Elephants 2023, Part 4: Toxic Masculinity and Feminism // Jamie Nunnally

These politically charged words exist in our culture because the church has not taught biblical manhood and biblical womanhood, and that's my goal for today.

It depends on who you ask, but toxic masculinity is the collection of negative

stereotypical behaviors associated with men. What the world calls toxic, the Bible calls sin. Its not masculinity that's toxic, its sin that's toxic—whether the sin is done by a man or a woman.

"Feminism" means all sorts of different things depending on who you ask. Originally, it was the idea that women are equal to men; that they have the same value as men—which is a Biblical concept. But today, feminism is often understood as seeking, not equality, but equity among men and women. 

In addition to political division, and racial division, class warfare and economic division, we have division between the sexes. Our spiritual enemy is the devil—in Greek, diabolos literally means "the accuser." If the devil can get us to join him in his accusation of each another, we will be too distracted by our offense at one another to stand up to what he is doing. 

Three biblical truths about men and women:

1. Men and women bear the image of God and are unified in Christ.

Genesis 1:27 

Gal. 3:26-28 "... There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female..."

Our differences disappear when we are hidden in Jesus.

2. Individually, men and women are only partial reflections of humanity.

Genesis 2:18-24 

The tragedy of fatherlessness is an example of how both sexes are important and necessary to humanity.

According to Fatherhood.org, when a child is raised in a father-absent home they are:

4x more likely to live in poverty, more likely to have behavioral problems, more likely to commit crime, more likely to go to prison, 7x more likely to get pregnant as a teenager, more likely to face abuse and neglect, more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, 2x times more likely to suffer from obesity, and 2x more likely to drop out of school.

3. Men and women are different by design, and their unique roles are grounded in biology.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 

What do men do? Men take responsibility. Guys, it may not be your fault, but it's your responsibility. God has written into your biology the ability to be powerful so you can protect and provide.

1 Peter 3:7 

Physical strength does not equal spiritual strength.

Men are remarkable, resourceful, and required. Women are incredible, essential, valuable.

Don't let the enemy trick you into being offended with men or women. Men and women's value doesn't come from their similarity to each other, but in their differences from each other.

Remember, if you only love someone because they are similar you, you not loving them, you're loving yourself.

Will you choose to see men and women the way God does?