The short answer is NO. God is does not have gender as we understand it, because he is not human. He is Spirit and because He is Spirit, he can be never defined by genitalia. He can only be defined by intrinsic character. The only exception is when God came to Earth in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Jewish male.
Genesis 1:37 is helpful here: "God created man in His own image...male AND female He created them.” This verse tells us that though God does not have gender, he has two natures that are inseparable, united in a loving and intimate manner. Our earthly male and female relationships were originally intended to be a reflection of what existed in SPIRIT.
That being said, it follows there is another question related to this: Why would God chose to use the male gender as opposed to the female gender? Because it would seem the majority of evidence from the Scriptures indicate that God wants us to know him and understand him as our FATHER in heaven.
This is a hard one to answer, and truthfully – you’re probably going to have to ask God himself in the next life. But I do have a few thoughts. First, perhaps the reason God makes use of The FATHER image is because he wanted to make use of the culture of the ancient days. You see, the patriarch (male leader) in Eastern culture was considered the spiritual guide and the head of the tribe or clan. So maybe that’s the reason God reveals himself to us from the perspective of The Father. He wanted us to understand. Now, just because God has chosen to be addressed in masculine terms DOES NOT mean God is “male.” Now, of course, Jesus as a Jewish man was “male”, but Jesus as God, who existed from all eternity, was NOT male. It was only when he took on flesh that he became ‘male.’
Second, whenever FEMALE gods such as Ashteroth (goddess of beauty and fertility) were worshipped, temple prostitutes were ritualistically abused. All throughout history, and even today, religions that elevate female gods have a tendency to abuse women, and this is most prominent in Eastern cultures, where a woman’s identity is viewed as less than worthless. My point here is to let you know there is a part of human nature that devalues female nature whenever female gods are introduced and given worship.
My third thought: Though some people out there may be right in terms of putting too much an emphasis on the male characteristics of God, I personally am not entirely comfortable referring to God as “Mother.” I’ve been to some places where they take out all masculine references to God altogether (“eternal wisdom”) and I think there is something lost in that.
[Answered by Pastor Ho-Ming]
