The Blueprint of Man: Reclaiming God's Design for Masculinity
The Blueprint of Man: Reclaiming God's Design for Masculinity
Dr. Spencer R. Fusselman
Our culture is at a crossroads, and the conversation about manhood is stuck in a ditch. This is a call to action. It is for men who are tired of the world's cheap imitations and are ready to reclaim the high calling of biblical, Christ-honoring manhood.
And ladies, don't tune out. This is not just a memo for the men. It is a field guide for you. As you read this description of a God-honoring man, you will see the blueprint for the kind of man you should seek and the character you should celebrate.
Redefining "Toxic": The World's Label vs. God's Truth
Before we can build, we must clear the rubble. In an attempt to address real wounds, the world has coined the term "toxic masculinity" to describe a host of behaviors: aggression, dominance, emotional coldness, and exploitation. This term is often defined as a set of attitudes stereotypically associated with men, regarded as having a negative impact on men and society.
By this logic, society can—and does—label any behavior or attitude it dislikes as "toxic." For instance, a Christian man who holds to biblical marital roles is often labeled "toxic" by a world that views his leadership as "oppression." This is a spiritual deception. The simple truth is that society hates the biblical man because it hates his King.
We must reject this flawed diagnosis. The problem isn’t that these worldly traits are an excess of masculinity; it's that they are a failure of it. The "toxic" man isn't too much of a man; he is a counterfeit, a man who has abdicated his true, God-given calling.
The world’s understanding of toxic masculinity is, in fact, a lack of true, Christ-like masculinity. It is the "corruption of the design that God had for us." The worldly man is not a picture of true masculinity, but a picture of unregenerate, self-worshiping sin.
The Worldly Man: The Counterfeit on the Street
The world’s model of manhood is a counterfeit, defined by a self-centered scorecard. This is the man who is "full of pride, full of ego," driven by a "need to be on top." It's a man who is "masking fear with swagger," terrified that people will see who he really is on the inside. As theologian Voddie Baucham has noted, this worldly model is built on "The Three B's." This self-centered scorecard begins with the Ballfield, the idol of physical dominance and athletic prowess where a man's worth is measured by his strength. It continues with the Bedroom, the destructive lie that a man's value is proven by his sexual conquest and power over women. This counterfeit trinity is completed by the Billfold, the idol of financial status that drives a man to sacrifice his family on the altar of his career to gain the respect of other men.
This entire model is a house of cards. It is the same unholy trinity of "money, power, and sex" that fuels every false religion on earth. Why? Because it is built on the sand of self-love. When God is ruled out, "the elevation of self [is] perfectly acceptable... he finds consummate justification for being his own god who does his own will." This self-worship is the engine of all truly "toxic" behavior.
The Biblical Man: The Divine Blueprint
If the worldly man is a counterfeit, what is the original blueprint? God established the masculine mandate at the dawn of creation, before sin ever entered the world.
Genesis 2:15: "Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it."
These two verbs are the pillars of biblical manhood. To Tend (abad) is the work of the Cultivator. This Hebrew word means "to work," "to serve," "to cultivate," and "to make productive." This is the constructive mandate. A man is designed to be a builder, a gardener. He is called to take the raw materials of the world around him—his family, his church, his community—and, through his labor, make them fruitful, orderly, and blessed. To Keep (shamar) is the work of the Guardian. This word means "to guard," "to protect," and "to watch over." This is the protective mandate. A man is designed to be a guardian, a sentinel. The first failure of man was a failure to shamar; Adam stood by passively while the Serpent entered the garden and deceived his wife. He failed to protect.
This blueprint of Cultivator and Guardian is what Voddie Baucham calls the "glad assumption of sacrificial responsibility." We live in a world that denies all responsibility, a culture that "never learned how to grow up." But the biblical man understands that his responsibility is his calling. This responsibility is expressed in "The Four P's." A biblical man is a Provider, committed to God-honoring labor to "meet the needs of those in his household." He is a Protector, willing "to place himself between his family and all who would do them harm." Furthermore, he is a spiritual cultivator, a Pastor who is called "to represent God before his family" by bringing the Word into the home. Finally, he is a spiritual guardian, a Priest who is tasked "to represent his family before God" through intercession.
This mandate is echoed in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul issues a five-fold, military-style command: 1 Corinthians 16:13-14: "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love."
The command "be brave" is the Greek word andrizesthei, which literally means "act like men." This is not a call to cultural machismo. It is an exhortation to spiritual maturity, a divine call to courage and resolution, contrasting the Corinthians' childish behavior with the resolve expected of a mature man. It is a spiritual "pluck," a "firmness, resolution, courage."
This strength, however, has a non-negotiable governor. Verse 14, "Let all that you do be done with love," is the safety on the weapon. It is the control rod in the nuclear reactor. Strength without agapē-love is not masculinity; it is brutality.
The Example of Christ: The Blueprint Made Flesh
How can a man be both a fierce guardian and a gentle cultivator? How can he be strong and loving at the same time? We must look to the only perfect man who ever lived: Jesus Christ. He is the Second Adam who perfectly fulfilled the mandate the first Adam failed. He is the living embodiment of balanced, godly masculinity. His entire life rebukes the world's counterfeit.
1. Strength in Humility and Service (The Cultivator)
The world chases the "Billfold," seeking the status of a master. Jesus, the true Master, redefined greatness by leading from His knees. He gave us the command in Philippians 2:5–8: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in an appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. "This is the mind of Christ. He "stepped into and submitted to the authorities that He created." He illustrated His leadership with a towel and a basin, washing His disciples' feet. This is the abad (cultivator) duty perfected. He serves His people to make them clean and fruitful.
2. Strength in Sacrifice (The Protector)
The world’s model of leadership is dominance. Christ’s model is the cross. The ultimate expression of masculine headship is not to be served, but to die. Ephesians 5:25: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her." This is the shamar (guardian) duty perfected. Christ’s love is not a passive feeling but an active, self-immolating commitment. As the podcast notes, "love is sacrifice, and sacrifice always includes death. Something must die." To truly love, you must kill a part of yourself—your pride, your ego, your self-interest. The "toxic" man uses his strength to dominate; the Christlike man uses his strength to sacrifice.
3. Strength in Righteousness (The Guardian)
Christ's service did not make Him "soft." In the Cleansing of the Temple, we see the Guardian in action. Mark 11:15–17: "Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers... 'Is it not written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations"? But you have made it a "den of thieves." This was not an uncontrolled, "toxic" tantrum. It was a controlled, purposeful, and righteous act of protection. He was the shamar guarding His Father's house from corruption. This holy courage "comes from absolute confidence in two things... the authority of the word of God... [and] the sovereign purpose of God."
4. Strength in Emotional Wisdom (The Perfect Man)
The world's counterfeit man is emotionally detached, repressing compassion and viewing it as weakness. He keeps everyone at arm's length, afraid to be vulnerable.
Christ shows us a better way: emotional wisdom. He shows empathy and emotional connectivity without being ruled by emotions. This is not weakness; it is the mark of fearlessness. The shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35), shows us this. He was not weak for weeping; He was compassionate. Because He was fearless, He was free to be gentle, to weep, to show compassion, and to treat women and children with counter-cultural honor.
5. Strength in Submission (The Pinnacle of Resolve)
The final proof of Christ's perfect manhood is the one the world mistakes for weakness: His submission. The "toxic" man is a slave to his ego and passions. Christ alone is perfectly free because He is in perfect control. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, "nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42). This was not passive resignation. This was the pinnacle of masculine resolve—the fixed, unyielding, non-negotiable decision to see the mission to its completion. This is the ultimate strength.
The Fruit of True Masculinity
How do we know if we are imitating Christ? We will see the fruit. God became man to dwell on earth as Jesus Christ, and in His example, Christ fully displays the fruit of the Spirit. This is the truest form of masculinity. Galatians 5:22–23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." This is the divine standard. True masculine strength is not aggression; it is "love." It is not stoic detachment; it is "joy" and "peace." And as the very last item on the list, the one that governs all the others, is "self-control."
True strength is defined by how much control you have over your impulses. The worldly man cannot control his anger, his lust, or his ego. The Christlike man, by the Spirit, "rules his spirit" and is "better than the mighty."
A Word to Women: Encouraging the Blueprint
A woman has a unique power to either encourage a man toward this biblical blueprint or to push him toward the worldly counterfeit. How can you encourage the Biblical Man?
First, honor his shamar (guardian) role. When he steps up to protect—whether physically, financially, or spiritually—that is not "toxic" control; it is his God-given instinct. Encourage his strength, but hold him to the Christlike standard: strength under the governance of love.
Second, respect his abad (cultivator) role, especially as "Pastor" and "Priest." When he attempts to lead your family in prayer or in the Word, create an environment where he can succeed. A man who feels respected in his home is empowered to be the sacrificial leader he is called to be. Do not confuse his Christlike gentleness with weakness; it is the mark of his self-control. By reverencing the good you see, you call forth the greatness God placed within him.
Application: The Call to Kingdom Men
The mandate is clear. The world is desperate for true men. It is time to reject the world’s "toxic" model and redefine masculinity by God’s standard. The first step is a simple one: you must decide to be a man of God. If you have made that decision, then your application is clear.
The first step in this application is to reject the counterfeit and redefine the call. This requires a conscious turning away from the self-centered, status-seeking validation found in the world's "Three B's"—the Ballfield of dominance, the Bedroom of conquest, and the Billfold of status. In its place, a man must embrace God's "Four P's," redefining his purpose as the "glad assumption of sacrificial responsibility." He must commit to being a true Provider who meets the needs of his household, a Protector who stands between his family and harm, a Pastor who represents God to his family, and a Priest who represents his family before God.
The second step is to actively pursue the "very good" design given in Genesis 2:15. This involves fulfilling the constructive mandate to tend (abad), which means "to work," "to serve," and "to cultivate." A man must actively labor to bring order, make things productive, and cultivate life in his home and community. Simultaneously, he must engage the protective mandate to keep (shamar), which means "to guard," "to protect," and "to watch over." He must actively stand guard against all physical, spiritual, and emotional threats to those under his care.
The final and most crucial step is to emulate the perfect archetype, Jesus Christ. This is what sanctifies a man's strength and prevents the mandates of "tending" and "keeping" from corrupting into worldly aggression. We must obey the apostolic command of 1 Corinthians 16:13-14: while we are called to "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong," we must ensure that "Let all that you do be done with love." Strength without agapē-love is not masculinity; it is brutality. This means modeling Christ's perfect balance. We must choose sacrifice over dominance, rejecting the world's "power over women" and instead modeling the Christ who "loved the church and gave Himself for her." We must choose service over status, rejecting the world’s status-seeking and emulating the Son of Man, who "did not come to be served, but to serve." Finally, we must choose self-control over aggression, rejecting "toxic aggression" and pursuing Christ’s perfect self-control. He demonstrated that true strength is seen in both righteous boldness, like the Cleansing of the Temple, and in humble submission, as in the garden when He prayed, "not My will, but Yours, be done."
This is the mandate. It comes down to a decision. Are you going to be a man of the world, or a man of God? As Christ Himself said:
John 15:5, 8: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing... By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."
Our culture is at a crossroads, and the conversation about manhood is stuck in a ditch. This is a call to action. It is for men who are tired of the world's cheap imitations and are ready to reclaim the high calling of biblical, Christ-honoring manhood.
And ladies, don't tune out. This is not just a memo for the men. It is a field guide for you. As you read this description of a God-honoring man, you will see the blueprint for the kind of man you should seek and the character you should celebrate.
Redefining "Toxic": The World's Label vs. God's Truth
Before we can build, we must clear the rubble. In an attempt to address real wounds, the world has coined the term "toxic masculinity" to describe a host of behaviors: aggression, dominance, emotional coldness, and exploitation. This term is often defined as a set of attitudes stereotypically associated with men, regarded as having a negative impact on men and society.
By this logic, society can—and does—label any behavior or attitude it dislikes as "toxic." For instance, a Christian man who holds to biblical marital roles is often labeled "toxic" by a world that views his leadership as "oppression." This is a spiritual deception. The simple truth is that society hates the biblical man because it hates his King.
We must reject this flawed diagnosis. The problem isn’t that these worldly traits are an excess of masculinity; it's that they are a failure of it. The "toxic" man isn't too much of a man; he is a counterfeit, a man who has abdicated his true, God-given calling.
The world’s understanding of toxic masculinity is, in fact, a lack of true, Christ-like masculinity. It is the "corruption of the design that God had for us." The worldly man is not a picture of true masculinity, but a picture of unregenerate, self-worshiping sin.
The Worldly Man: The Counterfeit on the Street
The world’s model of manhood is a counterfeit, defined by a self-centered scorecard. This is the man who is "full of pride, full of ego," driven by a "need to be on top." It's a man who is "masking fear with swagger," terrified that people will see who he really is on the inside. As theologian Voddie Baucham has noted, this worldly model is built on "The Three B's." This self-centered scorecard begins with the Ballfield, the idol of physical dominance and athletic prowess where a man's worth is measured by his strength. It continues with the Bedroom, the destructive lie that a man's value is proven by his sexual conquest and power over women. This counterfeit trinity is completed by the Billfold, the idol of financial status that drives a man to sacrifice his family on the altar of his career to gain the respect of other men.
This entire model is a house of cards. It is the same unholy trinity of "money, power, and sex" that fuels every false religion on earth. Why? Because it is built on the sand of self-love. When God is ruled out, "the elevation of self [is] perfectly acceptable... he finds consummate justification for being his own god who does his own will." This self-worship is the engine of all truly "toxic" behavior.
The Biblical Man: The Divine Blueprint
If the worldly man is a counterfeit, what is the original blueprint? God established the masculine mandate at the dawn of creation, before sin ever entered the world.
Genesis 2:15: "Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it."
These two verbs are the pillars of biblical manhood. To Tend (abad) is the work of the Cultivator. This Hebrew word means "to work," "to serve," "to cultivate," and "to make productive." This is the constructive mandate. A man is designed to be a builder, a gardener. He is called to take the raw materials of the world around him—his family, his church, his community—and, through his labor, make them fruitful, orderly, and blessed. To Keep (shamar) is the work of the Guardian. This word means "to guard," "to protect," and "to watch over." This is the protective mandate. A man is designed to be a guardian, a sentinel. The first failure of man was a failure to shamar; Adam stood by passively while the Serpent entered the garden and deceived his wife. He failed to protect.
This blueprint of Cultivator and Guardian is what Voddie Baucham calls the "glad assumption of sacrificial responsibility." We live in a world that denies all responsibility, a culture that "never learned how to grow up." But the biblical man understands that his responsibility is his calling. This responsibility is expressed in "The Four P's." A biblical man is a Provider, committed to God-honoring labor to "meet the needs of those in his household." He is a Protector, willing "to place himself between his family and all who would do them harm." Furthermore, he is a spiritual cultivator, a Pastor who is called "to represent God before his family" by bringing the Word into the home. Finally, he is a spiritual guardian, a Priest who is tasked "to represent his family before God" through intercession.
This mandate is echoed in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul issues a five-fold, military-style command: 1 Corinthians 16:13-14: "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love."
The command "be brave" is the Greek word andrizesthei, which literally means "act like men." This is not a call to cultural machismo. It is an exhortation to spiritual maturity, a divine call to courage and resolution, contrasting the Corinthians' childish behavior with the resolve expected of a mature man. It is a spiritual "pluck," a "firmness, resolution, courage."
This strength, however, has a non-negotiable governor. Verse 14, "Let all that you do be done with love," is the safety on the weapon. It is the control rod in the nuclear reactor. Strength without agapē-love is not masculinity; it is brutality.
The Example of Christ: The Blueprint Made Flesh
How can a man be both a fierce guardian and a gentle cultivator? How can he be strong and loving at the same time? We must look to the only perfect man who ever lived: Jesus Christ. He is the Second Adam who perfectly fulfilled the mandate the first Adam failed. He is the living embodiment of balanced, godly masculinity. His entire life rebukes the world's counterfeit.
1. Strength in Humility and Service (The Cultivator)
The world chases the "Billfold," seeking the status of a master. Jesus, the true Master, redefined greatness by leading from His knees. He gave us the command in Philippians 2:5–8: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in an appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. "This is the mind of Christ. He "stepped into and submitted to the authorities that He created." He illustrated His leadership with a towel and a basin, washing His disciples' feet. This is the abad (cultivator) duty perfected. He serves His people to make them clean and fruitful.
2. Strength in Sacrifice (The Protector)
The world’s model of leadership is dominance. Christ’s model is the cross. The ultimate expression of masculine headship is not to be served, but to die. Ephesians 5:25: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her." This is the shamar (guardian) duty perfected. Christ’s love is not a passive feeling but an active, self-immolating commitment. As the podcast notes, "love is sacrifice, and sacrifice always includes death. Something must die." To truly love, you must kill a part of yourself—your pride, your ego, your self-interest. The "toxic" man uses his strength to dominate; the Christlike man uses his strength to sacrifice.
3. Strength in Righteousness (The Guardian)
Christ's service did not make Him "soft." In the Cleansing of the Temple, we see the Guardian in action. Mark 11:15–17: "Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers... 'Is it not written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations"? But you have made it a "den of thieves." This was not an uncontrolled, "toxic" tantrum. It was a controlled, purposeful, and righteous act of protection. He was the shamar guarding His Father's house from corruption. This holy courage "comes from absolute confidence in two things... the authority of the word of God... [and] the sovereign purpose of God."
4. Strength in Emotional Wisdom (The Perfect Man)
The world's counterfeit man is emotionally detached, repressing compassion and viewing it as weakness. He keeps everyone at arm's length, afraid to be vulnerable.
Christ shows us a better way: emotional wisdom. He shows empathy and emotional connectivity without being ruled by emotions. This is not weakness; it is the mark of fearlessness. The shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35), shows us this. He was not weak for weeping; He was compassionate. Because He was fearless, He was free to be gentle, to weep, to show compassion, and to treat women and children with counter-cultural honor.
5. Strength in Submission (The Pinnacle of Resolve)
The final proof of Christ's perfect manhood is the one the world mistakes for weakness: His submission. The "toxic" man is a slave to his ego and passions. Christ alone is perfectly free because He is in perfect control. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, "nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42). This was not passive resignation. This was the pinnacle of masculine resolve—the fixed, unyielding, non-negotiable decision to see the mission to its completion. This is the ultimate strength.
The Fruit of True Masculinity
How do we know if we are imitating Christ? We will see the fruit. God became man to dwell on earth as Jesus Christ, and in His example, Christ fully displays the fruit of the Spirit. This is the truest form of masculinity. Galatians 5:22–23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." This is the divine standard. True masculine strength is not aggression; it is "love." It is not stoic detachment; it is "joy" and "peace." And as the very last item on the list, the one that governs all the others, is "self-control."
True strength is defined by how much control you have over your impulses. The worldly man cannot control his anger, his lust, or his ego. The Christlike man, by the Spirit, "rules his spirit" and is "better than the mighty."
A Word to Women: Encouraging the Blueprint
A woman has a unique power to either encourage a man toward this biblical blueprint or to push him toward the worldly counterfeit. How can you encourage the Biblical Man?
First, honor his shamar (guardian) role. When he steps up to protect—whether physically, financially, or spiritually—that is not "toxic" control; it is his God-given instinct. Encourage his strength, but hold him to the Christlike standard: strength under the governance of love.
Second, respect his abad (cultivator) role, especially as "Pastor" and "Priest." When he attempts to lead your family in prayer or in the Word, create an environment where he can succeed. A man who feels respected in his home is empowered to be the sacrificial leader he is called to be. Do not confuse his Christlike gentleness with weakness; it is the mark of his self-control. By reverencing the good you see, you call forth the greatness God placed within him.
Application: The Call to Kingdom Men
The mandate is clear. The world is desperate for true men. It is time to reject the world’s "toxic" model and redefine masculinity by God’s standard. The first step is a simple one: you must decide to be a man of God. If you have made that decision, then your application is clear.
The first step in this application is to reject the counterfeit and redefine the call. This requires a conscious turning away from the self-centered, status-seeking validation found in the world's "Three B's"—the Ballfield of dominance, the Bedroom of conquest, and the Billfold of status. In its place, a man must embrace God's "Four P's," redefining his purpose as the "glad assumption of sacrificial responsibility." He must commit to being a true Provider who meets the needs of his household, a Protector who stands between his family and harm, a Pastor who represents God to his family, and a Priest who represents his family before God.
The second step is to actively pursue the "very good" design given in Genesis 2:15. This involves fulfilling the constructive mandate to tend (abad), which means "to work," "to serve," and "to cultivate." A man must actively labor to bring order, make things productive, and cultivate life in his home and community. Simultaneously, he must engage the protective mandate to keep (shamar), which means "to guard," "to protect," and "to watch over." He must actively stand guard against all physical, spiritual, and emotional threats to those under his care.
The final and most crucial step is to emulate the perfect archetype, Jesus Christ. This is what sanctifies a man's strength and prevents the mandates of "tending" and "keeping" from corrupting into worldly aggression. We must obey the apostolic command of 1 Corinthians 16:13-14: while we are called to "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong," we must ensure that "Let all that you do be done with love." Strength without agapē-love is not masculinity; it is brutality. This means modeling Christ's perfect balance. We must choose sacrifice over dominance, rejecting the world's "power over women" and instead modeling the Christ who "loved the church and gave Himself for her." We must choose service over status, rejecting the world’s status-seeking and emulating the Son of Man, who "did not come to be served, but to serve." Finally, we must choose self-control over aggression, rejecting "toxic aggression" and pursuing Christ’s perfect self-control. He demonstrated that true strength is seen in both righteous boldness, like the Cleansing of the Temple, and in humble submission, as in the garden when He prayed, "not My will, but Yours, be done."
This is the mandate. It comes down to a decision. Are you going to be a man of the world, or a man of God? As Christ Himself said:
John 15:5, 8: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing... By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."
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