A favourite preacher of mine recently observed that, if you want to know what the Kingdom of God looks like, take the values and standards of this world, turn them completely upside down, and there you have it - the Kingdom Of God!!
His thesis is that the god of this world, Satan, has taken the values of God's Kingdom and completely reversed them so that up is down, white is black, lies are truth and so on. Behind this strategy is the absolute fanaticism of Satan to erase every expression and reminder of the image of God in this world. It's his mission. Nothing else matters. Everything is geared to this malevolent goal.
Since we humans are made in the image of God we become the primary target. It is being made in God's image or likeness that sets us apart from the rest of creation. That act of creation is what makes us humans unique. Satan sets his sights on us and he is fanatically passionateto damage, deface and finally destroy the image of God in which we were created.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Gen 1:27 NIV
I want to underline the phrase, "male and female he created them", because it is one aspect of God's created order that receives priority attention from our diabolical enemy. You see, our understanding of the full image of God must accommodate both the maleness and femaleness of God's being. These two dimensions are equal but different. Both the equality and differences are ordained by God.
But it doesn't take a very clever person to realize that the distinction between male and female is being eroded, confused and even denied wherever the god of this world holds sway. I have become increasingly aware of a general tendency in many parts of society, at least, for the male/female distinctiveness and the equality of each to be minimized if not eliminated.
Perhaps the most high profile strategy currently deployed for the elimination of male/female distinctiveness is the whole realm of homosexuality. 'Political Correctness' has become another key strategy that blurs the God-ordained distinction between male and female.
Whether it has to do with the way we address or treat each other, those references that blur and challenge the distinction between male and female are, at best, suspect or, at worst, to be avoided at all costs.
We ought to celebrate the differences rather than eliminate them.
