Embracing God's Design for Gender in Today's Culture

 

Summary

In today's session, we explored the profound and often controversial topic of "God's Design for Male and Female." This discussion is rooted in the biblical understanding that God, as the ultimate authority, created the heavens and the earth, and within that creation, He designed humanity as male and female. This design is not arbitrary but is a reflection of God's glory and is intended for human flourishing. The current cultural climate challenges these foundational truths, as we witness a breakdown in language and meaning, particularly concerning gender identity. This societal shift is part of a broader moral revolution that seeks to redefine or even erase the distinctions between male and female, husband and wife, boy and girl.

We examined how this revolution is not just about creating something new but is fundamentally about denying what is real and true according to God's creation. The biblical narrative, beginning with Genesis, affirms that being male or female is integral to our identity and purpose. This is not merely a social construct but a divine ordinance that has been recognized by societies throughout history until recent times. The breakdown of these categories is a symptom of a deeper rebellion against God's design, which has been unfolding since the fall of humanity in Genesis 3.

As Christians, we are called to be cultural subversives, standing firm in the truth of God's Word amidst a society that increasingly rejects it. This involves affirming the goodness of God's creation, including the gift of gender, and recognizing that our identity as male or female is part of God's intentional design for His glory and our well-being. In this era of Late Modernity, where even basic terms like "boy" and "girl" have become contentious, our faithfulness to God's design is crucial. It matters to God, to the church, to our families, and to our public witness. We are in this fight together, not just for intellectual debate but because it profoundly impacts our lives and the world around us.

Key Takeaways:

1. God's Design and Authority: The concept of male and female is rooted in God's creation, reflecting His authority and purpose. This design is not arbitrary but is essential for human flourishing and displays God's glory. Understanding this helps us navigate the cultural challenges that seek to redefine these fundamental truths. [01:55]

2. Cultural Revolution and Language Breakdown: The current societal shift towards redefining gender is part of a broader moral revolution that challenges the stability of language and meaning. As Christians, we must recognize the underlying rebellion against God's design and stand firm in the truth of Scripture. [06:08]

3. Biblical Foundation of Gender: The Bible clearly states that being male or female is integral to our identity and purpose. This is not a social construct but a divine ordinance that has been recognized throughout history. Our understanding of gender must be rooted in the biblical narrative. [08:11]

4. Cultural Subversion and Christian Witness: In a society that increasingly rejects God's design, Christians are called to be cultural subversives, affirming the goodness of God's creation and the gift of gender. Our faithfulness to these truths is crucial for our witness and the well-being of society. [18:02]

5. The Importance of Language in Faithfulness: In today's cultural climate, even basic terms like "boy" and "girl" have become contentious. Our commitment to using these words faithfully is a testament to our belief in God's design and our role as His witnesses in the world. [19:50]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:29] - Literary Feuds and Controversial Titles
- [01:16] - God's Authority and Design
- [01:55] - The Determinative Nature of God's Design
- [02:34] - The Crisis of Language and Meaning
- [03:11] - Cultural Shifts and Gender Identity
- [04:22] - The Breakdown of Gender Binaries
- [05:30] - The Implausibility of New Pronouns
- [06:08] - The Meltdown of Fixed Categories
- [07:09] - The Denial of Reality
- [08:11] - Biblical Foundation of Gender
- [09:28] - Confessional History and Gender
- [10:33] - The Social Construct of Gender
- [12:25] - The Purpose of Gender in Creation
- [14:49] - Complementarity in Creation
- [16:49] - The Church's Role in Upholding Design
- [18:02] - Cultural Subversion and Christian Witness
- [19:50] - The Importance of Language in Faithfulness
- [20:37] - The Significance of God's Design

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Genesis 1:27 - "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
2. 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."
3. Genesis 1:28 - "And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"

#### Observation Questions
1. What does Genesis 1:27 reveal about the creation of humanity and the significance of being male and female?
2. How does the sermon describe the current cultural challenges to the biblical understanding of gender? [02:34]
3. According to Genesis 2:24, what is the intended relationship between a man and a woman in marriage?
4. How does the sermon explain the role of language in the current cultural revolution regarding gender? [06:08]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the biblical narrative in Genesis 1 and 2 establish the foundation for understanding gender as part of God's design? [08:11]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the breakdown of language and meaning is a symptom of a deeper rebellion against God's design? [06:08]
3. How does the concept of complementarity in creation, as discussed in the sermon, reflect God's purpose for male and female? [14:49]
4. What does the sermon imply about the role of Christians as cultural subversives in today's society? [18:02]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your understanding of gender as part of God's design. How does this influence your interactions with others who may have different views? [19:50]
2. In what ways can you affirm the goodness of God's creation, including gender, in your daily life and conversations? [18:36]
3. How can you stand firm in the truth of Scripture regarding gender while engaging with a society that increasingly rejects these beliefs? [06:08]
4. Consider the role of language in your faithfulness to God's design. How can you ensure that your words reflect your beliefs about gender? [19:50]
5. How can you support your church and community in upholding the biblical understanding of gender and marriage? [20:37]
6. Identify a specific area in your life where you can be a cultural subversive, standing for biblical truths in a loving and respectful manner. [18:02]
7. How can you encourage others in your small group or community to embrace and celebrate God's design for male and female? [14:49]

Devotional

Day 1: God's Design Reflects His Glory
God's design for male and female is a profound reflection of His authority and purpose. This design is not arbitrary but is essential for human flourishing and displays God's glory. In a world that often challenges these foundational truths, understanding God's intentional creation helps us navigate cultural challenges that seek to redefine these fundamental aspects of identity. By recognizing the divine purpose in our creation as male and female, we can better appreciate the beauty and order that God has established for humanity. [01:55]

Genesis 1:27-28 (ESV): "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"

Reflection: How can you celebrate and honor God's design in your own life today, recognizing it as a reflection of His glory?


Day 2: Standing Firm Amidst Cultural Shifts
The current societal shift towards redefining gender is part of a broader moral revolution that challenges the stability of language and meaning. As Christians, it is crucial to recognize the underlying rebellion against God's design and stand firm in the truth of Scripture. This cultural revolution is not just about creating something new but is fundamentally about denying what is real and true according to God's creation. By holding fast to biblical truths, we can navigate these cultural changes with wisdom and grace. [06:08]

Isaiah 5:20 (ESV): "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!"

Reflection: In what ways can you stand firm in biblical truth when faced with cultural pressures that challenge God's design?


Day 3: Gender as a Divine Ordinance
The Bible clearly states that being male or female is integral to our identity and purpose. This is not a social construct but a divine ordinance that has been recognized throughout history. Our understanding of gender must be rooted in the biblical narrative, which affirms that these distinctions are part of God's intentional design. By embracing this truth, we align ourselves with God's purpose and experience the fullness of life He intends for us. [08:11]

Psalm 139:13-14 (ESV): "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

Reflection: How does understanding gender as a divine ordinance change the way you view your own identity and purpose?


Day 4: Cultural Subversion and Christian Witness
In a society that increasingly rejects God's design, Christians are called to be cultural subversives, affirming the goodness of God's creation and the gift of gender. Our faithfulness to these truths is crucial for our witness and the well-being of society. By living out these convictions, we demonstrate the transformative power of the Gospel and offer a compelling alternative to the prevailing cultural narratives. [18:02]

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

Reflection: What specific actions can you take to be a cultural subversive, affirming God's design in your community?


Day 5: Faithfulness in Language
In today's cultural climate, even basic terms like "boy" and "girl" have become contentious. Our commitment to using these words faithfully is a testament to our belief in God's design and our role as His witnesses in the world. By maintaining clarity and truth in our language, we uphold the integrity of God's creation and provide a stable foundation for understanding identity and purpose. [19:50]

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV): "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."

Reflection: How can you use language today to faithfully reflect God's design and truth in your conversations?

Quotes

"Every once in a while, a title actually declares in itself basically everything you need to know. It begins with who defines reality, the very author of that reality. It goes back to the fact that, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and He is the ultimate authority for everything that will follow." [00:01:32]

"And not only that, the biblical worldview reminds us that, if it's God's design, it simultaneously displays His glory and is for our good, for human flourishing. And then you get to those words 'male' and 'female.' I want you to ponder for a moment the crisis point at which we have arrived." [00:02:12]

"This is, this is the breakdown of all meaning and it is truly horrifying if we understand it because we've now reached the point where words that are required not only for the stability of language but for the stability of meaning are now being subverted, and it comes right down to words like 'male' and 'female,' 'husband' and 'wife,' 'boy' and 'girl.'" [00:06:01]

"But what's at the very center of this is not so much the creation of something new -- which we don't even believe is real but, nonetheless, we understand is now a legal reality -- it is the denial of what is actually real. It is not just that, in this culture, there is now something 'new' like same-sex marriage, it is that what is being destroyed is marriage." [00:07:09]

"Christians understanding this from a biblical perspective understand that marriage is not an accident. It's not a social innovation. It didn't come along by sociological evolution as a part of God's gift in creation. We begin the Scripture with that most crucial beginning point of the Christian worldview -- 'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.'" [00:07:38]

"How basic is that to our human identity? It's so basic that from the very first mention of the human creature in Scripture, it is a creature that is male or female. Now theologically, that is now so basic that it tells us that we are stripped, biblically, of any illusion that there is some kind of neutrality, or of some kind of plastic ability to turn the one into the other, or to deny the meaning of being 'male' and 'female.'" [00:08:16]

"And already there was the denial that there is any ontological or theological significance to being male or female. We were being told that gender is just a social construct; that being male or female, man or woman, boy or girl is simply something foisted upon us -- biology not being incidental, but being merely suggestive." [00:09:47]

"The biblical worldview begins with the very fact that to be human is to be made male or female. That is the norm. It's the ontological reality of what it means to be human. And it is also a statement about purpose. And we don't have to infer that; it is absolutely explicit." [00:12:22]

"Now there's a lot embedded in that, in terms of an entire theology -- complementarity -- but here's a part of what it means: Adam could not be all that Adam was meant to be without Eve. And there's biological inference to that. There -- It would've been meaningless -- Let's put it this way: Adam, before Eve, was male, but was not yet a man, in terms of being able to fulfill even what we have in the creation mandate in Genesis 1, verse 28." [00:15:15]

"We are called to be cultural subversives, deeply subversive in this society. And this is a challenge that comes to this generation of Christians in a way that previous generations did not bear. And this is something we need to keep in mind because we are now facing the challenge of insisting that 'male' and female,' that 'man' and 'woman,' 'boy' and 'girl' are actually not only meaningful terms, but essential terms, not only to linguistic sanity, but to human happiness and human flourishing." [00:18:11]

"We also know that the scriptural worldview would have us to understand that, even as every life is God's gift, that every single one of us is known by the creator before we are, we are known not only as a human being, but we are known, by God's design -- for His glory, and for our flourishing -- as 'male' or as 'female.'" [00:19:05]

"But as I said in the beginning, it all comes down to the fact that the title of this particular session has to be recognized as every word being a fighting word. So we're in the fight together not just for intellectual combat in the midst of a worldview collision; we're in the fight together because it matters. It matters, first of all, to God who displays and reveals His design for male and female." [00:20:08]

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Transcript
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