Article - Sex Changes & Scriptures
There was a time when Bruce Jenner was a household name synonymous with masculine athleticism and Olympic triumphs. Wikipedia records that Jenner was
"a former college football player, who came to international attention as a decathlete, winning the gold medal in the men's decathlon event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, setting a world record not beaten until 1980. With the unofficial title of 'world's greatest athlete' for the Olympic decathlon win, Jenner became 'an American hero' by winning an event dominated by Soviet Union athletes during the Cold War."
How things have changed now! How could such an athletic and heroic man desire to change his gender to a woman? And, more importantly, what do the Scriptures say about such actions as these? Let's turn our attention to the Bible and let God's voice speak on this matter.
The Scriptures clearly infer that a sex change is sinful behavior. From the very beginning, God created mankind to be distinctly male and female (Genesis 1:27). Scripture says,
"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27).
When a man fantasizes about being a woman and even has surgery to try and become a female he is rebelling against the Creator Himself. Under the Old Testament, God clearly stated His opposition to one gender trying to imitate the opposite gender. Deuteronomy 22:5 records,
"A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God."
In the New Testament a lack of gender distinction is also condemned (see 1 Corinthians 11:14-15). Jenner mutilating his body in an attempt to become a woman does not make him a woman anymore than surgically changing my face to look like Elvis makes me Elvis. Furthermore, anyone who has sexual relations with Bruce Jenner or anyone else who has had a sex change is actually committing homosexuality. Of this wicked behavior the Scripture says,
"For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due" (Romans 1:26-27).
The Scriptures teach that those who continue in this sinful behavior will not go to Heaven unless they repent (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
This behavior is also a defilement of the perfect creation of God—man and woman. It is God who decides our gender in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16), and to change that is to reject God's perfect plan for us. The Word of God says,
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you..." (Jeremiah 1:5).
Since it is God who forms man and decides his gender in the womb (Isaiah 44:2, 24), any change to that is in defiance of God's ultimate plan for every individual. If God creates a person as a man, then his responsibility is to live within that gender and to bring God the glory He deserves with his life. Sex changes and the homosexual lifestyle are not in line with the will of Almighty God. They are a perversion of God's perfect design and rebellion against His will for our lives.
We then come full circle and consider the recent attempted change of Bruce Jenner to Caitlyn Jenner. The media has latched on to this like it's the next best thing since sliced bread. People everywhere seem to be applauding this as a great expression of one's true identity. And, you can be sure that the Devil and all his angels in Hell are standing around applauding man's ultimate foolishness and sin which breaks the heart of God (Ezekiel 6:9). Let's realize that although multiple surgeries and thousands of dollars have been put forth in the endeavor to turn Bruce to Caitlyn, he will always be Bruce because that's the way God made him. It's not possible to change the true identity of God's creation. Instead of trying to change our exterior, what God really wants is for man to change his heart and will to match God's will (Joel 2:28). In times like these God needs His people to boldly stand up and be heard on subjects like these (Galatians 4:16). May Christians everywhere condemn these sinful actions and oppose this lifestyle vehemently (Jude 3)!
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