In the “Let’s Be Clear” series, we are teaching what the Bible clearly says on controversial topics regarding the Church today. The big idea for this series is this: Clarity is the answer to confusion.
For week two, we looked at what the Bible says about gender, and here is the big idea for this week: God created two genders for His glory.
The topic of gender is an extremely tough topic to broach in our cultural time. Before I began this week’s sermon, I had our church read Proverbs 25:25-26:
“Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.”
My heart in this series, and this sermon, is not to be harsh. My intention is to bring cold water to thirsty souls through the truth of God’s Word. We live in extremely confusing times, and this confusion manifests in a lot of pain. Therefore, it’s incumbent on the church not to be clever or coy when discussing people’s lives. Our mission is to bring the truth of the gospel to people who are hurting and in need of rescue; to bring the love of Christ and the promise of a new creation to precious people in the throes of chaos and pain.
Sermon Recap: The Beauty of Binary Gender
In terms of gender, culturally, we find ourselves in an absolute mess. As you find yourself wading through the murky, muddy waters of this cultural confusion, it’s hard to know where to go. Well, when you don’t know where to go, I urge you to go back to the beginning. Look at Matthew 19:4-6:
“He answered, ‘Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.’”
The text in Matthew 19 harkens back to creation, and we see that God created gender in a binary fashion. Binary is not bad, as culture argues. Rather, binary is beautiful. We can say this with confidence because God looked on His creation of male and female in the beginning, and He called it good! Now, God is God, and as we talked about last week, He created the world. God could have done anything He wanted when He created gender. He could have created one, three, or hundreds of genders. But He didn’t. He created two. Thus, we can deduce that two genders are what will create maximum glory for God.
Now, we live in a broken world, and because of the fall, all things, including gender, are corrupted. The curse touches everything. But in the beginning, there were no genetic anomalies, no gender dysphoria, and no disorienting social movements. And one day, in the new heavens and the new earth, these issues will not exist either. We must see the hope of the new creation and ask ourselves one question: “Who is Lord?” Are our feelings god, or is there a God who calls us in every circumstance to surrender how we feel to Him and follow Him for our good?
Application: Glorify God with Your Gender
Out of John 1, and elsewhere in Scripture, we end up seeing that God is one God in three persons. Each one of these persons is distinct from one another, and yet they are united in one being, which is God. Pastor Juan Sanchez in Austin, Texas explains it like this: “God is one, God is three, each is God.” We’ve looked at John 1, but let’s also look back at Genesis 1:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
The word for God in the Hebrew text is “Elohim,” which is a plural word. However, the text does not say, “In the beginning they created…” It says that Gods (plural), HE created. Thus, in the beginning, one God, in three persons, created the heavens and earth.
While I don’t know how we got here, I do know what we need to do. We must apply the Word of God to every situation and fight to glorify God with gender. Are you a Christian who isn’t dealing with this issue personally? If so, what is your heart posture when it comes to this issue? Is your heart filled with heartbreak, righteous anger, grief, and empathy? Yes, transgenderism is filled with brokenness and sin, but has there not been evil in your own heart? Jesus Christ covered your sin, and those who are forgiven much love much. Christians are against this movement, but we are for these people. If you are filled with any malice or hate, go back to the gospel, and then examine your own heart.
Maybe you’re a Christian on the other side. You are filled with so much love for people that you just want to put your head down and go along with the cultural norm. If you’re in this position, I empathize. I want you to hold onto this love while also realizing that you can’t help by simply going along. We need the courage to say what is true in love, no matter the consequences.
Lastly, if you are someone struggling with these issues, I want to say that our church does not discount the confusion and pain that you feel. No matter how you got here, we want you to know that there’s a God in heaven who is Lord of creation. He created every inch of you, and it’s not your feelings that define you; God does. God created Adam and Eve in the garden, but years later He created a second Adam, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to die for all the times that we don’t align with God’s original intention for us. He died for all our sin, and because of this good news, we can now be called redeemed children of God. No matter what you’re struggling with, He died to bring you back into His family.
Because of Christ, you can be called a man or a woman of God, even if there are times when you don’t feel like it. Would you come to Him in surrender today? Trust God, and glorify Him with who He has made you to be!
– Andrew Hopper (Lead Pastor)
Watch the full sermon from week two here!
Additional Resources:
God Made Boys and Girls by Marty Machowski
God Made Boys and Girls helps children (4-7) understand that their gender is a gift from the God who made them and loves them. The story begins as the girls and boys at Grace Christian School are discussing whether boys will always be boys and girls will always be girls.
Article for parents to help equip them to have conversations with their children about gender.
“Who Cares if You’re a Boy or a Girl?” by Rebecca McLaughlin
A short article that’s good for students. Taken from her book 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity.
The Secular Creed by Rebecca McLaughlin
Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield
Strange New World by Carl R. Trueman
This would be the deep cut for someone wanting to learn more about how our culture got to such confusion regarding sexuality and gender.
