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Becoming a Man

Stay alert, stand in the faith, becoming a man, growing strong, all of you coming into existence in agape love. (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, my translation)

Let us look at each part of this verse, in regards to having the right mindset of growing into mature adulthood, into the full measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so we do not grow tired and lose heart.

"Stay alert and pray so that you do not enter a trial. The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41) 

Stay alert. The time had come for Jesus to drink from the cup the Father had given him, so he went to a place called Gethsemane taking the disciples with him, he asks them to sit and pray, except Peter, James, and John whom he takes further and says to them 'my soul exists exceedingly sorrowful to the point of death, remain here and stay alert with me' (Matthew 26:36-39). When he returned he found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "under such a circumstance you are not strong to stay alert with me for a single hour?" (Matthew 26:40) When Jesus's soul was very sorrowful, in such a time when he was about to face death on a cross, taking on our sin, they did not have the strength to stay alert for a single hour. 

Why must we stay alert, be diligent, walk circumspectively, be on guard, watchful? Because the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. This is why we need such spiritual discipline. And Jesus told them if they were not alert they would enter a trial. What did he mean, trial? Peter knows, "be sober-minded, stay alert, your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Peter afterward would be sifted by the devil, but the Lord said when you have returned you will strengthen the brethren (Luke 22:32). The word sober-minded is a mindset of being watchful, circumspect, alert. Obviously not abstaining from too much wine will impair a person's ability to be alert, but sober-minded speaks of more; soundness, standing firm, renewed, circumspective, and enduring.

"for you exist all sons of light and sons of the day, not existing of the night or darkness. Therefore then do not fall asleep like as others rather be alert and sober" (1 Thessalonians 5:5-6).

The point is made, we need sleep right? We are no longer sleepers but are awake, so we see this spiritual state, where the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Walking in the Light is walking circumspectively, and of not walking in darkness. God gives us a Spirit of love, power, and a sound mind. He is Light, "this is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:5-7, ESV). Being a son of the light is having the right mindset of the Spirit not of the flesh. The mindset of being alert, sober, watchful, towards being strong, this was what Jesus was telling the disciples to have. God reminded me of this one morning, I have not been feeling well, I wanted to sleep in, the Spirit was willing but the flesh was weak, but it was more, I was becoming tired in my soul, how long... He guided me to this verse (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).

Stand in faith. The word stand στήκω (stēkō) means to stand; to stand under judgment, to be approved; to stand firm, be constant, persevere. The faith of Abraham is one that perseveres, increasing in faith, a mindset that does not judge according to unbelief but is strengthened in faith until fully convinced of God's promises (Romans 4:20-21). In our time of weakness, we must have the same mindset. 

"Who are you to judge the servant of another, of one's own master will he stand or fall. Now, he will be made to stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand" (Rom. 14:4) 

In this verse, we see the word στήκω (stēkō) meaning stand, stand firm, and ἵστημι (histēmi) which is often translated as "to stand" but implies to make to stand, set, place; to fix, appoint; to establish, confirm; to stand fast, be firm, be permanent, endure; to be confirmed, proved. We stand before the Lord who is our judge, we stand or fall before him, but the Lord is powerful to make us stand. We have a part, be alert, stand in the faith, which implies increasing in faith, and grow strong in maturity. 

Become a man. The word for "becoming a man" ἀνδρίζομαι (andrizomai) means to make a man of, to show oneself a man i.e. as a full-grown, mature man. Being a man, strong and courageous will be an outcome of maturity in Christ. Maturity comes through endurance, which is worked out in the proving of our faith, often by fire, suffering, and affliction (James 1:-24; 1 Peter 1:6-7; Romans 5:3-6). Enduring suffering or discipline is hard, and if it goes on for a long period we can tire in our soul and lose heart. The encouragement in discipline is that we are called children and God disciplines those he loves so that we share in his holiness. He allows suffering so that we grow strong. There is an outcome God has purposed, it is a maturity that has been developed over time that can count suffering as joy. We are told to consider Jesus so we do not tire in our souls and lose heart, but fix our eyes on the author and perfecter of our faith, who endured the cross on account of the joy placed before him (Hebrews 12:2-3).  

"... until we all arrive at the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature adulthood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).

Become a man, grow strong. God purposes growth in the church giving gifts to men so that the body is growing into fullness in Christ. Through a spirit of wisdom and revelation we come to know more of Jesus, we grow up truth in love in the knowledge of him (Ephesians 1:17; Ephesians 4:13-16) So we see there is our part, to stand in the faith, to increase in faith through the knowledge of Jesus until we arrive at mature adulthood. This implies both an active part we must take, stand στήκω (stēkō) and the work that God empowers us with, being made to stand, ἵστημι (histēmi). "Finally, grow strong in the Lord in the might of His strength. Put on the armor of God, for the benefit of having the power to stand against the schemes of the devil" (Ephesians 6:10-11). Stand in faith, increase in faith, be strengthened in faith and power so as to have the ability to stand against the devil.

"Through this take up the armor of God, so that you have the power to stand against in the evil day that also working out the whole; stand" (Ephesians 6:13). 

Through this, each piece of the armor of God, work out so that you bring it into effect. Growing strong in the Lord implies we will stand in faith, be established, and made to stand in the Lord. Through the helmet of the hope of our salvation, the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness and love, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, take up, put on, work out, bring these things into effect, so that you may stand. And being alert in all perseverance, "through prayer and petition, praying in all opportune times in Spirit, and to the extent of this be alert in all perseverance and petition for all the saints..." (Ephesians 6:18). 
 
"... all of you coming into existence in agape love" 

Coming into existence in agape love. We have seen we are growing up in Christ, truth in love. We are being matured through love (1 John 4:18). Paul prays that we know of the power of God, rooted and grounded in love, Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith, the very heart enlightened through a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, so that we have the strength to know the love of Christ without bounds, so to be filled to the fullness of God (Ephesians 1:17-18). Coming into existence in fullness. Knowing of this deeper love of Christ is how we will come into existence, mature. We are strengthened through faith that is energized in love (Galatians 5:6).

"Stay alert, stand in the faith, becoming a man, growing strong, all of you coming into existence in agape love" (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, my translation).

What are we coming into existence into? We are becoming mature. How do you get there? be alert, stand in faith, grow strong truth in love. We will endure because of love, "who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?" (Romans 8:35-39, ESV). We grow up in grace and knowledge of him (2 Peter 3:18). In this grace, we stand, which we have access to through faith, and rejoice to the extent the hope, of the glory of God, now, not only this but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing suffering produces endurance, and the proving through the fire produces hope, and hope doesn't disappoint, because of the love of God is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us (Romans 5:2-6). We are becoming mature, conformed to the image of Christ, in whom the glory of God shines, our living hope, so we rejoice to the extent of the hope, of the glory of God.



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