When ideology becomes an idol we get situations in which Christian educational institutions admit Muslim students because of their gender values, and fire Christian professors for being women.
(Read about it here, http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2014/may/evangelical-seminary-explains-why-first-muslim-southwestern.html)
When ideology becomes an idol we get situations in which we demand that women stay in abusive relationships to protect the institution of marriage at all cost.
(Read more, http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/dallas/Til-Death-Do-We-Part-191719891.html)
When ideology becomes an idol we get situations in which the Sabbath laws are more important than healing and giving people hope.
On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath." The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?" When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing (Luke 13:10-17, NIV)
When we put ideology before people, we are essentially saying that our need to be right is more important than real, breathing, flesh and blood, humans. And because our need to be right is so strong and relentless, we are willing to sacrifice other humans to our idol in an effort to prove our own worth.
But are we worthy when we sacrifice other humans? Our ideologies give us the illusion that we are part of that which is good and right, but God looks at us and wonders why we haven't read the instructions he gave us. Love your neighbor the way you love yourself is one of the two laws that cannot be broken to keep another, the first one being love God with your whole being.
How loving is it to destroy another human being for the sake of an ideal when it is in your power to save her?
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols (1 John 5:21, NIV)
Next time you are told God expects you to live up to an ideal whether it is a gender role, or the sanctity of marriage, remind them there is only one God, no idols allowed.
A proper woman.
We've all heard the term and most women have tried to become one. But what does it mean to be a proper woman. As far as I can tell, the Bible doesn't tell women to be proper; it tells women to be godly. But aren't these the same thing? Not exactly.
You see, what the world sees as proper and the Bible considers godly are two widely different things. Being proper has to do with being appropriate, suitable, of the required type, but godliness has to do with being God-like, and God isn't always appropriate, suitable, or of the required type. God is often inappropriate, such as when he was born out of wedlock in a small inn, and unsuitable, such as when he doesn't suit our rigid rules, and not of the required type, for there isn't a box big enough that you can cram God into.
So, if God isn't appropriate, suitable, or of the required type, why do we spend so much time ensuring all women are? Why make sure all women are are at all times appropriate, suitable, and of the required type, if women should imitate God? How is that even possible?
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2, NIV).
If we should imitate God, can we be appropriate, suitable, and of the required type?
We hang clean golden crosses around our necks. But was it appropriate for God to die on a dirty, wooden cross?
We expect everyone to follow the rules we've created. But was it suitable for Jesus to eat and talk with prostitutes?
We require everyone to fit into narrow stereotypes. But how do you fit the Creator into anything that he has created?
How can an image be anything other than a reflection of what it images? If a broken mirror cannot accurately reflect reality, neither can we put the image of God in a container that neither moves or speaks.
Being a woman has nothing to do with rules and restrictions, for God isn't out to restrict his creation; sin restricts. God is actively working to redeem his creation from the consequences of sin and redemption is always about freedom from slavery, never about becoming enslaved. Now, the question is, if God desires us to be free, why do we make women slaves of propriety?
The Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood has done it again - it has created the perfect egalitarian argument:
"If the egalitarian impulse wins out, the church is compromised precisely
at the point where paganism is assaulting the church today. For, as
Peter Jones has brilliantly demonstrated, paganism wants to get rid of
Christian monotheism by getting rid of the Creator-creature distinction.
And one way paganism likes to do that is through gender
confusion—hence, the bi-sexual shaman, the sacred feminine, goddess
worship, etc. Paganism understands that one of the best ways to prepare
the way for pagan polytheistic monism over against the transcendent
Creator God of the Bible is to undermine that God's image in the
distinctiveness of male and female, and in the picture of Christ and the
church in marital role distinctions, and in the male eldership of the
church. Egalitarianism is just not equipped for that fight, and in fact
simply capitulates to it."
(Read the whole article at http://cbmw.org/uncategorized/why-together-for-the-gospel-embraces-complementarianism-2/)
But if paganism tries to get rid of the Creator-creature distinction by undermining the principle that God's image is seen in both the male and the female, why do hierarchical Christians say God is overwhelmingly described as a male deity? Doesn't insisting that God shares an attribute with his creation get rid of the Creator-creature distinction, and undermine the principle that God's image is seen in both the male and the female equally?
If God is transcendent, perhaps God is neither male or female? If God is beyond his creation, perhaps only we are male and female? If this is the case, how does sacred feminine destroy the very concept of monotheism in which God is beyond his creation, but the idea of a male God - sacred masculine - doesn't? How can God remain distinct from his creation, and at the same time contain elements of his own creation? It is impossible, wherefore we find that CBMW has created the perfect egalitarian argument: if God is neither male or female, and both men and women are created in the image of God, why should a woman obey the man?
Let me explain.
If the image of God is reflected by our spirits, for God is a Spirit, why should the physical body prevent some from worshiping God in the spirit?
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24, NIV).
If a woman must obey a man, she cannot be single-minded in her worship of God, for we cannot have two lords whom we obey. Since we must worship God in spirit, our spirit must be free to worship God. Obedience removes free will, wherefore if a woman must obey a man, her will isn't free, nor is her spirit. And if this is the case, how can the woman worship God in spirit and in truth?
Thus we find that gender hierarchy does exactly what CBMW claims egalitarianism does: it removes the Creator-creature distinction when it makes the man the woman's god whom she must obey, and simultaneously creates a polytheism, rejecting monotheism. When the Creator-creature distinction is retained, we always obey God before humans (Acts 5:29), we do unto others what we would have them do to us (Luke 6:31) instead of demanding others follow our preferences (1 Cor 13:5).
In conclusion, CBMW is incorrect in saying that egalitarianism capitulates to the forces that would destroy the church. Egalitarianism isn't only well equipped to handle the fight; it wins it every time.
For years I've been hearing people on the hierarchical side of theology say egalitarianism is destroying the church. However, instead of destroying the church, egalitarians are saving the church. Let me explain why.
If egalitarians were trying to destroy the church, they would work hard to reduce the number of people preaching the Gospel. Instead, egalitarians work hard to increase the number of people preaching the Gospel both in their own churches and those elsewhere in accordance with Luke 10.
If egalitarians were trying to destroy the church, they would work hard to ignore verses and biblical people who contradict their theology. Instead, egalitarians work diligently to create a holistic understanding of the Bible that includes all the verses, chapters, and books found in the Bible, and one that begins with Genesis1 instead of 1 Timothy.
If egalitarians were trying to destroy the church, they would ignore the gifts of half of the members of the body of Christ, and refuse to accept their contributions. Instead, egalitarians include all of the gifts of all the members of the body of Christ in order to promote growth of the body itself in accordance with 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4.
If egalitarians were trying to destroy the church, they would give more power to one gender and allow the imbalance destroy marriages. Instead, egalitarians insist on mutual submission, mutual love and respect, mutual servanthood, and mutual authority in the realm of the body in accordance with 1 Corinthians 7 and Ephesians 5.
If egalitarians were trying to destroy the church, they would tell one gender to care more about needlepoint, cushions and embroidery, than the people who inhabit a world that is neither kind, nor benign. Instead, egalitarians call all Christians to leave the comfort of their homes in order to be the hands and feet of Christ, for if we don't move, neither does he.
By insisting that we should read the Bible literally and live it practically, egalitarians are reviving the church and bringing her back to her roots. That is not destructive, it is healing. And it is a beautiful thing to behold.
