Ephesians 4:7-8
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”
Ephesians 5:21; 5:25-26
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansingher by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Reflection Questions:
1. Who defines gender in a way that is true, meaningful, and consistent, without being prone to error?
In Ephesians 4, we have a description of spiritual gifts being given to the Church based on the victorious resurrection of Christ in a stunning defeat over death. Jesus ascended into heaven and subsequently sent the Holy Spirit for the express purpose of enabling the Church to expand and flourish and to be the Kingdom of God on earth. We can also see that not all have the same gifts or roles. Some are teachers, and some are not, but those who are not teachers are not any less important.
In Ephesians 5, a grand submission is described, which does have implications for gender, but the submission is not a submission of one gender to another as we might expect; it is a grand submission of everyone, unto Christ the King.
Since Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her to make a perfect Church, therefore the husband must love his wife; not because it is the right thing to do, the societal norm, or the cultural expectation, but because it is submission unto Christ.
Nothing can be more important than reverence and obedience to Christ, but the obedience in specific actions will show differently in a man’s life than a woman’s. Neither is more or less important.
Application:
Give the utmost respect and honor to the members of the opposite sex, yet if you are a guy, then become a man in every sense of the word. Become a man out of reverence for Christ. If all guys became real men, pursuing God with all of their heart, then women would be treated with tremendous respect and I think that God would be quite pleased.
Prayer:
Lord, help us to understand why gender is so important and why You created us male and female, in Your image. Strengthen us to fulfill the God-given roles that You intend so that we can reflect Your glory. In Jesus name. Amen
City Life Starter 
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