How should Christians respond to the complex issues surrounding gender identity in today’s culture? Far too often, the church’s answer has been judgment rather than compassion. Yet we see in Jesus a model of engaging difficult topics with both conviction and kindness. As we wrestle with biblical truth and human struggle, we must look beyond the reactionary approaches of “Egypt” and “Canaan” to find the narrow way of Christ.
This path begins with recognizing the real pain faced by many, while also upholding the sacred gift of our God-given bodies. It calls for patience toward those we disagree with and clarity regarding God’s design. Our culture seeks to blur the lines, but God’s truth remains clear.
The question is whether we will embody truth and grace.
- Have compassion for people who struggle with gender identity issues. Suffering and pain are real for those experiencing gender dysphoria. As Christians, our response should be one of compassion, not judgment.
- Our bodies tell us the truth about who we are. We are not just souls inhabiting bodies, but embodied souls. Our bodies reveal our true identities as made in God’s image.
- The Bible upholds a male-female binary while also recognizing the exception of people born with intersex conditions. Jesus acknowledges people born as “eunuchs.”
- While having compassion, we should not encourage people to identify in opposition to their biological sex. We should not deliberately try to deceive others about our gender identity.
- The path forward is for the church to demonstrate patience and kindness toward those struggling with gender identity. Our goal should be compassion, clarity, and pointing people to God’s design for humanity.
- The key question is whether the church can remain patient, loving and compassionate toward those we disagree with. Can we stay close to people while upholding biblical truth?
- Ultimately, we should look to God’s design and Word for truth about humanity, rather than the standards of “Egypt” (traditionalism) or “Canaan” (progressivism).
Our calling as the church is higher than that of the world. We cannot afford to be sucked into the binary reactionism of right versus left, tradition versus progress. We serve neither Egypt nor Canaan, but a Lord who transcends and fulfills both. He calls us to stay close to those who suffer, while speaking His words of life.
This is no easy path, yet it is the only one that leads to human flourishing. We will surely misstep and require grace. But as we fix our eyes on Christ, holding fast to biblical truth and Christlike compassion, we can walk forward together into God’s hope. This hope acknowledges brokenness while proclaiming that we are more than broken. It upholds God’s design while making room for difficult exceptions. It casts a vision for human wholeness, calling us to embrace both God’s truth and God’s grace. Our culture is fractured, yet in Christ we can model unity.
Our world is confused, yet God’s truth remains clear. May we cling to this truth, share it graciously, and rest in it fully.