IDENTIFY AS A CHRISTIAN – THE “TRANS” JOURNEY

The word “identify” is loosely thrown around in today’s culture. There are men who claim to “identify” as a woman, a woman as a man, or even a teacher as a cat. Such is the deception of the devil. The truth is that a person born a man dies a man, a person born a woman dies a woman. Genesis 1:27.

             To “identify,” is to recognize who or what you are.  Without Jesus, a person who lived through hurtful trauma, rejection, or simply feels a void and longing deep inside are open to the deception of the devil when they question their identity. The devil’s deception can take this person on a journey the woke culture calls “trans” attempting to steal from them the ability to identify the way God created them and to never know the glorious plan and purpose God has for their lives. Jeremiah 29:11. The devil steals the gifts, promises, and reality of God and perverts them to fit his own agenda. “You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?” Acts 13:10. The reality is that the true “trans” journey belongs to the person who has found their identity in Jesus Christ and “identify” as a Christian. You were a trans-gressor, who partook in a trans-action, became trans-formed, and are waiting to be trans-lated.

   TRANS-GRESSOR

            You were framed by God in your mother’s womb, fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:13-14. You were unfortunately born into a fallen world. Through one man sin entered the world. Romans 5:12. You eventually became a trans-gressor, separating yourself from your Father who created you. Everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s saving presence. Romans 3:23. That is the price that is paid for sin – to be eternally separated from the loving arms of your Father who created you, who protects you, who provides for you, who loves you. But good news!  A trans-action took place that redeems the transgressor from the price required to be paid for sin!

TRANS-ACTION

            A transaction is simply an exchange between two parties. When Jesus died on the cross a legal transaction took place—His blood in exchange for your sins, your debt paid once and for all!

            Jesus came to free you from identifying as transgressors. 1 John 3:5. God foretold this transaction to His prophet: “The Righteous One, My Servant, shall justify the many making them upright with God and in right standing with Him, for He shall bear the responsibility for their transgressions.” Isaiah 53:11. God purchased your freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave your transgressions. Ephesians 1:7. A death occurred that set you free from identifying as trans-gressors. Hebrews 9:15.

TRANS-FORMED

            No one comes to the Father except those He calls. John 6:44. He calls the transgressor through the still small voice in the conscience that convicts of the guilt of sin and the need for a Savior. John 16:8. A trans-formation in how you identify took place when you believed in your heart that there was a trans-action that took place on the cross, and you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Being trans-formed does not happen because of hormone therapy, estrogen replacement, or the surgical removal of body parts. You are no longer trans-gressors, but trans-formed! God explains it this way:  If anyone is in Christ, that is joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior, he is a new creature; the old things, the previous moral and spiritual condition, has passed away. Behold, new things have come because spiritual awakening brings a new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17.

TRANS-LATED

            This trans-formation continues as the Word of God becomes the truth that controls your beliefs instead of conforming to the woke deception. 2 Corinthians 5:17. You are progressively transformed into Jesus’ image, from one degree of glory to even more glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18. But there is a trans-lation that will soon happen to complete this trans-formation.

            “Translate” is defined in the 1828 Webster dictionary as “to remove or convey to heaven, as a person, without death.” Enoch was the first “trans” in the world. “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him, for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Hebrews 11:5. The second “trans” was Elijah, who went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 2 Kings 2:11.

            The third and final “trans” is you. God’s trumpet will sound, and in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, your mortal body will change and become immortal. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. No hormones, no estrogen, no surgery to remove body parts. Just the sound of God’s trumpet will trans-late you to Jesus’ side to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (CEV).