Genesis 1:27 (NKJV) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them.
Because God is our creator, we must always return to the Bible to bring clarity to the issues of gender confusion and homosexuality. God made Adam and Eve to be partners for life. The Bible starts with a marriage between a man and a woman and ends with the church being the bride of Christ in the Book of Revelation. It is always about a man and a woman, so there is absolute gender clarity in God’s creation. Transgender happens because we live in a fallen world. Also contributing to it is the fact that many post-Christian countries have abandoned the Bible in schools, and within the family unit, parents have left the Lord, so that there is no longer any moral bearing in society.
God is a God of order, and not a creator of confusion, nor is He confused. God purposely created distinctive differences between male and female, such that the gender can be identified in the womb long before the sex of a baby is declared at birth by the doctor. Sadly, these days, children are open to gender fluidity, being agender, can choose their sexual orientation, and allowed to cross-dress even when they go to school. In fact, cross-dressing is mentioned in the Bible as an abomination in the eyes of the Lord, because God clearly created male and female.
Deuteronomy 22:5 (NKJV) “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.
Some families might be facing challenges from their children who are advocates of the belief that one should be able to choose their gender orientation, and even become agender, choosing to be male or female depending on their mood that day. It is an identity crisis.
Those who struggle with gender confusion will also experience feelings towards the same sex. Unsure whether it is sexual desire or just a liking towards the other person, they will feel distressed because it is unnatural. Their confusion will only deepen when there is advocacy of finding out who you really are in terms of your gender based on your feelings. That’s how the idea of being a transgender or same sex relationships begin for those who lack the right guidance in the process. Some may even choose to hide their sexuality, continue with a normal marriage while struggling with those unnatural desires.
We need to know that the Bible holds all the answers because not only is it a yardstick of what is right and wrong when it comes to gender issues and sexuality, but it is also a guide for dealing with our feelings or emotions. It helps us to live out the redemption realities, which include our identity in Christ and the truth that we can overcome these feelings and inclinations that are wrong through His empowerment.
上帝造男造女
创世纪1:27 神就照着自己的形像造人，乃是照着他的形像造男造女。
因为上帝是我们的创造者，所以我们必须时时回到圣经中来澄清性别混淆和同性恋的问题。上帝让亚当和夏娃成为终生伴侣。《圣经》以一男一女的婚姻开始，在《启示录》中以教会成为基督的新娘结束。它总是关于一个男人和一个女人，所以在上帝的创造中有绝对的性别明确。变性人的出现是因为我们生活在一个堕落的世界。另一个原因是，许多后基督教国家在学校里抛却了圣经，在家庭中，父母也离开了主，因此社会不再有任何道德负担。
上帝是有秩序的上帝，不是混乱的创造者，祂也不糊涂。上帝故意创造了男性和女性之间的明显差异，乃至于不用等到由医生在出生那一刻来宣布，而是早在胎儿时期就能被识别。可悲的是，如今的孩子们对性别流动持开放态度，作为无性别人士，他们可以选择自己的性取向，甚至在去学校时也可以变装。事实上，《圣经》中提到，变装在上帝眼中是可憎的，因为上帝明确无误地创造了男性和女性。
申命记22:5 “ 妇女不可穿戴男子所穿戴的；男子也不可穿妇女的衣服，因为这样行都是耶和华你 神所憎恶的。
一些家庭可能会面临来自子女的挑战，孩子们主张一个人应该能够选择自己的性别取向，甚至成为无性别者，根据当天的心情选择作男人或作女人。这是一场身份危机。
那些在性别困惑中挣扎的人也会经历对同性产生感觉。不确定这是性欲还是只是喜欢对方，他们会感到痛苦，因为这是不自然的。当有人主张根据你的感觉来找出你真正的性别时，这种困惑只会加深。对于那些在这个过程中缺乏正确指导的人来说，成为跨性别者或同性关系的想法就是这样开始的。有些人甚至会选择隐藏自己的性取向，继续正常的婚姻生活，同时与那些不自然的欲望作斗争。
我们需要知道，圣经包含了所有的答案，因为它不仅是一个衡量性别问题和性行为对错的标准，而且也是一个处理我们的感觉或情绪的指南。它帮助我们活出救赎的现实，包括我们在基督里的身份，并活出一个真理，那就是我们可以通过祂的赋能克服这些错误的感觉和倾向。
Sermon Series: Natural or Unnatural? (PART 1 Gender Confusion)
Image source: pixabay.com