There are Christian churches and organizations that are adopting this man created statement “Rejection of your biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within in you” as part of their teachings and doctrine. This is a truly harmful statement that is NOT scriptural, there is no verse in the Bible that says this. “Godly” people, using “scriptural truths”, created this statement but that does not make this statement true.
The Bible also says “4 Any man who prays or prophesies with something on his head disgraces his head, 5 but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled disgraces her head—it is one and the same thing as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman will not veil herself, then she should cut off her hair; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or to be shaved, she should wear a veil. 7 For a man ought not to have his head veiled, since he is the image and reflection of God; but woman is the reflection of man.” 1 Corinthians 11:4-7
So what comes next – “Any woman who rejects having her hair covered while praying is rejecting the image of God within her” or “Any man who says a prayer with a cap on his head while praying is rejecting the image of God within him?” Would you be okay with someone walking up to your child or someone you love and that person telling your loved one they are rejecting the image of God within them? How do you think a child or anyone would feel hearing or reading that? Would it make them feel afraid? Would it make them feel unloved? Would it make them question God? Why would any CHRIST CENTERED ministry tell a child they are “rejecting the image of God within them”? How does this statement reflect the Gospel? How does it reflect Christ?
How can a Christian who follows Christ and knows the Gospel (the Good News – Jesus loves us and died to save us) use a man or woman created statement that is the equivalent of saying to a child “you are going to hell” and think that statement is “helping” the child because if you are choosing to say it for this, what is stopping you from adding in anything else you feel like – you lied, you failed, you did this, you did that or you didn’t cover your hair while you prayed. And that part about covering or not covering your hair while praying and some other verses that are often used against groups of people are not in the original texts – these statements were added to later Bible translations. As a Christian, if you truly believe this human created rejection statement is okay then you need to apply it across the board to everyone and not pick and choose what suits you like the Pharisees did. You should look at Proverbs 6:16-19 to make sure you are condemning everyone because ALL OF US HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT.
THERE IS NO BIBLE VERSE THAT SAYS “”Rejection of your biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within in you” but Jesus does warn those who would say things like this to children in Matthew 18:6 when He says: “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
To the woman caught in adultery our Savior said “neither do I condemn you” AFTER He told the self-righteous, scripture quoting Pharisees that the one who was without sin should cast the first stone. Hmm, were any of those Bible scholars without sin so they could kill her? To the Samaritan woman at the well living in adultery that Jesus went out of His way to speak to He says “true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.’ The woman said to Him, ‘I know that the Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will proclaim all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I Am He, the one who is speaking to you.’
Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah to this woman who was with a man who was not her husband. Jesus knows she is living in adultery but He does not chastise her or admonish her or condemn her. He compliments her, He tells her she has spoken truly and then Jesus tells her “I Am, He” and she becomes the first evangelist. She leaves her water jug to go tell everyone in her village, even the ones who have spoken against her and hurt her, “COME, SEE THE ONE WHO KNOWS ALL ABOUT ME”- do you think she would have done that if Jesus had said to her “you committed adultery so you rejected the image of God within you” instead?
Example after example after example after example after example in the Gospels confirms we have a loving Father and Savior. When Jesus speaks He says “Be cleansed,” “Be healed,” “My peace I give you,” “I am the door, if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved,” “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” “I Am the Bread of Life,” “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,” “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die”…
We are all sinners. We have ALL sinned and fallen short. There are NONE righteous. These are Bible verses. These are “scriptural truths” and so is this Ephesians 2: “4 But God, being rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with Him, and made us to sit with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; 8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, that no one would boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works”
Jesus was beaten, He was spit on, He was scourged, and then He allowed Himself to be nailed to the Cross. Jesus took ALL of our sins, on Himself, and then He hung on the Cross and bore the full wrath of God for each and every of our sins. He traded places with us so that not only are we completely forgiven, we are the righteousness of God in Christ. It is not what you do, it is what He has already done for you. We are transformed by beholding Jesus, not by condemning others.
Live life loved by the One who knows you, who is always faithful, who will never leave you or forsake you, who loves you perfectly. Amen.