Are you dwelling in the position in society where God desires for you to live? God designed His plan for everyone. He placed you in the world he designed and desires you to dwell in the place in which He created. However, mankind has changed God’s design for the people of the world. They now dwell in the place of their own choosing. Is your chosen place in accord with His placement? Let us investigate.
As we continue to study the righteous behavior of the assemblies of God, we come to the discourse by Apostle Paul to Corinth concerning where people dwell in God’s society. What position is each member to possess and therein dwell righteously with Christ and God?
God, The Sovereign God, Jehovah, first made man; the first half of mankind. Gen. 1:26-27, 31. 26 And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
Man was created in the image of God. What God made was ‘very good’. Notice, however, verse 26 said, “Let us make man in our image.” If God, singular, made man, of whom is the author referring when he says ‘us’? Return to Gen. 1:3. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. ‘Light’, of what, or whom is the light referring to? Go with me to John 1:1-5. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. That ‘Light’ was Jesus, the son of God, called here the ‘Word’. The Genesis reference of ‘us’ is to both God and Jesus–‘The Word’; ‘The Light’. ‘All things were made by him.’ The 'light' also references good verses darkness which references evil.
Whatsoever God–Jehovah, Jesus, and the spirit of God, The Holy spirit– made, was done together by all of the Godhead and it was placed into God’s society. It was all ‘good’.
Do you dwell in society in the manner God designed and placed you, as man or woman? Mankind should not attempt to change what God has made because it ‘was very good’ in the manner in which He made it.
What about your social position? Are you dwelling within the social position in which God placed you?
You may ask, “What is my social position”? “Are you speaking of economical, racial, social prominence?" Are you content to dwell where God placed you?
Let us look at the righteous behavior and righteous position in which we should dwell in the assemblies of God.
Let us begin in 1 Cor. 11:2. 2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. Apostle Paul is requesting the congregation at Corinth keep the ordinances he received from God and delivered unto the ‘churches’ as examples of righteous behavior. He is entering into a directive of the social position God made for all mankind. It is where God placed each member of His society as He saw fit. Mankind has no authority to change it and remain righteous before Almighty God. Righteous persons will receive praise from their mentors who remain in the same social position they were placed and imitating righteousness ordained by a higher authority; in this case Apostle Paul who imitates God and God the Creator. Behaving right with the creator, not changing anything, honors the higher authority. Righteous brethren in the world, who remain in the condition and placement God put them, brings glory and receives praise from God and His messengers.
What is it Paul is praising Corinth for? They are remaining in the position God placed them in His society. And what is that position?
1 Cor. 11:3. 3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. in God’s society, God placed Christ, His son, as the ‘head’ of every man. They created man, therefore, do they not have the right to place man in the order they choose? Just as God made His son, Jesus Christ, God made Christ under His dominion. Thus, God is superior to and has dominion over His son, Jesus. (the head of Christ is God)
As a man, are you still a male (man) created as something good; created by God? Very well!
Where does this put the woman God made? Let us return to the creation of the woman.
First God made man. Gen. 2:7-8. 7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. From the dust of the earth God formed man and made him a place which to dwell in God's society–a garden called Eden.
Gen. 2:18, 21-23. 18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. From the rib of man, God created woman. Thus one reason a woman is in subjection to man is she is made from man. The position God placed women in His society is thus: the head of the woman is the man. Gen. 3:16. 16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Are you still a female, a woman as God designed and placed in His society to dwell righteously before Him? Very well!
What about our earthly social position? Are we behaving righteously living as God created us and holding the social position in which He has placed us? One might ask, “What is the social position God has placed me in as a man, or as a woman”?
God made Christ the head of all humankind, man as head of the woman, and Christ is still in the position of God’s society where he was placed, with God as the head. Is this the image of the society God designed in which we are dwelling?
The correct answer is NO! What has happened?
In the story of the earliest times of mankind upon the earth, the author of the book of Genesis tells of the fall of mankind in chapter 3. Satan, a fallen angel from heaven, beguiled the woman and she caused sin to enter into mankind. Satan has influenced mankind ever since to sin against God and place themselves into a society designed by them–mankind. Satan has given the blueprint to change the society God designed for righteous living into a society filled with abominations.
Turn to Romans 1 for what man has done changing God’s society to their own. Romans 1:18, 21-22, 24, 26-27. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Man has changed God’s society and God is upset.
VS. 21. 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, Man changed their position in which they were placed by God to suit themselves and their own type of society. Their own righteousness is described as foolish–ignorant and unwise.
Vs. 24. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Due to their refusal to be content in the society God designed and desiring their own design–thinking they were smarter than God, God let them show their ignorance and believe lies, condemning themselves.
VSS. 26-27. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. Men changed the position they were placed, allowing women to become the head of mankind. Men began to lose their affection for women and turned to other men. REMEMBER SODOM AND GOMORRAH? Likewise, women turned to other women changing that which is against ‘nature’--God. Man has been taught by worldly society he is not the dominant one; women are better than men and can do all things better. They have placed themselves in the dominant chair and man has to be in subjection to them. Worldly society tells all girls they can be anything they desire, even to change their position in society against God’s design to a worldly design. If one gender cannot perform as their God given one, they can have it changed and they can perform to a higher standard than if they remained where God placed them.
Today, some men do not desire to remain a man and women do not desire to remain a woman as God designed in His society–the society which is righteous. As God is the head of Christ, and Christ the head of the whole human kind, so the man is the head of the woman. Christ remained the ‘son’--male, man–as God made. But, to some, their desired prominence in their gender does not perform as a place of notoriety so they desire to change and become the top noticed people in their chosen gender. As a man, are you still holding your position as the man who is the head of a woman? Or is a woman holding power and authority over you? As a woman, are you still holding your position as a subject of a man or are you trying to hold power and authority over the man?
In studying the righteous behavior in the assemblies of God, Paul told Corinth to be content in the position God has placed each one in His society–Christ as head of mankind; man as head over woman, and woman as a subject of man with man as her head or ruler. To be pleasing before God and in righteous subjection with God, each gender must remain in the position God placed them in His society; not the popular position or desired position the world expects you to be.
Does the Holy Scriptures remain consistent in Paul’s teaching as directed by God? YES! We saw Gen. 3:16. (man will rule over the woman)
Eph. 5:22-24. 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
1 Tim. 2:11-14. 11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
1 Peter 3:1, 4-6. 3 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
The message from God for his society is quite clear. Even the man has orders by which to dwell in God’s society: rule over the woman, but love your wives as Christ loved the church. Does there need to be anything more told to righteous men?
To remain righteous in God’s society, we cannot change our allotted place, change our gender to change our place, nor follow the world’s chosen society.
Be content with the position God has chosen for you in both God’s society and the world’s society. God will reward you for it.
More from chapter 11 next time on our righteous societal position for our life.
