18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:18-24 (ESV)
Why was there a need for God to make male and female?
- To Reflect His image and character
- To Reproduce so God’s image and character will be known
- To Represent God’s image and character through their relationships with Christ
How Should Christ Followers Relate to the Culture War?
First, all people matter to God.
Second, God made us male and female for heterosexual relationships not homosexual relationships.
Leviticus 18:22 (ESV) You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 (ESV) If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them
Romans 1:26-27 (ESV) 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 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.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (ESV) 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
“The best way to destroy an enemy is to turn him/her into a friend.” – F.F. Bruce
Today’s Application
- Be Your Best in Christ
- Pursue Peace
- Be Cultural Missionaries
- Be a Friend
Our Challenge: Will we make a new friend today (unlike ourselves) yet like ourself because we all want love, respect, and to be valued; and we know these can only be truly experienced in Christ?