Correspondents

I was talking with a friend yesterday who remarked wistfully, "Things are very different today, Gena."  The remark was made in connection with our sons who play video games online with friends for entertainment, whereas in "our day" kids played together in person - - on playgrounds, on sports teams, in the neighborhood, etc.  One could argue that the old ways were better, although I'm not going to fight that battle over the issue of online gaming.  There are higher stakes.

I'm referring particularly to human sexuality.  (Yes, this is going to be one of "those posts".)

Today's text, as we continue our Genesis study, is Genesis 2:18-24 (NET)

18The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion for him who corresponds to him.” 19The Lord God formed out of the ground every living animal of the field and every bird of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them, and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20So the man named all the animals, the birds of the air, and the living creatures of the field, but for Adam no companion who corresponded to him was found. 21So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he was asleep, he took part of the man’s side and closed up the place with flesh. 22Then the Lord God made a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23Then the man said,

“This one at last is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

this one will be called ‘woman,’

for she was taken out of man.”

24That is why a man leaves his father and mother and unites with his wife, and they become a new family.

We live in an age of extreme sexual perversion, as defined by the Bible.  The passage above is pretty clear as to the created, biological differences between man and woman.  The differences are stark, and they are intentional on the part of the only all-wise God. 

Yet, many have rejected the Bible as God's standard for holiness, and it shows in our modern-day society.  The Bible says that when there is no righteousness among a people, where there is no godly perspective, they perish (Proverbs 29:18).  So true.  We are witnessing the incremental disintegration of American society, day-by-day.  This is not merely an American phenomenon.  Other countries have slid even further down the slippery slope of perversion than has "The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave".  We are living, world-wide, in the age of Romans 1:21-28 (NET).

21For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

24Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, 27and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed in their passions for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done.

Examples:
***People allowed to use any public restroom they so choose, (a pervert's playground).
***Parents "allowing" their young children to "choose their own genders".
***The increasing "acceptability" of deviant sexual behavior - - - marital infidelity, homosexual behavior, and, most recently (you may not have noticed) ...
***Pedophilia.  Yes, people are beginning to broach that "orientation" and proclaim it a legitimate "sexual persuasion".
***Bestiality being condoned is on the horizon, I have no doubt.

Those who dare to speak out, counteracting popular culture with unchangeable biblical truth against such perversions are labelled sexist, unloving, hate-filled and so forth, whether the biblical truth is spoken with tenderness or with bile.  It's not, after all, the tone that is unacceptable.  It is the content of the message that is declared as "hate".

How beautifully the Bible describes God's intentions and commands for human sexuality to manifest and flourish!
It begins with a sad scene:  "no companion who corresponded to him was found" (vs. 20). Although Adam reviewed and named hundreds, perhaps thousands of species, there was not any like him, none even approaching him in splendor, in intellect, in the possession of a "living soul".  He was alone.  :(

Over all of God's creation, He pronounced each phase as "good" or "very good", but this is the first time He pronounced something as "not good".  "It is not good for man to be alone" (vs.18).
Accordingly, God created the magnificent creature who beautifully corresponds to a man:  woman.
Oh how beautiful the correspondence!  How beautifully men and women fit together! 

The Bible is replete with differences between men and women, although neither was designed to be  independent of or "better than" the other (1 Corinthians 11:11).  These differences cannot be overlooked or explained away simply because someone does not "like" what God has to say.  Here are some of those:
***God gave man the leadership of the family unit (1 Corinthians 11:3)
***God assigned the duties of priesthood to men, not women, in the Old Testament, and this is borne out, played out similarly, in the New Testament with the admonition that women are not to teach men in ecclesiastical matters/settings (1 Timothy 2:11-15, 1 Corinthians 14:33-35)
Those are just a couple of examples.

Rather than getting into divisive debates as to what God has obviously commanded, let's revel in our roles as men and women.  Let's enjoy the male and female relationships our wise Father has given us by appreciating and celebrating the differences!  And, Christians, let's lovingly hold firm to the biblical standards for men and women, as we live out our faith, as we shine the light of truth and righteousness in this dark, sin-bound world.

To God be the glory, great things He has done!  #SoliDeoGloria