A Biblical Man...Is not Passive

This past Wednesday night, I was reading through Genesis chapter 3 with some boys at church. We got to verse 6 and I stopped them and asked, “Who was with Eve when she was being tempted?” There was a slight pause before one of the boys said, “Adam.” He was exactly right! I followed up his answer by trying to explain that from this verse, we see that Adam was very passive by watching as his wife, Eve, succumbed to temptation, and still more passive by partaking in sin himself. Verse 6 of Genesis chapter 3 reads, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and SHE ALSO GAVE SOME TO HER HUSBAND WHO WAS WITH HER, AND HE ATE.”


According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, passivity is, “Suffering; not acting, receiving or capable of receiving impressions from external agents... Unresisting; not opposing; receiving or suffering without resistance; as passive obedience; passive submission to the laws.”


Passivity is rampant among the men of our culture. Instead of accepting the role God has given us as leaders in our homes (Ephesians 5:23), all too often we “submit” that role to our wives. However, this by no means is exclusive to the home, but it certainly begins in the home. To all boys and men out there, including myself, if we want to be the kind of men God has called us to be (Titus 1), we cannot afford to be passive! If we are going to be the kind of husbands God has called us to be (Ephesians 5), we cannot afford to be passive! If we are going to raise the next generation of warriors for Jesus Christ (Ephesians 6:4), we cannot afford be passive! If we are going to be leaders in the church of our Lord (Titus 1), we cannot afford to be passive! If we are going to proclaim Christ in the various social spheres God places us in (Matthew 28:19), we cannot afford to be passive!


Let’s be a little more specific; what is passivity, practically speaking? I believe its name nearly summarizes itself. Passivity is, in its essence, walking past the problems and responsibilities of life without doing anything. You might give a quick glance as you zoom by such problems and responsibilities, but at its heart lies laziness and irresponsibility. In addition, passivity is, as Webster puts it, “Unresisting and not opposing...” Which basically means that when I’m faced with a difficult decision, whether it be myself or someone else, I don’t take the time to ponder the result of my decision; I don’t oppose one choice and go with the other. Conversely, I carelessly proceed in a destructive direction free from opposition. It is intentionally and carelessly, and sometimes unknowingly, allowing yourself, and/or someone else to plunge headlong into self indulgence.


Still other times it could be casual obedience or submission to the will of Satan instead of obedience and submission to the will of God. It also means letting others make your decisions. As was the case with Adam, he not only let his wife partake of the forbidden fruit, but he was persuaded by her to eat of it. And, I find it quite fascinating that nowhere is it implied, in the text, that this was a difficult decision for Adam to make! Meaning, it doesn’t appear as though he analyzed what might happen should he eat of the forbidden fruit. Quite the opposite; she gave, and he ate. It doesn’t say nor imply that Adam threw up a red flag and said, “This ain’t right!” Instead, it is quite apparent that Adam, in passivity, submitted to his wife’s desire and allowed her to make the decision of whether he should eat of the forbidden fruit. If the man is to be the leader God has called him to be, he must not be passive.


Let me just say that I am by NO MEANS excluded from this! All too often I become guilty of being passive. All too often I do not act when I should. All too often I sit back and let others make decisions and do things for me that, in all honesty, I should be doing. Still, it forces me to come to grips with my own inability, my own incapability of ascribing to the standard which God has set for me. And I can’t do it, apart from the grace of Christ Jesus! I’m in the same fight as all you guys out there. It’s hard to strive to rise above the norm. Nevertheless, we must do it!


Now, with that said, just because we are striving to rise above the norm and be the men God has called us to be, doesn’t give us liberty to strut around like gobblers and say, “Look how much better I am than you!” Not at all! This in no way means that we’re better, or more Christian than anyone else; it simply means we are striving to live out our salvation, striving to live up to the standard God has set for us in His Holy Word. All the while, realizing that in and of ourselves we can’t do it. Every moment of every day there is a choice to live for self, or die to self and live for Christ. We must choose to live for Christ!


As it says in Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (ESV)

Josh