About this generation's womanhood

J

jde_1Cor1_6 Feb 4, 2011

I think I am seeing a dangerous pattern of womanhood here in my place and (probably) in the world.

I admit that during my many years as an unsaved person, I have weakness and trouble in dealing with women, yet now I feel as if today's womanhood is drifting away from what God has designed it to be from the day of creation.

I did a study on Scripture both from the Old and New Testament and found out some precious things of what a woman ought to be in God's design.

As I see it today, women have developed this "superiority" feeling. What I mean is that many woman now consider themselves higher than men whereas the Bible tells us that women are made for the glory of men.

I don't want to set up a gender fight but that's what I have read from Bible. There's hardly a woman nowadays that has a "meek and quiet spirit" which is a great price in sight of GOD.

This makes me conclude that many women today are unsaved or will not be saved because many will not and cannot this fact. Also, in the book of Isaiah, God said that a sign of a church forsaken by God Himself is that women rule over the church (Isa. 3:12, 16).

Does anyone have a similar observation?

sermonindex Feb 4, 2011

Jde,

I think what you are seeing is the results of men having become so passive, both in the churches and in the world in general. Men in general have the God-given role of leadership to perform and when they fail to perform it women are forced to take up the slack, albeit they often do this without even realizing it. Men have become passive and weak, so women are filling the role of men. The more passive men become in that role, the more women subconsciously lose respect for them and the more they take on a domineering, controlling, or otherwise masculine role. There are many ways a man can communicate passivity. For example, in simply failing to make a decision as leader, failing to take action. In the home, if a father becomes a drunkard he is effectively passive; he is no longer a leader, has lost his strength, and others simply become enablers for his obvious weakness. There are *many* other ways men communicate passivity also. The Lord Jesus Christ is to be the model of true masculinity and leadership but somehow most men in the churches today nonetheless fall short of it, in various ways. By failing to be decisive perhaps, by failing to steer or lead or stand up for right over wrong, by failing to speak out, by going with the flow, by failing to protect (another God-given role of men), by failing to provide (another God-given role of men), failure to confront, etc.
I have seen so much of this type of men in the church. They cannot even stand up to their own wives when she is in the wrong. Clearly the wife rules the roost.

sermonindex Feb 4, 2011

I've seen both Extremes. Some of the hyper-faith and other type heretical groups have women at the pulpit, lording it over with their 'authoritative' attitude.

But I've seen a wave of an almost anti-women spirit come through, where women were bearly allowed to share what GOD had laid on their hearts or made to feel that they just better be quiet completely.
I've seen both and they both grieve GOD for He has gifted each member of the Body and All have their part As the Body.
When the anti-women spirit came through a certain place, it all but destroyed that fellowship - so it's to be guarded against, because it's more 'subtle' than when a women obviously takes a pulpit with authority over men.

This link is a good and Godly message that our sister posted by a sister who basically took Elisabeth Elliot's place in ministry to women. Elisabeth and Corrie Ten Boom were two of my favorite examples of Godly women.

You can hear messages by Corrie here on Sermon Index. Highly recommended for these "Last days" when we'll All need each other's help to get through --- a properly working Body, where every member/part has a place.

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=36553&forum=34&6

S

StarofG0D Feb 4, 2011

Yes jde 1cor1 6. What you are seeing is correct, but the observation is across the board.

2Pe 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

Pro 30:12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
Pro 30:13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

S

StarofG0D Feb 4, 2011

Amen J-i-G, I have seen both as well. And neither is healthy.

J

jde_1Cor1_6 Feb 5, 2011

Thank you for the precious thoughts. It seems that it's a global thing especially in this last days.

When we sometimes come together as group, men and women, and I see the behavior that women have, I sometimes feel a sense of "illness" in me.

Many times I open my Bible and God has led me to this passage in Jeremiah 3:48. Many a times I weep in prayer for this fearing that many women in my church are unsaved.

I also believe that this problem is two-sided.
1. Men have lost their leadership
2. Women have lost their submission

Most men have lost the voice that God has given them to speak out. It's not that men don't speak out loud but many men (even Christians) careless to speak about sin. I am amazed about the courage women have today to dress sensually amidst men who know better. Men say nothing about this but speak of so many other things.

And me, in my quiet nature, has God shook out so I can speak against this thing. I always ask myself if I am too judgmental or legalistic but many times I feel a burning in my heart if I keep silent. I opened my Bible and my eyes many a times fell on Jeremiah 1:17. I have no choice but to speak out because I know God will confound me if I don't.

Please help me pray for the women of my church and for me. Some of them are so precious to my heart that I weep tears of love for them. I hunger and thirst in my heart for the true daughters of Zion to be manifested.

O

OneSparrow Feb 6, 2011

Generally the 'church' is worldly now.And women who dress this way are not even wanting to please Christ or show respect to anyone. I agree with what you have said. However I would like to say this about' mens leadership and womens submission'. The scriptures give the teaching that husbands( not men)should love their wifes as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.
( died to self)And he is to present his wife without spot or blemish.( not to make her sin) And wives are to submit
( willing agree with, yeild in love) to their OWN husbands AS UNTO The Lord.( My own paraphasing).
So my understanding of this text is that it applies to married couples only. As single women are to be treated as sisters and older woman as mothers. ( Paul goes on to say)And it is only to her loving spiritual husband that she submits.Not every 'Christian' man.The marriage union is a special symbol in scripture of Christ and his Church.Thus it should ( the couple together)be a model of Christ- like love and mutual submission ( 'mutual'as Paul says at the end of the text).Our husbands are our brothers in The Lord and our husbands in the world. They are not our spiritual heads. Only Christ is the head of his church. Our husbands are our 'heads' in the marraige role only ( on earth) and this is as to be a witness of the role of Christ to his Church.Together as couples, we want people to see Christs love for the Church and world( those yet to be Christians)By the husband giving himself up for his bride and her Response to her husband is utter TRUST demonstarted by her action of submission to him. But 'as unto The Lord' is also very important. I feel that this instruction from Paul does not apply to women who are married to unbelievers.She submits to show her unbelieving husband love, yes, but only if her husband is not in direct opposition to Christ, in what he wants from her.Here she can take a Christain stand and thus be a witness to her husband of her commentment to Christ.For the Christian marriage where both profess Christ. The same could apply if, say, the husband was not fully surrenderd to Christ's will and is fleshly.To summerise, it is to wifes and husbands that submission applies . And it is not blind submission but loving response that wifes will give to a husband who treats her as Christ would do, who is the head of both.( spiritually)
' In Christ there is neither male nor female, bond or free'

J

jde_1Cor1_6 Feb 7, 2011

Thank you OneSparrow.

I'm not even married myself...but I'm just concerned.

Women are a great blessing since that's the reason why God created the woman in the first place. God saw that man was incomplete without the woman. All of creation was at the disposal of Adam yet there was not found a "help meet" for him. I believe it is also God's plan for the creation of the woman because the marriage of man and woman is a picture of Christ and His Church. We can understand (or have a glimpse of) Christ's love for us when we see the love of a husband to his wife. Also, we can understand what should be our love to Christ when we see the love of a wife to her husband.

It is really a sensitive issue. It is easy to be critical and passive about it, nevertheless God wants us to walk in the right way for our own safety and for His glory.

I praise God for His Spirit! The only way to solve this issue is LOVE. Love will submit if (and because it is) necessary and love will rule if (and because it is) necessary. By "necessary" I mean because God wants us.

"BUT the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE (first of all)" Gal. 5:22. The [BUT] there signifies that the Spirit is the "only-way-out" solution for all of this.