WHAT ABOUT TRANSGENDER?
I want to talk today about a subject that we all know is a difficult issue in our nation today. We are continuing in our series Choose Life and I want to look at the issue of the transgender movement. Back in 2012 the words gender identity and gender expression were added to Ontario’s Human Rights Code. Ontario was the first province or state in North America to do this.
Then in 2012 there was Bill 13 which compelled public schools to have gay-straight alliances and demanded that schools combat ‘homophobia’ and ‘transphobia.’
In 2015 there was Bill 77 which prohibited particular forms of therapy for minors who were struggling with gender dysphoria (gender confusion) and other aspects of their sexuality. This was against the advice of many physicians and counsellors.
In 2016 there was Bill 28 which removed the term ‘mother’ and ‘father’ from Ontario law, and permits ‘pre-conception agreements’ allowing for unrelated and unmarried people to become parents.
In 2017 there was Bill 89 which can remove kids from parents who reject transgender ideology. Basically it says that the child’s own ‘gender identity and expression’ trumps any other belief or religious system.
This is what society is saying, but what does the bible say on this issue? Once again, the bible is clear;
Deuteronomy 22:5 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.
In the King James version it says that doing this is an abomination. The word in Hebrew is a very strong word, it literally means something that is disgusting. It is the same word used to describe how God views idolatry. So why does God see this as being such an issue? Why does the bible speak against this? Because it goes against the very core of our identity. Because it goes against who God created you to be. I want to talk about 3 things today in terms of identity;
1. Acknowledge the Fact that God has Created You
The bible says that we did not just come about by chance. We are not the result of random selection or billions of years of evolution. We were created by God. When God created the universe and everything in it, he chose to create us last. That is because we are special. We were created in the image of God, meaning that we have an eternal spirit, something that will live on for eternity. God created us male and female. The Bible's foundational statement on sexual orientation and gender identity is found in Genesis;
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Note that this passage introduces God's design for humanity as ‘male’ and ‘female.’ These two categories are not merely descriptive of all humans; they are prescriptive. They are not the two outer ranges, with a gradation between them. They are two categories: male and female. That means that you were created genetically as either a woman having two X chromosomes or as a man having an X and Y chromosome.
God created us this way for a reason. He created the sexes so that both a man and woman are necessary for the process of procreation. He created men and women to be different, to need one another. Jesus reinforces this to us the New Testament;
Matthew 19:4 Haven't you read, he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’”
Because God created gender, it is sacred. It is who we were created to be. It is God’s design for us. What does it mean that our gender is sacred?
I saw a video on YouTube of Ravi Zacharias answering the question of “why are Christians hateful of people who support alternate lifestyles?” He tells the story of a time he was speaking at a University and a reporter asked him a question after the message. She asked “I have a problem with Christianity. They are against racism, but when it come to homosexuality they discriminate against them. How do you explain that?” Ravi said to her that the reason that we believe that discrimination based on ethnically is wrong is because the race and ethnicity of a person is sacred. It is God given so you do not violate it. It is a sacred gift. Likewise, the reason we believe in an absolute in sexuality is because we believe that sexuality is sacred. It is God given. It is a gift, so you do not violate it. He asked her why she believed that race was sacred but sexuality was not.
Sexuality is sacred. Gender is God decided, God given. To say “God created me a woman, but I am really a man” is to say that the sovereign almighty God of eternity made a mistake. If you ever come to a place in your life where your will comes into opposition to God’s will I want to recommend that you tread very lightly. If you ever say “I am right and God is wrong” guess what, you are wrong. God does not make mistakes. He does not, and He cannot. You can fight against His will or accept it.
What does it mean to fight God’s will? God loves us and has given us the gift of choice but God does not give us the privilege of determining the outcome to what that that choice entails. The consequences are bound to the choice. God created you for a specific purpose, and you get to decide whether or not you will fulfil that purpose. However, you do not get to determine the consequences for not fulfilling that purpose. When we live a life in accordance with who God created you to be the result is satisfaction and joy. When you fight against it the result is always confusion and sorry.
Sexuality is sacred, which means that gender is sacred. God create us to be either male or female. It is who He created you to be. God decides. He created you for a purpose.
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
What does it mean that God created us for a purpose? When someone makes something there is usually a purpose behind it. You don’t simply throw something together and then ask “OK now, what can I use it for”. If you want to make a refrigerator you `start with it’s purpose (to keep things frozen or cold) and then you design everything around that. If you don’t know something’s purpose, it is likely to be abused.
Say you wanted to hang up a picture in your bedroom. You have a nail, but you do not have a hammer. You see an alarm clock sitting there so you use it as a hammer. First, that is not an effective way of hammering in a nail, so there is bound to be frustration. Second, it is really bad for the alarm clock because that is not what alarm clocks are created to do.
Do you want to know why there are so many broken and abused people today? It is because they do not know their purpose. When you don’t know the purpose of something, it is likely to be misused, or abused.
The first step is understanding that God has created you, and that God has created you for a purpose. The goal of life is loving God and discovering the purpose for which you were created.
2. Accept the Form that God has Created You
Understanding that God has created you is one thing, accepting it is another. It is important that we not only understand our purpose but accept it and live our lives according to it. Again, you will never find peace and contentment in life until to use your life the way God created you to use your life.
Romans 9:11-14 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad -- in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls -- she was told, "The older will serve the younger." 13 Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." 14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!
Why did God declare before these kids were even born what their destiny would be? Why didn’t He just let the kids decide for themselves their destiny? Is that really fair? Paul continues…
Romans 9:20-21 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' " 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
The context of this passage is that God has the right to determine how and for what purpose we are created. God gets to determine the course of our lives, not us. Why does God get to determine this? Because He created us. The potter gets to decide what happens to the clay. The potter can use it to make a beautiful vase fit for a palace, or he can use it to make an ashtray. The clay does not get to decide how it is formed. It is the decision of the potter.
I know we all wish we got to decide. I think most people at some level would like to change something about themselves.
Let me show you a picture of myself. You may not recognize me. I took this picture when I was in University. It is a picture of my DNA. We did an assignment where we took one of our cells and arrested it in the process of mitosis and then took a picture of it with a very powerful microscope. This is me, it is my DNA. It is my Twenty Three and Me – my 46 chromosomes.
God created me male. That means I have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. I was born to a family of Irish/English descent so I am white. I inherited my grandfathers height so I am 6’2”, the tallest person in my family. I was born in 1964 which means I am 54 years old. Everyone in my family struggles with high blood pressure and have knees that give out when they get over 60. These are the facts about who I am. These are things that will not, and cannot change.
You add to this the experiences and things that have happened to me in life, things that come about when you live in a fallen and broken world. I had an accident last year with a snow blower that damaged my hand and lost a part of my finger. My hand will never be like it was before. That is a fact that I live with. There are things in life that cannot be changed.
There are things that happen to us in life that we cannot change. If I could change them, would I? If I could take a pill that would restore my hand to perfect working order, would I? Of course I would. If Savanna could take a pill that would grow back her leg, would she? If Sam could take a pill that would completely restore his eyes, would he? If you could take a pill that would make you 20 years younger, would you? For most, probably. However, no such pill exists. You can accept that or you can live a life of regret wishing it were so. You can either spend your life hating who God made you and regretting the things that have happened to you in life, or you can accept them and use them.
There are things in life that cannot change, but there are also some things in life that can be changed. My hair is grey right now, I could dye it if I wanted to. If you want to dye your hair red or blond or purple, you go right ahead. No problem. I take medicine to keep my blood pressure down. I can get a knee replacement if my knees get bad. I wear glasses to help me see better and I could even get lasik eye surgery if I wanted to get rid of my glasses. By Feb I am pasty white so I could go sit in a tanning booth or put on spray tan to make me look like I have been lying in the sun. No problem.
Here is the principle, feel free to change the things about yourself that CAN be changed, but accept the things that CANNOT be changed. Acceptance is important.
John 9:1-3 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
For years I wrestled with this verse. How could God create blindness just so that he could latter heal it? That is not the point. The fact is that we are all born blind and deaf and broken. All of us were born into a world corrupted by sin. That is not God’s fault. God created a perfect world but we chose to corrupt it. We choose to live in fallen world. The good news is that God wants to do a work in our lives. The purpose of our lives is to show the glory of God through what God is able to do in our lives.
John 9:3 (MSG) Jesus said, "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do.
The clay does not tell the potter how it will be formed. The potter shapes the clay according to His own purpose. God can use the clay to make a beautiful vase, or He can use it to make an ashtray. Same clay, different purpose. Ultimately what is important is not WHAT is created but WHO created it. You may feel like God made you an ashtray instead of a vase. We all come into this world broken. We exist to bring glory to God by showing what He can do in and through us. If you feel like God created you an ashtray, then be the very best ashtray for Jesus you can be.
Never forget that Jesus is the author of your faith. No matter who you are. No matter where you have been. No matter what you have done. You have value and worth no matter what the world may try to tell you.
3. Accomplish the Feats for Which God has Created You
The first step is understanding that God created you. The second step is accepting who God created you to be. The third step is using what God has created you for His glory.
God created you for a purpose, but you have to decide if you will accept that purpose or reject it.
One of the things we hear often around this issue is the fact that the suicide rate amongst transgendered people is very high, most studies say around 40%. A recent CBC report said that 65% of transgender youth in Alberta have considered suicide. The media says that this is because of bullying and that this is just one more reason that society and cultural understanding needs to change.
If this were true then you would think that people who are easily identified as transgender would be bullied more and therefore have a much higher suicide rate. People who are further along in the process and can no longer be identified as transgender would be bullied less so they would have a significantly lower suicide rate. However, studies have shown that the suicide rate between people who are identified as transgender and those not identified as transgender are about the same.
So maybe society is not to blame. After all, society has never been more accepting and accommodating to transgender people as it is today. People like Caitlyn Jenner are hailed as heroes. Today, if a person decides they want to be a different sex society says, “go for it, what a heroic choice”. They go on hormone therapy and society says, “yes, follow your dreams.” They go through surgery after surgery and society applauds them for their bravery. You get your sex changed on your drivers licence and people use the correct pronoun to address you. You get everything you want, and yet people are still killing themselves. Why?
What is suicide? We will talk about this more next week, but basically suicide is the result of hopelessness, the belief that the obstacles you face in life are insurmountable and that things will never change. So why is it that, even though people are getting everything that they want, that they are still killing themselves?
Perhaps it is because that, after all the hormones and surgeries, they look at themselves in the mirror and realize that society has lied to them. Our culture says that you can change your sex, but at the end of the day they look at themselves and realize that just looking like something is not the same as being something. Looking like a woman does not make you a woman, anymore than looking like a man makes you a man. At the end of the day, no matter what society says, the guy looks in the mirror and he realizes that after everything he has done he is still just a man in makeup and a dress.
You can believe that you are superman. You can lift weights and have huge muscles. You can wear the suit and the cape. You can believe with all of your heart that you were born on Krypton and you have super powers, but if you try jumping off a building or stopping a speeding bullet, you are going to die. Just looking like something or believing you are something is different than actually being something. You do not combat delusion by wishful thinking and reinforcing a person’s misplaced beliefs, you combat it by truth. You change the person’s thinking.
The world today says that we need to be more loving towards the transgender community, and I think we can all agree with that. The question is, how do you define love? Is it more loving to give an addict drugs or to say, “no more, enough is enough.” I can tell you what the addict thinks. They believe that love means giving them more drugs. They believe that because they are addicts, they cannot help themselves. Love means not doing what is easy but instead doing what is right. It is speaking the truth in love. It is saying “no more, enough is enough.”
If you are transgender and you are coming to this church we want you to know that you are loved. All of us here have our own issues, none of us are perfect. As I have already said, we are all broken people born into a broken world. We all struggle at some level with our identity. Everyone is welcomed here.
We do however have some ground rules. In the foyer there are bathrooms. If you are biologically male, we ask that you use the men’s bathroom. If you are biologically female we ask that you use the women’s bathroom. If you have a problem with that, there is a family bathroom between them that you are free to use.
If you are transgender we love you. We love you enough to speak the truth to you. So what is the truth?
The truth is that God created us male and female. Every cell in your body is hardwired and encoded either male or female. You can try to fight against that, or you can accept it. The more you fight against it, the more you will live your life resisting and fighting the One who created you. The more you accept it and live according to who and what you were created to be, the more peace and significance you will have in your life.
Again, change the things you can and accept the things you can’t.
The daughter of Sonny and Cher, transgender activist and entertainer, Chaz Bono, once said, "There's a gender in your brain and a gender in your body. For 99% of people, those things are in alignment. For transgender people, they're mismatched. That's all it is. It's not complicated, it's not a neurosis. It's a mix-up. It's a birth defect, like a cleft palate."
I would agree with this assessment of the problem. There needs to either be a change in your gender or a change in your thinking. However, I would completely disagree with the solution. Society is trying to tell us that it is impossible to change a person’s mind so that means you have to change their gender. But changing your gender is impossible. Being a man or woman is not just about appearance. It is not something we get to decide. Our biological sex is determined at conception and stamped into every cell of our body. There are at least 6500 genetic differences between men and women. No amount of surgery or hormone treatment or clothing or makeup can or will ever change this. It is not like cleft palate.
Society today says you cannot change you mind so change your gender instead, but that is physically impossible because biological sex is fact. It does not change and cannot change. Instead of changing your gender, why not try changing your thinking? Identity has to do with thinking and feeling. These are things that are not hardwired into us, they can change and do change over time. Thinking and feelings can be factually right or factually wrong. If your thinking does not line up with your gender, than remember the principle. Change the things that can be changed and accept the things that cannot.
Change your thinking. Surrender your will and your future to God.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Acknowledge and accept who God created you to be, and embrace it. Use it to fulfil the plan God has for your life.
