Has God Indeed Said?

The arrogance of those who buy into unbiblical patterns of thoughts and seek to marginalize and silence those who disagree has created a sense of division and even desperation in our culture. But, as Ecclesiastes says, there is nothing new under the sun. It's the same old lie. Colossians 2, speaking of Jesus, relates that:
15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

The exaltation of human ingenuity and strength, the placement of worldly philosophy over Biblical principles, has brought about a culture in which people are divided against one another. The promotion of unhealthy and outright unbiblical ideas in a way that shuts out people of faith is a reckless course. But, those who name the name of Christ should not cower, but be determined to live our lives in a way in which He is exalted and His truth is demonstrated.

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The enemy of our souls appeared in the Garden and set out to undermine the authority of God. In Genesis 3, we read about an exchange between Satan, in the form of a serpent, and Eve:
1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;
3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' "
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.
5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Note the 1st 4 words of the question the devil, i.e. the serpent asked: "Has God indeed said..."  It's also been translated as "Did God really say?"  That is a challenge that is being issued today.

The Stream recently ran an article from The Daily Caller about a University of Cincinnati student who was instructed to re-do a paper she had written because she used the term, "biological women."  That's right; the article says:

Olivia Krolczyk, a student at the University of Cincinnati, made a viral video discussing how her unnamed professor had awarded her a zero on an assignment in which she had argued that biological men, or transgender women, have an unfair advantage over biological women when they compete on the same sports team, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. University of Cincinnati Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies professor Melanie Rose Nipper admitted to the outlet that she awarded Krolczyk a zero for her use of “biological women,” stating that the right to free speech and debate ends when “you are, intentionally or unintentionally, participating in a systemic harm of some kind.”

The Media Research Center blog points out:

Krolczyk is one of many students who experience unfair treatment in academia for adhering to science and objectivity instead of “wokeness” and “inclusivity”. The quality of higher education continues to deteriorate as schools discourage the exchange of differing ideas while pushing a leftist agenda.

Citing an article from the New York Post, the blog article said: "After using examples, like the first woman to compete in the Olympics to the discussion surrounding Title IX, Krolczyk concluded by stating how 'these rights and opportunities are being threatened by allowing men to compete in women’s sports.'"

Krolczyk is one of a number of ladies who is speaking out on this issue, and Texas is one of the latest states to pass legislation that addresses it.  The Daily Citizen of Focus on the Family reported last week:

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the Save Women’s Sports Act on June 15, keeping men from competing in women’s intercollegiate sports.

The bill, SB 15, also stipulates that in mixed competition a biological male cannot take a position that is designated for female students.

Women competing in all school sports are now protected in the Lone Star State, as the legislature had passed a measure in 2021 protecting elementary through high school interscholastic sports. That bill also required students to compete based on biological sex, rather than “gender identity.”

The article goes on to say:

Mary Elizabeth Castle, Texas Values director of government relations, told The College Fix the legislation was “a huge victory for Texas women college athletes.”

She added:

The voices of the University of Texas alumni women college athletes who spoke out against Lia “Will” Thomas swimming in the women’s NCAA championship were heard and answered.

The laws in Texas to protect female sports from kindergarten to college simply ensure the fairness, safety and victory in sports that Title IX has promised for the past 50 years.

And, there is federal legislation on the table regarding male participation in female sports.  The Washington Stand recently reported:

On June 7, a nonprofit by the name of Moms for America held a press conference on the Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C. to speak out about biological men competing in women’s sports across the country. H.R. 734, otherwise known as the Protection of Women’s Sports Act of 2023 has passed the House and is waiting for the Senate to schedule a vote.

The article quoted several of the speakers, including Tennessee State Rep. Diana Harshbarger, who said, "I know, as a health care professional, you cannot change somebody’s DNA.” adding, “As the Bible says, what is looked at as evil is now being looked at as good, and what is good is being looked at as evil. That is a spiritual message that I want to send to every American...”  

The article also said:

The fight for integrity in women’s sports is raging, because it questions a fundamental truth. As Kassidy Comer, former college basketball player, told The Washington Stand, “You [cannot] ignore God’s plan for who we’re made to be. You know, we were crafted in the womb in His image, and He does not make mistakes. So, when you’re looking at it saying, ‘I know I was born this way, but I feel like I might be this way,’ that is just spiritual warfare, and that is my strong belief as a Christian.”

Did God really say?  Has God indeed said?  I think if you want a definition of the word, "woke," there you have it.  What is termed wokeness, Biblically speaking, is a repackaging of humanism, placing man's view of life, sexuality, and identity above the viewpoint of the Scriptures.  It seems to disregard other points of view, actively promoting one point of view while demonizing and minimizing all others. By so doing, it creates division and sets groups of people against one another.

And, we see it expressed in so many areas, including areas of gender.  It's been pointed out that "sex" is biological, and gender is what someone thinks, feels, and/or declares about his or her or their sexuality. It's the age-old, "Did God really say?" right?  

Yes, this is a battle for fairness in athletic competition.  But, it's more than that...These ladies to whom I referred have it right - this is a spiritual battle. We must not undermine God's intent as our Creator.  It's harmful in so many ways and leads to actions that could cause permanent harm.  We have to be forthright to demonstrate God's plan for sexuality and not be caught up in the trends of the day that contradict His absolute truth.