Topic: Scroll 2004 A.D.
Holy Order of Godly Men
August 27, 2004 A.D.
William Wilberforce (1759-1833)
Standing in Hull, Yorkshire is a house, which serves as a museum to a man whose efforts affected great masses of those who never saw him. In this house l, William Wilberforce was born in 1759 to a family of wealth and social standing. When eight years old his father died and William was sent to live in Wimbledon with his aunt who was a stanch Methodist. In this home he came into contact with such men as George Whitefield, the great evangelist, and John Newton, converted from a life of evil as a slave trader.
His mother, fearing that William might be influenced by "religious enthusiasm," removed him from his aunt's home and sent him to a private school. He gradually forgot the spiritual influence of his aunt and was caught up in the social whirl of his mother's lifestyle. He attended St John's College at Cambridge, but largely wasted his time while there. However, upon reaching maturity he won a prominent seat in Parliament, even becoming a close friend and advisor to William Pitt, who was Prime Minister.
While taking a holiday on the continent he began reading a book, "The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul." From this book he began his spiritual journey with an intellectual assent to the Bible, followed by a deep inner conviction. He knew that his new commitment might cost him friends and influence but he was determined to stand for what he now believed.
His old friend, John Newton, persuaded him that his political life could be used for the service of God. He began to be concerned to reform the morals of the socially elite. He wrote a book calling on the upper classes to regain true Christian values in their lives. The book sold widely for over forty years.
His greatest political efforts were for those caught in the vice of slavery. British ships were carrying black slaves from Africa to the West Indies as goods to be bought and sold. Wilberforce began his campaign to abolish the slave trade in 1798. Through his efforts, along with members of the "Clapham Sect," the slave trade was abolished after eighteen years of hard work.
Following this victory, Wilberforce began to work for the abolition of slavery itself.
He introduced his first anti-slavery motion in the House of Commons in 1788, in a three-and-a-half hour oration that concluded: "Sir, when we think of eternity and the future consequence of all human conduct, what is there in this life that shall make any man contradict the dictates of his conscience, the principles of justice and the law of God!" The motion was defeated. Wilberforce brought it up again every year for eighteen years, until the slave trade was finally abolished on 25 March 1806. He continued the campaign against slavery itself, and the bill for the abolition of all slavery in British territories passed its crucial vote just four days before his death on 29 July 1833. A year later, on 31 July 1834, 800,000 slaves, chiefly in the British West Indies, were set free.
Three days before he died in 1833, he heard that the House of Commons had passed the law which emancipated all the slaves in Britain's colonies. Later, through the influence of his crusade against slavery in England, America would also free her slaves.
Wilberforce was concerned not only for the abolition of slavery, but worked for "the relief of boy chimney sweeps," was instrumental in opening up India to Christian missionaries and worked in founding the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Wilberforce, at his death, was honored by the nation in being buried at Westminster Abbey and having a statue erected in his memory.
- Son of a Hull merchant
- In 1776 went to Cambridge where he met Pitt the Younger
- Between 1780 and 1784 served as MP for Hull and then for Yorks
- In 1785 became an Evangelical Christian
- Involved with the Foreign Bible Society and the London Missionary Society
- Became a leading light of the Clapham Sect of Evangelicals
- From 1788, joined with Thomas Clarkson to campaign for abolition of slavery
- Buried in Westminster Abbey
QUIT YE LIKE MEN
By: Rusty Lee Thomas
"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit ye like men, be strong." (1Cor.16:13)
To the modern ear, the phrase, ‘Quit ye like men," may sound somewhat foreign. In fact, this statement, apart from its Biblical revelation, may inadvertently confuse the reader. You may relate this expression as one that aptly portrays the tragic plight of the contemporary American male. A manhood that simply quits, runs from responsibilities, and seeks self-gratification as the ultimate meaning in life. It appears, at first, maybe to inspire men with an appealing call to our basest nature, "Be a man and just quit." But I assure you, Biblically, that is not the case at all. The truth is, this maxim uttered by the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost calls for the complete opposite. It is a direct challenge by Almighty God for men to rise up and act like men. It is defined, not by this world system, the Feminist Movement, nor hedonistic males, but is defined by the Creator of the Universe. It is a heavenly mandate for men to be strong and to act courageously.
The Lord, according to this Scripture, presupposes strength to be a male virtue. He also declares that women are the weaker vessel. (1 Peter 3:7) It is important, especially in today’s feminized culture to distinguish what God means by weaker. He is not advocating the idea that women are inferior, less intelligent, not capable, or second class citizens in His Kingdom. He is, however, stating there is a distinct difference between the make-up of a man as compared to women. Unfortunately, we live in a time where the "Powers that Be" are trying to remove all distinctions between the sexes to create a gender-blender society. This lunacy is the fall-out of modern liberalism. It is a failed attempt to equalize outcome by government decree. Thus lowering, or in some cases, even removing the Biblical standards by which we ought to live. The other travesty of liberalism is radical individualism, where selfishness, greed, and pride are magically transformed, again by government decree, from vice to virtue. This is, at its very roots, the attempt by rebellious man to cast off God’s defining roles that He has established for men and women.
The consequences of these humanistic doctrines are far-reaching. Men have lost their masculine identity. They have either become filled with rage and abuse or have fallen prey to homosexuality. Women who appear to have won the battle for their rights, have tragically lost the war as they now face life alone as single moms. Of course, the ones who have suffered the most are our children. They have become a prey to evil, because men are missing in action, thereby setting adrift our children on a sea of violence and perversion.
Biblically, there is a solution to the battle of the sexes that will repair the breach and restore the building block of our society, the God-ordained family. According to God’s word, in Christ, there is no male nor female. (Gal. 3:28) In other words, when it comes to value, God loves us all the same. In salvation, God removes the barriers between men and women that the Enemy exploits to divide us and makes us one in Him. On the other hand, God also reveals the concept of function. It is in function, that God makes a major distinction between men and women. The Scriptures teach that the man is to be the head over the woman, in marriage specifically, and generally, women are not allowed by God to usurp authority over men. (1 Cor. 11:3 & 1 Tim. 2:12) God’s purpose in this is not to elevate the man over the woman as superior in value. In fact, the opposite is true. God values women as unique, so He ordains men to use their strength to provide, protect, and defend women and children. The problem is, we have thrown the baby out with the bath water. Primarily because of the inherent weaknesses contained within us. First, men who are responsible before God to exercise proper leadership, either abandon that role and become irresponsible or take the role as a dictator, thereby using their strength to abuse women and children to satisfy their own selfish whims. The weakness within women is to try and manipulate the man to dominate him. The combination of weak men and dominate females is the predominant curse upon our culture. One that has unleashed an enemy that is savaging our children.
The Biblical revelation of men being strong in order to serve God, their wives, and children is what gave birth to the whole notion of Chivalry. It is a model of leadership based upon Patriarchy, which simply means "the family ruler." Without this understanding, there is nothing to reclaim the masculine identity that will effectively turn men from being predators to protectors and providers. The bottom line is, men will eventually embrace one of two models of masculinity that will define their manhood and capability to lead. The first model is what we inherited from the first Adam (earthly man) and the second model is what has been made available to men by the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ (the heavenly man). The first Adam represents manhood separated from God. It is a manhood that is primarily concerned with self-preservation, self-gratification, and pleasure-seeking. It is a failed manhood that naturally gravitates towards irresponsibility. It seeks to please self at the expense of others and is manhood devoid of transcendent meaning. In other words, this kind of manhood doesn’t perceive an objective truth beyond the dictates of his own carnal whims, passions and desires. To those whose manhood is governed by these factors, there is nothing really worth living for except self, because there is nothing worth dying for.
Thankfully, the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, rejected that cowardly notion and laid down His life for a wicked world that He still loves. He settled that issue two thousand years ago by enduring the agonizing torture upon a cruel cross for the sins of mankind. According to Jesus’ example, there is something worth living for and worth dying for, beyond our own personal considerations. By contrast, to the first Adam, the second Adam (Christ) represents life in union with God. His manhood was influenced by spiritual direction, destiny, and based on faith, not carnal selfish whims. His manhood was elevated masculinity that was defined by a life-giving spirit instead of a life-taking legacy we inherited from the first Adam.
FOUR MANHOOD PRINCIPLES
I’m convinced, if America is to be restored and find the remedy that will heal our land, then men must return to the God-ordained role and inclination to direct, protect, and provide for the family. The following four principles are absolutely essential to reclaiming the masculine identity and to restore men to authentic Biblical manhood.
1) Real men reject passivity: Boys and men possess a natural inclination to be aggressive, to initiate, explore, and achieve. But the sad truth is, men, especially today, seem to become passive where it matters the most. In our homes, amongst our families, and in our communities men are generally passive towards righteousness and aggressive towards evil. This is part of the curse men have inherited from Adam. What God imparted to Adam, authentic Biblical manhood, Adam squandered by being passive while Eve was committing moral and spiritual suicide. As naturally aggressive as Adam was, when the moment of authentic manhood arrived, when he called upon to act responsibly, to take charge spiritually, and to protect his woman, Adam just stood there. Unfortunately, men have been just standing there ever since while this same enemy kills, steals, and destroys our marriages, wives and children. Passivity must end and men who are naturally angry, must get angry for the right reasons. It must be holy anger and a righteous indignation against evil in all forms and not an anger that erupts because someone interrupts our selfish pursuits and irresponsibilities.
2) Real men accept responsibility: Adam was entrusted with four main responsibilities: A battle to fight, ("subdue and take dominion") a work to do, ("cultivate the garden") a will to obey, ("don’t eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil") and a woman to love (Eve). These are the primary responsibilities entrusted to men. Where the first Adam failed, the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, triumphed. In Christ, men can embrace and fulfill these four primary responsibilities as we follow His example. Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work." (John 4:34)
3) A real man leads courageously: Authentic men were designed by God to lead, not follow. Adam forfeited his ability to lead when he refused to step forward with God’s word and lead his wife. This inaction is precisely the curse plaguing men today. We have a bunch of neutered, feminized men who passively submit to evil, tyranny, and injustice, instead of aggressively leading their homes and communities with God’s truth. The results have been devastating and has wrought chaos in our nation. In Matthew 4:1-10, when Jesus was tempted to passively submit to Satan and his schemes, Jesus cried out, "BEGONE SATAN!" This is the essence of the commanding cry needed in manly leadership today. Manly leadership demands men to have courage to master their passions and bridle themselves with the principles of God’s truth. Only then can men effectively lead courageously.
4) A real man expects the greater reward: Though authentic manhood is challenging, sacrificial, and burdensome at times, it is also quite fulfilling and deeply rewarding. The example of Jesus in Heb. 12:1,2 reveals that He endured the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. In other words, Jesus was empowered to endure the agony of the cross by the sheer joy of knowing His sacrifice was going to be rewarded by rescuing mankind from sin, death, hell, and the grave. One wonders what might be reclaimed, restored, and rescued in this generation, if men today had this same godly perspective?
We see this same powerful insight in the life of Moses. In Hebrews 11:24-26, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward." How about you, O man of God? Are we going to give in to the dictates of the Spirit of the Age, our carnal desires and a natural inclination towards irresponsibility for temporal self-gratification, or will we repent and return to authentic Biblical manhood and receive the eternal reward? I believe our God, our nation, our wives and our children await an answer.
