Doing Things Right In Matters of the Heart 4

Here are a few good excerpts from the chapter entitled, "What's At the Heart of Manhood and Womanhood" from John Ensor's book, Doing Things Right In Matters of the Heart.

“At the heart of mature manhood is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide, provide for, and protect women in ways appropriate to a man’s differing relationships.” --John Piper

“At the heart of mature womanhood is a freeing disposition to affirm, receive and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men in ways appropriate to a woman’s differing relationships.”--John Piper

The fall of man is not found in the eating of the forbidden fruit. The sin was breaking trust with God, confirmed in the eating of the forbidden fruit. It was believing that God was no longer good and was holding out on them. It was believing that their glad submission to God’s rule was a form of oppression,
preventing them from being all that they could be. By rebelling, they thought that they could be wise like God. Their sinfulness, as it related to each other, was in the man’s failure to lead, provide, and protect and in the woman’s taking the lead.