This Sin Is Currently Crushing Many Young Males
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” — 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 (NASB1995)
Dear Young Dude: That passage you just read from 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 can be filed under, “Scriptures you’ll never hear preached on in your lame youth group or in your hipster church but there they sit … bigger than Dallas.”
The apostle Paul said, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that the male who is effeminate will not inherit the kingdom of God. In other words, they’re not saved if they do not repent from that particular sin.
Succinctly, effeminacy in males is a perversion of what God intended a man to be and is, therefore, a big whopping no-no. Don’t shoot me, folks. I’m just the messenger. I’m just reading what the Word of God says is an abomination. If you wanna get angry about that verse, then I suggest you take it up with God because He’s the one who inspired Paul to pen that down for all eternity.
What’s interesting, in our oh-so-sassy evangelical milieu, is that the preponderance of the aforementioned vices does get touched when the pastor finally dares to do a message against sin.
However, I cannot remember in my lifetime of sixty-plus years when I’ve heard a sermon that seared the effeminate male for his effeminacy. Can you recall one message against that transgression? As stated, I cannot, but then again maybe my Prevagen hasn’t kicked in hard enough this morning for a total recall of every sermon I’ve ever heard preached.
Question. Doesn’t effeminacy seem out of place in that abysmal list of abominations? It’s kinda like in Revelation 21:8 where the coward is grouped up with people who’re anti-theistic, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral; that practice black magic, worship idols, and spew lies who end up getting eternally tossed into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.
Indeed, nowadays, a young man who is effeminate and or cowardly is no big whup. It’s almost commonplace and in some sectors of society, it’s even celebrated in males. However, according to 1 Corinthians 6:9, it is the trait of the damned and a sin to be repented of. Yep, the Triune Godhead is not cool, at all, with effeminacy in men.
So, what does it mean for a male to be effeminate? What is God condemning as a work of the flesh that’s a manifestation of demonic spirits who work in conjunction with our fallen nature (Eph. 2:1-3)?
The Greek word used for the effeminate is malakos which means “soft” as is fine clothing that is delicate to the touch; a fabric that’s luxurious and dainty (Matt. 11:8; Luke 7:25). Paul obviously did a Holy Spirit-inspired play on words with this unholy vice. Essentially, young man, Paul is saying, if you’re a softy, if you’re delicate and dainty, then you need to repent of that sin like a fornicator needs to repent of his fornication, you dig? In God’s eyes, effeminacy in males is just as foul as the most messed up sins the world heaps scorn upon.
Other meanings for malakos include a male being …
- Malleable. Easily controlled or influenced.
- Mild. Moderate in type, degree, effect, or force.
- Smooth. Free from hair, whiskers, or stubble.
- Squashy. Flabby, mushy, pulpy, spongy, and squishy
- Mellow. Suggesting softness or sweetness.
- Compliant. Yielding; bending; pliant; submissive.
- Waxen. Weak, pliable, or impressionable.
- Quaggy. Of the nature of a quagmire; yielding or trembling under the foot, as soft, wet earth; spongy; boggy.
- Meek. Easily imposed on; submissive.
- Subdued. Conquered; overpowered; crushed; submissive; mild.
Wow. That’s a heckuva mental image, eh?
Here’s a FYI, young man…
- God hasn’t called you to be easily controlled or influenced except by Him.
- God hasn’t called you to be mild. He’s called you to be wild (Ps. 92:10).
- God hasn’t called you to be a spongy and squishy Christian quagmire but a strong and vigorous devil destroyer (1Jn. 2:14).
- God hasn’t called you to be a little sweetie pie but salt and light to this dank world (Matt. 5:13-16).
- God hasn’t called you to be a compliant butt-kisser to bad actors and bad ideas, but rather a bold truth-teller (Mark 8:38).
- God hasn’t called you to be submissive to anyone, anywhere at any time unless it is in accordance with His word and that which is holy, just, and good.
- And lastly, young dude, God definitely has not called you to be conquered, crushed, and overpowered by the Devil. His goal, through you, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is for you, my little brother, to kick maximum demonic backside for the glory of God. Therefore, young Christian, dissuade yourself of any notion that being a little softy is God’s will for your life because it is not, and that notion is sinful and demonic.
By the way, the effeminate traits of being soft, malleable, mild, quaggy, squashy, etc., are more of an internal vice than an external problem in our politically correct days of conformity to anti-theistic stupidity. Here’s what I mean. I know young men who probably can’t bench press their body weight, who still drink from straws and pay eight bucks for a Frappuccino who’ll also take you to task if something unholy, unjust, and ungood comes out of your mouth and forms into public policy. They’re not a monster on the outside but they are a monster on the inside. Kinda like David, Samson, and Elijah who were not statues of physical perfection but simple men, like you and me, internally powered by the Spirit of The Living God to do holy and awesome masculine stuff.
In contrast to that example, I know young men who’re terrifyingly big, physically strong, with skills to kill, literally, who are also internally defeated and unable and unwilling to stand against the enemies of that which is holy, just, and good. So, my question to you is … which of the twain is exhibiting effeminacy, huh?
Finally, young squire, please note in 1Cor. 6:11 Paul said the males became biblical men and got free from the sin of effeminacy. Check it out … “Such were (Operative word, “were”) some of you; but you were washed (Forgiven and cleansed from the sin of effeminacy), but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”
Our crass culture, Satan, and all our physical enemies, both foreign and domestic, want young Christian males to become wussies and stay wussies, internally and externally. If you’re a pliable little male softy, then you’re easy for them to control. That’s not cool with God. In Christ, He wants you to be a provider, protector, hunter, and hero. God made you to be masculine, not feminine. Ergo, my young brother, revel in the God-inspired testosterone fog. Let His word transform you away from the garbage this world wants you to bow to.
The preceding post was taken from my NEW book, Lionhearted: Making Young Christian Males Rowdy Biblical Men. This is a GREAT book for men to group study. You can purchase it here.