"Great Mate" Series... Session Two: "It's A Man's World"

What makes a man? By society's estimate this guy is no "girly man"... many would argue, as would Arnold himself, that he is a true man.

But are muscles and strength and good looks the estimation of a man?

Arnold's campaign for governor of Caly-forn-ua exposed his youthful immorality. The American public found out that this man's man had been nothing more than a womanizer and treated women as an object to play out his lustful desires.

In Session Two of our series "Great Mate" we looked at the biblical measure of a man. The theme, after all, of this series is understanding what it means to be a man or a woman, and how these two roles fit together biblically to propel our planet forward.

In Ephesians 5:21 -33 we looked at the very familiar passage where Paul teaches how husbands and wives should treat one another. This text has been the subject text of many a fiery sermon where male pastors asserted their "headship" - which is the biblical role of the male - but in a very unbiblical way. Banging on pulpits, they have commanded women to submit while failing to see our role in the relationship. Look at the text from The Message concerning the man's role as a husband:

25-28 Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage.

The text contains six verbs, six things, that husbands should observe to be considered biblical husbands...

1. He goes all out in your love for your wives...
2. He has A love marked by giving, not getting...
3. His love makes the church whole...
4. His words evoke her beauty...
5. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her...
6. He dresses her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness...

Guys, what if we truly did this for our wives? What if we applied these rules more fully to our marriage? How drastically different could a rocky relationship be if the husband took the initiative to love his wife this way... the way Christ loved humanity?

For the sake of being brief I won't comment on each of these like I did last night. But, the point is God wants us males to step up and be MEN... real Men! Not men with creamy lotion-y hands, or melon butter make-overs. We are designed to be strong, confident, protecting even passionate and fiery. However, being these don't exclude us from being understanding, gentle and compassionate.

Notice that Jesus, when the woman caught in adultery was brought to him, treated her with respect uncanny for that of first century women. Everyone likes to speculate what Christ was writing in the dirt, but miss the fact of where Christ was... in the dirt. Why? Because that's where the woman was. His forgiving nature wasn't an approval of what she had done, but his actions to love, forgive and correct followed the above model of evoking the best in her. He encouraged her to not sin like this anymore and yet at the same time respected her as God's daughter, his sister. His forgiveness dazzled her and dressed her in white silk garments radiating with his holiness.

Men, this is our order... these six rules are what defines us. Not muscles and looks, but the actions that elevate women... our wives... and bringing the beauty out of them in a respectful and honoring way. Come on guys, let's grow up, show up and be MEN! If we will, our wives will have no problem in honoring us and allow us to lead, right? The text ends with a benefit for us guys... we are really doing ourselves a favor since we are "one", right? And, husbands, you know what I mean... (wink!)...