Article
The Gospel vs. Legalism in Men’s Ministry
When men’s ministry emphasizes do and grow and leans into habits and practices and effort, what is impressed on men’s hearts is that they must achieve or succeed or improve to such a degree that God will be pleased with them.
Every good pastor and church planter wants to see men grow–grow in their faith, grow in character, grow in discipline, grow in maturity. We want to see them grow as husbands, or in readiness to be husbands. We want to see them grow as fathers, in the image of our Heavenly Father. And so much of typical men’s ministry leans into growth. It functions as training for the job of being a man. It pushes men to be better. It emphasizes the practical–what men should do—often at the expense of the doctrinal—what men should believe.
The intent of such ministry is almost always good (even if misguided). The content is true, usually clearly based in Scripture. But the result is often accidental legalism. When men’s ministry emphasizes do and grow and leans into habits and practices and effort, what is impressed on men’s hearts is that they must achieve or succeed or improve to such a degree that God will be pleased with them. The subconscious thought is reinforced that it depends on their efforts to be approved by God.
To be clear, this is most often caught, not taught. A faithful men’s ministry teaches salvation by grace through faith based on the accomplishments of Jesus. And the leaders mean it. Yet what is emphasized is often accountability, discipline, and a general tone of “man up.” Men need all these things. We are called to participate in all of them. However, the constancy and intensity with which they are prioritized actually teach men something counter-gospel. Even as the gospel is taught, when tasks are over-emphasized, what men receive–and this might have something to do with the wiring and propensities God has given us–is the priority of accomplishing and earning. In most of life, those emphases lead to fruitfulness and success. But in the Christian life, they are ultimately exhausting, crushing, and a hindrance to our joy and freedom in Jesus.
The Content of Men’s Ministry
So church planter, so pastor, so shepherd–what if instead of should, we emphasize did in our men’s ministry? What if, instead of placing the burden of responsibility and the bulk of our energies on talking about what men must do, we pour our energies and give our time to reflecting on and rejoicing in what Christ accomplished? What if, for every study on manhood or vocation we do, we do five studies on Ephesians or Matthew or Knowing God or The Cross of Christ?
You may be thinking, “That sounds right, and after emphasizing what Jesus accomplished, we can get to the application and talk about how we respond.” You’re not far off, but you missed a vital second emphasis: are.
As we emphasize all Jesus has done, we need to make a clear and undeniable connection to who men are in Christ. We need to emphasize sonship to God (Romans 8:15-17) and brotherhood to Christ (Romans 8:29) and even kingship (2 Timothy 2:12). Church planter, your men need to know how God sees them and the fact that how God sees them defines who they truly are. In Christ your men–and you–are beloved (1 John 4:9-10), righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21), forgiven (Ephesians 1:7), pure (1 John 3:2-3), made new (2 Corinthians 5:17), and so much more.
This is not a change in lesson plan; it must be a change in theology and then ministry philosophy.
The change in theology might be less about what your doctrinal statement says and more about how much confidence you have in what your doctrinal statement says. I am assuming you have a doctrinal statement that clearly states the gospel of Jesus Christ as primary. So, the question is, how much confidence do you have in its primacy? The gospel cannot be assumed or be the background music to all the other things we do in church. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the main ingredient in all we do in church, and that includes men’s ministry. And this is the ministry philosophy adjustment–in all things we prioritize, promote, proclaim, and propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ. And from that gospel prioritization, we discover what else needs our attention.
Rather than start with the activity of men, start with the identity and activity of Christ. Who He is, His heart and character and attributes. Then help men know what He did at the cross and empty tomb, and what He’s doing now on the throne. Then help men understand their new identity from the activity of Christ, which leads to new actions and lives in Christ, for Christ, toward Christ.
Christ’s identity and activity fuel and form our identity and activity. That’s how lasting change occurs.
The Change in Men’s Ministry
As you emphasize all Jesus did and who men are, your men’s ministry will bear fruit, whether you are a brand-new tiny church plant or are established and growing like crazy. Men will begin to change in response to this gospel priority. All the ways you wanted to see them grow-faith, character, maturity, discipline–will happen. They will begin to seek out the right application for the gospel. “If this is true of me in Christ, how should I live?” “If that’s how God views me, how come I still struggle to see myself that way?” “This is incredible! I have never seen Jesus like this before. How can I learn more?” Men’s appetites and affections will change. You will find men becoming gentler, wiser, and stronger–very much in reflection of the Jesus you are prioritizing.
On top of all this, your men’s ministry will serve the deepest, most vulnerable, most hidden parts of men’s lives. Those parts of their lives about which they are ashamed will be addressed by the tender, piercing, perfect power of the gospel. Men who are privately exhausted and discouraged will be fed and encouraged and called to find rest in Christ (Matthew 11:28). Men across the spectrum of Christian maturity and experience will be welcomed, because every man at every point needs the depths and riches of the gospel.
Finally, church planter, an encouragement for you. No pastor is wise enough to know all the needs and struggles of the men in his church, nor could we adequately address them even if we did know. But one miraculous uniqueness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the word of God is that they are living and active and sharp–they seek out and pierce and minister in ways no human could accomplish. So, when you prioritize the gospel in your men’s ministry, you are simultaneously relieving men of the crushing burden of legalism and offering them the only perfect treatment for whatever ails them.
