Throughout Scripture, God’s people learn about the beautiful truth of God creating man and woman and how they ought to live in this world. Today, society tries to take away from this biblical ordinance that God had created – that what God saw was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Many question the gender to which God had fearfully and wonderfully made him or her to be, and may even attempt to change their gender because they felt out of place in a body perfectly fit for them by the Creator. They alter the idea of biblical manhood and womanhood. What blasphemy! The sins involving gender identity and roles are a result of the fall of man which God ordained would take place. However, through the promised seed of the woman, God graciously ordained that a greater covenant would come to pass for all of His chosen sheep. What a wonderful gift it is that God’s people have the word of God as their guide to teach us how we ought to live in this world as godly men and women. May His Spirit work in our hearts to hold fast to those truths that we see briefly throughout this article.
First of all, the relationship between men and women is a picture of the fellowship and companionship between God and His people. Adam and Eve walked and talked with God before the fall in the garden of Eden. They experienced communion and fellowship! One must always remember that Adam and Eve were created to bring all praise, honor, and glory to God. This too must be our calling as we live and serve here on this earth. Man or woman, we are called to always bring glory to God.
One way in which that was evident for Adam was in his command to be a steward over that which God had called him to. Genesis 1:28 lays out that calling when it says, “[…] 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.” God had given this calling to Adam to be fruitful and multiply. Here we can see a distortion in the world of what marriage may be. Many relationships lead to marriage, but it is done for their pleasure, or it is a sinful marriage between two people of the same sex. In marriage, God has ordained that one man shall marry one woman. He also gives a wonderful calling, if they are given children, to raise them in the fear of His name. May our godly marriages reflect that which God ordained them to be.
Secondly, in marriage man was created and called by God to be the head of the household. He has been called to provide, protect, and love his wife and family. As a result of the fall, God cursed the ground so that man would be working for his food under the sweat of his brow. This is one area that targets to destroy biblical manhood as society is charging more women to take control and rule over their households and families, or to further their careers, they neglect the calling of a mother if God has given them to children.. Be watchful and discern in your life, whether man or woman, how your mindset may be influenced by the thinking of the world.
Furthermore, the woman was created to be a help for her husband. She is called to take care of her family and the home if God has blessed them with children. To raise and rear children in the home is a blessed calling from the Lord that should not be seen as a great burden, but a great delight! Although children are conceived and born in sin, thus bringing their own sin and burdens into the home, the calling of a mother is wonderful and ought not to be looked down upon. The world changes the narrative by scorning women who would rather raise their children than further their career. Once again, be watchful, and discern in your life that the mindset of the world does not influence your beliefs on what the roles of a man and woman are in life and in the home, but the word of God alone.
Lastly, it is evident that our culture and society object to these truths. Many may say that what was written in the Bible is for the past and must stay in the past. They say we are culturally different than back then, so these gender roles no longer apply. Others say that we all have our gifts and talents, so we should be able to use them–hence, the mother spending more time in a career than in raising her children. One objection to both gender roles and identity is seen in the LGBTQ+ community and those that condone their lifestyle. People think that they can live loving whoever they desire, and identifying as whatever gender they want–some even no gender at all! They twist Scripture’s command to love your neighbor by saying that love is love, and we should all be loving towards everyone. Romans 1:26-32 clearly describes that the sin of homosexuality, the perverse twisting of marriage, is a sin that God condemns. The Bible is not a place to just pick and choose whatever verses we want to use to fit our own thoughts on what is true.
Overall, as godly young men and women in the church, we need to hold fast to the truths that we have learned about biblical manhood and womanhood in a world that tries to twist God’s word in many different ways. May the Spirit work in us a love and zeal for the word of God, where we understand it as a whole and live accordingly. It is my prayer that God gives you the grace to not allow your feelings to have a higher place in your life than the word of our Lord.
Written by: Kierra Hauck
Young Calvinists 