God gives the force to everyone

Yesterday, Chad talked about Masculine Power and Embracing Your Masculinity, and he made the connection that Masculine power is like the force (Star Wars analogy).

As many of you may know, I’m going through the New Testament in Greek and today I was slated to go over one of my favorite parables, the parable of the talents, which I discussed a bit in God doesn’t owe you anything.

So what did I find when I looked at the Greek from this passage but,

Matthew 25:14-30 (NASB) — Parable of the Talents

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five [a]talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability (dunamis); and he went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his [b]master’s money.

It turns out the Greek work for ability is dunamis:

δύναμις — dunamis — doo’-nam-is

From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): – ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.

As you can see, the word used in the Greek is particularly interesting because it means not just “force” but it is also used in the context of miraculous power and miracles.

For example, some of the other ways in which this word is used in Matthew is:

The Lord’s prayer:

Matthew 6:13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [f]evil. [g][For Yours is the kingdom and the power (dunamis) and the glory forever. Amen.’]

On false prophets:

Matthew 7:22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [n]miracles (dunamis)? 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

On Jesus’ inability to do miracles in his hometown:

Matthew 13:58 And He did not do many [ae]miracles (dunamis) there because of their unbelief.

The most insightful passage on what “power” or “force” is given to us is from Acts. If you are a Christian you should already know where I’m going with this.

Acts 1 (NASB)

6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

My contention is this:

God has imbued in us, his creation, with the ability to change the world around us. The force if you will. This is part of His essential nature which He also provided to man when He made man in own image. This is the dominion God gave man over all the earth.

However, since man sinned and was inescapably corrupted, God sent His son as a sacrifice that any who call on His name and believe in Him will be saved. And thus, He sends His Holy Spirit as our Counselor — a seal of power in Him — which is the proof of our inherentance that allows us to exist in Him and do good works (Ephesians 1:14 and 2:8-10).

Therefore, we know that the power that God has given us as Christians and specifically as masculine men is to exert it as an extension of us to do good works. We can do nothing of ourselves, but only Christ in us which gives us the power to do good. This is the fruit we are called to bear.

I’m going to make clearer the point which I believe Chad was going for but didn’t explicitly state. Namely, that masculinity, like game, is never neutral. You are either doing something to please God or you are not. As Jesus states in Matthew and Paul states in Galatians,

Matthew 6 (NASB)
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [m]wealth.

Galatians 5 (NASB)
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh [g]sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you [h]please.

The “force” imbued within us to do good and make changes in this world is through the power of the Holy Spirit. And if we walk with the Spirit, we will be able to bear good fruit and change the lives of those around us.

Those who use the force to do evil walk by the desires of the flesh. But those who have the Holy Spirit are able to use masculinity impact those around us with good.