The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 19:4,
"'Haven't you read,' he [Jesus] replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator "made them male and female..."'"
Some Pharisees came to Jesus "to test him", verse 3. They asked him a question that no doubt reflected some theological dispute of the day concerning divorce. "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" Verse 3. Rather than resort to a formula that incorporated the various contemporary issues being argued at the time, he went directly to the Scriptures, the very pattern we should follow.
"Haven't you read..." refers directly to the source of all authority on the things of God: our Bibles. Jesus quoted Genesis 1:27 where Moses explains God's creative activity. (What I find fascinating about this is that the very member of the Trinity that created us humans as male and female and provided for the institution of marriage is the very person who was asked the question, and gave the straightforward answer, see John 1:1-3.)
In Genesis 1:27 we read, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." In John 1:1-3 we read, "In the beginning was the Word [the Son of God, Jesus Christ, see verse 14], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
In Genesis we read that God created mankind. When he did so he created mankind in two genders: male and female. Gender is a concept of God, his idea, his creation, his intention. It is not mankind's concept, it is not mankind's idea and it is not of mankind's creation. Just as mankind does not exist because mankind thought it up, so our gender is not something we thought up. Our gender is established at conception, entirely and completely at God's design and plan. We have absolutely no say in our gender and there is nothing mankind is capable of doing to make it any other way. We can mutilate our bodies, take hormones and play "pretend", but only fools do so.
Mental health is based in part on our acceptance of what really exists. When we begin to pretend things are other than what they really are, we mentally check out of the reality we exist in and inevitably become mentally and emotionally sick. I would add that we prove ourselves to be spiritually sick as well. The very definition of psychosis is flight from reality.
Those today who pretend we can all be whatever gender we identify for ourselves, are promoting a cultural psychosis. Homosexuality, gender-bending, all of it is a rejection of the God who created us as we are. May I remind us all that one day we will all stand before the judgment throne of God and give an account of ourselves. That will include what we all supported and encouraged here in this life.
I suspect that those of us who are courageous enough to oppose those who oppose our Creator God will have a warm welcome into the kingdom of God. Make sure you are among that group!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"'Haven't you read,' he [Jesus] replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator "made them male and female..."'"
Some Pharisees came to Jesus "to test him", verse 3. They asked him a question that no doubt reflected some theological dispute of the day concerning divorce. "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" Verse 3. Rather than resort to a formula that incorporated the various contemporary issues being argued at the time, he went directly to the Scriptures, the very pattern we should follow.
"Haven't you read..." refers directly to the source of all authority on the things of God: our Bibles. Jesus quoted Genesis 1:27 where Moses explains God's creative activity. (What I find fascinating about this is that the very member of the Trinity that created us humans as male and female and provided for the institution of marriage is the very person who was asked the question, and gave the straightforward answer, see John 1:1-3.)
In Genesis 1:27 we read, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." In John 1:1-3 we read, "In the beginning was the Word [the Son of God, Jesus Christ, see verse 14], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
In Genesis we read that God created mankind. When he did so he created mankind in two genders: male and female. Gender is a concept of God, his idea, his creation, his intention. It is not mankind's concept, it is not mankind's idea and it is not of mankind's creation. Just as mankind does not exist because mankind thought it up, so our gender is not something we thought up. Our gender is established at conception, entirely and completely at God's design and plan. We have absolutely no say in our gender and there is nothing mankind is capable of doing to make it any other way. We can mutilate our bodies, take hormones and play "pretend", but only fools do so.
Mental health is based in part on our acceptance of what really exists. When we begin to pretend things are other than what they really are, we mentally check out of the reality we exist in and inevitably become mentally and emotionally sick. I would add that we prove ourselves to be spiritually sick as well. The very definition of psychosis is flight from reality.
Those today who pretend we can all be whatever gender we identify for ourselves, are promoting a cultural psychosis. Homosexuality, gender-bending, all of it is a rejection of the God who created us as we are. May I remind us all that one day we will all stand before the judgment throne of God and give an account of ourselves. That will include what we all supported and encouraged here in this life.
I suspect that those of us who are courageous enough to oppose those who oppose our Creator God will have a warm welcome into the kingdom of God. Make sure you are among that group!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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