Gender: Sexual Category

God's design for humanity is both profound and purposeful, creating mankind distinctly male and female with unique qualities and roles that reflect His wisdom and creativity. Understanding and embracing our God-given gender is foundational to living a life that honours Him.

God's Intentional Design

God made humans distinctly male and female, with different physical, personality and emotional qualities being suited to special roles in life (Gen 1:27). Meanwhile, in the spiritual dimension all believers are equal in God's eyes (Gal 3:28). There are not differing values in men and women, merely different roles, with each person ultimately accountable to God for his or her own life (Rom 1:12). Every human being is valuable and worthy of respect, created with inherent dignity as image-bearers of the Creator.

Live honourably before God and others

Embracing Our God-Given Identity

To purposefully not embrace your God-given gender both outwardly and internally is not honouring to God. Live your manhood/womanhood by the biblical definition, not by untrustworthy worldly opinions. We should celebrate that God made us who we are including our specific clearly defined sex. Our interaction with other people, both male and female, must always be with respect and dignity, not compromising our standards, and being aware that the sexual realm is one of Satan's favourite means of causing people to fall into major sin.

Be who God made you to be

Thus while it is natural to be attracted to those of the opposite sex, yet it is essential this 'chemistry' is handled correctly with complete integrity, without lustful thoughts and without any physical interaction – except with one's spouse (Mt 5:27-28; 1 Tim 5:1-2).

Understanding Gender Confusion

While we can rejoice in God's good design of creating humanity both male and female, some people struggle with their sexual identity. The LGBTQ+ movement represents a growing cultural shift away from biblical understandings of gender and sexuality, yet Scripture consistently presents a clear design for human sexuality as being between one man and one woman within marriage (Gen 2:24; Mt 19:4-6).

Those who are confused and consider they are born in the wrong body do not have a baseline for this comparison; instead they rely on their feelings, which are generally poor indicators. Gender identity is a person's innermost concept of self – as either male or female, or both, or neither – determined by self-perception rather than God's truth. Same-sex attraction and gender transition are not presented as God's design but rather as expressions of humanity's fallen nature (Rom 1:18-32).

Contributing factors include parents who wished their child were of the opposite sex, childhood abuse, and single parent families affecting impressionable minds. Gender dysphoria describes a sense of unease from a perceived mismatch between biological sex and gender identity, yet the answer is not in sex-change surgery but in making Christ Lord of all, with desires submitted to His ways and allowing the Holy Spirit to change the heart with acceptance of who God made us (Gal 2:20; 1 Pet 4:2).

As Christians, we are called to respond with both truth and grace. We cannot compromise biblical teaching to accommodate cultural trends, yet we must recognise that every person bears God's image and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. The church should be a place where those struggling with same-sex attraction or gender confusion find compassion, support, and the life-transforming power of the gospel, rather than judgment or exclusion (1 Cor 6:9-11).

Pride in one's sexual identity outside of God's design is contrary to His will, reflecting a deeper spiritual issue of self-exaltation rather than humility before God. True fulfillment and identity are found not in embracing sinful desires but in surrendering to Christ and allowing Him to redefine who we are (2 Cor 5:17). For those experiencing these struggles, the biblical response is not to affirm feelings as identity-defining, but to acknowledge them as struggles that can be brought before God. Many believers have found freedom and peace through ongoing repentance, prayer, and community support, with the goal of faithful obedience to God's design despite ongoing struggles (Rom 7:15-25).

Find freedom in Christ

Living life by God's clearly defined sexual designation and principles results in blessing while rebelling entraps people in bondage and unless repented of ends in eternal damnation (Eph 5:5; Jud 1:7; Rev 21:8).

Reflection and Application:

Am I fully embracing and celebrating the gender God created me to be?
How can I show respect and honour to those of the opposite sex in my daily interactions?
Do I need to repent of any thoughts or behaviours that contradict God's design for gender?
How can I compassionately help others who struggle with gender identity while holding to biblical truth?