Created male and female

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness…” 

So God created man in his own image;
he created him in the image of God;
he created them male and female. (1:26-27)

When I first wrote this blog, I would have never thought to address this issue.

But now we have people saying that “male” and “female” are mere human concepts that have no basis in reality. That we need to get rid of this idea that humanity is divided into male and female.

But we see in this passage that “male” and “female” are not human ideas, but God’s.

Jesus himself affirmed it later. He told the Pharisees,

Haven’t you read…that he who created them in the beginning made them male and female… (Matthew 19:4)

God made us male and female. And God says this is a good thing. (1:31)

One reason he made us this way was so that we could populate the earth. (1:28)

But just as importantly, it was so that we as humans could better reflect his image.

Men and women don’t reflect God in exactly the same way. But together, they show us a pretty good picture of what God is like.

Just think of how he portrays himself as both a father and a mother. (Isaiah 49:15, 66:13; Psalm 131:2;  Psalm 103:13, Galatians 4:6-7, Hebrews 12:5-11)

To reject the idea of male and female is to reject our Creator’s own teaching and intention for us. We will never know who we truly are if we do that.

So let us not buy the lie of the world. It is not the idea of male and female that is human invention.

It’s when we start trying to add other gender identities that we start getting into the realm of human invention.

I know there may be people reading this blog who are hurting and struggling with their gender identity.

Please remember this: God loves you. He has a good plan for you. But the answer is not found in buying the lies of this world.

Jesus tells us,

If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. (John 8:31-32, 36)

So let us cling to the truth. Let us cling to Jesus’ teaching: we humans are male and female. And that is good.