Friday, July 15, 2016

Searching Scripture for Biblical Womanhood


Any true believer in Christ can easily search the Scriptures given that are related to biblical womanhood and find out what God's heart and will is for women. It's not difficult. The problem is clearing their mind of what culture says they are and instead, obeying what the Word says. The Bible is clear that young women are to marry, bear children, and guide the home {1 Timothy 5:14}. Women are to be sober, love and obey their husband, love their children, be chaste, good, and discreet so the Word of God will not be blasphemed {Titus 2:4, 5}. They are to have meek and quiet spirits, be quiet in the church, and not teach men or have authority over them. They are also told to be subject to their husbands in everything and those who are not married, they are to live for the Lord whatever they do. All of these are not hard to find. They are God's will for us. The problem is that most women are coming from their experiences, what they have been taught, and what culture tells them to do. 

On John Piper's blog recently, there was a woman named Kim Cash Tate who wrote a beautiful post about this topic. Here are some of her words:

Submission can ignite a lively exchange all by itself. Toss in “worker at home” and roles in the church, and you might be ticking towards an explosion. The casualty, however, is often the word of God. As believers, we have an obligation to treat Scripture — even “troublesome” passages — in a Christ-honoring way.

When we encounter hot-button issues in biblical womanhood, we do so armed with our own experiences and opinions. These issues are central to our identity as women and stir convictions that are deeply entrenched. Almost instinctively, we rise to defend them. But in Christ, we have a higher call, to elevate the Lord and His word above all.

Unfortunately, even those women who call themselves Christ followers don't like the instructions to women and rebel against them. I know. They rebel against what I teach all the time. What they are really rebelling against is the Word of God and they must not care about speaking evil against His Word. 

I fear God. I know that one day I will have to stand before Him and give an answer for how I lived my life. God will hold us accountable for what we knew. Here in America, a Bible is probably somewhere in most homes or easily found where they sell books. We can never say to him, "Oh Lord, I didn't know I was supposed to obey my husband and be a keeper at home, loving my children enough to be with them full-time." I never want to be accused of blaspheming the Word of God. I want to adorn the Word with the way I live my life and you should too.

Our Lord God is worthy of all of our praise and our obedience. We must trust that how He tells us to live our lives is for our good, our husband's good, and our children's good. Stop fighting it and begin loving and obeying your husband, staying home with your children, and doing as the Lord has called you to do with a meek and quiet spirit.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Acts 17:11