Pursuing Biblical Masculinity

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 5:43–48.

We have an internal crave justice. When we see or experience injustice, something deep inside us desires to see the wrong thing made right. In this episode, we explore Matthew 5: 38 - 42 and how we can apply Jesus' teaching on justice and revenge.

A historical mark of a good man is being a man of your word. Men say what they mean and mean what they say. In Matthew 5: 33-37, Jesus addresses this topic and gives a very straightforward command for us to follow.

Divorce is seen as a norm not just in our culture at large but also in the Christian Church. While the idea that Christian divorce at the same rate as the secular world is false, Divorce is still more prominent than it should be.

But what does the Bible say about divorce? As we continue through the sermon on the mount, Jesus addresses this in chapter 5: 31-32.

All sin begins in the heart and leads to actions... Sin is serious and must be dealt with seriously.

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. 

n Christ, we can learn the true meaning of the Law and how it applies to our lives even today. Over the next few episodes, we will look at seven specific ways Christ calls us into righteousness. Today, we start by looking at how we deal with anger.

For many, anger is a big issue. It's often rooted deep in our past and may sometimes be justifiable.

While anger in itself is not a sin, many ways we manifest our anger are sinful and need to be surrendered to God. Matt 5: 21-26:

What do the law ad prophets have to do with the Gospel? According to Jesus, everything.

In Matthew chapter 5:17-20 Jesus says " 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. "  The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 5:17–20.

We should stand out from the world because we pursue the things of heaven and not of earth. We should look and act differently and as a result, draw people to Christ. In this episode we reflect on Matthew 5: 13-16 and how it applies to our lives.

Persecution is not often something we look to as a gateway for blessings. We often do what ever we can to avoid pain and suffering. But the Christian life is a life of suffering. We are called to share in the sufferings of Christ. Paul tells the church in Corinth that he "rejoices in his suffering."

Join me as we explore Matthew 5:10-12

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Mt 5:9.

Conflict between others is rooted in our alienation from God. Sin is the root of all conflict we experience today.

Many men seek out conflict. Conquering others makes them feel superior.

But as with most earthly desires, the Bible calls us to the opposite. We are called to be peacemakers.