Counsel #4 — Sacrificial Masculinity

Picture: Counsel #4 — Sacrificial MasculinityCI 77.1

Biblical masculinity is rooted in Christ’s sacrificial love and humility. Creator and Sustainer of a universe beyond our mental grasp, He nonetheless spent His incarnational life in constant selfless service to others. With limitless power, Christ could have immediately overcome His enemies and flaunted His dominance. Instead, He chose a shameful, dishonorable death — driven by His love and desire to restore us to loving relationships with Him.CI 77.2

In contemplating Christ’s life, we learn to practice true biblical masculinity, a sacrificial masculinity that prioritizes love and service, a masculinity that puts someone else’s needs before one’s own.^{[74]https://www.inversebible.org/Romans 10-1}CI 77.3

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 NKJVCI 77.4

“When we follow Jesus in the path of self-denial and the cross, we shall find that we do not have to strive for humility. As we walk in Christ’s footsteps, we shall learn his meekness and lowliness of heart…It is Christ’s gentleness that makes us great.” Ellen White in Our High Calling, p. 14CI 77.5

Reflect: As a man, in what ways could you do better at modeling sacrificial masculinity?CI 77.6