This is a talk given at the Biblical Manhood Conference at Holyrood Church on 28th February 2026.
Much of my talk is based on The Masculine Mandate: God's Calling to Men by Richard D Phillips.
I would also highly recommend The Redeemed Man Edited by Joel R Beek, Richard D Phillips and Paul M Smalley, The Godly Man's Picture by Thomas Watson and Family Shepherds by Voddie Baucham Jr.
What does it mean to be a Christian man? That is what we are wrestling with today.
When you think of a godly man, who do you think of? I think of my dad: principled, impeccably dressed, well prepared, gentle, caring. He loved the Bible, he loved the church and he loved the Lords Day. My father stood for what JC Ryle once said in the 19th century: 'The first need of our day is a return to the old, sharply-cut doctrines of our fathers in the last century.' My father stood for those 'sharply cut doctrines' of the Reformers, the Puritans and the Covenanters. He was mocked as 'out of step' with modern worship and preaching but he held firm to his convictions.
For me the Scottish Covenanters were great men of God. Worshiping God in fields and on hills, ready to be struck down at any moment for their Biblical principles. They stood for Christs Crown and Covenant at the cost of their own lives.
Where can we find a model of a godly man? What we see in Titus 2 is model of godliness.
'Older men are to be sober-minded,
dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.
Likewise, urge the younger men to
be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works,
and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8and sound speech that cannot be
condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say
about us.'
But where are we today?
Men have always struggled with what it means to be a man but when I was growing up there was at least some traces, some legacy, some tracks. Today, most of that is gone. Men often have no role model, no inspiration and no roadmap to manhood.
So, they go looking, and where do they look? TikTok, YouTube and Instagram And what do they find there? Many people found Charlie Kirk – a guy who spoke boldly and clearly. He wasn’t ashamed to call himself a Christian, he wasn’t frightened to use reason.
Many men have appreciated Jordan Peterson – erudite, perceptive, analytical,
brave, interesting. Peterson talks about morality and Christianity but seems to stop short of any real understanding of the gospel or of redemption.
But on the internet, we also find toxic masculinity. Power, greed, money, status, violence, sex. Women are to be used and abused. Many guys love Andrew Tate. Why? Well as Jordan Peterson says: ‘Many men believe it is better to be a successful reprobate than a useless scrounger.'
But if you’re looking for clarity today, I don’t think you will find much clarity on YouTube. I think if you want to find what a man is, you’ll find it in a garden and on a hill outside Jerusalem. You see it was in a garden that God gave man a mission and it was on that hill outside Jerusalem that God redeemed man so he could accomplish that mission.
But lets start in the garden.
1. Mans Mission in the Garden
Gods mission for man starts in a garden. If you want to dig in to this in more detail please read 'The Masculine Mandate' by Richard D Phillips.
Let’s cover off 3 things in the garden:
·
Who is man?
·
Where is man?
· What is man to do?
Who is man? Gen 1 v 26-28
Man is made in the image of God. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism summerises it:
How did God
create man?
God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.
We are not evolved animals with uncontrollable appetites. We are not high functioning monkeys. We are not highly evolved Neanderthal man. We are not a meaningless group of cells as the abortionists tell us.God has made us in his image, and his likeness and for his glory. So, there are two consequences of that:
The first is there is only one of you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
God formed or moulded man from the dust (Gen 2 v 7).
‘…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. And the Lord God planted a garden in
Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.’
Man was different from all the other creatures. God moulded him or ‘planned’ him.
But secondly you are a spiritual and an eternal creature
made in the image of God.
God has breathed into your nostril’s eternity. Man has a mortal body but an eternal soul. The reason men are so restless today is because they live their lives as if God didn’t exist. Man was not meant to give his life to the x-box or to unbridled entertainment. We were created for so much more.
But where did it all go wrong? Well man fell from paradise. Again the Shorter Catechism is helpful.We still have the imprint of God’s image, but we are sinful, we are fallen. That is why we need redemption.
That is why God promised, even in the garden that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. Not only was man given a mandate in the garden, but he was also promised a redeemer.
Where is man?
God placed man in a garden 2 v 8. Not a wilderness. Not a desert. Not an island
God placed Adam and Eve in a place where they were to exercise covenantal relationships, with covenant duties. Adam is to dwell in a world of relationships and duties. As Richard Phillips says in his book: manhood is not about checking out but buying in.
It’s about committing to one woman for life, it’s about committing to fatherhood for life, it’s about committing to church membership, church leadership. It’s about committing to a Colossians 3 and Titus 2 lifestyle.
We are not to be wild and immature and irresponsible, we are to self-controlled, sober minded ‘a model of good works.’ The godly mans place is not in the pub or in the football stadium, it at home with his family, working hard wit the gifts God has given him and worshiping the Lord at church.
Our calling is to embrace responsibility by becoming a husband, a father, a businessowner, an employee, a faithful church member an elder or a church planter. Some men are called to singleness, that may be God's providence. But most know that it is not good that they are alone and the seek and often long for a 'helper.'
What is man to do?
The Bible says that man is a worker and a keeper – he was to
serve and lead.
In Gen 1 v 28: ‘And God blessed them. And God said to them. “Be fruitful and
multiply and fill (AV replenish) the earth and subdue it and have dominion over
the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living
thing that moves on the earth.’
‘The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden
to work it and keep it’ Gen 2 v 15.
What was Adam to do? Sit around enjoying the view? Squander the gifts God had given him? No, he was to start a family, fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion over it. Man was called to be fruitful, to work, to keep and protect what God gives him.
The word work –‘ avad’ means to work/labour/serve. What does a gardener do? He makes living things beautiful, he helps them to flourish, he tends them, he grows them.
Whatever field God has given us, whether it’s a family, an office, a field, a shop, a congregation, we are to cultivate that field. We are to help it grow and flourish. Men are to be planters, builders and growers.
Men are called to start families, build houses, start businesses, pioneer projects. We are framers and leaders. We may be called to be mechanics, joiners, plumbers or lawyers but men are to labour. Work post fall will be difficult but slothfulness is not an option for a Christian man. As Proverbs says: ‘A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.’ Prov 10 v 4.
Men are also to be keepers, protectors, watching over people, guarding their families, their staff, their congregation. We are to be shepherd leaders. When you walk into a room or a work place people feel safe when a godly man is there.
We are to stand up and be counted when there is danger and evil; in our families, in society, in church. We are ‘Fight the good fight of faith’ against every false doctrine, against every wolve that come into the church, against the evil that is all around us in society.
Men are to be fruitful - Gen 1 v 28 and 2 v 20-24. There is only one thing that God says is ‘not good’ in creation and that is that man is alone. God’s provision for your spiritual, emotional, physical and sexual needs is a wife not an online community. Pornography, lust, promiscuity will destroy you not satisfy you. As Proverbs says: ‘Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth will be full of gravel.’ Proverbs 20 v 17. Some of you are tasting that gravel right now. You need a rule of life - godly habits and rhythms to keep you away from destroying yourself. If you have never done CT12 I can't recommend it highly enough.
Why is our culture so hostile to marriage? Because it goes completely against the personal autonomy and individualism of the modern age. If you get married and stay married, you are doing about the most countercultural thing any man can do.
Let me say this clearly as I can. You are not called to get married, buy a dog and have a vasectomy. God wants us to have families, to be fruitful. God wants you to find a godly woman, settle down, take up responsibility and start a family. God didn’t give Adam a companion or a mate or a friend, he gave Adam a helper.
God gave Adam a ‘kanegdo’. It means to be ‘in front’ of ‘across from’. Women are not be our servants or slaves, they are to complement us and yes disagree us when we are about to act rashly. A loving husband listens to his wife and seeks to come to a consensus rather than bullying and dominating her. Matthew Hendry famously said: 'The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.'
Proverbs reminds us: ‘An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.’ Prov 31 v 10. The best decision of your life will be to find a life partner who has a shared vision of godliness.
So what is man to do?
What is our mission, our mandate? We are to be fruitful, work and keep – serve and protect.
We are not only called to dig the earth, but we are also
called to wield the sword.
Whether that is in our home or in society – godly men fight evil
and injustice.
Like Abraham in Gen 18 we are to ‘keep the way of the Lord’
by doing righteousness and justice.’
As Richard Phillips says: ‘Adam was not to devote himself to endless quests for his masculine identity but was to be lord and keeper of God’s created realm, bringing glory to the creator as he sought to bear the image of God in servant faithfulness.’ The Masculine Mandate.
2. Man's Mission in the World
So how do we live this mandate out in our daily lives. Well books have been written about this but let me just 10 takeaways.
Godly men live for a greater glory
You are made for more than doom scrolling. You are made to reflect the image and glory of God. Jim Elliots roommate at Wheaton, Ed McCully wrote to him in 1950:‘I have one desire now – to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it. Maybe he’ll send me someplace where the name of Jesus Christ is unknown. Jim, I’m taking the Lord at His word, and I’m trusting him to prove his word.’ Quoted in Through Gates of Splendour.
God’s worship is your highest and greatest end. To worship we must know God, love the gospel and love his word. As John Macarthur said: ‘the heart can only go as high in worship as it can go deep into theology.' Study theology at a young age. Build solid foundations now.
Godly men flee evil and fight the good fight of faith
Be killing sin or it will kill you. In this life we fight the world the flesh and the devil.
Men are called to be fighters, warriors. Some people say but Jesus was meek and mild. But they forget that meekness is power sheathed. When Christ unsheathed that power to speak against sin he didn't miss the mark: ‘If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.’ Matt 5 v 29-30
Your greatest challenge is your own sinful heart. We will spend a lifetime fighting sin.
Godly men work
Work is a calling not a chore. Yes, it will be difficult and challenging, but it is necessary. I think of Jim Elliot: ‘Wherever you are, be all there, live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.’ Quoted in Through Gates of Splendour.
Cultivate wherever and whoever the Lord has given you. Prayerfully find your gifting and calling. Find a good coach or mentor that can help you.
As Rick Newton says in his book ‘Start with Who’: A Stradivarius violin can be used as a hammer, but that’s not what it was designed for. It was designed to make beautiful music, not pound nails. And yet, that’s how many of us operate – we’re being used in a way we’re not designed for – and settling for doing what we’re told to do rather than doing what makes our heart sing.'
Godly men commit to a local Bible believing church
The Biblical mandate is to labour in the local church. The Bible doesn't know anything about freelance Christianity. Scotland is crying out for godly men to step up and take their place in churches. If you are given the opportunity, become an elder become a deacon. If you are called, if the Lord leads you, preach. Scotland is becoming a wasteland for the preaching of the word.
Godly men embrace responsibility
You are called to responsibility. If you are single, prayerfully seek a wife. Some men are called to singleness but for most of us God's will is marriage. ‘He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord’ Prov 18 v 22
Start a family – embrace responsibility don’t shrink from
it.
Children don’t want superhero or a TikTok influencer, they want a godly man who loves their mum and provides for them.
Godly men love their wives faithfully
If you are married cleave to your wife through storm and tide. Some of you are thinking of giving up – don’t.
The greatest gift you can give your children is a lifelong marriage. Shower your wife with kindness, affection and devotion.
Love your wife as Christ loved the church (Eph 5 v 25). As Tim Keller says: ‘The reason that marriage is so painful and yet wonderful is because it is a reflection of the gospel, which is painful and wonderful at once. The gospel is this: we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus than we ever dared hope.’ The Meaning of Marriage.
A godly man guards and protects what God has given him
Paul commands Timothy to guard the deposit entrusted to him. We need to guard the truth and pass it on. Long after your firm, your business and your wealth are gone your children and your grandchildren will remain. Are we handing them the legacy of the gospel? Are we fighting the good fight of faith?
A godly man builds godly habits and rhythms
To be men of God we need physical and spiritual disciplines. The word of God, prayer and the public means of grace need to be at the centre not the fringes of our lives.
Where can we find how to be complete men of God? Paul says to Timothy: ‘All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.’ 2 Tim 3 v 16
If you want to be a man of God this morning, we need to study the word of God and develop our prayer lives. We need to switch off our phones, close our laptops and hear what God says in his word.
A godly man builds a band of brothers
We need men beside us in the trenches. Find men who can be Nathan’s, Jethro’s and Barnabas’ to you.
Godly men leave Timothy’s behind you
Who are we pouring our energies into? For Paul it was Timothy. Who are our Timothy’s? Who are out spiritual children?
We are called to be men of God. We are called to live for God's glory, to fruitfulness, to labour, to protect. We are to be gentle shepherd leaders but ready at any moment to fiercely protect what God has called us to guard and protect. We need to be like Joshua in Joshua 15 v 8 ‘…yet I wholly followed the Lord my God.’
You say 'what can I do?' What was it Henry Varley said to DL Moody? 'The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.' What can God do with a man on fire for His glory? Think how he used John Knox, and John Calvin, the Puritans and the Covenanters. Where will the next leaders come from? We are being called to rise up in our generation and stand for Christ.
We need to be like Abraham. When the Angel of the Lord is travelling to Sodom with Abraham with the other angelic beings in Genesis 18, the Lord says: “For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” Gen 18 v 19
Abraham embraced the faith of the living and true God, led
his family to faith and became the father of all those who believe (Rom 4 v
11).
Why do we need a Biblical view of manhood?
So, we can ‘keep the way of the Lord’ by doing righteousness
and justice’ and pass the faith on to our children and our children’s
children.
YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Andrew Tate has nothing to offer you today. Let’s live for Christ, let’s be men of God and a lets wholly follow the Lord. Remember what said Jim Elliot: ‘Wherever you are, be all there, live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.’
God gave us a mission in the garden, and he redeemed that
mission on hill outside of Jerusalem.
Does this mission overwhelm you? Look to Christ. He was the perfect man and he can give us the
strength to be men of God who fulfil the Biblical mandate for men.
What better way to close than with the words of Paul to young Timothy in 1 Timothy 6 v 11-16:
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