10 Things Christians Should Do in the Battle over Transgender and Pride Issues

How Believers Can Influence the Current Tug of War in our Culture

We are in an interesting time now where some Transgender and sexual identity legislation is making advances in places like Washington state but it’s on the decline in some hospitals, states and nations. We see support increasing for detransition care in psychotherapy and medicine as well as legislation limiting sex reassignment surgeries for minors. While in the NBA, It appears that a professional basketball player has lost his place on his team due to outspoken Christian beliefs about LGBTQIA issues. It’s like we are in a tug of war over this issue in American culture.

Where it seemed that the historic Christian view of sexuality had lost the culture war, Christian beliefs have experienced a rebound and we are at a pivotal place in culture. This is an important time for Christians to pray and act as God leads us in our places of influence. Critical gender theory and critical sex theory are starting to lose ground in some places. The number of young people identifying as Trans has declined by almost fifty percent in the last couple of years. Here are ten ways that Christians can seize this moment to make a difference in our world through grace and truth.

Photo by James A. Molnar on Unsplash

1. Pray.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Christian believes that cultural and moral battles are primarily spiritual battles and that prayer is our mightiest weapon. Prayer positions our heart properly before God. But prayer not only allows our heart to find its proper posture, prayer is powerful and effective.

2. No compromise Bible study.

“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” ‭‭Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In every generation Christians are faced with the choice to contend for the faith as it was once delivered to us or to reshape our faith by the popular trends of culture. We must be diligent to study the Scriptures in a way that challenges our own ideas and our cultural beliefs. There are many attempts to reinterpret the Bible by new psychology and science discoveries. While the science and psych communities have many positive contributions to our society, they are constantly changing and coming up with discoveries that contradict one another. The bedrock of the Bible above all offers truth for the Christian and we must keep being shaped by it in a spirit of no compromise. God’s definition of male and female along with His standards for sexual morality have stood the test of time for thousands of years. We must be shaped by His truth rather than try and reshape it to fit our own modern notions in society.

3. Deal with your own sexual sin.

“You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” ‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

No one likes a hypocrite. If we as Christians are going to lift up our voice against something in the culture we need to let God deal with our own sexual sin such as lust, pornography, adultery, etc. I’ve heard some Christians teach that we should’t speak out against the sin of our culture until the church is free of our own sin. While this is admirable in some respects, Jesus was teaching on a matter of priority. We are to take most seriously our own sin and then help deal with the sin of others.

4. Love people.

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” ‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Everything a Christian does should be governed by a love for God and love for people. We cannot let the culture redefine love to include an endorsement of all behaviors. Christianity has historically been at odds with many cultural practices while also maintaining a posture of love. The Biblical definition of love includes rejoicing in the truth. Love is not rejoicing in evil. We need an uncompromising love for those in the transgender or LGBTQIA community but we are not called to support their beliefs as Christians. Let us be a voice that is speaking the truth in love. If Christians are marginalized over these issues, let it be for our commitment to Christlike values, not because we are mean spirited.

5. Protect children.

““If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Some of the most chilling warnings of Jesus have to do with those that harm children. There is a false compassion movement to give kids gender reassignment surgery and life changing drug treatments believing this will save kids’ lives. Many reports and studies are starting to come out about how quickly children have been given these life altering treatments without an honest attempt to deal with the inner beliefs and feelings of the children. More and more testimonies are coming fourth of sex change regret. Children are not to be offered up as test subjects with these highly dangerous and experimental treatments. Christians are called by love to protect the well being of children.

6. Teach.

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Christians, and especially Christian parents, need to teach the Word of God and the ways of God to their children. Parents are to be the primary disciple-makers of their children. We need to regularly discuss with our children the things they are hearing about at school, from peers and on social media. Then we can find Scripture that helps give them understanding about the cultural issues that we face. Christian children need to understand how God’s Word applies to every area of life and promotes true freedom as well as human flourishing.

7. Vote.

“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” ‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We don’t live in a county in the USA with a king. We live in a constitutional republic and we get to affect the outcome of our public policy by voting. We are called to honor our elected authorities as Christians but we are ruled more by a document (The US Constitution) than we are by our politicians. We have been given a right to vote and in one way, we honor our government by our participation in voting. If we keep voting in people that disregard families, the health of our children and Christian values then we will keep getting these results. Register to vote and use your God given governmental authority as a citizen to vote.

8. Advocate for change.

“Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.”’ Nehemiah‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Nehemiah was a man of prayer, but his prayer motivated him to advocate for change according to God’s purposes. He did not only pray, he also went to the king to ask for help according to his cause. Christians need to advocate for change by running for office, getting on school boards, calling and writing government officials, fostering and adopting children, becoming lawyers and volunteering in the community.

9. Tell the Gospel stories.

“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NIV

Christianity is full of people who were once broken in their identity, morality and sexuality. But through the glorious gospel of Jesus are now washed, sanctified and justified. We need to give hope to people who are trapped in confusion and darkness that Jesus can remake and renew people. The real change that Jesus brings has been a subject of legislation and threats. But we must not backdown in believing that the gospel of Jesus can heal and redeem people in their sexuality. We need to tell the true stories of change that testify of God’s love and power to bring real transformation.

10. Create. Create. Create.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”’ Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

We are called to make disciples of all nations as Christians. One of the ways we disciple people is by the resources we create. We need Christians to create social media channels, testimony videos, children’s television programming, books, articles and more. When desire to see the world impacted by Christian ideals, we need to fill the world with truth from God’s Word.