Welcome to the For the Gospel podcast, where we're all about providing sound doctrine for everyday people. I'm your host, Costi Hinn, and on today's episode, I want to talk about manhood, and in true for the gospel fashion, I want to lay out two sides to this conversation. We've got a problem in our Christian culture. Feminized men who are passive, weak, unspiritual, and spend more time on pursuits and pleasures that don't help them win at home and that don't further the mission of God, but rather fuel their selfishness. And a lot of men make the excuse for their behavior saying, I just need some guy time. I'm just being a guy. More of a worldly cultural approach to manhood. That's side one. Now let's be fair. On the flip side, Christian culture has a lot of noise that touts manhood, but isn't really biblical manhood. It's a lot of noise that reminds me of the college frat boys in the student section at a college football game. Take, say, the Florida Gators. I remember being in Gainesville one time for some gator festivities back in the day and hearing some dudes talk about how they were making fun of Tim Tebow. You remember Tim Tebow? He was always saying stuff about God and the gospel, and guys would make fun of him until one time these guys were sharing a story about how they were making fun of Tim Tebow, and he walked right in where they were by the field, and he was in his tight football pants. And I remember one of the guys remarking, His hamstrings were the size of both of my legs put together. I remember laughing at that, and the sentiment was, you know, everybody's tough when they yell from the student section and pop off at the frat boy hangouts, but when the real men walk in, you know when manhood has arrived. I think there's a lot of well-intentioned guys who say things online that are needed. I think of the different sentiments that have been put out there even in recent times that are deserving of serious, logical thought. One in particular from a good buddy of mine, Owen Strand. Not long ago he tweeted something to the degree of cut your man bun, and then he wrote an essay on it about hair and men. And look, that's all good stuff for Owen to put out. He argues it exegetically, and his whole goal was to help men remember you shouldn't look like a woman in the way you present yourself. You should look like a man. And it was hilarious fun to sit with him at Shepherd's Conference just weeks later. And there was an awesome young man in the master's choir who had a man bun, and I had a little chuckle. And there was one security guy in particular who is like a ninja warrior. You'd never want to mess with him. He was the security personnel or the associate who was in charge of making sure that Vody Bachum was okay. And if you know how big Vody is, you're going, he needs an attendant like that. This guy had a long ponytail, looked like a samurai. And I just remember leaning over to Owen and kind of laughing and going, Oh, yeah, you want to cut his hair? Go for it. I'll see you in heaven, bro. This guy is not somebody you want to mess with. And so the sentiment being, of course, guys like Owen are trying to point us to a better presentation of manhood than a feminized culture would call us for. And they're trying to fight the good fight in raising the bar on men acting like men. But it begs a question. And I think it's part of what Owen tries to get us to do in thinking about these things. If you cut your man bun, if you quit having long hair, if you quit wearing certain types of clothing, you burn your short shorts that are real popular now in today's culture for dudes, and you find verses to back it all up, does that make you a man? You know, is cutting your man bun going to fix the issue of manhood? No. We need to target the heart, not the hair. I'll take a man bun with a humble heart over a clean-cut man with a haughty spirit any day of the week. And I know so many of my friends would agree. And so I want to take a dive into biblical manhood that doesn't come from the culture of manhood, that isn't an overreaction or even a helpful thought put forward for us to consider about the way men are presented. But I want to go deeper into manhood because the external can get us into trouble. Conversations about manhood that have to do with your hair and being rough and tough or having a beard all miss the heart. I got another funny story. For example, I got a buddy, he's got really soft hands. True story. It's a running joke with a few of his other friends. And recently, there were some guys teasing him about it because his wife had asked him to dig a hole, and it was a pretty big-size hole in the backyard. And the joke from his buddies was that he couldn't do it with such soft hands and needed his man card revoked. And I get the joke, it was hilarious. But the irony was my buddy is like James Bond. He works for the FBI, and sometimes he has to leave for weeks on end to go chase bad guys in places that no one is allowed to know about. He'll send me the odd text message asking me where we're at in our Bible study or if I've got any passage updates for him so he can stay studying while he's on the road. And I think of that story and go, again, who's Manly? You know, the dude with calluses from work in construction or landscaping, or the dude who knocks off two of America's top ten most wanted and then comes back to church like nothing happened. The dude with a man bun, the dude with a military cut, the dude with long jet black ponytail hair who could turn you into a pretzel in two seconds, or you know, the guy wearing a bow tie and got lots of books and he can quote Spurgeon all day. All of these scenarios present us with a really big problem. If we judge manhood by the outside, we're gonna miss the whole point. So here's my encouragement, brothers, to all of us, me included. Let's be careful. Turn to Christ and the Word for your model of manhood. I want to give you some marks of manhood from 1 Corinthians chapter 16, one of the most famous chapters for its reference to manhood in verses 13 and 14, but I want us to think about the verses that lead up prior to this. And so if you have a Bible or you just want to be a good listener while you're driving, I'm gonna turn over to 1 Corinthians 16, and I want to read to you from verses 5 to 9 in that chapter and get us a running start and lay out about six marks of manhood for you to consider that have very little with how you look on the outside, and have a great deal to deal with how your heart is on the inside. Paul is winding down his letter of 1 Corinthians, he has held nothing back, he's rebuked, he's reprimanded, he's laid out doctrinal truths, he's called out the guy in sexual sin in 1 Corinthians 5, he's told the church to put the wicked man out from among him. He's not people pleasing, he's not scared, he wants one thing and one thing alone, for the church at Corinth to be washed with the word, holier in light of the holy one who gave his life for them, and walking worthy in the manner of which they were called. Paul says this, but I shall come to you after I go through Macedonia, as he winding he's winding down the letter here in chapter sixteen, verse five. And perhaps I'll stay with you or even spend the winter that you may send me on my way wherever I may go. For I do not wish to see you now, just in passing, I hope to remain with you for some time if the Lord permits. He wanted to spend time with them. He really was passionate about Corinth. He didn't just want to do a little stop over, high five, see you later. He wanted to be with them. But I shall remain in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective service is open to me, and there are many adversaries. Let me give you the first truth about real biblical manhood from this particular passage that we can learn from and apply to our own lives. Paul was a man, a biblical man, a warrior man, and he had number one, a love for the local church. Real manhood is not about what your hair looks like. It's about your love for the local church, no doubt. Paul has agonized over Corinth. He reprimanded them, taught them he can't sleep over them. He loves them and wants them to grow. Look, real men in their heart of hearts, they love what Jesus loves, not from a distance, but from close proximity. They're discipling men in it, worshiping God in it, teaching in it, fighting for it, counseling in it, serving in it, giving to it. Brothers, let's get really honest. We need to care less about what we look like and care more about what we love like. Do you love the local church? Are you involved in the local church? Don't talk about manhood unless you are found pouring into men in the local church, being poured out like a drink offering, like the apostle Paul. That is manhood. Number two, faithfulness where you are. Paul's heart and care is still available to Corinth. But did you hear what I read from chapter 16, verse 8? But I shall remain in Ephesus until Pentecost, because there's a wide door for effective service, and there are many adversaries. Oh yeah, there's the rah rah of manhood. It's the challenge, it's embracing obstacles and embracing adversity, all for the gospel's sake. He has dug his heels into the work in Ephesus because that's where he's supposed to be. A lot of men, they look like men on the outside, but they are flighty as they come. They're fair weather, they run everywhere to find an easier, bigger, better opportunity instead of staying where they are. I think of one of my pastor friends, his name is Anthony Wood. He's one of our great contributors here at For the Gospel. And I got called to Arizona, and that's great. I'm thankful for where the Lord sent me. There was work to do. There were doors open to me. The brothers at Redeemer Bible Church were doing work. There's adversaries here. Arizona was wild and it is in need of Bible churches. And as I'm waving goodbye, I'm looking back at my dear brother, my friend, a mentor, a pastor, who's got to stay in Orange County under Newsom's tyrannical rule in the state of California. He's got a pastor, a church still. And I think of manhood and guys like him who, if they were doing ministry in the South or in Texas or other places, the church would probably be 4,000 people. If you come to Arizona and the church doesn't grow right now, the problem is you're not preaching the truth. You just need to open a Bible right now in the state of Arizona, and people come because there's such a hunger. It's just a unique thing that God's doing. But I think of guys like Anthony Wood digging his heels in in a place that hates God, surrounded by megachurch Disneyland madness, easily could have gone different places, and he stays. That's manhood. I think of a buddy of mine named Nate Pikowitz who is over in New England. And there will be days, undoubtedly, for brothers like him where they are alone in the work, they're going to the office, they're in the study, they're preaching, they're counseling, they're serving, they're raising up and training men. They're going through the day-to-day grind and they're faithful and they are there to stay because they love that area. I think of another brother named Brandon Dyer. He's over in Maine. He's even further out there doing ministry in a place where most men leave because it's too hard to stay faithful. Real manhood is about being faithful where you are. Paul is a great example of manhood for us, brothers, to fight the good fight of faith. You are not going to see the final product in an instant, but over time, we labor like bricklayers, brick by brick. And then think about this. Wherever you are, be faithful. So that even means moment to moment, moment, minute to minute. That's manhood. You have a great day at work? Awesome. You're the man out there, cool. You drive up to the house, you park on the driveway, you pray and ask God, help me to remember, Lord, that my real work has only just begun. When I walk in that door, my most important ministry continues because I've got to win at home. Manhood is about being faithful where you are. Like Jim Elliott once said, wherever you are, be all there. Number three, be constantly alert. It's a present active verb in the famous manhood verse. Let me read it to you. Be on the alert, verse thirteen, stand firm in the faith, and then the short phrase that everybody bases conferences for men on. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just real popular. Act like men. Be strong. And then let's add verse 14. Let all that you do be done in love. We get our final few marks from there. Be constantly alert, number three. Means to be constantly wakeful. You're not asleep at the wheel. You don't get sucked into single issue crusades. You're wakeful across the board. You stay alert for enemy tactics. I was reading in a commentary recently about this particular passage as I was getting ready to teach it. And John MacArthur writes that this watchfulness is diverse. It includes watching out for Satan, watching out for temptation, watching out for apathy, watching out for false teachers, and then in positive terms, watching and praying that you would find your strength against the evil one in the Lord and watching for the Lord's return. You gotta not just stay focused and faithful on where you are, but on why you're here. You're not just focused on one enemy tactic. You're focused like a military man on ground assault, air assault, special forces, and more, which means you are a man who is spiritually dynamic. You're never just getting blown around by the culture, both the worldly culture, and then let's be honest, brothers, the Christian culture, which says this is the issue now and it's the only issue now. No, for millennia there'll be many issues, there have been many issues. We are watchful of all issues, protective of one single thing, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Number four, biblical men are firm in the faith. Real men hold the line doctrinally in truth. That's what Paul's saying. They don't waver on gospel loyalty. In fact, there are men who have no loyalty except loyalty to Christ and his truth. If you're loyal to Christ and his truth, then you'll find a brotherhood of loyalty there. If there are men who abandon that but call for your loyalty still, you do not follow them. That's not real manhood, even if they say it is. The mob mentality works on both sides. There's the BLM, raise a fist, or you're going down, but there's also in the Christian world these loyalties that people call you to, that if you don't do it like them, say it like them, get their back and agree with them that you're out too. Embrace cancel culture if it means you're being loyal to Christ. There's a lot of people out there who claim to be truth warriors, except when the truth puts them at odds with their friends. Their loyalty is proven in that, or lack thereof, if you will. I think of John MacArthur and his stand against social justice. It cost him more relationships with those who were on stages with him. They were near and dear to him. They were a mainstay for so many of us to watch and rejoice in the unity of their ministries. It was so fun to be a pastor younger and watch as these men who held some different views on eschatology and various views on hermeneutics, some more dispensational, some more covenantal, some in different denominational circles, all bonded together because they were firm in the faith, the gospel together. But when truth was on the line, love him or hate him, say what you will, he held the line. Because real men are not company men, they are Christ's men. Number five, we see the mark of biblical manhood in that they are strong in the Lord. This is in the passive here in the original language, be strong. That's what Paul says. But the real translation grammatically would be the phrase, be made strong. Our strength isn't found in this rah-rah version of manhood. Our strength is found not in physical means, but in spiritual means. I was cross-referencing this and kind of looking with a question mark in my mind. Okay, Paul, be strong. Okay, Paul, the real grammar there, be made strong. Okay, how? I went over to Ephesians and I found in chapter six, verse ten, the phrase, be strong in the Lord. What a great reminder. That's where we find our strength, brothers, in the Lord. Ephesians 3.16, Paul says, Be strengthened by his Spirit. You ask the Holy Spirit for strength. You're filled with the Holy Spirit, he will strengthen you in Christ. And I love the statement in Ephesians 1 19. His power, God's power towards us who believe. And then the statement, His might. And so you don't look for your strength and your fuel in the ego of cultural manhood. You look for your strength in the Lord. If you've got soft hands, but you've got hard knees, brother, you're a warrior. You can have a man bun for all I care. If you are finding your strength in the Lord, you are a man and a warrior. Don't ever forget that in the Old Testament there was a little shepherd who was much more the runt of the litter than anyone would have thought. People think of David as the warrior king, a man with blood on his sword. Do you remember how it started for him? All the other brothers would have been a better fit in the eyes of men. And God reminds the prophet. Man looks at the outward appearance, I look at the heart. And finally, brothers number six, the mark of biblical manhood is found in love. This is agape love. When he says, Let all that you do be done in love, sometimes we leave out verse 14. This is agape unconditional love. All that you do must be done in this. What's your goal? Your mission includes loving others faithfully. It includes truth. It includes challenges. It includes hard conversations. It includes sacrifice. It includes actions, not merely words. So, brothers, Bible men, you can cut your man bun all you want. You could puff your chest all you want. You could sing a mighty fortress is our God and baritone at Shepherd's Conference all you want. But you and I will never be real men until we get to the heart of what real biblical manhood is all about. And I would encourage you, challenge you, and even command you by way of scripture, look to Christ for your model of manhood, not others. Ignore the noise from all sides. This culture is getting darker and darker. They are going to demand of you their own agenda. Brothers, real manhood continues to look to Christ. I pray that this episode challenges you, encourages you in that. For some of you, yeah. As your heart transforms, there's going to be some external changes. Because when the heart transforms, well then the behaviors will as well. Sure. That may apply to you in various ways. But more than anything, God wants your heart. And the heart of manhood is easy to ski see in his word. Thank you for listening to the For the Gospel Podcast. To check out free teachings, become a monthly partner, or learn about how we're reaching the next generation with sound doctrine. Go to forthegospel.org. You could follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter, and drop us a review on your favorite podcast platform. We'll be back next Monday with another episode. For now, keep on living for the gospel.