Men and Women Created Equal:Lifting the Lid
I have been silent for a long time because I wanted to be sure that when I speak out to this issue that I could back up my beliefs with strong conviction. I had to be sure that I was inline with the Spirit of God and His truth. I wanted to make sure that speaking out would be worth the conflict and strong opposition that I may experience. Well, the time has come and I have been convinced that what I believe is worth anything that may come my way.
One of the inspirations that has lead me to speak out on this issue is a book I have been reading by Carolyn Custis James called Half the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women. She addresses the global issue of gender inequality and how it has not only hindered the churches kingdom work, but has in many ways damaged it. She believes that God's kingdom purposes cannot be fully done until women are empowered and have equal opportunity to serve in God's church.
Another inspiration that has lead me to speak out on this issue is all the work that my sister has done to fight against sex-trafficking, pornography and the exploitation of women. This whole area I believe is a large reason why women are still spiritually and physically oppressed in our country and in our world and yes in the church. I believe as long as it is culturally acceptable and legally allowed for women to be exploited there will always be a power imbalance between the genders. There will be a underlying message that a woman's worth can be found in selling her body for money and cheap materialistic pleasures.
The greatest inspiration for me to speak out on this issue comes from scripture and from the working of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to me and calls me into this work.
Galatians 3:28-4:7 "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir."
This is a loaded passage and I can only begin to scratch the surface, but if you read this passage in its context there is no doubt that the author, Paul, is addressing the issue of submission and hierarchy within the church. Paul is comparing our position in the family of God with what the Jews would understand as the role of the firstborn son. In the Jewish law the first-born son was given a "special status" concerning inheritance and he was also considered second in line as head of the household!(a)
Romans 8:14-17, "Those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father," The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
As children of God and co-heirs with Christ, we have been given the same authority, the same inheritance as the Lord Jesus himself. This doesn't leave room for man or woman to be higher or to have more power than the other, that would mean putting ourselves higher or lower than Jesus himself. God is the only one with a higher position and it is by God's spirit that we know we are his child.
Unfortunately, the church is not functioning in this mindset although we have come a long way, we have much more to do. My desire is to see a church that is free in the Spirit of God to take up our inheritance as sons and daughters and join together to bring the kingdom of God to earth. We cannot do this until we fight again the global oppression of women and the limitations that have been put on top of us for thousands of years. I would suggest that women cannot fight alone, we were not created to fight alone and we need the support and the strength of the men in our lives to be brave and fight beside us. I believe that, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Eph 6:12. This is a tight lid that we are fighting against, but I feel that this simple blog has made a dent and lifted the lid slightly higher than it was before. What will you do to lift the lid?
a)http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0007_0_06494.html
One of the inspirations that has lead me to speak out on this issue is a book I have been reading by Carolyn Custis James called Half the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women. She addresses the global issue of gender inequality and how it has not only hindered the churches kingdom work, but has in many ways damaged it. She believes that God's kingdom purposes cannot be fully done until women are empowered and have equal opportunity to serve in God's church.
Another inspiration that has lead me to speak out on this issue is all the work that my sister has done to fight against sex-trafficking, pornography and the exploitation of women. This whole area I believe is a large reason why women are still spiritually and physically oppressed in our country and in our world and yes in the church. I believe as long as it is culturally acceptable and legally allowed for women to be exploited there will always be a power imbalance between the genders. There will be a underlying message that a woman's worth can be found in selling her body for money and cheap materialistic pleasures.
The greatest inspiration for me to speak out on this issue comes from scripture and from the working of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to me and calls me into this work.
Galatians 3:28-4:7 "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir."
This is a loaded passage and I can only begin to scratch the surface, but if you read this passage in its context there is no doubt that the author, Paul, is addressing the issue of submission and hierarchy within the church. Paul is comparing our position in the family of God with what the Jews would understand as the role of the firstborn son. In the Jewish law the first-born son was given a "special status" concerning inheritance and he was also considered second in line as head of the household!(a)
Romans 8:14-17, "Those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father," The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
As children of God and co-heirs with Christ, we have been given the same authority, the same inheritance as the Lord Jesus himself. This doesn't leave room for man or woman to be higher or to have more power than the other, that would mean putting ourselves higher or lower than Jesus himself. God is the only one with a higher position and it is by God's spirit that we know we are his child.
Unfortunately, the church is not functioning in this mindset although we have come a long way, we have much more to do. My desire is to see a church that is free in the Spirit of God to take up our inheritance as sons and daughters and join together to bring the kingdom of God to earth. We cannot do this until we fight again the global oppression of women and the limitations that have been put on top of us for thousands of years. I would suggest that women cannot fight alone, we were not created to fight alone and we need the support and the strength of the men in our lives to be brave and fight beside us. I believe that, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Eph 6:12. This is a tight lid that we are fighting against, but I feel that this simple blog has made a dent and lifted the lid slightly higher than it was before. What will you do to lift the lid?
a)http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0007_0_06494.html
Yes!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing and using your voice Esther! :) I will help lift the tight lid!!!
ReplyDelete