Video Discription |
If you would like to hear more about how to deal and cope with the guilt, shame, pain, and consequences of sin consider watching or listening to the sermons included below by Dr. Richard Caldwell.
The Wise Response to a Troubled Heart: https://youtu.be/i_s7T5xi71k
A Triumphant Rest for Troubled Souls: https://youtu.be/zytGX77WmZo
The Two Answers for Discouragement: https://youtu.be/ebDl0TPm1xQ
Description:
How do you counsel someone who has undergone all the necessary physical surgeries, etc. to alter their body to that of the opposite sex? Someone who now regrets those choices? Someone who now hates what they have become? How do they now live with what they’ve done? How can they deal with the guilt, shame, and pain that constantly plagues them? In this episode of the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and host, Dr. Josh Philpot discuss these difficult questions related to the aftermath of someone attempting to change their biological gender. The terminology society uses for this process is “transitioning”. However other terms that have been used to describe this identity confusion are transvestite, transsexual, transgender, transgendered, and even just trans. Dr. Caldwell tackles this issue and these questions with truth from God’s Word. He helps us to understand the delusional lie that it is and how someone who was once caught in its deceit is set free in Christ.
Dr. Caldwell begins with a comforting statement of thankfulness; reminding us of the importance of thankfulness. Our minds must be set on the thankfulness of God’s grace that has opened our blind eyes and saved us. Thankfulness that He gave us the ability to realize the madness of trying to change who we are. We don’t determine who we are, God does that. No amount of suppression, repression or surgeries can deny what is true of who God made us to be. We must realize this very basic truth: when someone goes through changes physically, brought about by surgeries, in the interest of trying to express who they thought they really were, the only change that took place was in the physical body. We cannot remake ourselves, physical changes to the body do not constitute an actual identity change, this is reality.
Having said that, he also understands the realization of coming to Christ, and then experiencing great sadness and having to deal with feelings of regret, etc. over past sins. But he says, when we experience these feelings, we must celebrate the fact that we are forgiven. While we can’t undo our past sinful choices, we can remember that this is why we needed the Savior. So we remind ourselves that we have the perfect righteousness of God, given to us as a gift through faith in Christ. The One that came from heaven, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for sins, raised bodily from the grave, ascended into heaven, and is coming again. If we have received this forgiveness, Christ is our life, our identity is in Him. We can say, "I am in Christ and He is in me, this is who I am, Christ is my life." Therefore, even though we are left with all the effects of the choices made in sin, we are no longer that man. Christ died for those sins and He’s forgiven us; we are a new creation made in Christ Jesus. Because of these truths, we can also know that He will give us the grace to live with the leftovers, the consequences of our choices in this temporal realm.
So then, we set our minds on Christ and the things above, our eternal future, where one day we will have new bodies. Bodies that have been fashioned for glory in eternity. Until then, we rejoice in the knowledge of forgiveness, knowing that we are right before God. We rejoice and know that we now have the opportunity to be a voice to other people who are being deceived in the same ways we once were. We can speak to them in ways that can be powerful; we were there, we lived a life of deception that they are now living. We become instruments in the hands of our redeemer for the Kingdom of God, what a privilege and honor. Therefore, we speak truth to them, and we continue to do this for ourselves as well, and in this, we can take great joy and delight.
Dr. Caldwell says that we need not try to quiet our consciences that accuse, nor deny the guilty feelings that often plague us. He tells us that most of the time our consciences are not misinformed about how guilty we are. Whether it’s the devil or our consciences, we can absolutely agree by affirming that we are unworthy wretches worthy of damnation. If left to our own life choices and our own righteousness, we fully deserve to be condemned. But we don’t stop here! We point to our Savior, we preach the gospel to ourselves over and over. He is worthy, He’s forgiven us and He no longer condemns us. Christ is sufficient, our forgiveness is real. Romans 8 teaches us that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, no one can bring a charge against us. There is nothing that can separate us from His love. |