Homosexuality, Transgenderism & Related Issues

For the last twenty-five years, I have established relationships with Christian men for the purposes of confessing our sins to one another, encouraging one another to pursue personal holiness, and praying for one another. For example, while I was in seminary, I developed a friendship with a man who was also studying to go into ministry. As single Christian men, we knew this verse well: “For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you keep away from sexual immorality” (1 Thess. 4:3). And we also knew that God wanted us to pursue sexual fulfillment only within the context of marriage—defined by God as one man and one woman who join their lives together, and thereby begin a family of their own (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 3:14–15; Heb. 13:4). My friend regularly confessed that he struggled with homosexual lust, while I confessed that I struggled with heterosexual lust. Both of us needed and still need the grace of God in our lives.

Back then and now, I affirm these truths:

  • There is one true God who speaks to us in the Bible.

  • All human beings fall short of God’s moral standards, whether through pride, greed, drunkenness, heterosexual sin, or homosexual sin.

  • Jesus’s perfect life, death, and resurrection (taken together) is the only way that sinful human beings can avoid condemnation and be reconciled to God.

  • To enter a relationship with God, we must turn from our sins and trust in Jesus Christ.

  • Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we align ourselves with God’s will as revealed in the Bible.

These truths provide the context for how Christians think about homosexuality, transgenderism, and related issues. And each of the resources below does an excellent job representing what the Bible teaches about these topics.

The Nashville Statement. The clearest, most concise explanation of what the Bible teaches about sexuality.

Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Hill Perry (1): The author shares her journey by which she turned from homosexuality to God himself. Supernatural authenticity and wisdom.

Same-Sex Attraction and the Church by Ed Shaw (2): Is it a reasonable, plausible alternative for those who have same-sex attraction to choose a celibate life? The author argues that it is, debunking nine myths or missteps along the way.

*Is God Anti-Gay? by Sam Allberry (2): A highly-accessible book that addresses homosexuality and same-sex attraction from a biblical perspective.

Transgender by Vaughan Roberts (2): The author addresses transgenderism within the context of the Christian worldview, including creation, sin, and redemption in Jesus Christ.

*Transforming Homosexuality by Denny Burk & Heath Lambert (2): In addition to answering common questions about same-sex attraction, the authors outline a path to change.

God and the Transgender Debate by Andrew T. Walker (2): The author addresses the topic of gender identity from a biblical perspective with great balance and wisdom. I particularly appreciated his insights on how we can talk to children about this topic (chapter 11) and how we answer tough questions (chapter 12).

*What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? by Kevin DeYoung (3 or 4): One of the church’s best thinkers addresses homosexuality from two perspectives: (1) understanding God’s Word on the subject and (2) answering objections to the Bible’s teaching.