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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 ARE DIFFERENT FROM WOMEN

Men are more focused on things that are practical, functional and goal oriented – reaching the destination and getting the job done. Men are more rational, and results oriented, while women are more relational, and people oriented. Women are more concerned with the means to the end, and the journey along the way, than with achieving a desired outcome.

Men are more concerned with the means to the end, with the journey, and with stopping to smell the roses, than achieving a goal or getting to a destination. As I said in the last article, this is not true of every man and woman – but it is generally true.

The gospel of Jesus, talks about a life of spirituality and experiencing spiritual growth. Women relate to this better than men. The last article spoke of this: men are more Old Testament focused because it is more rule based, rational, and deals with practical undertakings. The New Testament is much more spiritual in thought and application.

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 SHOULD BE OUR GROUND IN LIFE

This shows why men break down spiritually, if their focus is the more concrete Old Testament based on laws, rules, precepts and principles. Paul says this OLD system has been replaced by the NEW system often called the New Covenant gospel of the Kingdom of God.

He says we are to minister the NEW Testament not the OLD (II Cor 3:6-7). He says the NEW has replaced the OLD (Heb 9:9-10, 10:9). He says the Old was abolished (Eph 2:14-15). It was nailed to the cross of Christ (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 makes us ‘fathers the gospel’ to others (I Cor4:15). It about ministering the love of the Father and Son (John 13:34-5, 15:9, Eph 3:17-19). It ministers 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.

Living under rules and principles, men are usually working and trying to acquire. The gospel is all about resting and receiving, which women do better than men.

THE OLD TESTAMENT IS NOT BAD

Please hear this! The Old Testament is not bad! It is filled with lots of good stuff – history, Proverbs, Psalms, prophecy, etc. But the Old Testament points to the New (what we call the Christ event, or the cross of Jesus). Commentators say ‘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). The word ‘all’ means ALL. We are told that ALL the law, prophets and psalms have been fulfilled in Jesus (Matt 5:18, Luke 24:27, 44).

This means we are no longer to live by ROTE – by precepts and principles, methodology and rules. This is how things were in the Old Testament. This contradicts the beliefs of most men, who think rationally. The New Testament is all about relationship – (1) with God, and (2) with each other. This goes right along with the thinking of most women. Remember that God says Eve’s desire would be for Adam, but Adam’s desire would be to rule Eve.

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 Bible, women could be stoned for adultery, and other things. They had no rights. The gospel of Jesus gave women equal rights. The New Testament makes them the same as men, at least in God’s eyes, if not in the eyes of men who are usually the church leaders.

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.”

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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