Understanding Gender Dysphoria
Transgender is a term that describes people whose internal sense of gender identity does not correspond with their birth sex. Gender dysphoria is when people have strong, persistent feelings of distress or discomfort with their own biological sex, or an internal sense of being male or female that does not match their biological sex.
Transgenderism is a real and growing phenomenon. In society, there is much debate and confusion about what it means to be male or female. Transgender people can feel trapped in the wrong body, ashamed of their bodies, and misaligned with people of the same biological sex and associated stereotypes. They often feel more internally aligned with their perceptions of the other gender.
Feelings of gender dysphoria can be (but are not always) a result of various sexual attractions, past trauma, or abuse. Distress can be so great that a person may become suicidal, try to transition genders socially by altering names, dress, and appearance, or change physically through puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy, or surgery.
God loves transgender people. He doesn't see them as worse sinners than others; He offers the same redemptive plan to all. His Word transcends time and culture to guide us in all of life—including gender and sexuality. He doesn't make mistakes. God creates each person distinctly male or female for a purpose. Any sexual expression outside of God's design is destructive. If we align with His design and follow His will despite our struggles and cultural pressures, He will transform us to reflect His image and we will find peace and joy.
Setting the Record Straight
There is much confusion and conflicting messages about gender dysphoria. Here are critical truths to understand:
God Loves Transgender People
God so loves transgender people and anyone with gender dysphoria that He sacrificed His only Son to make a way for them to be redeemed and restored to an intimate relationship with Him (John 3:16). Christ gives new life to all who trust in Him (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
Christians Can Struggle with Gender Dysphoria
Many Christians with gender dysphoria faithfully and joyfully surrender their sexuality to God's design (1 Corinthians 10:13, John 10:10). You can be a Christian and experience gender dysphoria while choosing obedience to God's design.
Feelings Are Real But Not Always Reliable
Because of Adam and Eve's sin, we've all inherited sinful natures with desires contrary to God's design (Romans 7:14-18). Healthy sexuality and gender identity are determined by our Designer, not by our desires (Psalm 19:7-11). We should try to understand our feelings, but we should not always follow them.
You're Not Denying Your Identity by Following God
We are so much more than our sexual feelings and desires. God designed each of us for a specific purpose to reflect His image and glory. Through Christ, God offers you a new identity as His child—forgiven, righteous, and clean. Christ's blood determines a Christian's identity and value (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
The Bible Affirms Binary Gender Categories
Though masculinity and femininity are expressed in diverse ways in the Bible, male and female are distinct, complementary, and essential to God's plan (Genesis 1:27, 2:18-22). They are not identical or interchangeable. We are instructed not to practice opposite-sex expressions (Leviticus 18:22, Deuteronomy 22:5, 1 Corinthians 11:14-15), but to glorify God with our bodies as He designed them.
Important Note About Medical Treatments
The best scientific studies of gender transition treatments and surgeries reveal that they do not significantly improve long-term quality of life. Studies even show that suicide rates for those who transition are much greater than their peers. This is an important reality to consider as you evaluate your options and seek truth about what will truly bring lasting peace and healing.
Biblical Insights on Identity and God's Design
God Loves You and Wants What's Best for You
God loves you and has your best interests in mind. You matter to God. He created you for purpose and set eternity in your heart. No earthly relationship, change of identity, or body transformation will satisfy you. Only God's perfect and true love can satisfy you. His instructions lead to life.
"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
— Psalm 16:11
Sexual Expression Outside God's Design Is Condemned
Living out your sexuality in ways other than God's design is condemned in both Old and New Testaments. God's design is clear, consistent, and unchanging throughout Scripture.
"You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."
— Leviticus 18:22
"They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another..."
— Romans 1:25-27
"A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God."
— Deuteronomy 22:5
It's Your Mind That Needs to Be Transformed, Not Your Body
God can make you new. By the Holy Spirit, He can renew your mind and transform you to be more like Jesus. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and you are called to glorify God in your body as He designed it.
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
— 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
— Romans 12:2
Self-Denial and Following Christ Lead to True Life
Self-denial is not encouraged by culture, but Christ says we must deny ourselves and follow Him to truly live. Society tells us to transform our bodies and conform our minds to our desires. Jesus calls us to follow Him and let God transform our hearts and minds to conform every area of life to His will.
"If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?"
— Jesus Christ, Luke 9:23-25
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
— Jesus Christ, Matthew 11:28-29
Truth Spoken in Love Is Never Hateful
It is loving, not hateful, to refrain from supporting someone living outside of God's intended design and to kindly tell the truth about sin. God's Word may be challenging, but it is always motivated by love.
"[Love] does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth."
— 1 Corinthians 13:6
God Will Give You a Glorified, Eternal Body
If you have already permanently harmed your body through surgeries or other means, God still loves you and won't reject you. God will one day give Christians new eternal bodies that reflect His glory. Your earthly body is temporary; your eternal identity in Christ is forever.
"For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality."
— 1 Corinthians 15:52-53
Next Steps Toward Healing and Wholeness
- God loves you and made you in His image. Ask Christ to heal you spiritually and establish a personal relationship with Him (Romans 10:13). Let Him define your identity, not your feelings.
- Be honest with God about your feelings. Don't suppress them, but don't be ruled by them either. Ask Him to renew your mind through His Word to understand His purpose in how He designed you (Romans 12:1-2).
- Balance the many voices affirming gender transition with studies and stories of those who regret transitioning. Don't let cultural pressure override truth and scientific evidence about long-term outcomes.
- If you are deeply depressed or distressed, please seek medical help from a Christian medical professional who understands both your emotional struggles and God's biblical design for sexuality and gender.
- If you are having suicidal thoughts and have a plan to take your life, please call 911 immediately or go to your nearest emergency room. Your life is precious to God, and He has a purpose for you.
- Find mature Christians and a support group where you can be known and loved and explore any underlying struggles (Titus 3:3-7). Community support is essential as you work through gender dysphoria.
- Study God's design for gender and sexuality in Scripture. Read Genesis 1-2, understand God's intentional creation of male and female, and see how this design reflects God's glory and purposes.
- Trust that God's plan for you is better than what culture promises. As you surrender your gender identity to God and allow Him to renew your mind, you will experience peace, purpose, and wholeness that no physical change could provide.
Your True Identity in Christ
If you have been struggling with gender dysphoria—if you've felt trapped in your own body, confused about your identity, and pressured by culture to transform yourself into something you were never meant to be—know that God sees you, God loves you, and God has a better way. Your gender dysphoria is real, and your pain is valid. But the solution to your pain is not found in body modification; it's found in mind transformation through Christ. Thousands of people who once experienced gender dysphoria have discovered freedom, peace, and authentic identity through surrender to God's design. They have learned that their bodies are not mistakes, their feelings are not the ultimate truth, and their identity is secure in Christ, not in their own perception. The path of obedience to God's design for gender is not easy—culture screams a different message, and your feelings may pull you in another direction. But Jesus promises that if you deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him, you will find life—real, abundant, eternal life. Your identity is not determined by how you feel about your body. You are determined by what Christ did for you on the cross. You are loved. You are valued. You are whole in Him. If you are struggling, reach out today. Tell someone. Find a church. Connect with mature Christians. Seek professional help. And allow Jesus to give you a new identity—one that is secure, true, and eternal. That is where true peace is found.