Articles
GENDER IDENTITY
GENDER IDENTITY
Some today are having a crisis when it comes to gender identity. A February 13, 2014 ABC news report identified 58 "gender options" introduced by Facebook for users to identify their gender. Schools are "educating" students in "Gender Identity Terminology" for students to "self-identify their gender" and "select the gender identity term that best describes their experiences". So, I searched the Scriptures and compiled a list of spiritual gender identity terms. After all, it is God "that hath made us, and not we ourselves" (Ps. 100:3).
Male And Female. Genesis 1:27 affirms, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Nothing said about gender options. Genesis 5:2 says, "Male and female created he them…." Jesus asked this question: "Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female…?" (Mt. 19:4). God made us either male or female and we identify accordingly.
Man And Woman. At the beginning God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him" (Gen. 2:18). Thus, "…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" (Gen. 2:21-23). Paul wrote the Corinthians, "For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man" (1 Cor. 11:8-9).
Mankind And Womankind. "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination" (Lev. 18:22).
Boys And Girls. The children born to Isaac and Rebekah were called "boys" — "And the boys grew…" (Gen. 25:27). Joel 3:3 contains this statement: "And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink." Zechariah 8:5 records, "And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof."
Sons And Daughters. When Jacob and "his seed" went into Egypt it is said, "His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt" (Gen. 46:7).
Pronouns. The Scriptures use these pronouns with respect to male and female, man and woman, mankind and womankind, boys and girls, sons and daughters: "he" and "she" (Gen. 3:6), "his" and "hers" (1 Sam. 25:42), "him" and "her" (1 Sam. 18:21). An individual is not a "they" or a "them"!
Distinction Between The Sexes. God intends for men to be men and women to be women. The law of Moses taught: "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God" (Dt. 22:5). Paul penned, "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her…" (1 Cor. 11:14-15).
We don't have any trouble with gender identity down on the farm! Question: "What did your heifer give birth to last night?" Answer: "We're calling it a ‘they" until it selects the gender identity that best describes its experiences!" Are we wise or have we become fools? "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Rom. 1:22). "…the world by wisdom knew not God…" (1 Cor. 1:21). "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men…" (1 Cor. 1:25).
