Wednesday, January 24, 2024

BOOK SUMMARY: GOD AND THE TRANSGENDER DEBATE - CHAPTER 7 - A BETTER FUTURE



The question is asked, "What if you are born into a female body, know you are a man, and still want to participate in the traditionally exclusive rite of womanhood (childbirth)? What kind of man are you then?

The answer is, "You don't break free from the effects of the fall (feeling like you are born in the wrong body) by following the course of the fall in your own life and decisions (attempting to transition into another gender).

According to Scripture, anyone struggling with gender-identity issues has hope just like the person who struggles with envy or depression.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. We can become new creations.

As new creations we begin to experience now what we anticipate in the future--a fully restored creation, a time when dysphoria is replaced with euphoria of every kind. As new creations we understand why the world is the way it is and we embrace the One who will fix it all.  Though we live in a fallen world, we walk towards the new world. 


WAITING FOR FREEDOM
Romans 8:18-25 reminds us what is to comes--the restoration of creation and the redemption of our bodies. This is final redemption.  Redemption is the act of being set free. We will be freed completely from bondage and corruption.  This has begun already and will be consummated one day.  Along with the world, we groan because all is not well.  But our groan is not eternal.  We groan with hope. The conditions that give rise to gender-dysphoria will be eradicated. Yet it may be that someone with gender-dysphoria struggles with this their whole life. Final redemption is future not now. 


THINKING CLEARLY
One way to deal with this struggle is to think correctly and clearly.  Romans 8:5-6 teaches that fleshly people think in fleshly ways--the ways and thoughts of the world. Spiritual people think according to the Spirit--the ways and thoughts of God. To set one's mind on the flesh is death.  BUT to set one's mind on the Spirit leads to life and peace.

The Spirit helps us know how to think right even if our feelings tell us otherwise. Thinking according to the Spirit may make life harder because you have to battle the fall and sin instead of running with the flow of it. Romans 12:2 commands us not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  God re-orders how we reason.


A CHANGE OF HEART
In Ezekiel 36:26-27 we have the promise of the New Covenant. God will give us a new heart, a new spirt, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and He'll cause us to walk in His ways.   A heart of stone is one that loves anything more than God. A heart of flesh is one that is alive to God and truly desires to love and obey God.  There's still a struggle with old desires but new desires help us to battle sinful tendencies. 

If someone struggles with gender-dysphoria but is made new in Christ then they'll eventually be able to see things God's ways. The struggle can still be there but it won't define them. Their identity is as a child of God. Scripture will equip us on how to handle wrong feelings and thoughts.  


A BETTER FUTURE FOR OUR BODIES
Revelation 21:1-4 gives us the hope of a new creation. In this new creation we will have new bodies--free from the fall in every way. The former things will pass away.

Philippians 3:20-21 tells us that we are waiting for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He will transform our bodies to be like His glorious body.  

One day all our physical, mental and emotional ailments will be gone. Our thinking will be correct, our emotions will always be right and our bodies will never deal with sickness or death again.  


JESUS IS THE WAY
Read Romans 8:1-4.  In God sending His Son for us. In Christ we are free from the law of sin and death.  Jesus was condemned in our place.  He fulfilled the righteous law of God for us.  If we continue life apart from God and live according to the flesh, all that remains for us is more misery.  We will not receive God's eternal blessing of restoration that enables us to live with Him forever.  Apart from Christ we remain dead in our sin and under the wrath of God. Our tears will not be wiped away.  Resurrection life, found only in Christ, is the cure to every problem we have or will have. Abundant life is found in Him alone.


TRANSFORMATION
One day Christians will experience total transformation. The only hope for any sinner is Christ.  We can tear up God's blueprint and suffer the consequences, or we can yield to Him, trust Him to save us and await final redemption. The perfect life, death and resurrection of Christ is powerful and will delivers us if we turn to Him as Lord and Savior. 

Read Romans 8:18. The present sufferings we experience can't compare to what is coming for us! Let us look to Christ continually.


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