Before we move beyond our need to honor all of God's image-bearers, from the least of them to the greatest, it will be helpful to dive headfirst into the gender debate. Building on what was said last month, we can continue to say that at least part of what it means to honor God's image-bearers is to honor them distinctly as male and female.
The plain teaching of the biblical creation account clearly describes mankind being created in the image of God as male and female. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Gen. 1:27). This verse is a bit repetitious. The first two lines essentially parallel one another except the word order of the second line is reversed. This structure stresses the central point of "image," which is then bracketed by the declaration that God created. The third line unexpectedly changes the pattern and replaces "image" with "male and female." This helps us to see the striking conclusion that not only is mankind male and female, but that the image of God is reflected in the physical bodies of men and women. In other words, the bodies God designed for men and women are essential to their calling and identity as his image-bearers.
This has massive implication for all of us. For starters, the unique dignity of being made in the image of God belongs to both male and female, to men and women. Though fulfilling different but complementary roles as a part of God's good design (see Gen. 2:18-25), men and women share equally in the unique dignity of being made in the image of God. They are both image-bearers. And yet, men and women remain remarkably distinct and shockingly different, so much so that we have declared they must come from different planets (i.e., Mars and Venus). So, we see that there is both glorious unity and incredible diversity in mankind as God intended.
This just scratches the surface of the biblical teaching on mankind. Much more could be said. But it does provide a helpful lens through which we should see and understand what is happening in our day. Any attempt to change the roles of men and women, to change the compatibility of a man and a woman, or to change the gender of a man or a woman is not fundamentally an attack against patriarchy, or traditional marriage, or a traditional understanding of gender. It is an attack against God himself. What is going on in our culture should be understood as an outright war against God.
I fully believe that some people know that this is precisely what they are doing and they relish it. But for many others, the so-called 'collateral damage' of the activists, they are ignorant, not innocently ignorant, but ignorant nonetheless. The eight-year old boy who thinks he's a girl because his mom heavily influenced him to be more feminine since she hates men and always wanted a girl who is then paraded before a school board to recite what his mom wrote down for him about how he needs to use the girl's bathroom is guilty, but his mom is guilty of a far greater sin.
What this means for us is that our body matters, and yes, it matters more than our feelings. Another way to say this is that matter matters. Your body matters and is an essential part of who you are and who God has created you to be. This fundamental truth must be restored as we repent of elevating our feelings over science, biology, and God's good design.
Comments