Men, Women, and The God Who Saves Them

Last updated on: April 28, 2020 at 7:42 pm by Anna Pepperling

Men, Women, and The God Who Saves Them 2020-04-28T19:42:24-07:00 Anna Pepperling

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Lockdown is an interesting time to start a new blogging adventure. Not only do I find it difficult to write, but I find it difficult to read, which is likely feeding the struggle to write. No word input means no word output – at least for this writer. So bear with me as I try and introduce you to Fide and Femina, a blog about faith and femininity.

I would like to state first that I am not a feminist – at least not in the modern sense of the word. I don’t support abortion rights. I am not a fan of the #MeToo movement, since it has gone and committed suicide by not requiring women to tell the truth, as well as men to stop abusing women. I generally like men, and believe they have a very important calling in this world. I admire any man who is strong, protective, and provides well for his family. Where church is concerned, I believe women have their place as well as men; that the roles of each sex are different, yet equally important. God has drawn lines. Some guidelines for the way a church (and home) should operate, and I am an advocate of honoring and obeying all of His instruction, not only the instructions I feel have legitimacy.

On one hand, I recognize that there are men, in and out of church, who take their roles as license to use and abuse women. It is a beautiful thing when a man shows his strength in godly ways, and a hideous thing when he uses his strength and position to lord it over those in his care. Or worse, destroy those weaker and more vulnerable than himself.

On another hand, I am keenly aware that women can be the most difficult people on the planet to live with. We can be moody, controlling, and in our anger, we are capable of stabbing people in the back and digging the dagger in so deep the victim never recovers. In today’s world, we are leaving our marriages and our children at an astronomical rate, for what we feel would be a truer love, a better job, or a more fulfilling life in one way or another. The grass, we surmise, is greener where we are not. And we are willing to go so far as to kill our unborn (or born) children in order to get what we want, or because we feel overwhelmed, unequipped, and unable to care for a little person.

Highly understandable, but still genuinely wrong.

On yet another hand, it is a beautiful thing when a woman not only follows her calling but her nature, and faithfully nurtures and loves those in her midst, whether that be her family or those she lives life with in a different setting – work, school, etc.

There was an event in history called the Fall of mankind. You know the story. A man and woman named Adam and Eve lived a truly happy, harmonious, unabashed life together. I mean, they frolicked about in the Garden of Eden dressed in their birthday suits, unaware that nakedness could possibly be embarrassing, eating of all the fruit and veggies they wanted, and never dealing with the likes of weeds, thorns, and critters out to rip them to shreds and eat them for dinner.

It was heaven on earth. It was harmony. Sin free, trouble free, sickness and shame-free bliss. But sin did enter the world, largely because the man didn’t fulfill his role of leadership and protection, and because the woman was easily deceived, and willing to act on that deception.

And here we are, thousands of years later, sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, repeating the destructive cycle of sin and failing to fulfill our roles because we believe deep down that we know a better way. One that will fulfill our deepest desires. We surmise that our Creator, who formed us in the womb, doesn’t truly know us and didn’t really say sin not.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:30 that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. What men and women often feel is burdensome is, in actuality, light and easy if we do it Christ’s way. Submitting to God is often difficult, grueling work, because our sin natures are just that – natures. And it’s not easy to switch natures. But God calls us. God helps us. God heals us of our wrong, devastating desires in an often slow, but sure way.

God is able to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ who lived a perfect, sinless life. Though God ultimately changes us, His children are required to cooperate and work hard to understand, learn, and then obey His instruction. But in the long run (and the short run) His way is best. For it is preferable to not only walk with Christ on this earth, but to live with Him eternally, rather than give in to our sinful desires and spend eternity separated from Him.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (I Cor. 6:9-10)

Perhaps your sin is not listed there. Maybe the temptation you give into most is lying, but lying, and other sins not mentioned in the above passage are included in the Ten Commandments. And as the book of James says, whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble on one point, he is guilty of all.

There is none righteous, no not one. (Romans 3:10)

Our sin is real, and it’s heavy, but He is also real and His yoke is easy, His burden light. Those truths are the premise on which I will write here at Fide and Femina. I understand the content will be offensive to some. Jesus calls Himself “a rock of offense.” He knows He’s offensive, confrontational, and aggravating. But He is also the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man can come to the Father (God), except by Him. (John 14:6)

The Gospel is both good and bad news. The bad news is that we are sinners on our way to both earthly and eternal damnation. The Good News is that we have a Savior, all for the asking. And he not only saves us, but helps us navigate life the way He intended. When we live a Gospel driven life by the power of the Holy Spirit, peace, joy, and contentment are ours. When men and women live a Gospel driven life as a single or together in a marriage, God is glorified. When men and women live a Gospel driven life within a church setting, again, God is glorified.

This is the chief end of man … to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This is the Christian life. And I can’t wait to discuss it further with you here at Fide and Femina.

Thank you for taking time to read during this time of uncertainty and concern. May the Lord comfort your heart as you take up his yoke in every difficulty, every distress, every concern.

*Photo by Napat Seang on Unsplash

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