Equal

The words ‘equal’ and ‘equality’ have been exercising my mind lately. They are used extensively by the media, and various groups who want the same advantages as others. I started by looking up the dictionary definitions, and found the:

Definition of equal: being the same in quantity, size, degree, or value. Identical.

Definition of congruent: identical in form; coinciding exactly when superimposed.

Now the Lord God said, “It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [one who balances him—a counterpart who is] suitable and complementary for him.” Genesis 2:18 AMP

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 NIV

Unfortunately, and sadly (I think) society has decided today that men and women are equal in all aspects of life to the point that they are congruent (see the definition above). It is patently evident that God did not make man and woman the same. They are complementary one with the other. The best examples of marriage I know, occur when one makes up for the other so that there is harmony and balance in the relationship and the children benefit. In any union where each partner wants to be superior, and acts that way, disaster is not far away.

So what did Paul mean when he said there is neither male nor female, but one in Christ Jesus? Based on Scripture, it cannot mean that they are both the same in all aspects, or considered equal. There is a saying that the ground is level at the foot of the cross, meaning it doesn’t matter who you are, or the life you have led, salvation is freely offered to the sinner and that would be the same for man and woman.

The family unit is at its strongest when mum and dad take their God given roles seriously, and do not try to usurp His will to be something that is not God’s. We (society) have now welcomed and encouraged the so called ‘equality’ of two men or two women in marriage. A child can now be raised in a home which is not God ordained, but do we care? Not really because we have swallowed satan’s lie that men and women are equal in all aspects of life. After all, the law says it is ok, so it must be so, right?? The more ‘enlightened’ women now say that they are every bit as able as men, and they can do anything a man can do, because they are equal.

Why do we not have men’s versus women’s football teams? Or mixed gender relay races versus an all men’s foursome? Or why is the female fire officer not ordered first up the high extension ladder with a water hose over her shoulder? Or a man in the delivery ward having the baby while his wife watches anxiously? Can the husband naturally feed his baby? Or why does the toddler run to his or her mum when they are hurt? Or why does the teenager go to dad for those serious teenage talks, or advice about his new girlfriend? Why are the women softer hearted and gentler in spirit? What makes a man primarily want to provide and protect his wife and family? Answers are not needed to any of these questions.

I can understand and perhaps even see where the unchurched and unsaved might think that men and women are fully congruent (equal), but not when it comes from a Bible believing Christ follower.

When you are faced with the statement that men and women are completely equal, ask in what way?

Benefits of Old Age

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4 NIV

Some of us are blessed to grow into old age with a reasonable amount of good health, while others pass away into their own eternal destiny, and sometimes we who are still here will ask, “why was I left behind”? We are all different, but each of us bears the scars of our individual history of life. Some experiences have been better than others, and some we would rather forget.

I am happy, and yes even relieved, that every child of God has the sure and certain promise of eternal life in heaven. We might not know exactly what that looks like, but we do have the cast iron assurance that we will enter heaven’s gates to live with Jesus forever and as a BIG bonus we will get to see our family who also placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

Until that great and glorious day, we live out our lives on earth as best we can. Our human body is frail and subject to all the ailments and temptations that the devil can throw at us. But, and it’s a BIG BUT, we are told what our gracious God will do for the believers as they ‘do life’ this side of heaven. He says, “I am he who will sustain you” and “I will carry you” and “I will sustain you”, (this is said twice so it must be important) and “I will rescue you”.

The best part of this promise for me, is that it doesn’t just apply to the older, gray haired believers, it says “even to your old age and gray hairs” and that means all the way through your life until you see those gray hairs appearing and beyond! What a promise from our gracious and understanding God.

Tipping Point

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18

We all have a point where we break. It can be in different ways, like wages being spent before the next pay day ending in poverty, or a health issue where the body eventually succumbs to the sickness that landed that loved one in hospital, and of course there are other tipping points.

However, the biggest trigger point for our ‘tipping’ is anger, or frustration, usually with someone and not something. Paul knew our human limitations when he wrote the book of Romans. Of all people, bearing in mind all the people he had met and witnessed to, he knew the feeling of frustration where someone, or some people could not be reached with reason or fine argument. That included the folks in the churches he had started and then left before they had enough time to become mature and stable.

I believe Paul is telling us to do our best to keep the peace, and even make peace, BUT (big but) if it is not possible due to the other person’s attitude, manner, or un-Christ-like character, that by itself will not stand in the way to alter our salvation. The onus is on us to try our best to live at peace with everyone, but when that peace runs out or is just not possible, we can have a clear conscience. This becomes even more of a minefield when the difficulty arises from a conflict or difference with another Christian. The tipping point can then become a source of conflict between Kingdom brothers or sisters and the fellowship is therefore broken.

If a difference is not able to be resolved in brotherly love, our Christianity is found to be in question. Unfortunately, I have also discovered that my tipping point can come faster and earlier with some believer’s unmoving theology, than with the open minded unbeliever.

Elitism?

Christians are a funny lot. No, make that a strange bunch. We have those on the fringes of faith who barely know much about the Bible, but their hearts are soft, safe and pure. They may be poorly educated but they are the salt of the earth. Then at the other end of the spectrum we have the well educated academic and the well read Bible scholar, different people but both of whom see themselves as elite, and better than most Christians. They are very different people, but each one will feel elite, whereas the soft hearted Christian is lowly and humble.




So, why am I saying this? It’s because recently I came across a Christian who falls into the well read Bible scholar, and who has decided that he must take the Bible literally. That’s ok I hear you say, but let me continue. We all know faithful ones who may differ on their beliefs about the Garden of Eden, and if it was an apple or a fruit that Eve took. Literalists and those who take that part of the story as picture language, seem to get along fine because we can see where they are coming from.




BUT (big BUT) what if the literalist believer says that the earth is really flat, and then rolls out many verses of Scripture to support that belief? In order to hold the flat earth principle, many things have to be thrown aside as conspiracies of the devil. Things like, man never being in space and certainly never walking on the moon. The curvature of the earth’s surface first calculated around 300BC is a lie of satan and we have all been deceived by the master of lies by devilish conspiracy theories. There was much more as I listened to my friend expound his own late belief that the earth is flat, but the main thing that came across was the elitist way he spoke. Those who didn’t believe like him were not as Biblically wise as he is. They had not properly studied and believed the Word of God, and so were not in the place he was. Make no mistake, there are many others like him across the world. The small group of Christians with me who listened, heard him in respectful silence, but wore a confused smile of disbelief. I say that because we found his new found ‘discovery’ to be harmless because he still fully believes Christ as Saviour, and all the other main characteristics of salvation.




However, having said all that, I find the educated, academic scholar to be more dangerous in their elitism. They use bigger words and advance their own theories about interpretation and many times do not back it up with Scripture, whether understood literally, pictorially or even in poetic form. As new ideas emerge from their theses or dissertations, it can puff up and produce a sense of worth which shows them above others. Sometimes then, basic and fundamental tenets of our faith are questioned, and we are prone to accept them because they come from a lettered theologian that we are expected to respect.




Give me those Christians who enjoy a simple faith every time, who barely know much about deep theology, but who read the Bible with a clear head, and an open heart which is humble, soft, safe and pure. Turns out I know just one Christian who believes in a flat earth, but what about you? Do you or anyone you know believe in the flat earth theory, Christian or not??