I will ask you a question that only you can answer, and unless you have contemplated it at length previously, then I would suggest you do so before answering it.
How many guys do you know and how many men have you met?
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1st Peter 2:24)
Consider the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom all the worlds were created, who became meek and humble amongst those He created, amongst all mankind.
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
The Jews today still consider Him a usurper, one who caused the loss of their land for nearly two thousand years, those who will not recognize Him as who He is, the Son of God, God Himself. But many call Him a pacifist, one easily trod upon.
In the eyes of man, a man can only be judged by his actions, they formulate in their minds that man’s character, and so a real man in their eyes is never a follower, but a leader. He is strong, virile, capable of leading his own destiny, a hardworking, single focused individual that needs no one to guide him.
Until he gets old, and then he is cast away for the next “man.”
Some prefer to believe a man is one who is capable of all that was just offered, yet places others as his priority, but consider this truth, the injured player is of absolutely no value to the team.
There are other so called “men” who understand these words, and will do all within their powers to besmirch the name of one so that they themselves are placed in the eyes of the populace as “the man to follow.”
“Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2nd Thess. 2:4)
The antichrist in the eyes of the guys, those who, and there are many, consider themselves to be men, will be a “man amongst men,” and the world will do as they have always done, they will set him upon a pedestal, and as far too many have always done throughout the history of mankind, they will worship him.
“Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” (Romans 13:7)
But when you do so, keep this verse always in the forefront of your mind.
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” (Jer. 17:5)
Every man of God who has been blessed with wisdom fights a battle on two fronts in this regard, those who hear him and recognize that this is indeed a man and who attempt to follow him, and the latent pride within himself that wants him to recognize those accomplishments as his own. The most humble man who ever lived that does not know the Living God will fall into one, if not both of these traps every time.
Only men of God have been blessed with the one thing that has not been mentioned yet in this short letter to you today, integrity that comes through humility.
Integrity is who we are when we are alone, it is the path our mind takes constantly.
I have met many guys in my life, but few men, and all those men I have met have been men of God who have been blessed with humility, with an integrity that can only come from the Almighty. They do not seek their own, if they are not yet dead to self, they are dying to self, they are willing and with great intent allowing and asking for their minds to be transformed. These are not the hearers of the Word, but the doers.
And the so-called “men” of this world hate with a passion these men of God.
Satan is going to hate them so vehemently during the days of Jacob’s Troubles that he is going to hunt them down and kill as many of them as he can. Along with the ladies who love the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, ask yourself this question, how many guys have you met, and how many men do you know?
