The Core of Authentic Manhood— Continued.

The Apostle’s encouragement to embrace the Warrior-spirit begins like this.  “Keep your eyes wide open to danger; stand true to the Lord, firm in the Faith; act like the men you are; be strong!  And let the Life you live be one of love” {1 Cor. 16:13-14 RR Exp}.  The four pillars of a man’s soul in Scripture can be embodied by four things: Prophet, Priest, Warrior, and King.  Every man, without exception, has been designed by His Creator to exist in these four arenas.  And not just to exist, but to excel… to the glory of his Great Designer.

“Be brave,” say’s Paul, act like men of courage.  This comes from the Greek word for manliness, for courage in Conflict.  This is the Warrior concept: ‘be a warrior, be courageous in battle.’  The recovery of the Warrior-spirit is essential for the healing of the masculine heart.  Because the Warrior is born for a Cause greater than himself.  You will never live in the divine definition of the word until you live for something greater than yourself, until you live for something beyond yourself, something transcendent, something which will be here long after you’re gone.  The Warrior is trained to stand in harm’s way for the love of others.  He’s willing to stand in harm’s way and, if necessary, lay down his life displaying what Jesus called ‘the greatest love.’  “Greater love has no one than this,” spoke our Lord, “that one lay down his life for his friends” {Jn. 15:13}.

Why does the Warrior “lay down his life”?  So that those left behind can continue on in liberty and in peace, in Freedom and in Life.  The Warrior is devoted to peace, but willing to die for the Freedom of others.  Freedom is a priceless treasure, for out of freedom come all things worthwhile; out of freedom come all the momentous decisions {great and small} that glorify the sovereign God of this Universe.  The Warrior— listen up, men— is incapable by virtue of his character and training of shirking his duty, his responsibility for the safety of others!  He knows that responsibility rests on his shoulders, if on no one else’s.

Last of all, we have the King.  To “be strong” is to ‘be continually increasing in strength;’ it’s from one of the Greek words for power and perseverance over the long haul.  That’s one of the qualities it takes to make a king …and to make a man: the ability to finish strong.  This is the quality King David had and that our Lord had as the King of Kings.  One that is wise enough to know the way, diligent enough to stay focused on it, bold enough to take those first few steps of risk on this road of adventure, and far-sighted enough to leave a heritage behind for future generations.  These are the kind of leaders the world needs.  Because this is what the finest kings in history were made of, of which David was certainly one, and in whose guise our Lord will Return at the Parousia.

As Children of God, men and women alike, we need to look within and be honest about what we find.  We need to look around and see the world for what it is so that our hearts and lives stay grounded in reality.  We need to look ahead with Hope, with the absolute assurance that our King is coming and our Abba is in control.  And finally, we need to look above, to keep one eye, in fact, fixed there at all times.  As Paul wrote, “Since, then, you have been raised with the Anointed One [Identified eternally with His Resurrection, and all its power and all its Life.], set your hearts on things above, where the Anointed One is seated at the right hand of God [‘Seated’ because He is ruling!].  Set your minds on things above, not on the things here below.  [And why?] Because you died when Jesus did, and your Life is now hidden with Him in God.”  Now for Paul’s finishing thought.  “When Messiah, who is your Life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” {Col. 3:1-4 RR Exp}.  Hoooaaahhh!

HJC	Ric Webb  |  Shepherd Heart’s Journey Community 9621 Tall Timber Blvd. |  Little Rock, AR 72204 t +1.501.455.0296 | hjcommunity.org
Heart’s Journey – where the Word and the Spirit are one.