Gender Is Not A Choice

God Made Them Male and Female

Ligonier ministry and Lifeway shows the 33% of evangelical Christians believe that gender is a choice. They believe that you can pick what gender you would like to identify. Knowing the audience as I do this morning, I would not hesitate in assuming that the number is that high in our congregation. Seeing that this is the case, I am going to go a different direction with this sermon. I would like to share what the Bible says about gender identification, Homosexuality, and Promiscuity.

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

The first thing I want to point out is that God made man in His image. There are attributes about God that we reflect. These are the ability to think critically, to be moral and to love to name a few. To be able to think critically means that we do not have to act by instinct. God has given us the ability to rationally reason our actions before we take action. For example, a bear in the woods is going to protect is cub regardless if something is going to harm it or not. They do not have the ability to reason if something poses a threat. We on the other hand can reason whether or not something poses a threat to our children and take appropriate measure.

God has given us the ability to know right from wrong. A person knows taking the life of another person is wrong. A tiger in the wild does not have a moral compass to tell them that killing something is wrong. God has given us the the ability to be moral.

God has given us the ability to love. When a husband and a wife join in marriage, it is because God has given them the ability to love one another and commit themselves to one another for a lifetime. You shouldn’t see animals getting married. This is because they don’t have the ability to love.

Because God has made us in His image, gender identification should be a mute point. He said that he made them male and female. We can only be one of the two. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out which one you are. God has made us very different with different parts. Your parts determine what you are. I am not referring to your mind! You cannot think you are something that you are not. God made you, and He did not make a mistake!

Another thing that I see about God making them male and female is the ability to procreate. God told Adam and Eve to multiply, so that they could fill the earth and subdue it. God created us to know what we are so we will know what to do. For example, If God made you a male and you identify as female and expect that you can get pregnant you will be mistaken. It is only a male and a female that can produce an offspring. This is the way God designed it and man cannot change it.

Why is gender identification something that we need to be concerned with? Because it has implications that affect all people. For example, which restroom do you use? If you are a male that identifies as a female can you use female restrooms and vica-versa? If you are a male and identify as a female, can you play on female only teams? But the most critical issue is your reflection of God! If God made you a male then you are to reflect God by being a male. If God made you female you are to reflect God as a female. God has different roles for different genders.

22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church [q]in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. Eph. 5:22-27

In order to appropriately bring glory to God, one must accurately identify what God made them to be.

God not only made them male and female to reflect His image, and procreate but also to help one another and become one flesh.

20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for [b]Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; [e]She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.”

24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

When God saw that Adam was alone, He declared that it was not good for man to be alone. So God created a woman as a suitable helper. God did not create a man as a suitable helper. A woman is designed to help a man much better than another man. The word suitable in the Hebrew means part opposite. Men are too much alike and are suitable. Besides they cannot be joined together as husband and wife and become one flesh.

Homosexuality Is Sin

The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin and that is reason enough to stand on that principle. However, it is good to know why God has declared homosexuality as a sin. We find this in the old and new Testament.

13 If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; Lev. 20:13

22 You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. Lev. 18:22

God uses the words detestable and abomination when it comes to homosexuality. The Hebrew word for detestable and abomination is tow’ebah which means a for of idolatry. Homosexuality is a form of idolatry. One may ask how? A person that engages in homosexuality values there sexual preference over their obedience to God. God designed marriage to be between a man and a woman. Anything outside of this is idolatry.

The new testament also describes homosexuality as a sin.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

We see here that God gives people over to their degrading passions. This is what homosexuality is. It is a passion that degrades a person. It degrades a person because it robs them of what God intends for them to be. It is also a sin because it causes homosexuals to commit indecent acts. Some people believe AIDS and other diseases are the penalty of their error, but the Bible teaches that it is much worse than disease.

9 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 [a]effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6:9-10

8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10 [a]and [b]immoral men [c]and homosexuals [d]and kidnappers [e]and liars [f]and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. 1 Tim. 1:8-11

Homosexuals will come under the judgment of God. 1 Cor. says that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Timothy says that the law of God will judge homosexuals.

What should our response be to homosexuals? Love the person, but hate the sin. We should love homosexuals so much that we share the truth of God’s Word with them. They will have to assess whether they believe God’s word to be true or false. We must not be shy about telling the truth about homosexuality if we are going to love them as God would.

Promiscuity Is A Sin

Promiscuity is any sexual act outside of marriage. I have often been asked how far can I go without it being a sin? I would say this is the wrong question. What do I need to do to stay away from any sexual temptation. 1Corinthians 6 gives us instructions

12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 Food is for the stomach and the [h]stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” 17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the [j]immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a [k]temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from [l]God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

The body is not for immorality but for the Lord. This means that we are to do with our body what the Lord commands

We should never join our self with anyone sexually except our spouse. This is how two become one flesh. God holds sex so sacred that it is the vehicle H has chosen to make a man and woman one flesh.

Flee immorality. Any sense of sexual temptation should not be played with. A person cannot resist but must flee. Once you are in the heat of the passion it is very difficult to stop.

Glorify God in your body. Keep your virginity until you are married. Use your body to worship Him.

Forgiveness of Sin

Perhaps you are here this morning and are feeling convicted. Maybe you have made a mistake in the past. Perhaps you are struggling in one of these three areas. I have good news for you this morning. You can be forgiven or freed from the struggle. Share the gospel and how they can be freed.