IS GOD MALE OR FEMALE?

1. Is God Male Or Female?

a) Since God is composed of spirit (John 4:24), he is not male or female, masculine or feminine as humans being can be. Yet, in scripture, the Eternal constantly refers to Himself as a "He," not as an "it" or as a "she." This truth makes some feminists not happy.

b) The concept that God in heaven utilizes a feminine persona in which to interact with humans is a Biblical false doctrine that owes some of its origins to pagan goddess worship. It exalts feminist reasoning over the straightforward understanding of what the Bible says. Like the created angelic realm, God is not male or female (Luke 20:34 - 36).

c) If God wants to call Himself consistently a "He," we are in no position to criticize or change this way to relate to Him. He is, in Jesus' model prayer, "Our Father in heaven," not "Our Mother" (see Matthew 6:9). To translate the Bible in a gender-neutral way not supported by the original texts is not right.

d) We humans are in no position to exalt our minds over the awesome mind of God (Isaiah 55:8 - 9) on this issue, such as Job discovered when he judged. Therefore, if the Bible contradicts present-day feminist reasoning, we have to reconsider whether feminist reasoning is correct.

e) All this does beg the question as to why God chooses to relate to human beings as "Our Father" rather than something else. Here lies a great mystery. 

f) The reason why God chose a masculine persona to relate to human beings was that the Father figure is more clearly an authority figure among humans than the mother figure. He, after all, is our loving Creator whom we should obey. Relating to us as a Father makes his authority more understandable, because we can take what we know (the relationship of a father with his wife and children) and apply it (in at least a basic fashion) to comprehend our relationship with our heavenly Father.

g) Somewhat related to this topic is the question of whether Satan the devil, or any of the angels (either righteous or evil), are male or female. The short answer is the devil, like God, is sexless and has no gender. Beings created and composed of spirit were not given the spiritual equivalent of sexual organs and are not limited to expressing what we would call either female or male characteristics.

h) Jesus affirmed the lack of sexual identity among angelic beings (and therefore their inability to have sex or procreate either with each other or mankind) when he told the Pharisees that angels neither marry nor are given in marriage (Luke 20:34 - 36).

i) The devil, however, deceptively mimics the choice of God by identifying himself, to mankind, as a male. Jesus acknowledged this fact when he referred to the head of the demons as a "he" in Matthew 4:5 and a "him" in verse seven. Revelation 12:9, 13 also refers to Lucifer the fallen angel as a male, and not a female, when it records that "he" was thrown down to earth in his first of four battles with God. Similarly, James writes that if we resist the devil "he" will flee from us (James 4:7).

j) The concept that God, or any created spirit, be they good or evil, is either male or female is not supported in the Bible. All spirits are sexless.