WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT GENDER?

What is a man?  What is a woman?  We would be wise to consider these God-assigned and defined identities.  We might ask, why does God create us male and female?  Why does He describe repeatedly our responsibilities in gender-based terms such as mother, father, husband, wife, son, and daughter?

Genesis 1:27, 31 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. .. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (ESV)”

Our world continues in its attempt to redefine, diminish, and confuse the role of gender from an objective, static, God-created reality to a subjective and ever-changing base of feelings, preferences, and self-identification.  When someone embraces a gender or sexual identity apart from God’s creative plan, it is sin.  God created mankind “male and female” (Genesis 1:27 and Psalm 139) and marriage for one man and one woman, for life (Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19:1-12).  God calls His created plan for humanity and gender “very good.” In response we should take care to hear and lovingly share God’s warning towards those who disregard or rebel against Him:

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21 ESV)

Woman. Girl. Mother. Wife. Daughter. Grandmother. She. Her.

Man. Boy. Father. Husband. Son. Grandfather. He. Him.

Words have meaning.  Let us not minimize or confuse the beauty and identity of these words.  May we celebrate godliness in obedience to God’s clear, loving instruction of how to model godliness through our God-given gender.  Let us read and respond to God’s wisdom in passages such as Ephesians 5-6:4 and Titus 2:2-6 for our roles.

Deuteronomy 22:5 “A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.”

Many may be confused, frustrated, or even angered by the increasing rhetoric and actions in support of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender) movement.  Biblical Christians must be reminded that our response should be gracious and loving, yet convictional and truth-filled.  We must remember that LGBT sin is primarily against God, and their problem is not merely a sexual or gender-based sin.  Their problem is a rebellion against God’s authority and their solution is only found in the Gospel.  LGBT individuals are not our ultimate enemy and we are not theirs.

1 Corinthians 11:14–15 “Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.”

Rebellion against God’s created plan is serious.  While the Bible describes men who have been ritually castrated (eunuchs) under pagan beliefs or practices (such as cult prostitutes Deuteronomy 23:17, 1 Kings 22:46), God prescribes that it is a serious sin to emasculate oneself in opposition to God given manhood and sexuality (Deuteronomy 23:1 “whose male organ is cut off”).  Additionally, intentionally misrepresenting one’s God-assigned gender externally through clothing, hairstyle, mannerisms, and behavior is presented as sinful by God (Deuteronomy 22:5, 1 Corinthians 11:14-15, 1 Corinthians 6:9 malakos “effeminate”).  While people may try to modify their bodies and appearance through surgeries, hormones, clothing, and more, the reality of their God assigned sex and gender cannot be changed.  Changing a pronoun or choosing name to misrepresent one’s genetic sex/gender is likewise a serious act of rebellion against the Creator.   One’s sex and gender continues to be evidenced by one’s biology, anatomy (reproductive organs, mammary glands, endocrine systems, skeletal and muscular structure, and more), and genetic makeup (presence or absence of a Y chromosome).

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “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.” (NAS)

LGBT sin is ultimately a whole-hearted rebellion against their Creator God, not merely sexual or gender deviance from historical norms.  Satan, the world, and their flesh has deceived them, just as we were once ourselves deceived (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) in our own sin.  May biblical Christians pray, share, and show forth an eternal identity, not rooted in gender or sexuality, but in a Gospel love rooted in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and obedience to His revealed truth.

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, [5] but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.” (1 John 2:3-5 ESV)

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