Hot Topics: The Gender Debate
Introduction
“The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5 New King James Version, NKJV).
The purpose of this article is not to condemn or blame those with different opinions, those experiencing a gender identity crisis, those who have transitioned to the opposite sex, or those who continue to change their identity as part of being gender fluid. If we do focus on such things, then honestly, we should be pointing fingers at ourselves because the Bible states that no one is righteous, no one who has not and does not sin, and everyone falls short of God’s holy and righteous standards by which we are meant to live (Romans 3:23).
Paul saw himself as the worst sinner of all. He claimed to be the chief of sinners and believed that no one was, is, or will be worse than he (1 Timothy 1:15).
But it was through the mercy and grace of God that He forgave and saved Paul, even though he committed such horrible acts. This was because he did all these things out of ignorance and unbelief, meaning he never saw his actions as wrong.
“Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” (1 Timothy 1:13b-15 NKJV)
As believers in Jesus Christ, we should approach this debate with compassion—not necessarily agreeing with the views of transgender or gender-fluid individuals, but instead emphasizing their need for a relationship with Jesus Christ through grace and mercy.
Why? Well, mainly they’ve heard from sources of power and from those within both the medical and educational fields, from science and academia, that transgender is real and acceptable. Meanwhile, the only thing they may have encountered from Christianity is hate and condemnation.
They need to understand—even when we disagree with them—that Christians love them, are there for them, are willing to listen, seek to understand their pain, and genuinely want what is best for them. Showing compassion and respect for dysphoric transgender individuals does not conflict with disagreeing with transgenderism as a social movement, which has no solid basis in fact, nor with the teachings of the Bible.
Therefore, we can conclude that they acted out of ignorance of the facts, the truth, and with complete disbelief in the Bible and the Lord God of the Bible.
Since so much has already been written on both sides of this debate, why add another voice? It relates to the calling God has given me, and what I am sharing is done with great care, like a watchman, as described in Ezekiel 3:17. “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me.” (NKJV)
Edmund Burke, statesman and philosopher, said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
The Bible says, “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil.” (1 Peter 2:16 New International Version, NIV)
Therefore, how Christians respond can greatly influence transgender individuals or those struggling with their gender identity, since their eternal life is at stake. So, let’s focus on addressing the sin, not the person, in a way that honors God and shows love to those who are hurting.
Gender Defined
The word and its meaning can be traced back to the 13th century, to the Latin “genus,” meaning “kind,” “sort,” or “type.” It was used to refer to the two biological sexes of male and female.
A person’s sex or gender refers to biological and physiological characteristics. Your genitals, hormones, and chromosomes all relate to your sex. One has either XY chromosomes (male) or XX chromosomes (female).
In the late 20th century, a shift in meaning began, with the concept of a person’s gender expanding to a sociocultural construct that explains social roles, behaviors, and identities as male or female. Today, the term is widely used to discuss a person’s social, cultural, and psychological makeup.
Gender is no longer limited to just biological sex, male and female, and has taken on a more philosophical view. It now spans a very complex and diverse spectrum that includes many different identities.
Some individuals identify as non-binary, meaning they do not exclusively see themselves as male or female. They may see themselves as a mix of genders or as neither. One site says there are 68 terms people use to describe their gender, and that number is growing.
Some identities within the gender spectrum include genderfluid, where a person’s gender identity can change over time, and genderqueer, where a person identifies outside the traditional male-female binary.
Some of the more popular terms used are:
Therefore, the term gender no longer refers to one’s biological sex — male or female — but now describes what a person chooses to identify with as an expression of their individuality.
Gender is now seen as a person’s psychological identity, meaning their personal sense of who they want to be. However, gender is a term—a label society uses to describe what it considers a man or woman to be. As a result, it is a constantly evolving term whose meaning depends on what current society and culture decide, rather than what it was originally meant to be or what science and the Bible have defined it as.
The idea that gender is an emotional or societal construct is completely new and is nowhere to be found in the Bible. Instead, both science and the Bible describe gender as being tied to a person’s sex at birth.
Gender Identity and Expression
Gender identity is the gender that a person sees themselves as. It is a deeply personal sense of oneself that can be different from the sex they were assigned at birth.
Gender identity is different from sexual orientation. Sexual orientation describes a person’s emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to others. It is not connected to gender identity. For example, a person might identify as a woman and be attracted to another woman, or identify as a man and be attracted to another man.
Some people may choose to transition to align their physical body with their gender identity. This can involve hormone therapy, surgery, or social transition, including changing their name, pronouns, and presentation (outward appearance) to match their gender identity.
Gender expression is how a person displays their gender identity through appearance, behavior, and mannerisms associated with their preferred or desired gender.
Gender Dysphoria
Gender dysphoria is a condition in which a person feels distressed due to a perceived mismatch between their gender identity and their biological sex.
The word “dysphoria” is a clinical term that describes a person’s discomfort or dissatisfaction with something. Gender dysphoria is the feeling that a person’s emotional and psychological identity does not match their biological sex.
There are two basic types of gender dysphoria.
The first is the early onset of gender dysphoria. This involves a person’s distress over their sex starting in early childhood. According to Psychology Today, only a small number of children with gender dysphoria will continue to have symptoms into later adolescence or adulthood.
The second type is rapid-onset gender dysphoria. This social construct affects teens and adults who have identified with their own biological sex for years, then decide they want to change genders and sometimes alter their bodies.
Now, I don’t want to sound harsh because nothing about this is easy, and such dysphoria can cause emotional distress for those experiencing it. However, that still doesn’t prove the transgender argument is valid. Many people face various emotional struggles for different reasons. It doesn’t change who they are; it’s simply something that happens to every human.
To add to this, gender confusion or dysphoria can have serious consequences, both physically and spiritually. When individuals reject their biological sex and identify as a different gender, they may experience confusion, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, this rejection of one’s biological sex can lead to a rejection of God’s design for humanity.
Unfortunately, academia and philosophy tell those with gender dysphoria that when there’s a disconnect between a person’s body and mind, the solution is to start by changing the body to match how they feel, and this will then help them become what they want to be.
But this isn’t how it works. A person must first change what is happening in their brain — that is, in their mind — and that will transform how they feel.
The truth is that change doesn’t happen from the outside in. A person cannot change their sex from one to another. A person’s sex is determined at birth, not by social or cultural reconstruction.
In other words, we must clearly understand that we are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27; 5:1), and when our minds align with God’s truth, we will stop hating ourselves and our bodies and start loving what God has made and created us to be.
Gender Fluid (gender fluidity)
Gender fluidity involves rejecting fixed or divinely assigned gender categories, meaning it separates gender from biological sex. In other words, while sex is assigned at birth based on sexual organs and chromosomes, it doesn’t determine a person’s gender identity. Therefore, a biological male can identify as female.
So, the entire biblical and historical view of men and women as complementary is disregarded. Such a philosophy seeks to dismiss scientific truths and replace them with subjective opinions and wordplay.
Transgender
Transgender is a broad term that describes a person whose gender identity, expression, and behavior do not match or conform to their biological sex.
There is a strong push in our culture to agree with the transgender movement that when one’s gender, defined as their feelings of being male or female, conflicts with the biological markers of maleness or femaleness, the feelings are the determining factor.
The transgender claim is that a man can be a woman, and a woman can be a man. This is achieved by altering what God created into a version of their own design through being called by preferred pronouns, dressing and acting like their chosen gender, and having their sex and body parts changed chemically or surgically.
The problem with this claim is that it lacks a scientific basis and has nothing to do with a person’s biology. There is no way that a person’s biological chromosomes can be engineered into the opposite sex’s chromosomes.
Altering one’s physical or cosmetical appearance doesn’t change a person’s biological sex. Also, emotions and feelings cannot change the fact of one’s biological sex.
But what it has allowed, and what is being legally challenged, is their use of restrooms and other facilities designated for that sex and demands for being allowed into sports of their sexual preference.
Gender is not a spectrum of possibilities, and individuals cannot choose to identify as any gender they want. The idea that a person can do so is not supported by science or Scripture. The Bible teaches that God created two distinct sexes —male and female —and that each has different roles and responsibilities.
What is needed is contentment with who we are and who God created and designed us to be. A person who thinks they are transgender must learn the same lesson as the rest of us: to be content in God and unsatisfied in the world.
Ultimately, we all wait to experience the delight of renewed bodies in the new heavens and new earth. Real hope is only in the gospel. “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).
Transgender Biblical Arguments
While the Bible clearly states this topic and highlights the obvious, which even natural law and science support, those advocating for transgenderism tend to look to other, less clear references in the Bible and try to make them fit their narrative.
When examining those who advocate for transgenderism, they are continually searching the Bible for support. They reference the changing of names in the Bible, suggesting this permits changing one’s name or pronouns, which they interpret as allowing for transgenderism. Or they cite passages about eunuchs—those who have had their genitals mutilated—as representing another gender (neuter), without recognizing that the person remains male or female.
Eunuchs:
It is believed that, based on Deuteronomy 23:1, Isaiah 56:4-5, and Matthew 19:11-12, eunuchs represent a gender outside the male-female binary.
The transgender position begins with the Apostle Paul’s statement, saying, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.” (Matthew 19:11-12 NKJV)
Here they are arguing that eunuchs can be born that way or can be made into eunuchs by humans, which supports their view that those born without or with both male and female genitals are a separate gender.
What then is a eunuch? A eunuch is a man who has been castrated, especially one used to guard women’s living quarters in Asian courts.
The term appears in the law of Moses in Deuteronomy 23:1. “No man whose testicles have been crushed or whose penis has been cut off may enter the Lord’s assembly.” (Christian Standard Bible, CSB)
Yet even though the law of Moses prohibits eunuchs made this way by human hands, in the new Israel they will be given a special place of honor, according to Isaiah 56:4-5. “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.” (NKJV)
First, it doesn’t say they are a different gender, only that they are male, with their genitals crushed or cut off. What Isaiah does is give them hope that, despite their circumstances, they will still have a special place in the new Jerusalem in heaven when they follow and obey God’s Word.
And Paul’s declaration about eunuchs was spiritual in nature, meaning they should keep themselves pure and undefiled from the opposite sex so they could fulfill their specific duties in the kingdom of heaven without spending their time and energy on family.
Within the transgender arguments, we see many references to the word “might,” which might suggest possibilities, but there is no definitive proof.
This is then followed by the transgender argument for diversity, which states that there is a wide variety of plants and animals, so God loves diversity and variation.
It is also emphasized that as Christians, we need to work together despite our differences. They cite Paul’s letter to the Galatian church, stating that as Christians, we are no longer male or female, but all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
However, when Christians say that transgenderism is a rejection of God’s idea or of God being the designer of life, they are restricting the possibilities. The possibility was never part of Jewish thinking, nor is it a correct interpretation of either the language or Jewish laws and customs of that time.
Intersex:
While some might argue from the “Intersex” perspective or hermaphroditism—where individuals are born with both male and female reproductive or sexual anatomy—this condition is rare, affecting only 0.018% of the population. Therefore, it is difficult to argue from that perspective.
Instead, hermaphroditism results directly from what happened when Adam and Eve fell into sin, corrupting the perfectly formed human body. This also includes many other abnormalities present at birth, such as polymelia, extra limbs or organs, among other issues.
Creation and humanity have been disrupted, no longer reflecting how God originally made them. Nothing has been untouched or unaffected by the fall and sin entering God’s perfect creation, leading to an unnatural byproduct. As a result, all creation, including humans, eagerly awaits Jesus Christ’s second coming and the new life we will have, along with a new universe and a new earth.
Therefore, we shouldn’t be surprised or fooled because we will all face desires that do not bring wholeness back into our lives or into the world until Jesus returns and corrects all the wrongs.
Furthermore, the fact that transgender individuals have been documented across many indigenous, Western, and Eastern cultures from ancient times to today does not prove the validity of the argument. However, the meaning of gender nonconformity can differ between cultures.
Just because other cultures and people groups have accepted some form of various gender and sexual identities doesn’t make it right. Past behavior has no bearing on present truth.
The Biblical View
While academia and philosophy may offer their views on the rightness or correctness of the transgender position, there is a perspective that has proven itself to be true and reliable from the very beginning of time and has yet to be proven false. The truths it contains have been changing lives and hearts even to this day.
And that is the biblical perspective on God and his creation of humanity, which lies at the core of this debate.
The biblical perspective starts at the origin of all truth: the beginning of life itself, as described in the book of Genesis.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” … (And on the sixth day) “God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:1, 26-27 NKJV)
The human body is sacred, created in God’s image and likeness. Therefore, we must pay attention to God’s nature and character, reflecting them in our daily lives, including how we care for this body, which fully represents God.
We are told that we reflect the image of God, since we have been created in His likeness. This distinction sets us apart from all of God’s other creations, including angels and the living creatures that surround His throne. Through this, God elevates our status and leaves His likeness upon us.
In the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians, we are told that the bodies we inhabit are not our own. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV)
Therefore, changing our bodies, which were designed and created by God, is like taking an original work by Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci and picking up a paintbrush to alter what we see as a flaw.
Now consider that we are God’s “masterpiece” (Ephesians 2:10). Not only did God create us, but He also redeemed us through the sacrifice of His Son, “bought with a price.” God Himself paid the purchase price for our eternal souls, freeing us from the power of both sin and death.
Therefore, altering what God so lovingly created through drugs and surgery to make it appear different than what God intended is like repainting the masterpiece He made us to be.
And those lies telling us that such changes are okay and that our identity comes from what we feel, devalue God’s greatest creation and masterpiece, the human body.
Furthermore, changing our outward appearance, our genitalia, or our hormones does not alter our sex. It also does not change God’s standards or His original design for life. The biological sex God created us with is embedded in our DNA and present in every cell of our bodies. Rejecting God’s design through these changes can lead to serious negative consequences and may be something we never fully recover from.
Another aspect often overlooked in this debate is that our bodies are meant to house the Lord God. Any modifications to that design violate a holy and sacred space.
Earlier in 1 Corinthians, we’re also told, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NKJV)
Our bodies are temples for God, created by Him and for Him.
We see a similar example in the temple Solomon built, where God gave him specific instructions for its construction. Then the Lord said, “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.” (1 Kings 6:12-13 NKJV)
So, when we follow God’s design for our lives and bodies to be His temple, He will come and dwell within us. If we violate and desecrate our bodies, that is, defile this temple of God, then the Lord says He will destroy us (1 Corinthians 3:17).
The destruction also started at the beginning. It is called the fall of humanity (Genesis 3). This event marks when humans became alienated from God through what is known as sin. This fall from grace and into sin demonstrates that anything other than God’s plan for humanity, including human sexuality, is fundamentally an act of rebellion against God.
This rebellion is reflected in what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans chapter one.
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. … Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. … Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. … Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:18-32 NKJV)
Therefore, any sex outside of that between a biological man and woman in marriage is regarded as open rebellion.
God addresses this throughout His Word, including humanity’s thought life and the intentional alteration of gender through manipulation. This is reflected in the law stating, “A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this.” (Deuteronomy 22:5 NKJV)
Alan Branch, a pastor and professor of Christian Ethics at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, said, “The point is that neither sex should make intentional attempts to deceive others concerning their natal sex.”
And the point is clear: any attempt to disguise or alter God’s design of being male or female is a sin, and continuing in such activities will disqualify someone from the Kingdom of God.
“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NKJV)
But the Lord doesn’t abandon us without hope. The Apostle continues to say, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11 NKJV)
There is hope for everyone, no matter how far they have gone in changing their God-given sex. We can be washed clean, made spiritual, and sometimes even physically whole again through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord said, “Come now, and let us reason together, … though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18 NKJV)
When we come to faith in Jesus Christ by confessing our sins, asking for God’s forgiveness, and repenting—that is, turning away from our sins—we can then be saved.
The Apostle Paul tells us that “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) And that “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Conclusion
For those who are in the process of transitioning, please be cautious about what you put in your body, including pills and medications you are advised to take. Also, be careful when considering surgical alterations because your body was created a certain way, and adding drugs, removing parts, or implanting things—whether external or internal—can have serious adverse effects. These effects might be irreversible.
Instead of depending on drugs and surgery, focus on your mind and what’s happening inside your brain. The Bible offers sound advice on this—it suggests that instead of letting the world change you, you should first be renewed in your mind. This is where the real battle takes place and where true healing begins.
Also, getting right with God can help a person move from hating themselves and their bodies to loving themselves and their bodies as God made them.
This begins with filling your mind with the truth.
Your mind is the hub of your thoughts, feelings, memories, and imagination. Modern science confirms what the Bible has always taught: Renewing your mind transforms you gradually as you grow in Christ. Start by willingly opening yourself to God’s plan for your sexuality, as revealed in His Word.
God’s Word offers principles and rules for guidance in everything believers face. It describes God’s intentions in creation, including the human body and its two distinct genders. When you believe that a loving heavenly Father created you with care and purpose, your identity rests on a more solid foundation.
But when we change what God made, nature tends to fight back, often hurting vulnerable and impressionable children who end up paying the price for society’s political and academic illusions created by confused adults.
While the world offers many solutions to gender confusion, including hormone treatments and surgeries, and as we have seen, the falsehoods the world promotes have shattered lives. The Bible provides a different path to health, healing, and wholeness. Through faith in Jesus Christ, individuals can experience transformation and healing —not just physically, but also spiritually and emotionally.
Therefore, as we conclude, I want to say that a good starting point in this debate, as with all debates where an unbiblical view is accepted and praised as truth, is to prioritize the trustworthiness of the Bible and the certainty of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection.
Suppose a believer in transgenderism has never taken the time to carefully explore all the options and solutions, especially one as thoroughly verifiable as the Bible and faith in Jesus Christ. In that case, they lack a solid basis for their beliefs.
