessions to him by faith and be open to the Spirit’s guidance as to what is an appropriate amount for us to give at any specific moment.

Our mindset should never be to pay the bare minimum. Those who live within their means will be able to give even more when their income goes up. This is the opposite mentality that is taught by our consumer culture, which encourages everyone to spend more than they make.

Need Based

(1 Corinthians 9:1-14, 2 Corinthians 8:13-14, 2 Corinthians 9:12)

When we are linked relationally to others, their needs become our opportunity for generosity.

The needs of the poor and of those whose living comes by the gospel with whom we are relationally connected should help determine our level of giving.

Generous

(2 Corinthians 8:2-3, 13; Philippians 4:17-18)

God is not stingy or limited in resources.

Because we are his children, who are filled with his Spirit and who rely upon his provision, we can also be generous.

The Macedonian believers were sacrificially generous, giving, as Paul put it, “beyond their means.” God wants our abundance to provide for others’ lack. How much we give depends on our assets, willingness, and faith. As a general rule, we should not give to the point where we put our own position in jeopardy, unless directed by the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

Jesus said that it is impossible to remain ambivalent toward money. Either it or God will be our Lord, and we must choose repeatedly over the course of our lives which will it be. Mammon is the name Jesus gave to the spirit behind the love of money, which is a root of all sorts of evil.

How we use money reflects what is most important to us.

The old saying is that people should “put their money where their mouth is;” which means that, talk is cheap, but money tells it like it is. When it comes to God’s kingdom and the church, where we put our money says a lot about our priorities. Haggai the prophet warned the Jews that having wrong priorities with money is a losing proposition.

Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. 7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Haggai 1:4-9 (ESV)

Jesus promised us that God will abundantly supply those who are generous. (Luke 6:38) The converse principle is that God’s provision will be withheld from those who withhold from others. This is a matter of sowing and reaping.

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. 25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 11:24-25 (ESV)

Even though Paul stresses the blessings associated with being generous, we cannot undo the reaping connected with miserliness. No one is under compulsion to be generous, but failing to be so carries its own “reward.”

We learn many things when we reap the consequences of our behavior. God is most concerned about the condition of our hearts. Money is really no object to him, but he uses money in a powerful way in our lives. Paul does not limit the sowing and reaping to money. He wrote: “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:11) Our generosity will produce thanksgiving in the hearts of the recipients and bring honor to God. Miserliness produces the exact opposite.

Our giving reflects what we believe about God.

Reluctant giving declares that we believe we serve a less than generous God. Generosity properly mirrors God’s heart to both the recipient and any onlookers.

The fact that many who call themselves Christians give less than 3% of their income to God’s work means that many Christians have a low view of God, lack faith that God will provide for them, and/or are not very committed to the work of the kingdom. In other words, we are more committed to other things. It is difficult to come to any other conclusion.

It is a general rule of thumb that people who are disengaging from a church often start by withholding their giving. A corollary to that is that people who do not give are not engaged. It is nearly impossible to be truly supportive of a ministry without its involving finances. Of course, there are exceptions, as when people have little or no income with which to work.

God commanded the Israelites to give 10% (at least) of their produce to the work of God and the poor. The tithe belonged to God and was to be used for what God determined – the support of the Levites and priests, the poor, widows, and orphans, and for festival celebrations. Over the centuries, views on the applicability of the tithe for Christians has been debated. Some have rigorously insisted that Christians are bound under the threat of a “curse” to give 10% to the local church; whereas, others have believed and taught that tithing faded away with the introduction of the New Covenant. The latter teach that believers today are to be “grace givers,” giving according to the New Covenant standards mentioned previously, and not bound by a strict 10%.

Those who hold that the tithe is no longer in effect usually think that, once freed from the 10% mindset, believers will actually give more than the tithe by their own inner motivation. Those who believe the tithe is still in effect fear that people will stop giving if they don’t have the principle of the tithe to guide them regarding a base level of giving.

Giving to the church has gone up and down during different historical periods. For the last century or so, there has been a resurgence of belief in the principle of New Covenant tithing. As a result, many followers of Christ have used this as their norm for giving, and pastors have taught them to do so. Over the years, many churches have adopted the concept that a tenth should be given to the local church as the “tithe,” and anything above the tenth is considered an “offering,” which can be directed wherever the giver so chooses.

It would be very difficult, if not impossible, to “prove” this position from Scripture, but the tithe has served as a benchmark or principle for giving for many. Making a commitment to give 10 percent of our income is no small thing. In many cases it requires the giver to trust God to make up for what they give to the church.

The overwhelming testimony of tithers is that God blesses them when they tithe. This is highly significant. When we tithe, we place ourselves in a position in which we must depend on him to supply our needs.

Reggie Kidd, one of the authors who contributed to Perspectives on Tithing: 4 Views, wrote:

I submit that from Jesus’ denunciation of the Pharisees we are not to tithe the way so many of us pay our taxes – making sure to give as much as required but no more. In this regard, one concern of the anti-tithe or post-tithe voices is laudable. Securing autonomy over the other 90 percent by relinquishing claim on 10 percent is the economy of the devil. It is to turn God’s economy on its head. As clear as Jesus was that we are not to neglect “the others” (Matthew 23:23), a reference to the tithe, he did not say much about how to do that. He did not say much about whether and how to bridge the gap between Israel’s agricultural tithe and other economies; that is, he did not say what artisans or bankers are obligated to do with the tithe principle. He gave us no calculus to determine with certainty what the original Mosaic formula was, much less what it was in his day, or how to reconfigure it for modern Western democracies. He did not say whether to tithe from the gross or the net, or whether to tithe from stock dividends or tax refunds, or whether the idea of “proportionality” in giving is simply a heart thing, or a community-derived thing, or whether it’s our church’s business or ours personally to decide, or whether it’s supposed to go to officially-constituted churches or para-church ministries. I believe Jesus expects us to discern and to exercise wisdom in dependence on the Holy Spirit. The Bible is not a rule book for tithing. I think the Bible invites us to delve into a story and listen for where its plot line takes us. I think the Bible invites us to immerse ourselves in baptismal reality and bring our wallets with us. Thus I think there are some answers that are given only to the worshiper and only in the act of worship… [As an act of worship] we are compelled “to do good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.” (Hebrews 13:10, 15-16) (quoted from pp. 116-117)

New Covenant giving builds upon the rich history of giving in the Old Covenant, which includes Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek, his offering of Isaac, the Israelites exuberant giving for the tabernacle in the wilderness (So much was given that Moses had to ask them to stop!), King David’s amazing stockpile of wealth and supplies to build Solomon’s temple, the tithes given to support the Levites and priests, and God’s giving of his Son without reservation to purchase our salvation.

New Covenant giving is a reflection of God’s indescribable gift of his Son and is a response of hearts which have been set free from bondage to material wealth.

My conclusion is that giving in the New Covenant is a critical part of our spiritual life and accurately reflects our inner condition. Miserliness indicates that a person is ungrateful and lacks faith in God and his ability to provide. Conversely, generosity reflects the character of God in a person’s life.

God has given us the Old Covenant principle of the tithe as a benchmark for giving. Otherwise, we would be left completely in the dark as to where to begin. Giving should be an act of faith. Giving a tenth develops in the giver a dependence upon God and a commitment to the work of God’s kingdom.

Tithing, as is generally practiced, a giving of a tenth of our income to the church, equips a person to go even further in giving.

Once the principle of giving at least a tenth is established, one should rely upon the Holy Spirit to instruct him or her as to how much to give beyond that. It is conceivable that the Spirit would say to give less than the tithe, but is more probable, in my opinion, that he would tell us to give more, if we have the resources and ability to do so. In the case of those who are struggling to make ends meet, sacrificial giving could be the way out of financial bondage. The tithe is a goal to shoot for, but I believe it is important to start at the point at which we have faith and where we sense that God is challenging us.

For those who discover the joy of sacrificial giving, no further inducement is necessary.

Such giving carries its own reward. For those who have never given as much as a tenth, I encourage you to consider trying. For those who have been stuck at the 10% mark for a long time, I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit how much to give and follow his leading.

I do not believe there is a “curse” attached to not tithing, but I do believe that there is a consequence for not being generous and giving according to our ability to the work of God’s kingdom and to the poor.

Jesus took the curse of disobedience upon himself, but we must still bear the natural consequences of our behavior. If we have a garden but do not plant any seed, we will get no harvest. Likewise, if we fail to give, we will not reap the blessings attached to being generous.

I believe we should use the tithe as a biblical principle to guide our giving without being locked into it as the maximum or minimum.

As John Piper has written, it is probably “robbing God” for affluent Western believers to only give a tenth of their income to the Lord’s work. It is a matter to be resolved between God’s people and the Holy Spirit.

As for me, I have been “tithing” for years and would not feel right at all with giving less. Doing this study on the topic has inspired me to give more. I encourage you to ask the Lord what he wants you to give and do it. It will be an adventure of faith.

To access the entire series on the Disciple and Money, click here.

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Is it ever okay to splurge?

god and money

Splurge is an interesting word. It means to spend money freely or extravagantly. Is it ever okay for disciples of our Lord Jesus to do this? The basic premise of this series on how disciples should properly handle money is that we are accountable to God for what we do with the finances he puts into our hands. I have suggested that prioritizing how we spend our money is important. Being careful not to overspend, being generous, and tithing are all important principles. For those who tend toward strict discipline or even legalism, all of this lends itself to thinking that any sort of purchase that is in any way extravagant or not strictly needed would be at least suspect or might even be wasteful and wrong. But is this always the case?

Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son is a story of how a son wasted his inheritance in an immoral and unwise spending spree that left him impoverished. A revealing element of the story is the way his father welcomed him home. He basically threw out the “red carpet” and treated him as if he had never violated his family’s trust, welcoming him back from his long self-imposed absence with open arms. The son left without so much as a “thank you” and returned in disgrace, but his father held none of that against him. The prodigal son asked to be treated as a hired servant, but his father splurged on his son by throwing him a feast and restoring to him the rights and privileges of sonship. This act of merciful kindness irritated and offended the elder son, who did not understand what seemed to him to be a reward for unfaithfulness.

God is very much like the father in the parable. He splurged on us by sending his only begotten Son to die on behalf of his enemies.

God could not have given a more expensive gift to a more undeserving and ungrateful people! Paul wrote the following to let us know that God’s extravagance continues to this day and into eternity.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:32 (NASB95)

If he already gave us the very most expensive gift he has, why would we think he would be stingy with us going forward?

God’s nature is that it brings him joy to splurge on his loved ones when doing so will not somehow do harm to us.

Should we be surprised if God gave us something extravagant? Not I.

God wants us to keep the fires of extravagant giving alive in our hearts, because that is who he is. That is who he wants us to be, too. Some disciples live a very basic lifestyle, denying themselves so they can give extravagantly to others, especially to God’s ongoing work of worldwide kingdom expansion. This is a free choice, not a law.

And if the Lord wants to splurge on us, we should not be surprised, taken aback, or refuse the gift.

It is our Lord’s delight many times to give us the desire of our hearts and even beyond.

Such gifts may come through others, but sometimes he might prompt us to spend extravagantly on ourselves. It always comes down to what is in our hearts and God’s. We should be careful not to judge others in this matter.

How can we tell when splurging is simply wasteful and when it brings joy to God’s heart? It is impossible to establish a rule for this. The minute we try to do so, we have entered the dark and joyless world of legalism. The recipient of such a gift may understand that God is fulfilling some deep longing of the heart, but outsiders may think that it is wasteful. The prodigal son’s elder brother did not understand his father’s joyful extravagance when he splurged on his wayward son who had finally come home. He judged his father’s actions to be improper because he did not understand the nature of God heart and grace. We should be alert to avoid falling into the same trap.

If we routinely spend extravagantly or even wastefully, it is probable that we are not in line with God’s heart. However, if we rule out all expressions of “splurging,” we may miss out on some of God’s best gifts.

To access the entire series on the Disciple and Money, click here.
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The Son of Man’s Authority to Judge

trumpet gospel

Jesus’ fourth ministry or role is the glorious Son of Man who will return to the earth to raise the dead and judge every person who ever lived.

This event was prophesied by our Lord himself and is found in the prophecies of Daniel. Christ’s first three roles – Lamb of God, Son of God, and Baptizer in the Holy Spirit – have already been fulfilled in history and are available to every person to experience, but our Lord’s last role still waits for its fulfillment in the future.

We can know him now as the Resurrection and the Life (John 14:6) and our justifier (Romans 5:1), both of which will be more fully revealed at the Second Coming.

Here are John the Baptist’s words.

“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11–12 (NASB95)

Even though John did not specifically call Jesus the “Son of Man,” the above passage fully describes his role as the Judge of all the earth.

Jesus’ death as God’s Lamb is fundamental to our salvation, and acknowledging his lordship is the gate Paul says we must pass through to obtain the benefits of that death and resurrection. (Romans 10:9-10)

When we confess that Jesus is Lord, we acknowledge and voluntarily choose to come under his rule, which is the fundamental act of repentance.

For the last two thousand years or so, we have been in the Great Commission phase of God’s plan, which the Bible calls the “last days.” During this time Jesus is functioning as Lord of the harvest and Baptizer in the Spirit. Eventually this time of mercy will end, followed by our Lord’s glorious appearance in the clouds of heaven as the Judge. 

When Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin the evening before his crucifixion, their purpose was the culmination of that nation’s rejection of their Messiah. They condemned him to death after he freely admitted that not only is he the Messiah but he will also come again in glory as the divine Son of Man prophesied by Daniel. 

But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64  Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:63-64 (NLT)

Daniel’s prophecy described a glorious heavenly being who will judge everyone who ever lived.

I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13–14 (NASB95)

When the Sanhedrin heard our Lord apply these verses to himself, they accused him of blasphemy and condemned him to death.

At this point in time, Israel’s rejection of God’s rule was complete, fulfilling Christ’s own words. They would be given other chances to repent before their catastrophic destruction in 70 AD, when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by Titus.

Jesus warned the Jewish leaders that their rejection of him was a rejection of God’s rule that would result in their utter destruction.

But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us'... 27 “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.” Luke 19:14, 27 (NASB95)

Jesus taught that in his role as the Son of Man he has been given authority to judge. One day he will return to judge those who condemned him, unless, of course, at some point they repented and asked forgiveness for their treachery.

For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. John 5:26–29 (NASB95)

Jesus was given authority to judge us since he also lived as a human, but without sin (Hebrews 4:15). For those who reject

Christ’s lordship, the last judgment will be terrifying, but for us who voluntarily bow the knee to him before his glorious return, it will be a triumphantly glorious conclusion to history.

Our Lord, the judge, will also act as our defense lawyer.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Romans 8:32–34 (NASB95)

The one who will judge us has promised that we will never be condemned, if we put our trust in him.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 (NASB95)

According to the terrifying vision in Daniel 7:10, we will be judged according to record books God keeps.

A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened. Daniel 7:10 (NASB95)

He keeps track of every word, thought, and deed. Nothing is hidden from him.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:12–13 (NASB95)

If our performance in life were the only basis for judgment, every single person who ever lived would be consigned to the lake of fire.

as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; Romans 3:10 (NASB95)

Without Christ, no one is righteous in God’s sight. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious righteous standard.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23 (NASB95)

We have earned the wage of death.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NASB95) 

However, there is another book called the Lamb’s Book of Life. If we are written in that book, our eternal destiny is secure.

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12–15 (NASB95)

Every person will be judged according to our deeds because what we do reflects what we believe more than our words do. (James 2:18)

However, for those of us who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, judgment will determine our eternal reward, not our eternal destiny.

Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:8–15 (NASB95)

For those of us who have received and know the love God has for us, judgment holds no terror.

By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:17–18 (NASB95)

We do fear God in a proper way, however. We do not take lightly his discipline, but as his children we do not fear being ultimately cast away into outer darkness.

And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. John 8:35 (NKJV)

At the future point in history when our Lord returns, there will no longer be any doubt at all for anyone as to Jesus’ true identity.

When God dissolves the firmament (2 Peter 3:10), revealing God’s glorious presence in heaven above us, naysayers will no longer be able to claim that our Lord was merely a prophet or a fine teacher. No longer will anyone be able to say that he was a mythical person. No one will claim that his resurrection was a fable concocted by his devious followers. At that point in history, everyone will see him in his undeniable glory.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:7-8 (ESV)

Before his return, God is giving us the opportunity to hear the gospel’s call to bow the knee to Jesus, the Lord of Lords. What we do in response to this call will determine our eternal destiny.

On that glorious day when Jesus returns as the Son of Man, it will be too late. On that day, every knee will be forced to bow and every tongue confess who he is. No longer will there be an option.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)

Although God the Father continues to mercifully delay the end, and Jesus continues to show mercy to those who ask him for forgiveness, we should not think for a moment that our Lord is too weak or kindly to enforce God’s justice and wrath when the proper time finally arrives. Though he is patient, God the Father does not wink at sin or coddle rebellion against his Son’s rule.

Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. 11 Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. 12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! Psalm 2:10–12 (NASB95)

Warning people to prepare for the coming judgment is an important part of the gospel message.

Those who do not drink from the river of God’s mercy by declaring allegiance to the risen Lord, the Lamb who was slain, will rue their grave mistake at the Second Coming when God’s judgment comes down like a hammer.

The Book of Revelation teaches us that we who believe will rejoice in God’s judgment of the wicked.

After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, “Praise the LORD! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. 2  His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants.” 3  And again their voices rang out: “Praise the LORD! The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!” 4  Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, “Amen! Praise the LORD!” 5  And from the throne came a voice that said, “Praise our God, all his servants, all who fear him, from the least to the greatest.” Revelation 19:1-5 (NLT)

Until Christ returns, we preach a gospel of hope to those who are willing to repent and declare allegiance to the risen Lord Jesus, but that gospel contains the warning of impending judgment.

God’s mercy can only be properly understood against the backdrop of looming wrath.

Just as artists use darkness to contrast with light, the gospel uses the beauty of God’s mercy to contrast with the horrors of divine judgment. If God is simply a heavenly smiley face who never judges anyone, our gospel message is farcical. Why on earth would Jesus have to die, in that case? He would be a misguided tragic figure at best. But, in fact, our Lord absorbed the wrath of God on the cross on our behalf so that we will be able to escape God’s wrath at the Last Judgment.

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NASB95)

The gospel holds out to us the promise that all who call upon the Lord will be saved. This is the gospel that Peter preached.

And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” Acts 2:40 (NASB95)

Peter knew that judgment was coming to Jerusalem as our Lord prophesied. He warned his hearers to turn to Christ to escape that judgment and the final one at Christ’s return.

It is the gospel Paul preached.

“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30–31 (NASB95)

It is the gospel John the Baptist preached.

“His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:12 (NASB95)

It is what Jesus preached.

All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; Matthew 25:32 (NASB95) 

It is the gospel we should preach, too. How people respond to this good news will make all the difference for eternity.

Prayer

Jesus, I recognize that you are my Savior and Lord. I declare allegiance and submit my life to you. Help me to tell others about who you are and what you did for us so that they, too, may escape your wrath on the day of judgment. Thank you for your continued mercy. Amen.

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