The Ultimate Meaning of True Womanhood

"Wimpy theology makes wimpy women. Wimpy theology simply does not give a woman a God that is big enough, strong enough, wise enough, and good enough to handle the realities of life in a way that magnifies the infinite worth of Jesus Christ. Wimpy theology is plagued by woman-centeredness and man-centeredness. Wimpy theology doesn't have the granite foundation of God's sovereignty or the solid steel structure of a great God-centered purpose for all things. "

"God's ultimate purpose for the universe and for all of history and for your life is to display the glory of Christ in its highest expression, namely, in His dying to make a rebellious people His everlasting and supremely happy bride. To say it another way, God's ultimate purpose in creating the world and choosing to let it become the sin-wracked world that it is, is so that the greatness of the glory of Christ could be put on display at Calvary where He ought His rebellious bride at the cost of His life."

"Now where does this take us in regard to the ultimate meaning of true womanhood? It does not take us to wimpy theology or wimpy women. It does lead us to womanhood. True womanhood. The truth is womanhood and manhood (femininity and masculinity) belong at the center of God's ultimate purpose. They we not an afterthought in God's plan. God designed them precisely so that they would serve to display the glory of His Son dying to have His happy, admiring bride."

A Distinctive Calling to Display the Glory of Christ

"The ultimate meaning of true womanhood is this: It is a distinctive calling of God to display the glory of His Son in ways that would not be displayed if there were no womanhood."

"Marriage is meant to display the covenant-keeping love between Christ and His church. And the way it does this is by men being men and women being women in marriage. These are no more interchangeable than Christ in interchangeable with the church."

Headship:

"The divine calling of a husband to take primary responsibility for Christ-like, servant leadership, protection, and provision in the home."

Submission:

"The divine calling of a wife to honor and affirm her husband's leadership and help carry it through according to her gifts."

"Do not settle for a wimpy theology. It is beneath you. God is too great. Christ is too glorious. True womanhood is too strategic. Don't waste it. Your womanhood---your true womanhood---was made for the glory of Jesus Christ."

John Piper,

Voices of the True Womanhood Movement,

A Call to the Counter-Revolution

Chapter 1

Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Eph. 1:4-6

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Eph. 5:25-27

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Eph. 5:22-24