More Than Male and Female: The Gospel in God’s Design

We live in a world that’s caught between two extremes. On one hand, we’re told that gender is everything—that our identity hinges on expressing exactly who we feel ourselves to be. On the other hand, some try to erase difference altogether—as if the way we’re made is a cosmic accident, a social script we can tear up and rewrite.

But what if neither of those paths leads us home?

What if male and female aren’t obstacles to overcome… but gifts to receive?

What if our design actually tells a story?

The Bible’s teaching on gender often gets reduced to soundbites and suspicion—especially verses that talk about headship or submission. Some hear “patriarchy.” Others hear “irrelevance.” And still others just want to know: Is the Bible sexist?

Let’s go back to the beginning.

“So God created man in His own image… male and female He created them.”—Genesis 1:27

At the dawn of creation, God did something breathtaking. He formed humanity not as one uniform mold—but as male and female, distinct yet united, each bearing His image. Not one better. Not one afterthought. Both made on purpose, for a purpose.

That’s the first thing to understand: gender isn’t a social construct. It’s a divine design. And it’s good.

God’s plan was never bland sameness. It was harmony in difference. The man and woman were made as counterparts—equal in worth, different by design. It’s a difference that reflects something deep in the very nature of God: relationship.

“Let us make man in our image…” —Genesis 1:26

Did you catch the plural? “Us.” That’s the triune God speaking—Father, Son, and Spirit. Love flowing in perfect unity, distinct Persons in eternal relationship. So when God made humanity as male and female, He was echoing Himself—building relationality into our very being.

But then came the Fall.

In Genesis 3, a serpent slithers into the garden, and everything begins to unravel. The order gets flipped. The man stays silent. The woman is deceived. The design is distorted. And when the dust settles, sin doesn’t just break their relationship with God—it fractures their relationship with each other.

“Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”—Genesis 3:16

This isn’t a divine endorsement. It’s a diagnosis. The power struggle we see between the sexes? That didn’t come from God. It came from us. When we turned from the Creator, we stopped seeing each other rightly. What was meant to be unity became competition. Trust gave way to tension. And love got buried under blame.

Sexism wasn’t invented by Scripture—it was introduced by sin.

And yet, even in the fallout, God’s grace shines through. He promises a Savior. And centuries later, Jesus steps into our broken world.

And no one honors women like Jesus.

He speaks with the Samaritan woman, dignifying her as a person made in God’s image. He defends the woman caught in adultery, calling her not only to freedom but to holiness. He welcomes Mary to learn at His feet, offering her what was once only afforded to men. And when He rises from the dead, He entrusts the news to women first—even though their testimony didn’t count in court.

“Jesus wasn’t threatened by women’s voices. He elevated them.”

But here’s what’s key: Jesus didn’t flatten the distinction between male and female. He redeemed it. He chose both men and women to follow Him, to learn, to serve, to testify. But He still called twelve men as apostles—not because women couldn’t lead or weren’t worthy, but because He was restoring what God had designed from the beginning.

This is the heart of biblical complementarianism.

It’s not about hierarchy—it’s about harmony. It’s not about restriction—it’s about reflection. Male and female, designed to complement each other, to display something greater than either could on their own.

“Marriage becomes a living parable: Christ is the Groom. The Church is His Bride.”

That’s why Ephesians 5 isn’t about domination—it’s about devotion. A husband is called to love like Christ—to lay down his life, to lead through sacrifice. And the wife? She’s called to respond in strength and respect—a picture of the Church’s love for Jesus.

Yes, the Bible teaches headship. But in God’s story, headship looks like a cross.

• It stoops.

• It serves.

• It bleeds.

And submission? That’s not weakness. That’s strength under control. It’s modeled by Jesus Himself—who submitted to the Father without ever being less than Him.

“Submission isn’t about being less. It’s about honoring God’s order for the sake of unity, mission, and love.”

But what about church leadership? Doesn’t Paul say women shouldn’t teach or have authority over men? Yes, he does (1 Timothy 2:12). But notice where he roots that—not in culture, but in creation.

He points all the way back to Genesis, showing that God’s design isn’t about talent or gifting. It’s about testimony. Men and women can both teach. But in the gathered church, God calls qualified men to lead as elders—because the church itself is meant to reflect Christ and His Bride.

“It’s not about preference. It’s about parable.”

And that’s what’s often missed in the conversation. Gender, rightly understood, tells a story. When men and women embrace their distinct roles in love and humility, they put the Gospel on display.

So no—the Bible isn’t sexist. It’s sacred. It’s stunning. It’s Gospel-soaked from beginning to end.

It doesn’t call us to sameness. It calls us to something far richer: unity in difference. Beauty in design. Redemption through Christ.

So if you're struggling to understand what God says about gender—don’t settle for shallow takes. Dig deep. Ask hard questions. And above all, look to Jesus.

Because the Gospel doesn’t erase who you are. It reveals who you were always meant to be.