The Bible teaches that God created humanity male and female, both made in his image and equal in worth, and he called his design very good. Our sex is part of how God made us from conception, not a feeling we choose. Scripture calls us to trust God’s design over our own hearts, and to speak this truth with compassion for anyone struggling with their identity.
A New Question for a New Generation
Our grandparents rarely faced questions like these: Are there only two genders? Is gender just a social construct? Can I change my gender if I don’t feel like the gender I was born as? Today these questions are everywhere, and our kids hear about them daily.
For Christians, the starting point is God’s Word.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Scripture teaches us what is true and corrects us when we’re wrong. That includes the topic of gender.
God Created Them Male and Female
In the beginning, before sin entered the world, God created two distinct sexes.
Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Men and women are both made in God’s image. They have equal worth and dignity, but they are not the same. They complement one another. God’s command to “be fruitful and increase in number” (Genesis 1:28) could only be fulfilled through two distinct sexes. Jesus affirmed the same design: “at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’” (Matthew 19:4).
The Differences Are Very Good
At the end of each day of creation, God called his work good. After he created humanity, male and female, he called it very good.
Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
The differences between men and women are part of what made creation very good. Researchers like psychologist Diane Halpern and neuroscientist Larry Cahill have documented real, measurable differences between male and female brains. Of course, not every difference is about gender. Personality plays a role too. But the distinctions God built into men and women should be celebrated, not diminished.
God Made You on Purpose
A baby’s sex is determined by chromosomes at conception. Even before that, God had a plan for each of us.
Psalm 139:13-14 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
If you’re struggling with gender identity, you need to know this: God made you fearfully and wonderfully. He saw you before you were born, and he has a purpose for your life. You are deeply loved.
Trusting God over Our Feelings
Our culture says, “Follow your heart.” But the Bible warns that our hearts can lead us astray.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Feelings are real, but they aren’t always reliable guides. When we trust our feelings over what God has declared to be true, we’re saying we know better than the God who created us. We wouldn’t accept that reasoning in other areas, like stealing because we feel we deserve something or abandoning a marriage because we no longer feel in love. God’s design isn’t meant to restrict us. It’s meant to lead us to life.
The Old Testament even addressed how men and women present themselves (Deuteronomy 22:5). The point wasn’t about specific clothing styles, which vary by culture. It was about honoring the distinction God built into men and women.
Speak the Truth in Love
Why does this matter? Because love and truth go together.
1 Corinthians 13:6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
When we truly love someone, we want them to know the truth. That means speaking it with grace and compassion, but also without shame. God also calls us to protect the vulnerable (James 1:27). Today many kids are being pushed toward irreversible decisions about their bodies at an age when they can’t legally drive or vote.
Parents, engage your children on this topic. They’re hearing about it constantly from culture, social media, and friends. If you don’t disciple them, the world will. For help, read How Do You Talk to Your Teens about Sexuality and Gender? and 3 Lenses to View Gender Dysphoria.
The Takeaway
God created humanity male and female, equal in worth and different by design, and he called it very good. Our sex is part of his plan for us from conception, so we trust his Word over our feelings. As followers of Jesus, we speak this truth with grace and courage, and we love and protect those who are struggling.
