The Quest: A Journey Through Biblical Masculinity

Aaron Radke — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 04:41:50 +0000

It was a great opportunity to attend The Quest, a men's conference orchestrated by Sovereign Grace Ministries. Numerous times I just looked around and thought, "I am blessed to be here." It is also a great opportunity to stop and reflect over a few major areas of influence.

Humble mentor men

One pervading theme is the servant-hood shaping many of these men. Witnessing the married men, fathers and organizational leadership opened my eyes to the stark contrast of my life. The past ten years of study have caused my focus to be on a small sphere: two inches around my head. My conference room mates, away from their responsibilities, were expressing the strange feeling to worry only about themselves. This rare experience is how I live! It was humbling to be in the midst of sixteen hundred men including fathers and sons with the goal to be humbled servants before God.

I thank God for these examples. I aspire to be like these men. I want to be under these men, exhorted and encouraged.

Invigorating mortification motivated by God's glory

A highly recommended book from the conference was John Owen's Sin and Temptation ¹. A summarizing quote with a goal on God's glory is:

Sin untunes and unframes the heart itself, by entangling its affections. It diverts the heart from the spiritual frame that is required for vigorous communion with God. ²

Joshua Harris passionately pled,

"Men, what has sin ever done for us!"

Sin weakens our awe of God. The conference was a helpful call to see this weight. I want to build my awe for God. This weight is the heavy anchor or blazing center that keeps the planets in proper orbit ³. An entity extraordinarily big that makes the lesser fade away or seen for what they are.

Theology in living color

As a first time Sovereign Grace conference attendee, one of my primary goals was to experience, investigate and learn about the leadership structure and vision.

It is clear they desire a strong theological rooting as substantial grounding for the mind and correctly engaged hearts. The desire is hearts rooted in truth.

Real men read, yet meditatively apply:

But two things are very specially to be regarded on this topic [reading], which are these: First, that more depends on the quality of what we read, than on the quantity. Secondly, more depends on the use, which, by reflection, conversation, and composition, we have made of what we read, than upon both the former. ⁴

Physical form was put onto the rich Sovereign Grace terms such as "humble orthodoxy", and "humility as true greatness". Confessed sin is manhood. I witnessed some of it. I look up to these men.

The requirement to fight passivity and procrastination:

Although procrastination was not a major conference theme, the following quote did strike in a big way:

Attacking your hardest task of the day without delay will build your resistance to passivity. Waiting until the end of the day only reinforces your sinful tendencies toward passivity.
...
From term papers to tax filing, the man who is cultivating biblical masculinity will not allow these things to rule him. He will exercise dominion over them by doing them in a timely manner. ⁵

¹ Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor, John Owen, Overcoming Sin and Temptation: Three Classic Works by John Owen, Crossway Books: Good News Publishers, 2006
² Ibid.
³ John Piper, The Blazing Center: The Soul Satisfying Supremacy of God in All Things, Desiring God, 2005
⁴ Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry, New Impression edition, Banner of Truth, 1980
⁵ Albert Mohler, "Show yourself a man", The tie: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 73, 3, Winter, 2005

Life's End

The Quest: A Journey Through Biblical Masculinity