The subject of gender identity has become one of the most hotly debated topics in today’s culture. Can a person “identify” as the opposite gender if they feel that is their true identity? Does a transgender individual have to medically transition before identifying as the opposite sex? How will this affect women’s protected spaces, like bathrooms, locker rooms, and jails? Is it fair to allow transgender individuals to compete against biological women? These are just a handful of the questions that are discussed in the media regarding gender identity, and they don’t even include the other 103 genders that are supposedly out there.[1]
According to the State of Theology survey conducted by Ligonier Ministries in 2022, forty-two percent of Americans believe that gender identity is simply a matter of choice. This is probably not a surprising number, as the acceptance and approval of the transgender movement are higher than ever before in our secular society. However, what may be surprising is the large number of Evangelicals who also agree with this claim. According to the same survey, about thirty-seven percent of people with Evangelical beliefs agree that someone’s gender identity is their own personal choice.[2]
This percentage is staggering. About one third of professing Evangelical Christians believe that one’s gender identity is based on their feelings rather than their body. This is a radically unbiblical belief, and if we’re not careful, it will continue to pervade and infiltrate churches all over America. When evaluating our answer to this question, we must rely on what the Bible teaches rather than what the world or our own feelings tell us.
So, let’s answer it. Is gender identity a matter of choice?
The concept of gender makes its first appearance in Scripture in the very first chapter of the Bible. It says,
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27, ESV
This is happening on the sixth day of creation. God creates the livestock, the creeping things, and the beasts of the earth. And then He creates human beings—both male and female. This verse reveals that both men and women are equal the sight of God. They are created in the imago Dei—the image of God—which means their lives have an inherent value, dignity, and worth as God’s representatives on earth.
However, this does not at all mean that men and women are essentially the same or are somehow interchangeable. By no means! Throughout Scripture, we can clearly see that both genders have specific roles and responsibilities both in the church and the home (Ephesians 5:22-33 and Titus 2:2-6 are great passages to explore concerning this!). Also, when looking at the male and female bodies, it is quite clear that God created us to be different from each other. There are things that men’s bodies do that women’s bodies will never be able to do, and there are things that women’s bodies do that men’s bodies will never be able to do. Whether we’re examining differences in roles or biological traits, it’s evident that men and women were created to be complementary to each other.
“Though both sexes bear God’s image fully on their own, each does so in a unique and distinct way.”[3]
God created us—male and female. Different, yet equal. And this was not a one-time creation event. Each and every human being who has ever walked this earth was purposefully created and designed by God as male or female. David so beautifully writes in the psalms,
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:13-16
God forms us, knits us together, makes our bodies, and weaves together the strands of our DNA while we’re in our mothers’ wombs. He has written and ordained all of our days, all of the details of our lives—including our genders—before we are even born. And because our God is omniscient and sovereign, we can trust that He never makes mistakes.
Let’s review the biblical truths we’ve covered here. God created human beings with two genders—male and female. While both genders are created equally in the image of God, they are distinct from each other and play different roles in society. God made each of us as either male or female in the womb, and this divine creative act cannot yield mistakes, accidents, or errors. When we examine all of this, we can be sure the Bible teaches that gender identity is not simply a matter of choice. Our gender is given to us by God for a good and perfect purpose—to bring Him glory.
Some may argue that you can’t make this claim since the Bible never directly condemns transgenderism. But we have to remember that people in ancient times didn’t have access to modern medicine like we do today. They couldn’t get surgery to add or remove certain body parts, and they couldn’t receive hormone therapy to make themselves more masculine or feminine. Therefore, there was no need to condemn practices that weren’t happening. However, similar confusions regarding sex and gender, like homosexuality and transvestism, did occur in ancient times and were directly condemned as sin in the Bible (Leviticus 20:13, Deuteronomy 22:5, 1 Corinthians 6:9).
Others may argue that this stance doesn’t seem very loving towards people experiencing gender dysphoria, and isn’t God a God of love? Yes, God is love, and that means He determines what love means (1 John 4:7-8). Love is not just being nice to someone and telling them what they want to hear. Love is not affirming a person’s lifestyle that goes against the teachings of Scripture. Saying that gender identity is a matter of choice and that it’s okay to transition to the opposite gender are lies from the devil that will drag someone further away from God and closer to hell. True love is speaking the truth, sharing the gospel, and letting those who are struggling know about the hope and peace they can find in Christ.
“[Love] does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” 1 Corinthians 13:6
[1] I literally found a website that lists all 105 gender identities as of 2023. I don’t want to post the website here because I don’t want to give them any more attention or clicks, but trust me—there was a whole litany of supposed gender identities, many of which I’ve never heard of before.
[2] “Key Findings,” The State of Theology, accessed May 9, 2023, https://thestateoftheology.com.
[3] Mary Kassian, “Complementarianism for Dummies,” last modified September 4, 2012, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/complementarianism-for-dummies/.
