There is a prior article to this: "Men and Women Differences: How They Affect Spirituality and Spiritual Growth." The first article spoke of the tendencies of men, vs. those of women.
MEN AND WOMEN ARE DIFFERENT
Men are more dominated by practical, functional and goal oriented things. Their desire is to reach the destination, and get the job done, rather than stop and smell the roses along the way. Men are results oriented and rational, while women are more people oriented and relational.
Looking at the gospel of Jesus, and a life of spirituality and experiencing spiritual growth, women most often out-run men. I talked about this in the last article: men are more Old Testament focused because it is more concrete, rote and rational.
Looking at the gospel of Jesus, and a life of spirituality and experiencing spiritual growth, women most often out-run men. I talked about this in the last article: men are more Old Testament focused because it is more concrete, rote and rational.
Men understand things like, "DON'T commit adultery, cuss or steal" and "DO go to church, read the Bible, attend small group, and give money." Men thrive on measurable things that they are able to apply. This is the way the Old Testament is.
The New Testament speaks of more spiritual things: our unity with God, Christ within us, the glory of God in us, and the gospel being God's presence and power in us. Many men back away from things like this. It takes too much time to figure them out. They're too busy trying to get to some destination, and this is like stopping to smell the roses. It's not concrete enough for men.
THE GOSPEL SECURES US IN GOD HIMSELF
This shows why men fall short spiritually at times. If their focus is the more concrete Old Testament based on laws, rules, precepts and principles, the New doesn't make sense to them. Thus the gospel is easier for women than for men. Paul says this OLD system has been replaced by the NEW Covenant gospel.
He says we are not to minister the OLD Testament but the NEW (II Cor 3:6-7). The NEW actually replaced the OLD (Heb 9:9-10, 10:9). The Old was abolished (Eph 2:14-15). He says it was nailed to the cross of Christ - which means it was put to death (Col 2:14).
But because of their rational thinking, men often more easily revert back to the Old Testament. At the very best, they try to combine the Old with the New, which Jesus says not to do. He says, "Don't pour new wine into old bottles."
The ministry of the New Testament gospel is about 'fathering the gospel' in the lives of others (I Cor4:15). It is ministering the love of God, or the love of Christ (John 13:34-5, 15:9, Eph 3:17-19). It is about ministering in grace and truth (Eph 4:29, John 1:17). It is about ministering the glory and the fullness of God in us (II Cor 3:18, Eph 3:19-20).
You cannot minister these things if your life is founded in law under the Old Testament. If either a man or woman is stuck in the mud of the Old, they can't minister the New. You must be dead to the law to live in God and to minister his New Covenant gospel (Gal 2:19). Mixing law and grace is like mixing oil with water, or arsenic into your food.
Men strive more than women. Living in rules and precepts, men think it is their lot in life to work in order to acquire. I think this is became of the fall of man. The gospel talks about resting and receiving, which is more passive. Women do far better than men.
THE OLD TESTAMENT IS NOT BAD
Don't miss this! I'm not saying the Old Testament is bad! It has lots of good stuff in it - history, Proverbs, Psalms, prophecy, etc. But it also points to the New (the Christ event, or the cross of the finished work of Jesus). We've all heard how 'the Old foreshadows the New.'
Jesus says we must repent of believing all other things and believe the gospel of the Kingdom of God that is now ours (Mark 1:14-15). What he means by saying its been abolished is that it is no longer meant to govern our lives. We are not longer meant to live by it. We are meant to live by the New Covenant gospel. We are to repent from trying to live by means of the Old Testament. Everyone failed who ever tried to live by it anyway (Rom 3:10, Acts 15:10).
ALL THINGS ARE NEW IN THE GOSPEL
"Old things have passed away (died). Behold! All things have been made new" (II Cor 5:17). All means all things. Jesus says ALL the law, prophets and psalms have been fulfilled in him (Matt 5:18, Luke 24:27, 44).
This means we are no longer to live by ROTE - by precepts and principles. This is how things were in the Old Testament. Most men, who think rationally, don't like this. They like the concreteness of living by rote. The New Testament speaks of relationship: first with God and then with each other. This is the way most women think. This is usually too subjective for most men, and not objective enough. In the last article I showed how Eve's desire was to relate to Adam, but his desire was to rule her.
In the New Testament, we are all equal in Christ. Yes, we are male or female physically, but there is no male or female spiritually (Gal 3:28). We are all the same, and as one in the eyes of God. Women were not equal in the Old Testament. Women were held in low esteem.
In the New, Paul says that we are all equal in Christ. Of course we are male or female in the physical sense, but spiritually there is no male or female (Gal 3:28). We are all the same in God's eyes. There was no equality for women in the Old Testament. Wives were most often listed just above the slaves. Women could be killed if they committed adultery, etc. They had no rights. It is the gospel of Jesus that gives women rights.
As The Gospel Coach, I see that women much more readily and easily live in the gospel of the New Testament than men do. And living a gospel life of belief was the very first command of Jesus after leaving 40 days in the wilderness with Satan: "Repent and believe the gospel."
MEN AND WOMEN ARE DIFFERENT
Men are more dominated by practical, functional and goal oriented things. Their desire is to reach the destination, and get the job done, rather than stop and smell the roses along the way. Men are results oriented and rational, while women are more people oriented and relational.
Looking at the gospel of Jesus, and a life of spirituality and experiencing spiritual growth, women most often out-run men. I talked about this in the last article: men are more Old Testament focused because it is more concrete, rote and rational.
Looking at the gospel of Jesus, and a life of spirituality and experiencing spiritual growth, women most often out-run men. I talked about this in the last article: men are more Old Testament focused because it is more concrete, rote and rational.
Men understand things like, "DON'T commit adultery, cuss or steal" and "DO go to church, read the Bible, attend small group, and give money." Men thrive on measurable things that they are able to apply. This is the way the Old Testament is.
The New Testament speaks of more spiritual things: our unity with God, Christ within us, the glory of God in us, and the gospel being God's presence and power in us. Many men back away from things like this. It takes too much time to figure them out. They're too busy trying to get to some destination, and this is like stopping to smell the roses. It's not concrete enough for men.
THE GOSPEL SECURES US IN GOD HIMSELF
This shows why men fall short spiritually at times. If their focus is the more concrete Old Testament based on laws, rules, precepts and principles, the New doesn't make sense to them. Thus the gospel is easier for women than for men. Paul says this OLD system has been replaced by the NEW Covenant gospel.
He says we are not to minister the OLD Testament but the NEW (II Cor 3:6-7). The NEW actually replaced the OLD (Heb 9:9-10, 10:9). The Old was abolished (Eph 2:14-15). He says it was nailed to the cross of Christ - which means it was put to death (Col 2:14).
But because of their rational thinking, men often more easily revert back to the Old Testament. At the very best, they try to combine the Old with the New, which Jesus says not to do. He says, "Don't pour new wine into old bottles."
The ministry of the New Testament gospel is about 'fathering the gospel' in the lives of others (I Cor4:15). It is ministering the love of God, or the love of Christ (John 13:34-5, 15:9, Eph 3:17-19). It is about ministering in grace and truth (Eph 4:29, John 1:17). It is about ministering the glory and the fullness of God in us (II Cor 3:18, Eph 3:19-20).
You cannot minister these things if your life is founded in law under the Old Testament. If either a man or woman is stuck in the mud of the Old, they can't minister the New. You must be dead to the law to live in God and to minister his New Covenant gospel (Gal 2:19). Mixing law and grace is like mixing oil with water, or arsenic into your food.
Men strive more than women. Living in rules and precepts, men think it is their lot in life to work in order to acquire. I think this is became of the fall of man. The gospel talks about resting and receiving, which is more passive. Women do far better than men.
THE OLD TESTAMENT IS NOT BAD
Don't miss this! I'm not saying the Old Testament is bad! It has lots of good stuff in it - history, Proverbs, Psalms, prophecy, etc. But it also points to the New (the Christ event, or the cross of the finished work of Jesus). We've all heard how 'the Old foreshadows the New.'
Jesus says we must repent of believing all other things and believe the gospel of the Kingdom of God that is now ours (Mark 1:14-15). What he means by saying its been abolished is that it is no longer meant to govern our lives. We are not longer meant to live by it. We are meant to live by the New Covenant gospel. We are to repent from trying to live by means of the Old Testament. Everyone failed who ever tried to live by it anyway (Rom 3:10, Acts 15:10).
ALL THINGS ARE NEW IN THE GOSPEL
"Old things have passed away (died). Behold! All things have been made new" (II Cor 5:17). All means all things. Jesus says ALL the law, prophets and psalms have been fulfilled in him (Matt 5:18, Luke 24:27, 44).
This means we are no longer to live by ROTE - by precepts and principles. This is how things were in the Old Testament. Most men, who think rationally, don't like this. They like the concreteness of living by rote. The New Testament speaks of relationship: first with God and then with each other. This is the way most women think. This is usually too subjective for most men, and not objective enough. In the last article I showed how Eve's desire was to relate to Adam, but his desire was to rule her.
In the New Testament, we are all equal in Christ. Yes, we are male or female physically, but there is no male or female spiritually (Gal 3:28). We are all the same, and as one in the eyes of God. Women were not equal in the Old Testament. Women were held in low esteem.
In the New, Paul says that we are all equal in Christ. Of course we are male or female in the physical sense, but spiritually there is no male or female (Gal 3:28). We are all the same in God's eyes. There was no equality for women in the Old Testament. Wives were most often listed just above the slaves. Women could be killed if they committed adultery, etc. They had no rights. It is the gospel of Jesus that gives women rights.
As The Gospel Coach, I see that women much more readily and easily live in the gospel of the New Testament than men do. And living a gospel life of belief was the very first command of Jesus after leaving 40 days in the wilderness with Satan: "Repent and believe the gospel."
About the Author:
Live in the power of God! men and women differences Also visit Roger Himes, The Gospel Coach to get daily Gospel Tweets spirituality and spiritual growth The gospel empowers you to live better by accident than you ever could on purpose!
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