Being trans is abhorrent to God and destructive to the body. There is nothing good about it.
However, many trans people say they always felt like the opposite gender as long as they could remember, and never liked anything of their biological gender. What should be the response to this? Obviously they should not change gender, but how are they supposed to live?
The priority is for everybody to get right with God.
Then to start dealing with what is going on in their lives.
So what should a Christian do about a trans or lgtb friend/relation?
First to be open, to be willing to love them as a sinner, but to be clear about where one stands.
( not to be constantly preaching but to be a friend. )
To pray for them intelligently, to listen to them, talk with them, to be there.
They may accept your help, may talk openly and honestly with you, or they may reject you.
Reality is not defined by how one feels.
Jer_17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Self deception can “feel” very strong. Here is an article that describes that little can be done to help those on an ascendant trajectory of self deception. However, there is a huge opportunity to help those on a descendant trajectory (detransitioning);
Transgender Tragedy
There have been periods of history where people have had the opportunity to indulge various delusions. These were mostly limited to kings, emperors, and aristocracy. The present age is perhaps the first time that there has been such a widespread opportunity for many to so indulge themselves.
There was a newspaper photograph of a man who had his head completely tattooed with red and green patches and had his ears and nose surgically removed so he could support his delusion that he was a dragon. Today many children (for whom such fantasy and delusional thinking is more common) are being encouraged to damage themselves physically and irrevocably so that they can obtain a little more pleasure from artificially supporting their delusions.
One might think that the fact that half of the people encouraged down this road will attempt suicide would cause alarm. One might think it would be considered at least as dangerous as smoking. Sadly, most so-called social influencers seem to urge others down this road as if they would also cry out to a distressed soul standing at the edge of a roof to jump.
What usually brings an end to fantasy and delusions is reality. For the transgender, the intrusion of reality can be abrupt and filled with monumental regret. Parents who encourage children down this road may face the same lifelong haunting that parents who incited their sons to go off in a pointless war feel when their son comes back home crippled.
There are people like Mark Zuckerberg who are working to create technology like a virtual reality where one can indulge whatever one can imagine. Good parenting includes teaching children how to deal with reality, not how to flee from it. Some parents cloaked in self-righteousness declare that they are defending their children from those who would cause harm, blind to the fact that they are the ones who are causing harm.
Consider what the bible says;
It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. - Luke 17:2
Our society took two hammer blows in the 20th century. The first was the theory of evolution cloaked as “science” which undercut the faith of many. The second was moral relativism which declared that there was no right or wrong. As a result, generations were born with no foundation in the knowledge of their creator and no idea that some of their ideas might be wrong and even harmful.
Forty years ago abortion was celebrated. Twenty years ago homosexuality was celebrated. Now transgenderism is being celebrated. The future does not look bright. The fifty year old woman with secret tears and sorrow for the child she lost, the aging homosexual suffering from disease and the ravages of drug and alcohol use, and now the aging youth beginning to recognize the effect of self-mutilation and considering suicide may all find redemption in the blood of Christ.
There is one who is the father of lies that sets the course of this world. Those vulnerable to his deceptions can pay a very high price. While not often can someone vulnerable be dissuaded from following the lies, those who can have gone down these roads and discovered the consequences of fleeing reality who may be more open to words of truth and love.
For their own good, children need to be skilled at dealing with reality. Hiding in an imaginary playland will only bring tears and sorrow for a neglected and misused life.
I will go down this road for a bit. Although I believe I know what you are doing. Transgenderism and utter confusion. We will look at what God says and what the world tries to say. Our children are growing up in the “reality” of utter confusion and nonsense. We are heading in a direction where they may be forced to accept all this confusion and nonsense as right and good, and if they speak against it, or even ask questions, they will be labeled the sinner and the one with the problem. Let’s start with God.
“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and 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.And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.” Genesis 1:26-31
Again, here we read this.
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24
We read this in Psalms
“For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:13-16
God loves you so much that He even counted the hairs on your head {Matthew 10:30, Luke 12:7}. You are the way you are because God said so. He created you exactly the way you are. God does not make mistakes. If you are born male, you are a male. If you are born a female, you are a female. There is no mistake. There is no confusion. It is pretty simple to understand, and even biology agrees.
However, the world has a different perspective. It began with the acceptance of homosexuality, teaching that it’s acceptable to love someone of the same gender. Females now love and marry other females, and males do the same. The argument for years has been that this is true love and should be accepted, respected, and protected. Society has embraced this idea, even though religious texts clearly state that such behavior is considered sinful and against God’s will. (Leviticus 18:1-5, 22-24, 29; Leviticus 20:13; Ezekiel 16:49-51; Romans 1:18-32)
Now we have this as the law of the land. Some would make it illegal to speak about this. From this evolved Transgenderism. Basically, males who want to be females, and females who want to be males. Some even get offended if you call them gay.
The world says if Johnny wants to call himself a girl and dress like a girl, he should be accepted and treated as a girl. If Jenny wants to dress like and act like a boy, Jenny should be accepted and treated as a boy. This is not only tolerance but true compassion and a sign of true love. Just love them for who they claim to be. Some want to teach this nonsense in schools, as soon as kindergarten.
But what if I do not want to be classified as trans? What if I do not like the word gay? Yet I want to be in the movement. I want to be celebrated. Well, that’s ok, says the world, we will call you “Non-Binary” Now if you feel like identifying as a female today, and a male tomorrow, it’s all good. How will people know? Well? We will give you new pronouns. You can be he/him, she/her, and they/them.
I also believe that in some of these cases, it is out-and-out child abuse. I have seen parents of newborns saying things like “I hope my child is gay.” “I will encourage my child to be gay.” “I know my child is going to be transgender. I will love them no matter what they choose to be when they grow older.” This is called nurturing them into your desired outcome for them and their sexual identities.
Make no mistake about it, in a lot of cases, the parents are praised for this and told they should be honored and celebrated for being so open and evolved. The child does not even know how to speak, and the parent is attempting to assign this life-altering decision to them.
This is complete and utter confusion and nonsense. However, this is what the world is teaching your child. You must prepare them for this. With this and all things, you must lay for your child a solid foundation. Teach them that, like all the other nonsense the world sees as wise and good is nothing more than foolishness.
“For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 1 Corinthians 3:19
Continued.
If someone tries to say the Bible does not talk about transgenderism? You have to show them that it most certainly does. Some examples of the things you can share.
“A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 22:5
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
“Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.” Jude 1:7
Just a few more examples of passages in the Word you can share. Homosexuality is not ok. It is not accepted and should never be glorified. Transgenderism is not ok. All the other nonsense is that. Nonsense and confusion. Explain to them that compassion, true compassion, and true love are to love the sinner, as God loves us as sinners as well, but we must never accept nor glorify the sin.
You will hear many say, “Jesus would love them.” “Jesus would accept them.” “Jesus would actually be against you for spreading hate.” Yes, Jesus does love them. Yes, Jesus does accept them. However, Jesus would also say, “Go and sin no more.” John 5:14, John 8:11
Share that being saved and accepting Jesus is not exclusive and that it is for everyone.
“For our sake, he made him become sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
All they have to do is accept it.
“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13
True compassion is not watching someone you love walk into a fire and be destroyed because you do not wish to offend them or let them continue to live in a way that will destroy them, without attempting to warn them. True love and compassion dictate that if you love someone, you will do whatever you can to make them safe.
Now? If they refuse to listen or accept what you say, then that is on them, and there is nothing more you can do other than love them and hope they will see and accept the truth later before it is too late. That is their choice, just like it is all our personal choice to accept Jesus or not.
As Children of God, we must love unconditionally. To show kindness. To show love to all, even those who choose to reject it. Remember, Jesus loved those who killed Him. As a matter of fact, that is why He came.
We must love all. Be they lost sinners, witches, homosexuals, transgender individuals, or just confused individuals who have accepted whatever the world has to say. We should have the desire to show them there is a far better way. His name is Jesus.
Peter
You didn’t mention whether the trans person was a Christian or not. The only message we have for the non Christian; trans or not, is the gospel. That is their real problem, that they don’t know Jesus. Without Jesus in their heart and life, the fate of the trans person is the same as everyone else who doesn’t know Jesus. They will be held accountable for their sins.
But if they’re a Christian, I think we can learn from Paul’s recommendation found in 1 Corinthians. He told the church to hand the man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved. (1 Cor 5:5) Paul addressed this man as having sinned and I believe that trans genderism is a sin against God as well. It should not be accepted in the church as normal or ok, because it isn’t ok. That said, all people are welcome to attend church, but being a member of the church has certain responsibilities.
It doesn’t matter how a non Christians transgender person lives. However they live, their destiny is the same. But for a Christian its different. They should live the gender God assigned to them, and seek His help to overcome the confusion and lie they’ve believed.
And those sins of sexual immorality is the worst kind of sexual immorality. Scripture never say fornication or adultery is an abomination to God,
And those sins are also a slap in the face of all women. Speaking as a man…Have You Seen The Women On This Planet?! No wonder God said, and it was very good.
You said Scripture never calls fornication or adultery an abomination. Even if that specific word isn’t always used, do you think Scripture treats those sins as less serious? Jesus equates lust with adultery of the heart (Matthew 5:27–28), Paul repeatedly warns against sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:9–20; Galatians 5:19–21), and Hebrews 13:4 says God will judge both the sexually immoral and adulterers.
Also, regarding your comment about women, isn’t the emphasis in Scripture placed on the heart of the one who lusts rather than on the attractiveness of the woman? James 1:14–15 says we’re tempted by our own desires, and Jesus places the responsibility on the one looking with lust.
I’m just wondering if we’re in danger of shifting the focus away from the heart, which is where Scripture consistently places it.
Correct @Edward429451?
J.
Yes I believe that fornication and adultery are less serious sins than lbtzg or whatever it is. This is a good discussion about levels of sin in seriousness. I think I have identified 5 different levels of sin in scripture. 1) Sin: To miss the mark (Hamartia). 2) Unrighteousness: (Sedeq), 3) Tresspasses: (Parapatoma)., 4) Transgressions: Step over the Line (Parabasis)., 5, Iniquity (Aon).
All 5 terms are used in scripture when speaking of, unholiness within a person. Is God a just God? Of course. So it makes perfect sense that a man who is a fairly good Christian but slipped and committed Adultery or Fornication will not be punished or tormented to the same degree than say another evil man who was a full blown satanist and has murdered many people. You see? And take note of how many different punishments are spoken of in scripture, Outer Darkness, Lake of Fire, and others. Or is being cast into outer darkness somehow the same as the lake of fire?
Most of the time when we read scripture, it’s easy to gloss over details like that. Sin is sin. Iniquity is Iniquity. WHich one’s worse? I’m not sure, but they use different words that have different meanings if you don’t gloss over them and look them up.
Now as far as Fornication not being as bad as an Abomination homosexualism is probably more severe than the non-abomination, fornication in that God wanted us to, Be Fruitful and Multiply, so He seen it necessary to give us a very high sex drive.
Does that make sense to you?
I never said that lust or fornication is not sinful, it is. So I spoke as a man. I know very well (now) that lust starts in the heart because it is something I have struggled with, tho less lately, lol. I am making progress. I don’t think mine was too awful bad because I never was one for porn. Maybe when I was 8 and had one of dad’s playboys under the mattress, lol. But not digital thank God. It doesn’t bother me or make me want to watch it, because I haven’t watched it so it must be like everything else, addictive. I hear of so many people struggling with corn. I don’t understand the attraction to it. Pictures? Videos? That’s not a live woman. Talk about a waste of time, geez. I’m learning that when some of God’s finest work walks by…take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Brother, I think you’ve made several exegetical mistakes here.
First, you’ve built an entire theology on Hebrew and Greek vocabulary. That is a classic lexical fallacy. Different words for sin do not automatically mean different levels of seriousness. They often describe different aspects of sin rather than different degrees of sin.
For example, the Hebrew words are frequently used together of the very same acts:
חַטָּאת (chattā’t) – sin; to miss the mark (sins generally, including sins of omission and commission).
פֶּשַׁע (pesha’) – transgression; rebellion, a willful breach of God’s covenant (often associated with deliberate sins of commission).
עָוֹן ('āvôn) – iniquity; perversity, moral crookedness, and the guilt that accompanies sin.
Notice how David uses all three interchangeably:
“I acknowledged my sin (chattā’t) to You, and I did not cover my iniquity (‘āvôn); I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions (pesha’) to the LORD.’” (Psalm 32:5)
Likewise, God says of Himself:
“…forgiving iniquity (‘āvôn) and transgression (pesha’) and sin (chattā’t)…” (Exodus 34:7)
These are not three levels of punishment. They are three complementary descriptions of mankind’s guilt before God.
Second, your Hebrew is incorrect.
You wrote that ṣedeq means “unrighteousness.” It doesn’t. צֶדֶק (ṣedeq) means righteousness. The Hebrew word for wickedness is commonly רֶשַׁע (resha’), not ṣedeq.
You also wrote “Aon.” The Hebrew word is עָוֹן ('āvôn).
When we’re building doctrine from the biblical languages, precision matters.
Third, you’ve confused sins of omission and sins of commission with levels of seriousness.
Scripture distinguishes between:
Sins of commission - doing what God forbids (Exodus 20; Galatians 5:19–21).
Sins of omission - failing to do what God commands (James 4:17; Luke 10:31–32).
James writes:
“Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17)
Neither category is inherently “less serious.” Both are violations of God’s holy law.
Fourth, saying that homosexuality is worse simply because it is called an “abomination” is an oversimplification.
The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (toʿēbâ)-“abomination”-s used of many sins.
Idolatry (Deuteronomy 7:25)
Dishonest scales (Proverbs 11:1)
Pride, lying, and sowing discord (Proverbs 6:16–19)
False worship (Deuteronomy 12:31)
So the word “abomination” cannot by itself establish a hierarchy of sins.
Fifth, your argument that fornication is less serious because “God gave us a high sex drive” is nowhere found in Scripture. The Bible never argues that natural desire lessens moral culpability. Instead, it commands believers:
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
Finally, we need to distinguish two biblical truths.
On the one hand, every sin is enough to make us guilty before a holy God.
“Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” (James 2:10)
The wages of sin, not merely certain sins, is death (Romans 6:23).
On the other hand, Scripture also teaches differing degrees of guilt and judgment according to knowledge, light received, and hardness of heart.
Jesus said to Pilate:
“He who delivered Me over to you has the greater sin.” (John 19:11)
He also taught:
“That servant who knew his master’s will… will receive a severe beating, but the one who did not know… will receive a light beating.” (Luke 12:47–48)
The distinction is not between hamartia, paraptōma, parabasis, and 'āvôn. The distinction is one of greater accountability before God.
So yes, Scripture recognizes greater and lesser guilt in certain circumstances, but your proposed five-tier hierarchy based on Hebrew and Greek vocabulary is not something the biblical authors teach. It is a system imposed on the text rather than one derived from it.
And…
there’s another important distinction you’re overlooking.
The New Testament distinguishes between a believer who falls into sin and repents and an unbeliever whose life is characterized by the continuous practice of sin.
Paul doesn’t merely say these sins are wrong; he says those who practice them will not inherit the kingdom of God.
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived…” (1 Corinthians 6:9–10)
Notice what follows:
“And such were some of you. 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)
Paul speaks in the past tense. These practices once defined them, but they no longer do.
Likewise,
“Now the works of the flesh are evident… sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, jealousy, fits of anger, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you… those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19–21)
Make sense @Edward429451?
J.
You are speaking as though a “fairly good Christian who slipped into adultery or fornication” and someone living in ongoing sexual immorality are the same category. Scripture does not treat them as the same. There is a world of difference between falling into sin and grieving over it (like David or Peter) and practicing sin as a settled lifestyle (1 John 3:4–10). That distinction is crucial in Reformed theology and, more importantly, in the New Testament itself.
J.
Amen! and yup. Amen! again.
Peter
So they are Synonyms? I don’t think so. It’s true that Hebrew or Greek is not my 2nd language but they are complex languages. so uless you have been schooled in Hebrew and Greek, I’d say that neither one of us has completed this study.
I admit that I did not take great notes on this, so you may indeed have found a typo in Aon (Avon)? But the Pastor that I took these notes from his sermons does know Hebrew and Greek, having been schooled in them
If all those words all mean the same thing, why not use only one word, and not five different words? You were right in saying those words describe different aspects of sin, because there are different types of sin, and obviously, some more severe than others.
I knew a compulsive liar once, she lied constantly, even about little things that have no need to be lied about. These are sins for her, scripture says there will be no liars in heaven. So are you suggesting that this liar girl gets the same punishment as say, Hitler?
Come on Brother!
The teaching video that I got a lot of this from was called, 5 Types of Sin by, Pastor Allen Nolan of Cornerstone Fellowship on you tube. It may be worth a watch for you?
David using all those different terms may simply mean that he had quite a list of charges and not all the same. Nevertheless, as He said, Be ye Holy, even as I am Holy…
I don’t think that’s what I said. I’m not trying to be dogmatic here and I do still have more studying to do. I’m still learning these things to, Brother.
And you’re right, scripture does not treat them the same. So you have now seemed to flip your viewpoint? Because your last post seemed to be saying, all sin is the same, guilty of one, guilty of all. But not this post? Why not? What happened? Did you have a typo too?
There was no typo, brother. This is what happens when you isolate snippets and soundbites instead of reading them in the context of what I actually wrote to you.
J.
It looks like this thread has wandered away from @Josiah’s original question and turned into a debate about whether all sins are equal, whether Scripture uses different words for different kinds of guilt.. at this point you’re all mostly arguing past each other in a very long-winded way.
As for @Josiah’s actual question, I think the response has to begin with both truth and compassion. If someone experiences gender dysphoria, the answer is not to affirm something God did not create them to be, but neither is the answer to treat them as though they are uniquely monstrous. They are a sinner in need of grace, just like the rest of us, and they are dealing with a real inner struggle that should not be mocked or brushed off.
I would say the first step is for that person to seek guidance from a trusted pastor or someone you can trust at church, and a counselor who will not simply affirm confusion but will help them think truthfully and carefully.
The Christian answer is not “just change genders,” but it also shouldn’t be “just get over it.” It should be: bring the struggle into the light, walk those you trust, submit it to Scripture, and take emotional/mental health one step at a time under the care of professionals & the church.
Agreed. First, I would say you have to be honest and show them where the Bible DOES indeed say it is wrong. Two, using the Bible, teach them that the desires are dangerous, for what they can lead to, but they are not sin persay. Encourage them to fight those temptations, remove themselves from the source, pray, read the Word, etc. Meet with them often, showing them true love and acceptance of themselves, not their sin, encouraging them to keep fighting the good fight, if you will.
I do not believe I or anyone else here is calling for them to be shunned or rejected. However, we also must be careful not to accept the sin out of compassion for the individual.
Peter
By seeking God
Joanne
I would suggest that they get with a good therapist to discover childhood experiences that probably changed their orientation, since I believe that it’s nurture from traumatic experiences or parental influence, not nature, that has caused their trans feelings, @Josiah.