A Godly Man is "Full of Knowledge"
Where are the days when men had genuine love and longing for God's Word?
It is no secret that today's society devalues manhood. Furthermore, society now considers manhood narrow-minded, even bigoted. Society declares it foolishness to believe, affirm, and proclaim that God has established what manhood should look like by His Word. There is no doubt that culturally the LGBTQIA+ [1] agenda, with its glowing endorsement of homosexuality and transgenderism, has directly attacked biblical manhood. However, even in evangelical Christianity, there are diminished, and extreme views of manhood, taught, directly attacking against how God has taught men to live through His specially revealed Word.
It should not be surprising that the surrounding worldly culture has denied God’s view of manhood. Not only does the world hate the gospel and stand in defiance against its message, but a sin-filled society will also rebel against and resist what God has established as good. Yet, regarding the extreme views of biblical manhood in evangelical Christianity, it is alarming to know that men's fundamental roles and characteristics in God's created order have been severely diminished. The solution is rooted in knowing God's Word. Where are the days when men had genuine love and longing for God's Word? Admittedly, in many churches, they seem to be long gone. This sad reality becomes more evident when compared to the great Puritans' adoration for their Bibles. In their book, Thriving in Grace, Joel Beeke and Brian Hedges speak of Charles Spurgeon’s esteem for John Bunyan and his love for God’s Word. They write,
"What Spurgeon once said of John Bunyan could be said of all the best Puritan Divines: 'Read anything of his, and you will see that it is almost like reading the Bible itself. He had read it till his very soul was saturated with scripture…Prick him anywhere – his blood is Bibline; the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his very soul is full of the Word of God.'" [2]
It is vital to understand what Beeke and Hedges declare in this quote; what Spurgeon said of Bunyan can be said of all the best Puritans. The Puritans were men driven by the Word of God; their biblical faith was an experience that impacted every facet of their lives, this includes their views on biblical manhood.
Today's society needs more men who are living portraits of God's sovereign design. Even more, today's churches need more husbands, fathers, brothers, elders, and pastors who will execute the divine call of God to be a picture of godly men. Graciously, God has revealed how a godly man lives to His glory in His Word.
Thomas Watson as he writes the famous Puritan Paperback, The Godly Man’s Picture writes,
"Godliness is a real thing. It is not a fantasy but a fact. Godliness is not the feverish conceit of a sick brain; Christ is no enthusiast, one whose religion is all made up of fancy. Godliness has truth for its foundation; it is called 'the way of truth' (Psalm 119:30)." [3]
A Godly Man is Full of Biblical Knowledge
In casual conversation, often, a person might be asked if they know someone else. When the person being asked has only heard of the other or might have mutual friendships but never met, their answer might be, "Well, I do not know them, but I know of them." The italics here highlight something significant in that answer. No meaningful relationship exists between these two individuals; there is just familiarity. There is no substantive communal bond and no experience of harmonious affection. This inexperience cannot be the case regarding God and the godly man. There must be communion and harmony; there must be a meaningful relationship. This is because biblical manhood starts with knowing God.
In his legendary work, Knowing God, JI Packer, an Anglican theologian, and lover of the Puritans, writes, “What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we have in life? To know God. What is the eternal life that Jesus gives? To know God. What is the best thing in life? To know God. What in humans gives God the most pleasure? Knowledge of himself.” [4] The godly man understands this, and “this knowledge [of God] rests upon a double basis: The Word and Spirit.” [5]
Biblical manhood must start with knowing God as He is revealed in His Word by the power of His Holy Spirit. Additionally, a godly man must understand that he must be full of the knowledge of God. This means that he must be full of the Word of God, entrusting his time in the Word to be profitable through the work of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual disciplines of reading the Word privately, with his family, and humbly sitting under the preaching of the Word must be an unwavering part of his life. He must be one who, like David, will say that he desires the words of God more than any earthly possession and finds them sweeter than the drippings of honey from the honeycomb (Ps. 19:10). He must be like the man in Psalm 1 who delights in the words of the LORD and on them he meditates day and night (Ps. 1:2). Only in a knowledgeable communion with the Lord can a pursuit of biblical manhood begin.
[1] LGBTIQA+ is an acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual; the presence of the “+” shows that this acronym is always dangerously evolving
[2] Beeke, Joel & Hedges, Brian. Thriving in Grace: Twelve Ways the Puritans Fuel Spiritual Growth. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2020. 19
[3] Watson, Thomas. The Godly Man’s Picture. Edinburgh, Scotland: Banner of Truth Trust, 2007. 12
[4] Packer, James. Knowing God. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973. 29
[5] Watson, Thomas. The Godly Man’s Picture. 21