God's Design for Gender Pt 1: Genesis 2:18-25

Introduction

Prayer

Alright, 2nd—5th graders you guys are free to dismiss. And as a reminder, parents you can pick those children up at the Wetlands Building, and if you need any help finding where that is, don’t hesitate to ask someone with a lanyard.

For the rest of you, please turn with me to Genesis 2.

My name is Andrew McClure, and it has been 6 weeks since we kicked off this summer series in the first 3 chapters of the book of Genesis, and if you’re anything like me, I forget what people told me 6 minutes ago, not to mention 6 weeks ago, so I thought it prudent to take a moment to remind us all of why we’re studying the first 3 chapters of Genesis this summer.

At the core is the concept of Worldview.

A worldview, is a system of beliefs, values and behaviors through which we view the world,

the way that we make sense of the world, the way that we interact with the world.

My son Denver, is an absolute riot… our families favorite entertainment is just watching him. Well the other day, he came to me to show me his “noculars”.

Binoculars for those of you who don’t speak toddler.

And he said, “Dad I see you… but why you so far away?”

I tried to explain to him that it was backward, and i proceeded to help him turn them around so he could see them through their intended design.

Well, over the last 6 weeks we’ve tried to make the case that the majority of American society is looking at the world backward.

Secular Society has removed God from the center, and replaced him with the almost Self.

Our predominant worldview today believes that I feel is most true of me, and I get to be who I want to be, and do what I want to do,

for example

Hintz added: "The best way I can explain my gender is as fluid. Sometimes I wake up feeling like a powerful queen and other days I wake up feeling as if I'm just a guy being a dude, and other times I identify outside of the gender binary entirely."

And the outcome of this worldview is death.

The bird tired of flying and deep down believes being a fish is best for them, won’t find freedom or flourishing in the ocean.

No freedom only comes when we align ourselves with God’s intedneded Design.

And if we want to stand firm in a secular age, or even begin to push back some… then we have got to explore God’s Design for Gender.

When it comes to Gender, our world at large is looking at things backward.

And sure, this is most obvious when we see the younger generation convinced taht gender is simply a social construct and all genders are actually fluid, but gender confusion is more broad than that.

That’s the sin of de-emphasizing gender.

But historically, and still today we are backward in our over-emphasizing of gender.

An overemphasis of masculinity, has led to toxicity and domineering and minimizing of woman.

While an overemphasis of feminity, has led to extreme feminism and minimizes the role of man, and may I argue the unique distictives of woman.

So instead of letting the world teach us about Gender, we must turn it around, put God back in the Center, and let him share with us his beauitful vision of gender.

Because your flourishing only occurs when we believe and live in alignment with God’s intended design.

So let’s read our text in its entireity, and then we’ll ook at God’s Design of Gender.

Genesis 2:18–25 ESV

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

God’s Design for Gender: There are 3 Points I’ll be making.

God’s Design for Gender

Similar by Design

Different by Design

God’s Design

For the 1000th time this summer, A christian worldview begins with _____. God.

Divine Initiative is at the root of the definition of Gender.

First in the wide angle view of creation in Genesis 1, God made mankind in his image, and he did it male and female.

And then in the zoomed or magnified angle of Day 6 of Creation in Genesis 2, we see God’s divine initiative at center stage.

vs. 18, “Then the Lord God said.

Vs. 19, “The Lord God formed.

Vs. 21, the Lord God caused

Vs. 22 The Lord God made.

He did it. He designed it all this way. He executed it all this way.

But why… why did God Create Eve? Why make two genders?

Genesis 2:18 “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone;”

This verse should leap off the page, because as you read through Genesis 1 you read, “and it was good. and it was good and it was good. over and over and over. It was good.

And like a hidden pothole in the road, you hit this verse with a little shock!

Wait… I thought everything was good, yet now you’re telling me that God actually said it’s not good.

YES, but here’s the qualifier- everything created was created good.

Yet, Adam’s experience in the created order was not good.... yet.

It was incomplete. Becuase God’s complete ideal was that Adam would live and work… in community.

God’s intended Design included relationships between other humans.

Church, when you look out at the impact of covid policies or social media addicts who have substituted genuine, God designed community for online, artificial friends and followers, and likes and dislikes… can we not all agree… IT IS NOT GOOD FOR MAN TO BE ALONE.

Did you know that last year the Surgeon General of the United States issued a nationwide initative to combat loneliness, stating that loneliness is now an epidemic.

It’s a national health crisis!

Church, it is not good for man to be alone--- and thousands upon thousands of years before the Surgeon General came to that conclusion… God did.

God said it first. He actually wired that reality into the core of our being. We were created to be in relationship, to be in community.

So it’s not good, for man to be alone, and yet God took initiative and designed a solution… what was it?

The provision of Eve, which according to vs. 25 of our text was the institution of marriage, leading to the provision of the family unit.

So don’t miss this… God’s primary solution to that which is not good--- was the good provision of marriage, between one male and one female.

Now, I said primary solution.

And in any sermon like this one, the objections flood in like a tidal wave,

“Well, what about the widowed?”

“Well, what about the single.”

“Well, what about the divorced.”

YES, I get it… The life of Jesus himself shows that this is not the only way to experience connection and community!

For all who are unmarried for whatever reason… you’re need for community and relationship and connection is the exact same as those married.

IT IS NOT GOOD FOR MAN, aka MANKIND, to be alone. Any of us.

And in his grace and wisdom he has offered us additional solutions, the big one being the church where we are brothers and sisters, and have spiritual mothers and fathers.

Yet… the Primary SOLUTION remains the same… To solve Adam’s incompletemeness, God provided Eve, and provided marriage, and through procreation, provided family.

And once Eve, as female comes on the scene, then it was very good.”

It’s complete. MALE & FEMALE, God’s intended design for gender, rounds out the complete design of God’s created order.

so let’s now unpack these 2 genders a bit further, first by looking at how we are similar by design.

Similar by Design

Did you know that men and women, male and female are more similar than we are differnt.

let me discuss these similarites in 3 categories.

Functionally, Biologically, and Spiritually

First, functionally. And by function, I mean purpose.

Male and Female possess many similarities functionally.

We are both creatures, made by God.

We are Creatures, he is creator.

We are also both made in His Image.

This is so very important.

Scripture is clear that if you want to know what it means to be truly human, to be a part of mankind, you have to look at both the masculinity and the femininity of mankind.

And being made in the image of God, means that man and woman have equal dignity and value.

Which we discussed in week 3 of this summer series

And with both genders being the Imago Dei, there is zero implication of superiority or inferiority.

So we are equal in dignity and value.

Finally as discussed last week, we both share the same purpose or calling.

It is together that we rule, together that we cultivate and bring God’s kingdom to order on earth.

It is together we are blessed, and able to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over it.

So we are both creatures, both made in his image, and both share the same purpose.

So we share the same fundamental function.

Secondly, we share similarities Biologically.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice the differences. And don’t worry, I’m not here to lecture anybody on anatomy.

But are you aware of the similarties we share?

I mean Adam noticed the similarity immediately!

Genesis 2:23 “Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh...”

You see up to this point, as Adam was naming the living creatures he noticed… there’s no creature here like me. Similar to me. That looks like me.

And his exclamation of bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, is an acknowledgment that they were made of the same STUFF.

In fact, did you know that God designed each cell to contain 23 pairs of chromosomes, and that between males and females 22 of those pairs look the same in both genders!?

It’s only the last pair, that makes the big distinction biologically.

So we share similar DNA, and bodies, and minds, and wills, and emotions, and hearts, and softwares.

We share similarities biologically.

And finally, we share similarities Spiritually.

Being made in His image, we both share the same capacity to be in relationship with God.

To commune with Him, Know Him, Hear Him, Follow Him, Obey Him.

We also share the same spiritual problem, namely sin, and consequently we share the same spiritual judgement for our sin… namely death.

We also, both male and female, are redeemed and saved and born again in the same way… just as we discussed two weeks ago, at the Tree of Calvary.

This is exactly what Paul states in Galatians 3:26–28 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

This doesn’t mean that in Christ, we can all now become gender fluid! No that’s an abuse of Scripture.

It means that there is no partiality before the throne of Jesus Christ.

There are no second class citizens in the kingdom of God. We all share the same status before Him.

This also means we both, male and female have full access to all the benefits of our inheritance in Jesus Christ.

So we are fundamentally similar spiritually.

But within the designed similarities we must avoid the temptation of equating sameness with exactness.

We share a lot in common, but there are designed differences.

And the differences are important. They’re important in life, they’re important in marriage, and they’re important in ministry.

So now as we move into these differences, I just want you to know that I’m aware of the minefields,

… yet, I must remind you that god has not called me to preach with my feelings or to cater to yours.

I am here to teach His Word, and I am a radical believer that alignment with His Word and His Ways and His Divine Design is the only path for your flourishing, and His Glory.

So… let’s move now to the differences.

Because we are different by design.

Different by Design

Again, this isn’t rocket science.

These differences are clear.

And we observe them in the same categories.

We possess differenes functionally.

Functionally

When it comes to the execution of our purpose as the Imago Dei, there are gender differences in responsibility..

We see this in the Creation account.

First, adam was created prior to Eve. And this order of creation is a difference, an intentional one, that points to leadership or as the Bible deems it, headship.

Now listen, Prior or priority does not mean superiority. and by implication inferiority.

But often in the NT, the order of creation is referenced in light of man’s responsibility to lead.

1 Cor 11, and 1 Timothy 2 reaffirm the order of creation as an intended emphasis of leadership.

So there’s a difference, Adam was made Prior.

Secondly, adam was tasked with naming. Not eve. This is a difference.

Before the creation of Eve, Adam was out there naming the species.

And as soon as creates woman, what does he do!? He names her.

Again in Genesis 3, he calls her Eve the mother of all living.

And as we’ve stated before, the act and responsibilty of naming, does indeed signify authority, or headship.

So naming, was another difference.

Next, look at the specific responsibility God gave the man.

Genesis 2:15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

Work means to produce.

To labor, to till, to execute.

Keep means to preserve and protect.

to have charge of, to keep watch of, to ward, to guard, and to protect.

Adam’s functional responsibilty then was to Produce and to Protect.

But when it comes to female, there is a distinct difference in function.

Genesis 2:18 “I will make him a helper fit for him.””

Now this word has really been the source of much belittling of woman’s unique, God Designed Responsibility.

Becuase many have wrongly believed that helper once again implies inferiority.

For instance, Adam’s got real work to do, and Eve… she’s just there to help.

Balogne. That’s not what this means.

Did you know that the exact same word for HELPER, is used to refer to God throughout Scripture.

In fact, God often refers to himself as helper.

He is ourHelper. He helps his people, assists his people, nurtures his people, gives aid to his people.

So this could never refer to some less-than servitude.

And God created Eve as a helper that was “fit for him” vs. 18.

That means someone who corresponds to him. that is perfectly suited for him.

Someone who complements him.

Not compliment with an I””, “like I like your dress,” but complement with an e.

A thing that completes. God made a woman to complete Man. To completment man.

Which means, that he was incomplete apart from Eve, now he’s not.

So eve was created to complete Adam and come alongside him in taking dominion and being fruitful.

Adam can’t do it alone. He needs a suitable helper. Someone that fits the exact needs he has. That complements him.

This speaks of a mutual dependence. The man needs the woman, and the woman needs the man to do what God had called them to do.

Together they succeed in a simlar function, but with different responsibilities.

Male is designed to produce and protect and to lead, and female is designed by God to assist and support, and aid in the fulfillment of God’s mandate.

And to drive home this point even further we have

Genesis 2:24 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Who is suppose to leave? Who is suppose to hold fast?

The initiative lies on who?

The Male. The Man. The Man is to initiate, to leave, to cling, to produce, to protect.

And who is suppose to be joined, and held, and pursued. The female. The woman.

And although potentially offensive in our modern day, church we must reject this nonsense that these distinctions don’t exist and if they do they are only a result of the fall.

There’s an argument out there, that these functional differences of responsibilty are a result of the fall.

That’s a lie. This was pre sin!

Because in the original design of God’s very good creation there were clear functional differences.

But there are also clear bioligical differences.

Now I’m not going to be crass, but the most obvious difference is in genetilia which is given by God for the purpose of connection, intimacy, and procreation.

We literally fulfill God’s Purposes “of being fruitful and multiplying” with our God Given biological differences.

But gracious, our understanding of sex is so perverted and binocolur backward today.

I mean casual hook up culture is rampant, extramarital affairs on the rise, and to their shame some couples actually live in agreed upon open marriages.

But sexual deviation isn’t just present in the world.

It’s in the church.

I mean there are christian men who believe that it’s the wife’s duty to submit to them sexually, and I’m just here to tell you…you’re missing it.

Sex is an outcome of oneness and flourishing, not the means by which we attain it.

And church, really quickly, do you want to know something that will totally DESSIMATE your marital intimacy and connection?

Pornography.

Porn addiction is a real thing, that rewires your brain and makes you want more and more of it just like a drug.

It has a devestating effect on sexual expectations, promotes a cheap version of sex, changes the way we view people in objectifing them… and turns upside down the created design of God for your marriage.

But I know you all know this. Most of you know this all too well. Because you know it by experience.

And if you’re beginning to sweat right now, and your heart his beating through the roof let me remind you of the Cross of Jesus Christ

There is forgiveness available, as well as freedom.

Forgiveness is the easy part, it’s been purchased for you already. You just need to confess, repent and receive His mercy and forgiveness.

But to walk in freedom… that can be hard. Porn is an addiction.

And if you want help in that area, fill out a connect card. Or send us an email. We’d love to help or come alongside you in that.

But back to my point, obviously that’s a big difference biologically, as it regards procration.

But there are tons of other bilogical differences.

Take the brain for instance. Did you know that a woman’s hippocampus, which is critical to learning and memorization is larger than a man’s!

Or that conversely, a man’s amygdala, which is the fight or flight response is bigger than a woman’s.

Or, this is probably not a shock to many, but the two hemisphere’s in a woman’s brain talks to each other more than a man’s which makes them uniquely more fit for multitasking!

I mean, men be honest how many of you have burned toast while scrambling eggs!?

But Men use more grey matter of their brains, leading to more excellence in task focused projects.

But there’s more.

Men typically have about 25% more thicker skin… LITERALLY.

Men have on average about 15% more muscle mass.

Which is one of the thousand reaons sports should remain gender specific!

Men have exaggerated thyroid cartilege resulting in an adam’s apple, while women have diferently shaped pelvic bones!!!

I wonder why!?

We could go on, but the point is there are clear biological differences by design!

And these differnces should be celebrated, affirmed, for they lead to flourishing for all.

Finally, there are differences spiritually.

According to God’s design, men and women share similar yet different responsibilities spiritually.

To whom did God give His Law in the Garden of Eden?

Genesis 2:16 “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,”

EVE wasn’t even there.

It was the man’s role to preserve God’s created order, by communicating God’s Law to his wife Eve.

Man was to have the spiritual authority and responsibility.

And we’ll see this more in depth in a few weeks, but Adam and Eve failed. They transgressed God’s Law.

Eve reached out her hand and ate. Eve was deceived and She ate first.

And Eve received her consequence, but who was ultimately held accountable for this sin?

Adam

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men

Adam was held accountable, because he was given spiritual responsibility and headship.

So what this means, regardless of how we think about it, is that in God’s Given Design men are to lead spiritually, and women are once again to assist, support, and aid them in that endeavor.

But church listen, don’t hear that at the detriment of promoting the spiritual responsibility of women. Women, as with all Christ’s disciples, are essential in fulfilling the Great Comission. Central to commanding and teaching others to obey Christ.

Which means women must be serious students of Scripture, otherwise you won’t be able to adequately teach with Jesus commands.

As Titus commands, be reverent and so teach others.

Yet, although we share similar responsibilities, men are primarily called to lead while women are called to support and assist.

So I’m beginning to go over, but let me try and land this plane for us.

Conclusion

Human flourishing is a byproduct of aligning our lives and beliefs with God’s Design of Creation, and that includes God’s design of Gender.

In all its vast similarities functionally, biologically, and spiritually,

As well as all its good differences functionally, biologically, and spiritually.

The problem however, isn’t really in that principle is it?

What I mean, is that 99% of us would most likely agree with that there are Divinely Desigend similarities and differences between men and women that need to be affirmed and celebrated.

We agree. In theory. In the principle. No problem.

The probelm arises in the application.

Like, what does that look like for me today?

How does this play out in my particular marriage, and our season of life?

And as much as I’d like to offer you an easy answer, I’m afraid one just doesn’t exist.

When it comes to Scripture, and discipleship we must be dogmatic about what the Bible Prescribes, and also utilize wisdom and discernment and judgement about what the Bible describes.

So in this instance.

The Bible prescribes equal value, and complementary responsibilities.

The man produces and protects, and leads.

These are prescriptive principles MEN.

And can I get in your personal space for just a moment…

This means, men your idleness and passivity is sin. I love you. But a man initiates. A man protects. A man pursues.

Too many men today are idle. Lethargic. Passive. Mission-less. Vision less. Just meandering, their way through life.

Perfectly content allowing your wife to take on all the responsibilities of her designed womanhood, but also having to make up for your abdicated responsibilities of designed manhood.

And if its not idelness, it tends to be selfisheness. A man may pursue and may provide, but in a way that only furthers his career, his ambition, or his desires. That is not biblical working and keeping.

A man gives himself up for his wife and family. He sacrifices himself for the flourishing of his bride, just like Jesus did for all of us.

These are presciptive principles men.

Align yourself with God’s Design. Stop being idle, and stop being selfish. The flourishing of your home is depending on you.

But to the women, the woman helps and aids, and supports and follows.

These are presciptive principles WOMEN

And can I get in your face for a minute also?

This means constantly reminding your husband where he falls short, and fails, and how you wish he’d be better...

That’s not Supporting. That’s not helping. That’s not assisting.

Too many women today are verbally breaking down your husbands, when your words are intended by God to be the wind his sail not the head wind that capsizes his boat.

The Bible uses another word for this means of support, its called respect. And the wife is called to respect her husand.

Not because of HIM perse, although he is made in God’s image, but because God has called you to it.

So these are prescriptive principles. We live dogmatically here… but how these unique differences play out in your life and marriage may look different

depending on your unique gifts and strengths, dispositions, agreements, and seasons of life.

So my encouragement, is to engage conversation. Men, initiate a conversation about how your gender differences and responsibilities are best utilized for God’s glory in your homes.

Don’t let unspoken expectations continue to lead to unmet expectations that lead to more and more resent and bitterness.

Talk. Work Together. Embrace what God prescribes, and seek him together for what is described for you.

Church, Gender Matters.

And we can only glorify Him when we embrace the beautiful similariites, yet celebrated differnces that lead to flourishing in our homes, our families, our churches and our societies.

Let me pray.