The Distinctiveness of Gender and Marriage
Avoiding Confusion • Sermon • Submitted
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And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Introduction
Introduction
We began this series by discussing the differences between a secular worldview and the biblical worldview. These views inform our opinions on subjects ranging from current events to the sanctity of life, and from the creation of the world to the existence of God.
In this lesson, we will focus on God’s original design concerning His creation of male and female. Although the truths presented in the study are foreign and even offensive to the cultural moment in which we live, they are essential to our lives and our ability to help others experience God’s design for their lives.
Before we look at these topics more deeply, I want to be clear on a couple of important truths:
God loves everyone - including those who disagree with Bible truths on the topics we’ll look at in this lesson.
As the people of God, we too are to love everyone and to welcome those with questions and struggles regarding their gender or the topics of gender and marriage.
If what the Bible says about these topics is the truth, then believing it and teaching it is not promoting hate or hurt, but help and healing. The goal tonight is not to disrespect others but to help anyone who will find the truth of who God created them to be and experience a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
There are, however, people who despise God’s design and would corrupt and exchange God’s plan for life.
“The church of Jesus Christ faces an unprecedented challenge: collision between it and a new sexual ethic, a collision between revelation and revolution. The revolution is a sexual one, and it is indeed a revolution, and demanding a complete reordering of society and civilization. - Albert Mohler”
For some people, the rejection of God’s plan begins through a deep hurt early in life. Sometimes if first takes root in the wounds of an abused child, springs up through early exposure to pornography, or is cultivated through confusion in wake of an absentee parent.
Children without proper role models and training from parents are primed to become confused and to mimic the most dominant influence in their lives. All too often , that influence is another confused friend or advice from the internet or social media.
The Netflix documentary, Cuties, released in September of 2020, caused an uproar. The film focuses on an eleven-year-old Senegalese immigrant living in Paris. As a way of rebelling against her parents, she joins a clique of girls who call themselves “the Cuties.” These girls perform highly provocative and eroticized dances while scantily clad. This type of content is infiltrating the minds of our youth very early on, forming their views of sexuality in ways that are contrary to God’s reaching.
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In 2019, the national Assembly in France removed the “mother” and “father” from forms in the nations schools. The now use titles “parent 1” and “parent 2” in an attempt to satisfy the LBTQ community.
When God speaks of “male and female” in the first chapter of Scripture, He clearly reveals His original design for two distinct genders. Throughout the Bible, God strictly forbids those two roles to be blurred, much less exchanged. Yet, over the past decades, a shift had been taking place in Western society making this type of confusion normal today.
How has our World come to this place over the years?
Attacks on Morality
Attacks on Morality
Romans 1 describes a downward sequence:
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1. Forsakes God
When man forsakes God, he will inevitably turn to idols of another sort. Upon embracing those idols, he generally rejects even the idea of God and despises any involvement of God in his own life.
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
2. Worships Creation
Denying gods existence opens the door to glorify and worship the creature – man’s own self. In this line of thinking, science, philosophy, and man’s thoughts become more dominant than the truth of God‘s word.
“When a man the thrones God from his thinking… He feels that human science and philosophy make believe in God and necessary.“ – John Phillip
3. Follows lusts
This self worship leads to immoral behavior that springs from the lusts of man’s own heart.
There’s a direct connection between one’s attitude toward God and his or her personal identity. If there is no fear of God, believe in God, or presence of God in someone’s life, then there is also no moral restraint.
Enticement to Lust
Enticement to Lust
The loss of the recognition of God in culture and in the lives of individuals the link to sexual revolution we see today. Pornography and movie industries bombard our society with entertainment to lust.
what we see today is a repetition of cultures that disregarded the sanctity of human sexuality and eventually disintegrated as a culture. Romans one describes the fall of these ancient cultures.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
1. Surrendered to Their Lust
The phrase gave them up in Romans 1:24 comes from the Greek word that means “to give in the hands of another.” In other words, God gives people over to the bondage of the lifestyle they have chosen.
God convicts and warns people, but we all have free will. And when people Continuously reject God, he eventually leaves them through their own devices and the consequences of their choices. Because they have been swayed by lives of wickedness, God surrenders them over to their lust.
2. Swayed by fornication
The word that describes the vile affections in a passage is fornication, it comes from the Greek word pornei. You might recognize it in our English word pornography. The Greek word refers to any sexual behavior, including sexual intimacy before marriage, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, and sexual rituals in the worship of idols.
The reality is that it’s not just homosexuality, but all sexual activity outside of a marriage between a man and woman that is for bidden by God and sinful.
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
The ancient Greek in Roman worlds prevalent with these vial affections and they eventually led to the downfall of those empires.
Enticements to Homosexuality
Enticements to Homosexuality
The attacks on morality include an enticement to the homosexual lifestyle.
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
The ungodly world we live in consistently promotes this lifestyle and actively encourages Involvement. One way it does this is by making it appear popular and making those who believe it to be harmful and sinful appear bigoted and hateful. Internet, television, and even public education systems are Rife with the promotion of this agenda.
A quick Google search pulls up multiple school districts across the country that celebrate gay pride week or month. It is devastating that they are introducing this to the mindset of children so early.
Those who are pushing the LGBTQ agenda or seeking to total radical change the way that people think about family and social norms that have been in place since creation.
in 2019, the Washington Post publish an article by Nathaniel Frank about the intentions of the gay rights activist. Claiming that these activists always intended to push for marriage as a goal, Frank said this: “these activists didn’t just want to create alternative communities for queer people. They aimed to remake Society around The novel social agreements that they cherished: addressing human need and desire through broad community structures rather than monogamous nuclear families.
Yet the Bible clearly condemns homosexual relationship.
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
This word effeminate in this passage comes from the Greek word meaning “soft to the touch.“ He refers to a male prostitute or a boy kept for homosexual relationships with a man. The homosexual lifestyle certainly involves our day, and it is just as wrong in the side of God and destructive to those who practice it today as it was in the first century.
Some people feel that they were born with homosexual inclinations. Yet, research indicates otherwise. Even today, John Hopkins school of medicine maintains that “environmental and experimental factors also play in important role in “in homosexuality. Among other factors, four out of five adult homosexuals report that their father was physically or psychologically absent.
Regardless of how common or excepted homosexuality becomes in our culture it is destructive to those who practice it. Christians are not more loving and refusing to call it sin, because it is.
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;
That put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
That put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Attacks on the Maker
Attacks on the Maker
in recent ears, there has been a push beyond homosexuality into transgenderism - The fundamental rejection of one’s God-given gender identity. This is not only an attack on one’s gender; it is an attack on the maker himself.
God Determines Gender Identity
God Determines Gender Identity
when God created Adam and Eve, he design them as male and female. In all of God‘s creativity, he chose to make humans with only two gender options. This was perfect in purposeful.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
From this verse, noticed two important aspects of gods design and gender distinction.
1. We have the same human nature.
God created both man and woman in his likeness and endowed them both with the same human nature. Both are made “in the image of God.“ It is gods lightness gives mankind particular worth and dignity.
Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
Both men and women have the same intrinsic value, for God loves us and gave his son to us for our salvation.
Adam and Eve or like God in that they had reason, intellect, will, and emotion. Morally, they were like God, since they were created without sin. In their original, sinless design, they had the sinless likeness of God and the ability to fellowship with him.
2. We have Diverse Physical Design.
Well we have the same human nature in the likeness of God, he has created men and women with different physical designs. This distinction is intentional, and it grants each of us God ordained opportunity and uniqueness.
But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
this distinction is seen even in the definition of the words male and female.
The Hebrew word for male is Zakar which comes from a root word that means “to remember.“
The Hebrew word for female is neqebah meaning “distinct from male.“
Each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made by a wonderful God. To attempt to change one’s gender identity is to define gods design and loving creation of one’s life to rebel against God.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
Marvellous are thy works;
And that my soul knoweth right well.
Be careful not to allow Satan to cause confusion in your mind or heart over this area. If that confusion comes or if you know others who struggle with confusion in this area, remember that God poured out his heart and love into creating each one of us, and our gender is a gift from him.
Satan Causes Gender Confusion
Satan Causes Gender Confusion
Satan seeks to confuse what God specifically and purposefully created. and Satan is successfully bringing this confusion into the minds of all people around the world today.
Part of the deceitfulness of Satan‘s attack in this area is in causing young people to believe their own parents are against them when the parents are trying to stop them from gender transitions
in 2018, the Supreme Court of British Columbia ordered that a 14-year-old girl receive testosterone injections without parental consent. The court further declared that her parents could be charged with family violence if they refer to her with a female pronouns or by her given birth name.
The gender confusion is happening today. It is an anti-God I sold by Satan who is the father of lies.
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
The devil is a liar and the father of lies, we cannot allow any of this deceitful philosophies to cloud our minds and affect our thinking in this area.
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One author pointed out how radical the transgender revolution is in that it is even ostracizing gay and lesbian advocates and redefining Women and girls sports: “take Martina Navratilova, for example. She won the Wimbledon Womens singles title nine times, but her name appears in the headlines today not for her great abilities but for her collision with transgender revolution. She has long identified as a gay athlete who championed for the cause of gay rights. This controversy began in December 2018 when she tweeted, “you can’t just proclaim yourself a female and be able to compete against women.“ This woman athlete who identifies as lesbian was canceled as a gay spokesperson simply because she did not advocate biological men competing in women’s sports. Since it doesn’t fully support the “T” of the LGBTQ acronym, she isn’t welcome in the movement at all.
One of the ways dinner distinction is attacked a day is through our culture rejecting gender titles and traditional pronouns, using “we or they “instead of “he or she.”
Another way people attack God‘s creation of gender distinction is by rejecting the two basic biological gender as “binary identification“ and referring to themselves as non-binary.
Some who insist on these changes even claim that they believe in God and appreciate religion. But, in reality, they are either ignoring or twisting the clear trues of the Bible. Their attempts to mix Christianity with transgenderism or homosexuality does not change with the Bible has said. Nor does it change the reality that going against God‘s design is ultimately deeply harmful to those who do so.
There are attacks on our faith everywhere, and we must focus on standing up for Jesus Christ. This world is our mission field. We have the opportunity to be a light and stand up for our maker in the face of attacks.
Attacks on Marriage
Attacks on Marriage
The final attack we will study today is an attack on marriage. Not only have people in our society rejected God‘s plan for morality and the genders he has created, but many also have rejected God‘s plan for putting man and women together in marriage.
God Established Marriage
God Established Marriage
Marriage was not invented by man – it is gods institution.
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Marriage is not the product of evolution, but a special creation of God. No court or country has the right to alter what God has ordained, and he ordained marriage.
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
God ordained the institute of marriage with at least three divine purposes:
Procreation
Marriage is meant for the further preservation of the human race. God instructed the very first husband and wife to have children and to populate the ear
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Although not every couple well and are able to have children, generally speaking, procreation is the natural result of marriage. The fact that man and woman can have children, while the same sex union cannot procreate.
2. Restricted physical companionship
Physical intimacy is a wonderful gift from God, designed by God to be fulfilled within the bonds of marriage between one man and one woman. No one should engage in sexual activity outside of gods design for marriage.
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
3. A picture of Christ’s Relationship to The Church
The Union of marriage seen in the love of the husband for his wife and respect for the wife toward her husband is a model of relationship between Christ and the church.
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Satan Attacks Marriage
Satan Attacks Marriage
The significance of marriage is why Satan attacks it’s so forcefully. It is also why Christians should remain committed to gods design for marriage – not just in theory but in the relationships.
When Christian couples, while standing against same-sex marriage, treat their own marriage vows lightly, they undermine the sanctity of their marriage. On the other hand, one Christian couples remain faithful to the Lord and to one another, they provide a picture of Christ love for the church to a lost world.
Questions should not enter the marriage covenant lightly. Because God ordained marriage, the marriage vows should be sacred and ones you make with a commitment to keeping them for a lifetime.
And if you are married, recognize that when challenges come, God‘s grace always be sufficient. And his word will always have the help you need to remain faithful to him and your spouse.
The covenant of marriage is lightly esteemed by the world and openly rejected by concepts of free love and sexual revolution. God esteemed marriage has the corners throne of culture, but culture has broken it to pieces and often ignores it today, wanting all of the benefits of marriage and family without the commitment.
This is why Christians must commit to God‘s plan for purity as they resist sexual temptation.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
While God instructs Christians to reject the urges of the flesh, syndromes both Christians and the world to indulge in those desires. In fact, Satan has so defied The word of God that these things were once sacred have become common and worthless.
“Thanks to Mandarin theology‘s, we have sex without babies, babies without sex, and both without marriage. For many, marriage has become an irrelevancy.” - Albert Mohler
God has ordained marriage to be mutually beneficial relationship with complementary roles in which both a husband and wife commit to one another and come together to honor God. When we reject any part of God’s plan for marriage, we are saying that we know better than God, Who created this amazing gift.
The white spread rejection of God‘s design in marriage has also led to a widespread acceptance of same sex marriage. Once society remade marriage into a moral irrelevant, non-binding arrangement, he was a short jump from there to same-sex marriage.
When people say things like, “marriage is just about love, if two men or women love each other and want to get married, that’s none of my business,“ they are missing the reality that marriage was created by God himself. He knows best how it should function. And he has expressly revealed that it is to be one man and one woman who come together in a union of exclusive commitment to each other for a lifetime.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Although Satan attacks the good and beautiful plan of God, those of us who know the Lord don’t need to live as victims to his attack. In fact, we can choose to use those attacks as motivation to strengthen our hold on biblical truths and commitment to God‘s plan for our lives.
As we close the study, want to suggest four ways to strengthen your commitment to purity in a culture that radically opposes God’s word.
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Walk Under God‘s control.
Regardless of what the world says or the temptation we experience, we have the choice to honor God with what we do with our own bodies.
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
If you have failed in this area in the past, confess your sin to God, ask a godly Christian to help in overcoming ongoing temptation. If you are struggling with your own identity or sexual orientation, ask a godly Christian in our church to help you study and apply God’s word that you might live in the fullness of God create a design for your life.
It’s important to remember that if someone look up to As a Christian leader fails in this area, that should not discredit the truth of God here she taught you. We should have Christians that are godly examples weekend pattern our lives after, but they are still humans, and sometimes, they fall into sexual sin. As a Christian leader fails in this area, that should not discredit the truth of God here she taught you. We should have Christians that are godly examples weekend pattern our lives after, but they are still humans, and sometimes, they fall into sexual sin. This does not change the truth of God they have taught you. You must continue in the truth even if someone else fails.
Additionally, you can give a godly testimony to others, but this will only happen consistently as you walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. model and encourage your God-given roles.
The home is the God or Dane stage for rolls of femininity and masculinity to be modeled and taught. In Proverbs 31, the description of a godly woman is shown through a woman who is virtuous, smart and capable, and loves her family dearly. Ephesians 6, God reveals His desire for godly men who are consistent, loving, humble authorities of their homes.
Even before you were married, you can begin growing in this area God has specifically designed you for your gender. Thank God for making you the gender he did, and embrace do unique roles of that gender. You don’t have to fit like a cookie cutter mold, but there are some general characteristics that should define you and how you live differently from another gender. If you begin practicing these now, you’ll have a stronger marriage down the road.
3. Guard Against Ungodly Tolerance.
Although we should be respectful to all and treat all people with dignity, we should be cautious of the strong forces in our culture that insist calling things that God has specifically stated as wrong to be right. Beware of the social engineering, media, corporate dogma which tolerate every lifestyle except the biblical lifestyle.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Schools, universities, even workplaces are joining together the single flag of cultural revolution and tolerance, and silencing those who disagree with their philosophy. Now we may eventually face persecution, we must hold to our convictions. When various entertainment promote this lifestyle, we must make godly decisions about what we’re allowed to influence us, we must live by our biblical worldview.
4. Be Sure You Have Turned to Christ For Forgiveness and Salvation.
Our confidence in Christ isn’t based on our morality. It isn’t based on our ability to agree with and live by gods moral standard. It is based on having placed our trust in the finish work of Christ on the cross.
Although we have all been created in the image of God, the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden had adversely affected all of us and brought us under the curse of sin.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
All of us are born with a sin nature, making each of us equally As unholy as each other in the side of God. Liars, thieves, adulterous, murderers, and homosexuals are all condemned and sentenced to death for our vile sin against how righteous God.
As unholy as each other in the side of God. Liars, thieves, adulterous, murderers, and homosexuals are all condemned and sentenced to death for our vile sin against our righteous God. but that we have fallen, Jesus Christ can make a difference. That difference comes when you come to Jesus in faith, confessing to him that you are a sinner, and trusting him alone to save you from your sin and to give you eternal life.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Yes, our world attacks morality as God designed it. We see widespread attacks on God‘s good design as the maker of each of us and our created gender. And we see attacks on God‘s created gift of marriage.
At the heart of these attacks is an assault against God himself and his right to sovereignty in our relationships and lives. In this moment of history, Christians need to understand what the Bible says About God‘s plan, and they need to trust that God is good and right and what he created.