Strong Man Of God Blog

            In a recent radio interview discussing my book, one of the hosts and sister in Christ shared that from her experience, most women--Christian or not--want a strong man.  While this may be true, contemporary feminist ideology--which at its core seeks for a separate and independent identity from men in what is called “equality”--sabotages this aspiration more so than any failures men may have that do so.  Truly, there is nothing innately wrong with men that God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and power of the Holy Spirit cannot fix.  However, willful rebellion against God’s order by women that are guilty including those professing to be Christians exacerbates the problems men in sin weakness have and provokes the wrath of God against them as rebels.

            As the Lord led, I wrote about the issue of re-defining men, women, their roles and responsibilities that coincides with what is also being done with sin in the second chapter of The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.  As is plainly shown in His Word, God did not create two heads in the order of the human family.  Indeed, as I have taught over the years, we instinctively understand a two headed anything is not natural or normal.  God created the man first and brought forth the woman second from out of him specifically to be his companion and helper (Genesis 2:7, 18-25).  She was fully equal to him in person, but God gave the couple different roles and responsibilities that are also plainly seen in their bodies.

            The man was to be the head over his wife and chief leader in the family.  This was not about inequality, but divine will and order for humanity; order that is everywhere apparent within the family of God, Heaven and its ranks of angelic majesties, the cosmos and every kind of display of life on planet earth.  Truly, God is One (communicating absolute unity and equality of Person) and yet, within the triunity of God, the Father is the Head, Christ the Word is the Son and the third Person is the Holy Spirit ready to do the will of the Father and Son (Genesis 1:1-3; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19; John 1:1-5, 14-18, 14:28, 15:26).  Read my July 27, 2014 blog, God Of Order under the category, Instruction to learn more about the divine display of and commitment to order.

            So, men are to be the heads over their wives by the express will of God in consistency with the divine order in which the woman came from the man for him, but since then, both are dependent on the other in the Lord’s continuing program of marriage and procreation (1 Corinthians 11:3, 8-12).  Understanding from the Holy Spirit the surpassing greatness and blessing of God’s order of marriage framed within the Christian faith, the great apostle Paul purposely taught it to first century Christians (Ephesians 5:22-24; Colossians 3:18; Titus 2:1-5).  With consistency, he also taught how God’s order of marriage in male and female roles and responsibilities were to be carried out in all of the churches largely made up of Gentiles since the Jews already knew from the mosaic law and had been obedient since Abraham’s day (Genesis 3:16b; 1 Corinthians 14:33-40; 1 Timothy 2:11-15; 1 Peter 3:1-6).

            Yes, in general historically, men have blown it big time as it concerns being the kind of ruler God designed after the image and likeness of God and perfectly modeled by our Lord Jesus Christ (Genesis 1:26; Ephesians 5:25-33; Colossians 3:19; 1 Peter 3:7).  I own this truth in the book and apologize to my sisters for it.  However, I also say the failure of men does not warrant a full on rebellion against God by women in these latter days since the failure of men is due entirely to the fall and sin as an indwelling reality going forward.  Though because of his status before God as the head, Adam’s disobedience condemned the race (Romans 5:12), nevertheless, it was Eve who led the way as the first human sinner (Genesis 3:6; 1 Timothy 2:14).

            Now, today, will the women who are guilty as Eve’s daughters also lead a rebellion against God’s order and expect that their sin will set everything right?  Apparently they think so since the rebellion is in progress and has been growing for a generation.  At this point, as the Lord leads, I especially speak from the heart to the women of my own race and people.  I know so many of you have had to step in to fill the void left by missing men since slavery and not all from the demoralization of our experience that affected those without Christ the most.  Some were irresponsible as men weak in sin then, as the many are today.  By default and for your children, you had to become the head of the family as Deborah also had to save Israel when the men were weak before God (Judges 4:4-22). 

            We who are learning the way of the strong man of God in the image of Jesus Christ understand from the foregoing that we owe you a great debt of gratitude.  But if in these latter days a significant number of us will successfully rise up from the dead of sin weakness into the restoration of strength through Christ to become strong men of God in His image, those of our sisters who are guilty must repent from the pride of feminism and relinquish your grip on headship to return to honoring God’s order in the home and churches as it is written in His Word!  Two independent heads of the house sounds good to the rebel heart, but in practical application engenders conflict and blocks a man from becoming strong in his role and responsibility to lead as God has hard wired into his existence and is revived in the strong man of God message and cause.

            Too, as is well known, what is being done right now in rebellion is not working to facilitate intact families.  The high levels of single females who feel obliged to be sexually promiscuous and enable male irresponsibility by financially supporting them to attract their interest, domestic violence, divorce, shacking and single female headed households (many with children from different absent fathers) amply demonstrates the truth.  If women of the world will not return to God’s program, then, surely those professing to be Christians should though some of my strongest opposition to restoring men over the years has come from this group because they do not want to abandon their selfish ambitions for position, power and recognition in the churches inspired by the flesh and feminism not God!  Let all unrepentant rebel females be warned that since God shows no partiality, they equally face His wrath with guilty males (Romans 2:1-11).

            So, how can willing professed Christian women who are guilty return to God’s program and help restore men as aspiring strong men of God in the image of Christ?  The first step always where sin is involved is to confess and repent from it before God.  Second, accept the fact God is the Author of the roles and responsibilities of men written in His Word not mortal flesh and submit to Him.  Third, if relinquishing the authority of headship is a problem for you, in your fresh submission to God ask for the heart of John the Baptist who as the Lord Jesus greater in role and responsibility came on the scene said, ‘“He must increase, but I must decrease,’” (John 3:30, NKJV).  John understood and accepted his role in God’s program (John 3:22-36).  So should every aspiring great woman of God in the image of Christ today as divinely appointed helpers and spiritual descendants of those from ancient times recorded in the Bible and history that God may be glorified in you!

         Without apology or shame as one of the Lord’s heralds of the Gospel and teacher of the faith rooted in the Bible, I preach God’s requirement of repentance from sin for forgiveness leading to salvation and continued right standing with God. The divine call to repentance from sin clearly asserts and exposes the reality of its presence in every human heart as judged by God (Romans 3:9-20, 23; 1 John 1:8, 10). We expect resistance to the truth of sin guilt from rank sinners that love their sin and refuse to turn from it (John 3:17-20). However, many professing Christians and their leaders resist repentance from sin to include heresies among their reasons to save face.

         A quick check with Webster’s Dictionary reveals that the layers of definition attached to the word, “face” includes the consideration of our “standing in the face of others;” our “prestige.” All of us to some degree or another have concern about how others see us. None of us wants to be seen in a bad light or found to be something other than what we say we are. From the example of our forefather, Adam and his wife, Eve--who sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves, hid from God when they heard Him coming and then played the blame game as God inquired about their behavior--we especially have a great difficulty with being found guilty of sin (Genesis 3:6-13).

         Since Adam, humanity has reflexively employed all manner of device to deflect away sin guilt rather than simply owning up to it. As little children even, we will immediately lie to avoid consequences and of course, to save face. Of the many Bible characters beyond Adam that acted deceitfully to cover their sin and save face, Saul the first king of Israel is a prime example. Like most folk, Saul wanted to first save face in denying he had sinned at all by disobeying the Lord in the Amalekite mission (1 Samuel 15:18-21). After Samuel gave God’s eternally standing instruction on obedience, Saul finally admitted that he had sinned in disobeying the Lord (1 Samuel 15:22-24).

         Here is seen again the difference between godly and worldly sorrow over confessed sin (2 Corinthians 7:8-11). For though Saul admitted he had sinned in disobeying the commandment of the Lord, his heart was not truly repentant as is borne out by his behavior in the rest of what is written of him going forward from this incident. Indeed, immediately after reluctantly admitting he was wrong, once more Saul wanted to save face before the people by having Samuel participate with him in worshipping the Lord. At first Samuel refused understanding the very serious nature and consequence of Saul’s sin and no doubt, his motive (1 Samuel 15:25-26).

         When Samuel turned to leave the scene, Saul grabbed hold of his garment and ripped it in the process. This gave rise to Samuel’s affirmation of God’s judgment of Saul symbolized in the tearing away of his garment. After this, Saul confessed again he had sinned, but pleaded with Samuel to “honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God,” (1 Samuel 15:27-30, NKJV). Saul wanted to diminish the gravity of his sin and consequence by having Samuel make him look like he was still alright with God. Samuel worshipped with Saul for what he knew was the last time and finished his mission (1 Samuel 15:31-35).

         I know well the sin and temptation to save face when I have done wrong in now this fifty-eight year old life. Nevertheless, God, a Father exceedingly great above all, has steadfastly insisted of me to own my stuff immediately not to escape consequences and save face, but always to receive His forgiveness! And since this is also biblical, it is the will of God that all men embrace it (Ezekiel 18:20-23; 1 John 1:9). Yet, over the years I have lost count of the number of professing Christians and leaders that have sinned against me or are in sin and have lied to my face or lied in denial about their sin to save face. Proudly refusing to confess and repent from sin to avoid consequences and save face is shamefully common among professing Christians.

         Like Saul, many professing Christians and leaders attempt to diminish the gravity of their sin guilt and any consequence in saving face by going on with church worship and activities. This is very evident in churches where the Holy Spirit is not really operating (emotion is not spiritual fire) or welcome (much religious activity does not mask spiritual deadness). Sin not confessed and repented from before God is sin not forgiven and it does not matter who the guilty party is! Therefore, let every son and aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ continually confess and repent from his sins being more concerned about how God sees you than men (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord’s side?”