"WE ARE TRUE MEN"


A. "WE ALL ARE ONE MAN'S SONS; WE ARE TRUE MEN, THY SERVANTS ARE NOT SPIES" - Gen. 42:11
  1. This remarkable assertion by Joseph's brothers was an attempt, on their part, to reassure the governor of their fidelity:
    1. We belong to one honorable family.
    2. We believe in being honest and upright in all our dealing with others.
  2. All this, the governor, their own brother, wanted to find out:
    1. His past experience at their hands was just the opposite of what they claimed now.
    2. They had been heartless and cruel beyond words - Gen. 37:11-36
    3. They had lied to their heartbroken father about what they claimed had happened unto Joseph - Gen. 37:32
B. LET US CONSIDER THE IMPLICATION OF TRUE MEN
  1. By nature, no man, born of a woman, is a true man:
    1. By nature all are sinners - Gal. 3:22; Rom. 3:23
    2. The nature of a sinner is anything but true - Rom. 3:9-19; Isa. 1:6
    3. The brethren of Joseph were, before, liars, haters, cruel, and outright wicked.
  2. Nature of true men:
    1. Men, whose words are yea, yea, and nay, nay, are true men - Matt. 5:37; Jas. 5:12
    2. They are without guile - John 1:47; Ps. 32:2; Rev. 14:5
    3. Who are upright in all their ways - Job 1:1; Ps. 3:1-6
    4. Men who are godlike in their conduct - Gen. 5:23-25
    5. Adam was upright to begin with - Eccl. 7:29; Gen. 1:26, 27
    6. The thought of being true is a real and timely challenge to all who profess to be God's children.
    7. We have a few who can stand as a pattern of true men -- Read about Noah, Daniel, and Job - Ezek. 14:14, 20
C. HOW WE BECOME TRUE MEN
  1. Negatively:
    1. Not by our own efforts or devices - Jer. 13:23
    2. Paul discovered this truth when he attempted to live a godly life outside of Christ - Rom. 7:14-26
  2. Positively:
    1. Through the process of the new birth, which changes our carnal nature and enables us to be partakers of the divine nature.
    2. Ezekiel gives us a wonderful description of this transformation - Ezek. 36:26, 27; John 3:3-6
    3. Through faith in Christ Jesus - 2 Cor. 5:14-17; 1 John 3:1-3
    4. Through operation of the Holy Spirit, who transforms our sinful nature - Zech. 4:6; 2 Cor. 3:18
  3. To make true men out of us is the aim of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
    1. That is the assertion by the apostle Paul in several of his Epistles - 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:24-27
    2. "For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:10
    3. "Therefore if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things are new." 2 Cor. 5:17
  4. This transformation was evident in the lives of Joseph's brethren:
    1. They had mellowed during the years of Joseph's separation from his family.
    2. They took a different attitude toward their younger brother, as plainly indicated in the test Joseph applied to them.
    3. He learned that what they said about themselves had become true; and he was happy for that.
    4. Time and experience are a wonderful means to bring about a change in human nature, as is evident in the experience of the ten Patriarchs.


Design © John Bryant 2011