The questions at the heart of this article considering transgenderism are, “Who are we as human beings?” and, “Does it matter?” The answer to both questions is clear from Genesis 1-2. The Lord made Adam from the dust and made Eve from Adam’s rib. So, the answer from a biblical standpoint about who we are and why it matters is crystal clear from the Scripture. But when confronted with the matter of transgenderism the waters become mirky for many people. They wonder, “Is that really what Scripture says in Genesis?” And this question is often followed up with, “Can I trust the Bible?”

We need to understand that our culture has a viewpoint and that viewpoint stands opposed to the Bible. Romans 1 clearly explains that men love the creation rather than the Creator. At some point in the sovereign determination of the Lord, Romans 1 teaches that He will give some people over to their sin. Do we know when that is? No. Does God? Yes!

We see the matter of transgenderism facing the Church in the news almost every single night. From the push for kids in our schools to become what they aren’t (boys becoming girls and girls becoming boys), to transgenderism being pushed from the pulpit, this is a matter that will not go away anytime soon. But why? Because Romans 1 and other biblical texts are clear: when men love darkness, they will pursue it at any cost, apart from the Lord, and in open defiance against Him.

What is being offered in the transgenderism revolution is another religion that aims to counter the biblical and sexual ethic of the Scriptures. We have seen this attempt now for the last 50+ years with the sexual revolution—an attempt by the forces of darkness to strip the Church of a core message: that a man is a man, and a woman is a woman. We have seen this with feminism, with social justice, with toxic masculinity, with homosexuality, and now with transgenderism.

The Lord has something to say about all of this. He has spoken finally and fully in His Word about who and what man is, and what mankind is to do. The Lord created man out of the dust and made man in His image and likeness. He caused Adam to fall asleep and then took a rib from Adam’s side to make Eve. The thing that is made clear in the Genesis narrative is the story of humanity.

We see how we are made in the image and likeness of God, and how the Lord assigns our gender at the moment of conception. So, the idea that transgenderism is biblically true is refuted by God Himself through the Genesis 1-2 narrative. God created a man to be a man, and a woman to be a woman. Unfortunately, however, one of the fruits of the Fall of mankind in Genesis 3 is the sexual revolution.

From the Nashville shooter situation earlier in 2023, to how kids in our schools are being educated on the matter of transgenderism, the topic under consideration is one of lasting importance. What the transgenderism radicalists want is for this concept (of transgenderism) to be normalized, and the idea that people are made in the image of God be replaced by the erroneous view that humans can be whatever they want themselves to be. To put it another way they want transgenderism normalized in society and everyone who opposes them to be silenced.

It’s always interesting to notice how the more a culture navigates away from the Bible and its foundation of biblical, absolute truth, the more its morals and grasp on reality are lost. What we are witnessing in this age is a total devaluing of the image of God in man, particularly within the concept of transgenderism.

And yet, in His Word, the Lord offers hope: yes, the image of God was marred at the Fall, but it can be restored by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. What transgenderism offers is a sinful way of seeing the world, where men and women are not stationary within themselves. In transgenderism, people can exchange their genders for whatever they want, whenever they want, like exchanging goods at a store if the first one wasn’t as seemingly desirable as option two. The problem is that our gender cannot be “exchanged”. We were made a certain way, to function in a specific way, as consistent with the gender we were given by the Lord God at conception.

So, what should we, as Christians, do about this topic of transgenderism? First, we need to be clear about who and what we are as human beings, made in the image and likeness of God. This is vital because men are men down to their DNA, just as women are women. By understanding and acknowledging this fact, we are standing on the truth found in Genesis 1-2, and declaring that this is not merely our personal opinion or a subjective feeling. This is the objective, special revelation of the God who made us, and who assigns us our gender at conception.

Second, we need to not apologize for how the Lord made man and woman, nor do we need to fear what our culture says. Instead, we need to stand firm on the Scriptures and with gentleness and respect say, “This is what God says about you.” God has a clear message about who and what we are, and about our need for Christ. We do not need to apologize for the fact that God has spoken through His Word. We need to declare what the Lord has said.

We need to not be fearful of what others say. Look at the Apostles standing in the public square in Acts 4-5 as an example of this. They boldly declared the glories of Christ, despite persecution from all fronts. Today we have social media, podcasts, and more to declare biblical truth in the public square. The world may try to silence us, but we will not be silent. We must share the truth that the Lord has spoken fully and finally in His Word.

Lastly, as we speak, let’s remember to speak the truth in love and to exercise the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The last thing anyone needs is to be beat over the head with the Bible. Speaking the truth may go a long way, but it goes even further when shared in love. As Christians, we are to be wise as serpents, yet gentle as doves.

Paul commands us in Ephesians 4:15 to speak the truth in love. Love is at the top of the list of the fruits of the Spirit that Paul mentions in Galatians 5:22-23. It was for the sake of the Lord’s love (without compromising the justice of God) that He sent forth Jesus to pay the penalty in our place and for our sin, to be buried, and rise again.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved…” (Ephesians 2:4-5). We need to remember who we were before salvation, so that we will have compassion as we truthfully point sinners to Christ, confronting our culture with the glories of Christ from the Word.

By being clear about who we are and what we are—by not apologizing for what the Lord has said in His Word—and by speaking the truth in love, we will faithfully represent Christ and bring Him glory. In a culture full of confusion about gender roles and sexuality, our job is to be biblically clear on these matters and speak as God has spoken, living as He intends, by His grace and for His glory.