He Who Made Mothers Rules the World

“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price [is] far above rubies.” (Proverbs 31:10 KJV)

“Let your beauty not be external – the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes – but the inner person of your heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.” (1 Peter 3:3-4 NET)

The Assault on Motherhood

This month marked the 49th Mother’s Day in which womanhood and motherhood have been under cultural assault through legalized abortion in America. On May 3, that assault continued through a leak from within the United States Supreme Court, disclosing a draft decision on abortion set to be released in June.

In response to this ongoing assault, this article is intended to be an unapologetic declaration of truth in worship of our Creator, Jesus Christ, as that worship reflects God’s purpose and design for the family.

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Col 1:16-18 KJV)

This article is a clarification of the so-called Great Commission found in Matthew 28. It is also an appeal to the disciples of Jesus Christ to embrace their Creator’s purpose and intent for family, marriage, and the separate but co-equal roles of the husband and wife.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28 KJV)

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since you are joint-heirs with them of the grace of life. (1Pe 3:7 ESV)

In the Spirit of this Great Commission, I entreat the disciples of Jesus Christ to hear His Word and draw close to God in the tender obedience of worship, yielding yourselves to His sovereign authority over marriage, family, and motherhood. “The hour… is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24 ESV). Today, and at this very hour, God is still calling each of us to worship Him by the self-assertion of our spirits yielding totally to Him, and in the self-assertion of our physical bodies on this earth yielding totally to Him, walking in the truth as it is in Christ Jesus.

The Perversion of God’s Design

First, let me clearly acknowledge that the sinful natures of men and women have perverted, are perverting, and will continue to pervert God’s design and purpose in His creation of male and female. Man’s sinful nature refuses to acknowledge God’s design and purpose, and by this refusal, he has placed himself in bondage to degradation contrary to God’s design.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Rom 1:18-25 ESV)

And furthermore, except they repent, no man or woman can by their own will or desire embrace God’s good purpose and plan. You must receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, fully surrendering to Him the totality of earthly life – no matter the cost. “Jesus said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God... That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ... And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ... Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.’” (John 3:3, 6, 14-16, 18 ESV)

The Imago Deo and Government

It is important to understand that God created man in His own image, the Imago Deo, and has reserved to Himself exclusively, the authority to determine the purpose and scope of human existence. There is no such thing as “choice” when it comes to who we are made to be by our Creator! The only choice before us is to surrender our opinions and preferences and to embrace God’s purpose and design, recognizing that we are His image-bearers.

This principle was first established in Genesis 9, when God instituted human government. "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. 7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.” (Gen 9:6-7 ESV). Authority was given by God to His image-bearers to punish those who prevent a person from being who God has created him or her to be, most starkly in the action of murder. It is the protection of the Imago Deo, the image of God in each human life, that is the foundation of human government. And it is because of that foundation that government has the authority to prevent the interference with any man or woman in living out their God-given identity as His image bearer.

How Disciples of Jesus Should Respond

In short, sin is abounding in the world, and all manner of degradation and abuse against the family is visible on every front of life. This evil will be judged by God. “Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers. (Heb 13:4 NET)

Now, it is absolutely necessary that the disciple of Jesus Christ recognize that a mere counter-balancing reaction to an abuse against God’s design for the family is not a true correction of the error just because it opposes it. Sinful abuse comes from every motive of the reasonings of the heart of man. You cannot correct sin by instituting an opposite position as a “law” against it.

Simply put, the abuse of an authority is not corrected by mere rebellion against that authority. It is corrected by the submission of the offended party to God, Who is above all and over all. When this is done properly, the “resistance” to the abuser is a very positive assertion of one’s continued obedience to God. This takes a clear-minded and a pure-hearted casting of one’s cares upon God, because of the confidence of faith that He cares for the faithful disciple. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1Pe 5:6-8 ESV)

This faithful assertion of obedience toward God is the most powerful and influential action of human conscience on abusive, oppressive authority. It has in fact shaped Western Civilization for the last 2,100 years. “Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and who changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God!’” (Dan 3:28 DBY)

The faithful assertion of obedience toward God in the face of sin, corruption and injustice is the most important and sensitive aspect of the issue. It is not a question of if there might be abuse and degradation—there certainly will be. The question is how to properly respond to such abuse as an obedient disciple of Jesus Christ. Scripture shows us that the hope of proper obedience is within reach of every disciple, whether he be a king (like Nebuchadnezzar) or a slave (like Daniel and his friends)!

It is necessary for this discussion to recognize that the obedience to Jesus Christ that is being demanded is only enabled by the indwelling Holy Spirit of God who actually, literally resides in all who have been born again (Rom 8:5-10 ESV).

The Importance of Jurisdiction

As you reflect on these passages, you will note that God has ordained earthly authorities who must be honored and obeyed. However, our continued obedience to God’s supreme authority might mean disobedience to His earthly authority when they usurp jurisdictions that have been reserved for others. Jurisdiction? What is that?

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” (Gen 1:26-28 ESV)

Jurisdiction means a specific place to rule, a sphere of responsibility. First of all, notice that God has complete jurisdiction over all of the earth. He made everything for His own purpose and He set the boundaries for all things He made.

“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: ‘Who [is] this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell [Me], if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or [who] shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth [and] issued from the womb; When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band; When I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors; When I said, “This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!” Have you commanded the morning since your days [began], [And] caused the dawn to know its place, That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it?’” (Job 38:1-13 NKJV)

What does true faith and understanding of the Almighty look like? Are we not called upon to see God as He has revealed Himself, and live like it is really true? God is absolutely in charge of the entire world, and every circumstance in it, including yours.

“See now that I, [even] I, [am] he, and [there is] no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither [is there any] that can deliver out of my hand.” (Deu 32:39 KJV)

“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].” (Isa 45:7 KJV)

It is imperative that you and I stop in the middle of all of our circumstances and reflect on the reality that God is there and that He is in charge (Isa 50:2; Mal 3:16-18 KJV).

Our God-given Jurisdictions

In the exercise of His sovereignty, God has also given man specific areas of jurisdiction. First, we are responsible for the fruitful process of raising our own family. Second, we are charged with insuring the preservation of every other human life in accordance with the Imago Deo. This is human governance. Third, we are charged with the duty of making Disciples of all nations to the obedience of Jesus Christ. This is the church.

“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. ... And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.’” (Gen 9:1, 5-7 KJV)

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Mat 28:18-20 ESV)

Our challenge is to learn how to render unto Caesar the things that are in Caesar‘s jurisdiction, and unto God, the things that are God’s (Mat 22:21; Romans 13:7). This requires thoughtful obedience to God, not thoughtless conformity to the chaotic whims of the culture around us (Romans 12:1-2). What a privilege we have been given by God in this hour to be His ambassadors in a world desperate for His truth, starting in our homes!

This article is adapted from a message series Gary began on Mother’s Day 2022.

You can watch the series on the WCFS YouTube Channel.