Male and Female He Created Them: Speaking the Truth in Love about Transgenderism

Word from the Center
Written By LCRL Staff

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Perhaps someone you know or someone in your child’s school has come out recently as transgender. School districts, government leaders, doctors, counselors and ubiquitous popular media are teaching us all, including many in the church, false and unhealthy ideas about what it means to be human.

The church must not avoid talking about these uncomfortable topics. Too much is at stake. We need to understand what Scripture teaches on human nature, male and female, created in the image and likeness of God, fallen and redeemed. We need to understand the radical effects of the fall into sin and the even more radical benefits of Christ. Transgender issues have grown dramatically in the public’s awareness in the past 10 years, so the church must understand its calling to correct, teach, restore and heal in the name of Jesus Christ.

Holy Scripture describes the creation of human beings as male and female in the context of saying we are made in the image of God. The sexed nature of our bodies is not oppressive. It is marvelous because God reveals the self-giving nature of His love even in our bodies. The whole Bible portrays the bond of marriage between a man and a woman as a representation of the relationship between God and Israel or Christ and the church. When a man and woman give themselves wholly to the other and joyously receive their mate, it is a living picture of who God is. Anything the devil can do to distort that reflection, he will do. The meaning of sex and sexual ethics, thus, are not secondary aspects of the church’s message and mission but point concretely to Christ and His bride.

Click here to read more about transgenderism and how Christians can speak God’s truth in love.

The Rev. Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer serves as assistant professor of theology and bioethics at Concordia University, Irvine.

Be Informed
God created us male and female, no matter what the gender ideology cult may say. Learn more from Mary Margaret Olohan, author of Detrans: True Stories of Escaping the Gender Ideology Cult.

Be Equipped
A high school recently derecognized a student club because of the pro-life messages on the group’s flyers. Click here to see how Alliance Defending Freedom is helping.

Be Encouraged
“Division among Christians presents a stumbling block to unbelievers; love and mercy flowing forth from Christians makes unbelievers stop and think. Such love — love that begins and ends with Jesus — strengthens and encourages every member of Christ’s Body. By faith, we shall then follow Him, through cross and trial and temptation, to love and show His mercy to our neighbor.” –Rev. Kevin Robson, LCMS Chief Mission Officer

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