GENDER EQUALITY

There is so much talk these days about gender equality and the rights of women in the marketplace. 

The uprising of the #metoo awareness against sexual abuse and pay-inequality has called for the wrongs in gender supremacy to be made right.  But while this noble cause has a foundation of good intentions, let’s not let our heart be twisted into a comparison trap that is laced with a spirit of anger, unforgiveness and division.  Instead of allowing a good movement turn into hateful protests, let’s see what the Bible says.

The enemy would LOVE to shift the pendulum of male supremacy all the way over to female supremacy, creating an equal harm.  Satan hates God and hates Holy Scripture.  He abhors unity among God’s children and his #1 mandate is to prohibit the multiplication and duplication  of God’s message to bear fruit, multiply and subdue the earth.  The fact that we are STILL having to talk about this is a sign that we are not a whole nation….YET.

Ultimately, the enemies agenda is to twist and pervert God’s Holy Word and dividing humans against one another. 

This is an agenda against pro-creation, multiplication and spiritual dominion on earth.  So while there is a lot of media, lobbying, protest and financial power behind this message of equality, let’s simplify the banter into #whatHEsaid.

Are you ready to put on your biblical bifocals?  (Grab a cup of coffee or tea and get ready….)

Here we go….The Bible states that in beginning of time, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:27-28)

In other words, God created men and women equal. Period.

Dominion over everything was given to the woman as well as to the man. The woman was not created inferior to the man; nor was the man greater than the woman.  That scripture in itself should be enough, but let’s read further.

When sin permeated the human race due to the choices of Adam and Eve, the consequence was that humans, both male and female, became separated from God. No longer would they have perfect union and harmony with God and one-ness with His Spirit, but instead, they would seek to have rulership over each other in a search and hunger for power they used to yield only to God.  This is where men began to rule over women. (Genesis 3:16).

Throughout history, we see countless religions that have arisen attempting to reach God with the hope of filling the gap between human race and the Divine.  But those “religious” attempts are futile because mankind in and of itself, can not, will not and will never be good enough, strong enough or wise enough to “reach God”.  Mankind is intently sinful in nature and will always yield to the flesh.  This is apparent in how we see men wanting power over each other and men wanting supremacy over women.

This has led to a degradation and isolation of God’s very creation; WOMAN. 

By suppressing the very creation of God as a second-class creature, this has led to an imbalance in the human race that God never intended.

Religions governed by mere men has sought power and dominance and this has not only our the unity of God’s people but it has put extreme hardships on women around the world.  Women have been sold as slaves, used as sex objects, sacrificed to false gods and even chained like animals around the world. 

The length of this historical slavery has led to women being seen as less valuable, less rewardable and somehow unworthy of equal pay and treatment.  But this is not a “male” issue….this has been a spiritual issue since the very beginning of time.

The only solution is the healing of the soul of mankind, which is why God came to earth in the form of a man, Jesus, to set the record straight.

God could have floated down from heaven in robes of grandeur and power to show the world of His power and dominion.  But instead, there were some very important issues that needed to be corrected, including God’s view of women.

So God….chose to enter the world through the womb of a woman.  He chose a virgin girl named Mary that would be the single source of the Divine on earth.  In one moment, He shifted the value of women from second-class citizen to “chosen and elite”.

Throughout His lifetime on earth, Jesus continued to emphasize the love and honor for women in the way He chose to reveal his power and identity to the world.

MOTHER MARY:

His mother Mary was the one who first called forth the miracle working power of Christ when she suggested he turn the water into wine at the wedding first.  She didn’t command him, but her intuitive strength helped him see a need and fill it.    She was an extraordinary Life-coach and voice of wisdom.  (John 2:1-11)

FIRST WITNESS:

When Jesus revealed Himself as messiah, he chose to first reveal his identity to a woman. (John 4:25-30)

GREATEST MIRACLE:

It was the faith of woman that Jesus called  upon to execute His greatest miracle, the resurrection of Lazarus. Women are conduits of faith that leads to miracle working power.  (John 11:1-44)

JESUS HONORED WOMEN:

Jesus honored a woman for her wisdom and prophetic insight as she anointed his feet with oil while the men sat and judged her actions as a “costly mistake”.  Jesus revealed the value of a woman’s intuition.  (John 12:1-8)

FIRST EVANGELISTS: 

Women were the eye-witnesses responsible for documenting Jesus death and resurrection and became the very first evangelists of all time. (John 20)

AMONG JESUS’ DISCIPLES:

Scripture was clear to mention women as a valuable part of the team of disciples, responsible for spreading the Gospel. (Mark 15:41)

PRAYER TEAM: 

After the ascension of Christ, women were an intrigue part of the prayer team that awaited the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:14)

EQUAL DISTRIBUTION:

When the Holy Spirit of God was poured out, it was equally given to men and women, revealing that God is equally IN US as His creation, not biased to gender, race or socio-economic standings.  (Acts 2:17)

FIRST CHURCH BODY: 

The first noted church or body of believers was documented to be in Europe and was launched by a group of women in the home of a woman.  This leads to a whole different discussion on “what is a church” and who can lead a church or body of believers? (We’ll save that for another blog.) (Acts 16:13-15)

CHURCH STAFF: 

The staff of the early church included many women and was not reserved for men only. (Romans 16:12, Philippians 4:3)

God was intentional to include the power, purpose and passion of women. 

Jesus came to clarify God’s original intent of equality within His creation.  By dying on the cross, he bridged the gap for ALL who believe to become advocates of His message despite gender, race or nationality.

When women are discriminated against, it is clearly an agenda of the enemy of God, who created male and female in His own image. 

For centuries, men have used Paul’s teacher for women to be silent as their theory for keeping women in subservient roles both within the church and at large. But Paul was addressing the issues of a specific body of believers that had a contingency of women who were unruly.  That, in now way should be the dictatorship for all women.  Instead, we must look at Jesus’ example and see that His love, respect, honor and empowerment of women was simply extraordinary.

Paul, the same apostle that many men use to quote as telling women to be silent in church, also stated, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).  Clearly Paul’s message to one church was not a global message over the rights for all women. 

We see God’s heart for the equality of his creation throughout scripture.  While we pray that men no longer use religion to practice dominion over women, let us also not let the pendulum shift to woman’s search for dominion over man.  Instead, let us finally come to a place of true gender equality that recognize God’s love and heart for all mankind.  And let us treat one another with dignity, respect, and honor as equal heirs to the Kingdom of God.

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