A Godly Man

"Truth isn’t relative; only our position to it…" J. D. Payne (yes, me)

I was asked to post what I believe is a Godly man, and what God has said about it. First let me say that I was honored someone would think I knew. I thought about doing this after I left the Christian site, where I was asked, and then have Jim  posted it for me, but I got nudge to do it while it was fresh and new in my mind. 

I also thought of which passages of the Bible to pull from, as there a many, but I as I contemplated it was a shock to understand something so lacking in Christiandom that only a few seem to know. It is not the passages that are important—it’s understanding and living them. That would stop a lot of food fights wouldn't it? 

So I can quote scripture all day long, and many do, but what is the underlying concept, the principle or law of that scripture and how do I apply that in my everyday living?.. I have stated for years that Christianity is not just something you do, but Christianity is also who you are. So I want to take this time to express my understanding of what it means to be a Christian man — and a desirable mate to the Christian women. Someone they can cherish, and be cherished by in return, for the rest of their lives. 

The hierarchy of success 

To be successful in anything is to adhere to the principles that guarantee that very success. Being a godly man has a hierarchy of success (or a structured set of principles) that can be applied as effectively as any endeavor in the world.

• Discipleship 
• Commitment 
• Effort/Work 
• Obedience 
• Resolve 
• Purity 
• Change

Discipleship 

This has also been called mentoring as well, though that is a little different, and is the foundation of everything we do in life. We should understand that we follow an example of a teacher, master or another authoritative individual when we disciple ourselves to someone. Much like a monk in a monastery, we are following a master. His name is Jesus. 

Again I could quote scripture on this, and I do have many favorites, but let’s just look at how Christ did things, how He lived. His discipleship was unto God the father in His form as Son of Man. He always made it clear that He did not do anything unless that either it was given to Him by God, or something He saw God doing. This is our foundation as well. 

When you see some people who are billionaires, have untold power and position, it usually because they are building on the success of others, usually a line of men that have been amassing fortunes over the period of decades if not centuries. They take what the first ancestor had accomplished, maintained it, and then added to it. 

This principle holds true in our discipleship to Christ. Men should always be mentored to an elder Christian to build on what that person has experienced and can give insight to from their own walk of discipleship. The world calls this "not reinventing the wheel". Again, we call it discipleship. Mentoring is a part of this discipleship where we are helped along the way through the advice and counsel of older, maturer Christians. How else could the disciple make new disciples if they did not counsel and teach them? 

So in mentoring, it allows us to focus on building our own faith, our own discipleship in Christ, and expanding our own understanding and seeing the very principles of faith put into action. If that mentor is a mature Christian, we can begin applying the principles that we see them applying in their lives. Reading about something is one thing, having a living, breathing example of it is another thing altogether. It brings the power of faith into our lives because it makes faith VISIBLE — we can see what it looks like! 

Those who think they do not need this, then consider: Christ discipled to God the Father, and was Master to the disciples who discipled themselves under Him, and they in turn were admonish to go unto the world and make disciples themselves — and so on. But their Lord, and our Savior, was also their mentor in that He also guided and counseled them as well as teach them the principles of faith. 

That is how God does and did it, through discipleship and mentoring. It is an example of we all should be doing as well, but I speak to men today. If a man is unwilling to be under authority in Christ, then that man is questionable in his walk of faith, because he is ignoring the hierarchy that God put in place. 

Commitment 

After a man has placed himself under the structure and lines of authority and responsibilities in faith, then he must apply himself in order to get the fruits of his labor, the harvest if you will. It takes effort to be a Christian, man or woman, and wimps need not apply. He must "discipline" himself in the tenets and strictures of the faith, in all that he says, does, thinks and feel. He must grow in faith, other wise how will he obtain the fruits of his labor if he does not tend his garden? The only way to do that is to be truly committed to the Will of God. 

Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, did not just go out on the court and become that great player, he worked hard to achieve his skills. Faith too is a skill as well. It takes practice to achieve maturity in Christ. And that practice only comes when you have a commitment to achieve the goal in mind, in other words to be like Christ. That is the goal of our commitment. 

Effort/Work

We have touched on effort in the above paragraph, as commitment and effort go hand-in-hand, you can’t have one without the other. For extraordinary faith, there must be extraordinary effort—in belief and obedience (we will touch that later). We must work at being Christian, it is not the natural estate of man. Unlike a natural son or daughter, our son/daughtership in Christ is when we are "adopted" by our decision to make Christ our Savior, and to follow Him in our discipleship. 

We are born into a sinful and fallen world, and we must make an effort of will, commitment and discipline to overcome it. To walk in the light of God, and be His kids. 

It takes effort not only to be "good" but to not fall into the temptations of the sin of this world. We must be a peculiar people (noticeably different), a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. We are not to be like the world, that's easy, it takes effort to swim against the tide of sin and the inherent lust, and desires of our own flesh. The war is inside of us, it reflects on the outside in the things we do and say, and effects not only us, but all who are in our world. We must make the effort to only reflect Christ at all times. 

Obedience 

So if a man makes Christ his foundation, has a commitment to his walk of faith, and is making every effort to do his best, then it only follows he must walk in obedience. Life’s decisions always present us with a choice, sometimes many choices. But Christian men should always choose to make decisions that are Christ-filled and obedient to the Word of God. The only way to do that is to know what we are supposed to do. We must, as Timothy writes, rightly divide the Word of Truth. You can’t do what you don’t know. 

We must not only NOT sin, but we must also DO righteousness. This is not our own righteous that we are expressing, but God’s, it truly belongs to Him. It is His covering of righteousness that gives us the power to do good, but we must be willing to obey what He tells us to do in order for that goodness, His goodness, to express. We must give heed to the Master we follow, Jesus Christ, in order to even be called His disciples. 

If we don’t do what He tells us to, how then can we really say we are committed to Him? We can’t. 

Resolve 

Many will think that commitment is the same thing as resolve. It isn’t. When we have a deep desire to accomplish something, or our efforts towards anything, then we have stepped beyond commitment into resolve—it has to get done, and we won't let ANYTHING STOP US! Resolve is like the spine to the skeleton (foundation) of our faith. Everything is able to work in our lives because of our resolve to do it. It is the basis of all action. 

Resolve conquerors any barriers, overcomes any weaknesses and gives us the strength we need to do what God has called us to do. In other words, to simply be His kids. Resolve doesn’t accept failure, or a mindset that is contrary to the will of God, and assures us that even when we think we can’t go on — we do. Resolve is the fire within commitment that expresses completely and fully that God’s will, in our own lives, will be done. 

Purity 

This is an area that men struggle in. Why? Because men are physically oriented beings, they lead, procure, work, and just DO. But in this lies many traps. Men being visual creatures, often times get tempted with the beauty of the opposite sex, especially if that woman makes it known that she is willing and able to fulfill any worldly desires. Low bustlines, high skirt hems and bare anything, usually gets a man’s attention. 

It is always easy to not want that which you can not afford or have access to. It is when there is access, that man has a hard time, often times, to rise above the challenge. 

But the solution to this, and other worldly desires not of God, is to understand that the world only gives a cheap substitute to the very real and good things of God. It is the mirror image of what God provides. Glass beads to His diamonds, and just as cheap. Instead of lust, God gives love, instead of the giddiness of drugs and alcohol, God gives joy, and instead of the mindless state of self-indulging worldly entertainment, God gives beauty and peace. 

Christian men must understand this and then live it. Then we must teach our children and families how to do this as well. It is one of the functions of being the covering for one’s household. As goes a man’s character, so goes his household’s as well. 

Change 

All this will lead to change, if a man will walk along this path of faith. He will find that he thinks differently, acts differently and will want different things than he used to want. Others will also note the change in his character, and the very real growth of the fruits within him. He will become what other men of God will want to be, and what women of God want in their lives. He becomes the blessing, as he blesses others with who he is. 

It doesn’t take great upheaval in one’s life, if you are already Christian, to have God accomplish this change within you — just let Him in and He will do the work. God's work in us, as Christian men, is to transform us into the image of His Son. To gain our inheritance in Christ and be blameless before His throne. And that man too will become a pearl of Great Price, and a treasure worth finding and holding close. 

This should be what every Christian woman desires as well. 

So this is the mark, to be like Jesus. To have His love in our hearts, and to love Him back. Love is so great a gifting to others, that it can not be understood the true depth of this gift. Our children will be blessed, our spouses, our families, our friends, and most importantly our God. This is the way to make our election sure and to bring the joy of the Lord into our worlds. To be like Jesus. 

So my admonishment to men is be this man. 

My admonishment to women is accept nothing less. 

Be blessed, be loved and be and peace. May the light of God's glory and presence fire the brilliance of your souls. You are greatly loved.