I got by email from GotQuestions.org the following answer to the question: "Is God male or female?" I would like to share the answer to the readers. Thank you.
"Answer: In examining Scripture, two facts become clear. First, God is a Spirit and does not possess human characteristics or limitations. Second, all the evidence contained in Scripture agrees that God revealed Himself to mankind in a male form. To begin, God’s true nature needs to be understood. God is a Person, obviously, because God exhibits all the characteristics of personhood: God has a mind, a will, an intellect, and emotions. God communicates and He has relationships, and God’s personal actions are evidenced throughout Scripture.
As John 4:24 states, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” Since God is a spiritual being, He does not possess physical human characteristics. However, sometimes figurative language used in Scripture assigns human characteristics to God in order to make it possible for man to understand God. This assignment of human characteristics to describe God is called “anthropomorphism.” Anthropomorphism is simply a means for God (a spiritual being) to communicate truth about His nature to humanity, physical beings. Since humanity is physical, we are limited in our understanding of those things beyond the physical realm; therefore, anthropomorphism in Scripture helps us to understand who God is.
Some of the difficulty comes in examining the fact that humanity is created in God’s image. Genesis 1:26-27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Both man and woman are created in the image of God, in that they are greater than all the other creations as they, like God, have a mind, will, intellect, emotions, and moral capacity. Animals do not possess a moral capacity and do not possess an immaterial component like humanity does. The image of God is the spiritual component that humanity alone possesses. God created humanity to have a relationship with Him. Humanity is the only creation designed for that purpose.
That said, man and woman are only patterned after the image of God—they are not tiny “copies” of God. The fact that there are men and women does not require God to have male and female features. Remember, being made in the image of God has nothing to do with physical characteristics.
We know that God is a spiritual being and does not possess physical characteristics. This does not limit, however, how God may choose to reveal Himself to humanity. Scripture contains all the revelation God gave to humanity about Himself, and so it is the only objective source of information about God. In looking at what Scripture tells us, there are several observations of evidence about the form in which God revealed Himself to humanity.
Scripture contains approximately 170 references to God as the “Father.” By necessity, one cannot be a father unless one is male. If God had chosen to be revealed to man in a female form, then the word “mother” would have occurred in these places, not “father.” In the Old and New Testaments, masculine pronouns are used over and over again in reference to God.
Jesus Christ referred to God as the Father several times and in other cases used masculine pronouns in reference to God. In the Gospels alone, Christ uses the term “Father” in direct reference to God nearly 160 times. Of particular interest is Christ’s statement in John 10:30: “I and the Father are one.” Obviously, Jesus Christ came in the form of a human man to die on the cross as payment for the sins of the world. Like God the Father, Jesus was revealed to humanity in a male form. Scripture records numerous other instances where Christ utilized masculine nouns and pronouns in reference to God.
The New Testament Epistles (from Acts to Revelation) also contain nearly 900 verses where the word theos—a masculine noun in the Greek—is used in direct reference to God. In countless references to God in Scripture, there is clearly a consistent pattern of His being referred to with masculine titles, nouns, and pronouns. While God is not a man, He chose a masculine form in order to reveal Himself to humanity. Likewise, Jesus Christ, who is constantly referred to with masculine titles, nouns, and pronouns, took a male form while He walked on the earth. The prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament refer to both God and Jesus Christ with masculine names and titles. God chose to be revealed in this form in order for man to more easily grasp who He is. While God makes allowances in order to help us understand Him, it is important to not try to “force God into a box,” so to speak, by placing limitations on Him that are not appropriate to His nature."
Friday, June 18, 2010
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
My Christmas Message 2009: "Priceless To Him Who Loves Us"
It was December 25. The pastor went to the pulpit to give his Christmas homily. He pulled out a hundred peso bill and holding it up before the congregation, asked, "Who wants this Php100 bill?"
All hands started going up.
He said, "I am going to give this Php100 bill to one of you, but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the Php100 bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he said, “What if I do this?"
He dropped the bill on the floor and started to grind it on the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?” he asked
Still the hands went up into the air.
"My dear friends, we have just learned a very valuable lesson," the pastor said. Continuing, he said, "No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth Php100."
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled and ground onto the dirt by the wrong decisions we make and the bad circumstances that come our way. We then feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to Him, our Lord and God, who loves you.
The real worth of our lives comes not in the circumstances that befall us, but by who we are and whose we are.
If we are in Christ, our Lord and Savior, we are God's beloved, regardless of whether we have become dirty and crumpled by the harsh circumstances of life. The Good News is that Christ, who is God, came to the world so that sinners, dirty and crumpled by sin, may be freed from their sins. And so goes the believers' most favorite passage in the Gospel, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life." And that, my friends, is the essence of the Christmas message.
Who are we? We are believers. To whom do we belong? We belong to God. This is our true worth. And so, even when we have become dirty and crumpled by the tribulations of this world, the Word of God says ---
Still we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Still we are children of God. Still we are branches of the true vine, which is Christ. Still we are chosen by Christ to bear his fruit. Still we are co-heirs of Christ.
Do you want to know more of who you are in Christ? You are a temple of God and his Holy Spirit dwells in you. You are a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church. You are a citizen of heaven. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of God's own.
And the greatest thing about who you are in Christ is that you will be like Christ when he returns in power and glory.
These are some of the spiritual traits that reflect our identity with Christ. These traits are guaranteed to us by the Word of God.
It is Christmas time. I trust this Christmas message and the hope it brings could in some way touch the hurting heart it speaks to. Yes, it is Christmas. It is a time to count our blessings and not our problems. Remember this: If God allows us to face a problem, it must be for a good purpose in His divine plan. And remember this, too: Noah and his sons were ordinary workmen, but working under the guidance and power of God and His divine purpose, they built the ark that, although buffeted by strong wind and heavy rain, did not sink even when every thing else in the world went under water during the Great Flood. On the other hand, the Titanic was built by professional ship builders and yet, when it hit an iceberg, it sank in the freezing waters of the Atlantic Ocean. If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it. And this is because you are in Christ and you’re the Father’s beloved. That, my friends, is your true worth.
I wish you all a Blessed Christmas.
All hands started going up.
He said, "I am going to give this Php100 bill to one of you, but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the Php100 bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he said, “What if I do this?"
He dropped the bill on the floor and started to grind it on the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?” he asked
Still the hands went up into the air.
"My dear friends, we have just learned a very valuable lesson," the pastor said. Continuing, he said, "No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth Php100."
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled and ground onto the dirt by the wrong decisions we make and the bad circumstances that come our way. We then feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to Him, our Lord and God, who loves you.
The real worth of our lives comes not in the circumstances that befall us, but by who we are and whose we are.
If we are in Christ, our Lord and Savior, we are God's beloved, regardless of whether we have become dirty and crumpled by the harsh circumstances of life. The Good News is that Christ, who is God, came to the world so that sinners, dirty and crumpled by sin, may be freed from their sins. And so goes the believers' most favorite passage in the Gospel, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life." And that, my friends, is the essence of the Christmas message.
Who are we? We are believers. To whom do we belong? We belong to God. This is our true worth. And so, even when we have become dirty and crumpled by the tribulations of this world, the Word of God says ---
Still we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Still we are children of God. Still we are branches of the true vine, which is Christ. Still we are chosen by Christ to bear his fruit. Still we are co-heirs of Christ.
Do you want to know more of who you are in Christ? You are a temple of God and his Holy Spirit dwells in you. You are a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church. You are a citizen of heaven. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of God's own.
And the greatest thing about who you are in Christ is that you will be like Christ when he returns in power and glory.
These are some of the spiritual traits that reflect our identity with Christ. These traits are guaranteed to us by the Word of God.
It is Christmas time. I trust this Christmas message and the hope it brings could in some way touch the hurting heart it speaks to. Yes, it is Christmas. It is a time to count our blessings and not our problems. Remember this: If God allows us to face a problem, it must be for a good purpose in His divine plan. And remember this, too: Noah and his sons were ordinary workmen, but working under the guidance and power of God and His divine purpose, they built the ark that, although buffeted by strong wind and heavy rain, did not sink even when every thing else in the world went under water during the Great Flood. On the other hand, the Titanic was built by professional ship builders and yet, when it hit an iceberg, it sank in the freezing waters of the Atlantic Ocean. If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it. And this is because you are in Christ and you’re the Father’s beloved. That, my friends, is your true worth.
I wish you all a Blessed Christmas.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Love Never Fails
(Advice to Newlyweds)
(Advice to Newlyweds)
Almost every marriage starts out as a huge celebration. Together with their family and friends, each couple is full of hopes and dreams for their future life together. But the road to a happy marriage is far from easy. My advice to you is a paraphrase of St. Paul's teaching on the virtue of love, which I would like to apply, in particular, to marriage. My hope and prayer is that you will find it useful in completing your journey to a happy and durable marriage.
If you give away everything you own to your spouse, and if you hand over your body to him or her so that you may boast, but do not have love for your spouse --- you gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous. Love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude.
Love does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury.
Love does not rejoice over wrongdoing that you may inflict on your spouse.
Love bears all things, hopes all things and endures all things for the sake of the marriage.
Love never fails.
The matrimonial duties of mutual fidelity, faithfulness, respect, care, help and support are founded on the fundamental duty of mutual love. No marriage can survive without love. St. Paul said that the greatest supernatural gift that God has given us is love. In the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, God gives you the supernatural grace that empowers you to fulfill your marital obligations towards each other. It is therefore important that, as husband and wife, you should invite God to direct your relationship. If you would like to do so, I encourage you to pray the following:
"Dear God, thank you so much for bringing us together as a couple. We know that you have a plan and a purpose for our marriage, and we pray that you forgive us for our past self-centeredness. We invite you, O God, to come into our lives, enrich our relationship with your grace and shine your light on our steps from now on. Please give us the strength to put you first in all decisions we will make now and in the future. We pray that you bless our marriage so that it will be a blessing to the children you will give us, to our relatives and our friends. By your grace, O God, let our marriage give glory to your most Holy Name. Amen."
God bless and keep you always.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Grandpa’s Letter to Patricia on her 18th Birthday
Dear Patricia:
When you were a baby, Grandma and I used to carry you in our arms. You were then too young to talk, so we had to learn how to baby talk so we could baby talk to you.
When you grew up from a baby to a little girl, you used to come to our bedroom to play with your doll. Your favorite place was a corner in the bedroom where you would sit down on the floor and carry on monologue conversation with your doll and an imaginary friend.
Then you grew from a little girl to a school girl. The most memorable thing I can remember of those days was that you used to sleep in our bedroom. You slept in the big sofa and I remember you would say a prayer before going to sleep. And this went on until one day you grew bigger and the sofa became too small for you to sleep on. So it was time for you sleep on your own bed in your parents’ bedroom.
Time has passed so fast. It seems it was only yesterday when you were just a kid. And now you are celebrating your 18th birthday! You are now a young adult, a beautiful young lady.
At 18, you are of legal age. You have the capacity to enter into contracts. You are qualified to vote. I have a gut feeling that very soon there will be young men courting you. And, as nature has it, soon you will fall in love. But let me remind you that as you enter adulthood, you will encounter many challenges in your life as you journey along. A word of advice from Grandpa might help you face those challenges.
1. Use the Word of God as a principal guide for living, rather than the culture of modernism, feminist movements or peer pressure. Study God’s Word faithfully so that you may be instructed in the way to righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)
2. Keep away from friends who are a bad influence on you, and surround yourself with friends who will encourage you in godliness. Cast out any outside corrupting influences, such as movies, TV shows and other activities with no moral redeeming value.
3. I encourage you to strengthen your relationships with your family members. Your relationship with your family should be the most important relationship to you, second only your relationship with the Lord. The members of your family should be your best friends; hence, make the most of the time that the Lord has allowed you to be with them. Be an encouraging and inspiring example to your younger sisters. Love, honor and respect your father and your mother so that it may be well with you (Exodus 20:12).
4. Cultivate a deeper and honoring relationship with your father and mother, in word and deed (Sirach 3:1-4, 8). Confide in them, pray for them and let them know that you are behind them so that they may become even greater parents.
5. Clothe yourself with the godly quality of a quiet and gentle spirit, which is precious in the eyes of God. Let it blossom in the inside and shine through the outside. A lady is one who acts more gracious, keeps her dignity, and her manner and voice are gentle and quiet.
6. Do not be a compromiser on moral issues. Remember, we are in the midst of a spiritual warfare. When you compromise on moral issues, you lose the battle. Win the battles for Christ, your Lord and Savior, by fighting his battles in his way.
7. Your parents are active members of the St. James Parish Renewal Movement. I encourage you to join the youth group of this renewal movement. It is important that you fellowship with young Christian men and women who are committed to the Lord. They will be a good influence on you.
8. You are a college student, focus on your studies. Do not get seriously involved in any love relationship because it will only distract you from your studies. I earnestly hope to see you graduate from medical school.
9. Someday, after you have completed your college education and have become a doctor, you will seriously think of getting married. In anticipation of that future event, preserve yourself by remaining pure physically, emotionally and mentally. Prepare yourself to become a worthy bride for a godly man.
10. Finally, Proverbs 3:5-6 is a good Scripture for you if you want to get inspired directions from the Lord: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."
Grandma joints me in wishing you a happy birthday. May the Lord bless and keep you always. Amen.
I love you.
Grandpa
.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
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