Redeemed Woman

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27 (ESV)

God inspired these words to be penned from the beginning “…male and female He created them.” Our Lord Jesus then echoed these words in Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6. They had asked Him, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” Jesus doesn’t reference the cultural trend or the latest philosophical reasoning. He doesn’t teach them a new doctrine. Jesus goes back to the creation account for the truth of God’s definition and design of marriage. (Matthew 19:3-10).

In the same way that the creation account gives the Biblical definition of marriage, I believe the creation account can also give us much clarity in understanding gender. Transgenderism, agenderism, and gender fluidity is a growing movement making its way into Christendom, especially as progressive Christianity embraces its ideologies. This movement is gaining traction in the political, educational, and athletic arenas. People in this movement argue that gender and gender roles are only societal constructs; therefore, people are free to assign their genders as they wish. Scripture, on the contrary, teaches that gender and gender roles are God-ordained.

This is a big topic with a lot of nuances. As a mother, I have the duty to steer my children towards a God-fearing worldview. As a mother, I am in the frontlines when it comes to combating transgenderism ideologies. But, I am convinced that I do not have to be an expert at sociology or psychology or medicine or philosophy to navigate my children through this God-denying sexual movement. I simply need to understand God’s Word clearly in my own mind and trust in its sufficiency and power in my heart. Here are my reflections on God’s Word.

Who is the creator of gender?

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27) Clearly, gender matters to God as He was the one who created the concept of gender. Since before the fall of Adam and Eve, we see that there are only two “God-created” genders, male and female. There is no gender fluidity or option to be genderless. Every single person has a gender given by God. Any other variations or versions or assignments are man-made and an offense towards the Creator God (Romans 1:28). Furthermore, God created us in His image which means that our given gender has significance, both temporal and eternal. Temporal as we are image-bearers on Earth. Eternal as we display to the world the Gospel of Jesus (Ephesians 5:32).

Does gender originate in the mind of a person or with the body of a person?

“Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (Genesis 2:7) Here we see that before Adam could think whether he was male or female, he had a body created by God. Adam’s body already defined him as a male as determined by God. In other words, the assigned gender existed in the body before it came to be in the mind.

Genesis 2:21-23 is further evidence that gender originates with the body: “So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.”

Again, we see here that the gender of Eve originated with her body. The body of the woman made her a woman before she even thought or did anything. It seems to me that when a person feels (in the mind) a female while the body is biologically male, the broken part is the mind, not the body.

Science gives evidence of this as well. Gender can be traced biologically to XY chromosomes of a fetus before the mind becomes self-aware. These chromosomes determine such things as body chemistry, body anatomy, and hormones which are different between male and female. Gender is linked, by design, to the body.

Why did God create gender?

“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…” (Genesis 1:28) In God’s infinite wisdom, He chose to have His image-bearers be male and female. He designed it so that they can procreate and spread His image over the Earth. The instruction here is very clear – be fruitful and multiply. Science confirms that God’s design is such that male human beings alone can never procreate and female human beings alone can never procreate. The two genders are dependent upon each other in order for mankind to multiply and fulfill God’s purposes (Genesis 4:1).

Are gender roles related to the sex of a person?

Gender roles are linked to the biological sex of a person and were made known by God. Adam was identified by the Word of God as male, or man, just as Eve was identified by the Word of God as female, or woman (Genesis 2:22). Adam’s role was to work and keep the Garden of Eden where food was plentiful (Genesis 2:15-16). After the fall, Adam was still meant to work, but his work was cursed with trouble, pain, and then death (Genesis 3:17-19). Eve’s role was to be Adam’s helper to work and keep the garden (Genesis 2:18). God blessed them and instructed them to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). After the fall, Eve was still meant to be a helper but only against her own will, and childbearing was cursed with multiplied pains (Genesis 3:16). These gender roles were not created by man but given by God to keep order in His creation (1 Corinthians 11:3, 7-10). Unfortunately though, as pointed out, the gender roles originally given were cursed due to sin.

Conclusion:

Even though my gender is not all of me, it is a huge part of who I am. I am a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter – all of which carry feminine identities. I can only begin to imagine what emotional chaos a person experiences whose mind is completely disconnected and opposite from the gender God has given him or her. This brokenness must be devastating to near hopelessness. It is no wonder why suicides rates are as high as 41% among people who claim to be transgender (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Understanding gender from Scripture reveals that transgenders ultimately deny God, embrace sexual sins, and reject the God-ordained order of creation; this is sin and deserves the wrath of God (Romans 1:18-32). Understanding from Scripture also reveals that we are all broken by sin, transgender or not. We are sinful by nature and our minds are tainted with sin (Romans 3:9-11). We are all capable of denying God, embracing sexual sins, and rejecting God’s way of life. The only hope anyone of us has from the wrath of God is found in the Gospel of Jesus (John 3:16-18). The salvation of Christ not only has the power to save us but it has the power to free us from such sins (John 8:31-36; Romans 6:5-14; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5). He makes us new from the inside out and gives us His Spirit (Romans 2:29; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:16). He gives us peace with God, our Creator (Romans 5:1).

As women of God, we must remember that Jesus gives hope and new life to the broken through faith and repentance. Transgenders need the Gospel just as much as non-transgenders. Pray for those we know who are caught up in this movement to find truth and love in Jesus. Pray that we will love in truth by sharing the Gospel with them. Pray for our children who are growing up in this movement and teach them that their genders matter to God and fulfill His purposes. May we graciously proclaim the truth of His Gospel to shine the light in this darkness. May the Lord open our eyes to His ways and lift our burdens!