Dictionary.com has named "Identity" as its 2015 Word of the Year due to the stories of Jenner not knowing if it's a male or female, Miley Cyrus's sexual attraction, and Rachel Dolezal who was born white but considers herself black. It is a sad day in our country and in our world when we find our identity in things such as these. So let me try to place a biblical perspective on identity and address the issues that Dictionary.com feels define our identity.
First up is Jenner and gender identity. In Genesis 1:27, God's Word says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." First book, first chapter, the genders of mankind are laid out there for us. God created men and women as equal partners in this world in his image. It is by divine design that we are physically diverse and can multiply and reproduce. Neither sex could reproduce without the other which demonstrates our interdependence to each other. God made you, don't go messing with what the Maker made. And let me add that Jenner is not a cause, a belief, an inspiration, or anything else. At the end of the day, it is a drag queen plain and simple. Cross-dressing was a problem in biblical times as well and was prohibited even then; Deuteronomy 22:5 tells us, "A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God." God specifically outlawed transvestism here and again pointed to the fact the order between male and female was to be kept without exception.
Second, Miley's sexual attraction of being pansexual which basically just means that she likes anybody no matter what they like, what they are, or what they consider themselves. As crazy as that sounds it makes you wonder if anything like that ever went on the Bible. Look at Romans 1:26-27, "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error." 'God gave them up' here was a Greek judicial term which was basically a prisoner being handed over for their sentence. John McArthur writes, "When men consistently abandon God, he will abandon them." If the possibility of God abandoning you is not enough motivation then maybe you are at least vain enough to not want to damage your own body, which is also a result of sexual impurity; "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body."
Third, is Rachel Dolezal who was born white and identified herself as black throughout much of her life from what I can tell. Personally, I do believe that we are all one race. I did not believe that until I studied the Bible more because growing up people were all different colors and I had a limited knowledge and understanding of race. People were not of different importance, just different appearances. No matter what someone's appearance is, we are to treat everyone equally; Romans 2:11 - "For God shows no partiality." All ethnicities have things in history that we wish were not there. But we cannot erase the past, we can only begin today treating our neighbor as ourselves.
So if you've had any identity issues, immoralities, or prejudices in your past take heart in knowing there is one who never gave up on you, never stopped loving you, and never turned his back on you. You can't wash your sin away, I can't wash your sin away, your pastor or family cannot wash your sin away. Jesus Christ whose birth we celebrate this month has already paid the price for all of your sins! He wrote a blank check some 2000 years ago so accept that gift of salvation this Christmas season. Put your identity issues away and become a new creation in him. "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
#GiveGodGlory #Identity #Jenner #Miley #Dolezal #Salvation #JesusChrist
First up is Jenner and gender identity. In Genesis 1:27, God's Word says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." First book, first chapter, the genders of mankind are laid out there for us. God created men and women as equal partners in this world in his image. It is by divine design that we are physically diverse and can multiply and reproduce. Neither sex could reproduce without the other which demonstrates our interdependence to each other. God made you, don't go messing with what the Maker made. And let me add that Jenner is not a cause, a belief, an inspiration, or anything else. At the end of the day, it is a drag queen plain and simple. Cross-dressing was a problem in biblical times as well and was prohibited even then; Deuteronomy 22:5 tells us, "A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God." God specifically outlawed transvestism here and again pointed to the fact the order between male and female was to be kept without exception.
Second, Miley's sexual attraction of being pansexual which basically just means that she likes anybody no matter what they like, what they are, or what they consider themselves. As crazy as that sounds it makes you wonder if anything like that ever went on the Bible. Look at Romans 1:26-27, "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error." 'God gave them up' here was a Greek judicial term which was basically a prisoner being handed over for their sentence. John McArthur writes, "When men consistently abandon God, he will abandon them." If the possibility of God abandoning you is not enough motivation then maybe you are at least vain enough to not want to damage your own body, which is also a result of sexual impurity; "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body."
Third, is Rachel Dolezal who was born white and identified herself as black throughout much of her life from what I can tell. Personally, I do believe that we are all one race. I did not believe that until I studied the Bible more because growing up people were all different colors and I had a limited knowledge and understanding of race. People were not of different importance, just different appearances. No matter what someone's appearance is, we are to treat everyone equally; Romans 2:11 - "For God shows no partiality." All ethnicities have things in history that we wish were not there. But we cannot erase the past, we can only begin today treating our neighbor as ourselves.
So if you've had any identity issues, immoralities, or prejudices in your past take heart in knowing there is one who never gave up on you, never stopped loving you, and never turned his back on you. You can't wash your sin away, I can't wash your sin away, your pastor or family cannot wash your sin away. Jesus Christ whose birth we celebrate this month has already paid the price for all of your sins! He wrote a blank check some 2000 years ago so accept that gift of salvation this Christmas season. Put your identity issues away and become a new creation in him. "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
#GiveGodGlory #Identity #Jenner #Miley #Dolezal #Salvation #JesusChrist
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