warm-up

What is your favorite chore? Why do you like doing it?

What wrong first impression do people tend to have about you? Tell us about it.

Name one person you are close to. Did you expect that you would be close to this person at first? Why or why not?

word

. . . then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Genesis 2:7

God created man in His image; male and female He created them. As our Creator, He is the only one who can define man’s identity, value, and purpose. Society imposes many misconceptions about men and manhood, but there is only one standard—the standard of God. In the next two weeks, we will talk about God’s original design for manhood and womanhood based on His Word. Today, let’s talk about true manhood to help us appreciate God’s design and live out our identity in Him.

1
God created man to be fruitful and multiply.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it . . .” Genesis 1:28

God commanded man to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. We are appointed by God as stewards of His creation, and He has given us two ways to be fruitful and multiply. One is through our children, whom we have the responsibility to raise in a godly manner (Deuteronomy 6:6,7). The other is through making disciples. Jesus commanded all His followers, including you and me, to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). According to John 15:4, how can we be fruitful?

2
God created man to be productive and responsible.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. Genesis 2:15

Man was the first to receive God’s command. His purpose is to have dominion over the earth and every living creature on it. This includes stewarding God’s creation: taking care of the living creatures and cultivating the land where God placed him. Until today, man is called to be responsible and productive, maximizing the strength and skills God has given him where he has been called. According to Proverbs 21:25,26, what happens when he refuses to work?

3
God created man to be loving and faithful in his relationships with his family.

²³Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” ²⁴Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:23,24

Humans are made for relationships. We are not self-sufficient or self-serving beings, but are created to love and thrive with one another. The design that God shows us in Genesis 2 is a relationship marked by close intimacy and faithfulness in the context of family. This is also what Jesus showed us through His life, death, and resurrection. He was sent to the earth in love and He lived with great love for us, even to the point of giving Himself up on the cross to save us and have a relationship with us (Ephesians 5:25–27). Man is also meant to reflect this love and faithfulness to the family he is part of—whether as a husband, father, son, brother, or friend—and in his church community. Knowing how Jesus loves us (Romans 5:8), how are we supposed to love others?

application

What is one mindset you have about manhood that needs to be corrected? Meditate on Genesis 2:15 this week, and ask God to align your thoughts to His original design.

How are you using your God-given skills and strengths for the calling He set for you?

Who among your family and friends can you encourage to seek God and live out their identity in Him? How will you impart to that person the truth of their identity in God?

prayer

Thank God for the ability to be fruitful and productive. Thank Him for the people He has placed around you who can help you live out your identity in God.

Ask God for the grace and strength to fulfill the purpose He set for you. Pray that you will always choose to live for Him and not for yourself.

Pray that God will give you wisdom to understand and live out your God-given identity and design. Pray that you will be able to help others do so as well.

victory_logo_black
© 2019 by VICTORY®
All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Permission to photocopy this material is granted for local church use. This is not for sale.
victory.org.ph