Ryan began the conversation by stating that, in total, he disagreed with everything he had heard on the CD. “Mike’s statistics (the guy on the CD) were wrong, he hadn’t done a satisfactory investigation into gay issues, maybe he wasn’t even really gay? and so on. If he was just trying to correct Ryan’s behavior, he would have been more willing to defend Mike or engage in a debate with him about homosexuality. But those weren’t my interests, period, I wasn’t trying to convince Ryan that his lifestyle was bad, he was trying to touch deeper problems in his heart.
“All right, then you don’t agree with much about the CD. Or did you call me here to talk about things you were really thinking about?With these few words, I completely changed the focus of the conversation.
- In discipleship.
- We usually talk about bad things.
- We spend a lot of time talking about “animal sins” and superficial things.
- When in reality the battle must be fought in the heart.
- You can talk about behavior and external circumstances all day long.
- A long time.
- But unless you take idols out of your heart.
- You’re just putting a Band-Aid on the problem.
- Can we say.
- As Jesus said.
- That the mouth speaks of what is full of the heart?(Luke 6.
- 45).
- Or we can say as Tim Keller said: “The root of all sin is the transgression of the first commandment.
- “The real question is not what you do.
- But what god you worship.
- That’s why what your followers want is more important than what you do.
- They know.
As we spoke, I began to discern that the dominant idol in Ryan’s heart was pride. I wanted power, acceptance, to be loved, to control. He found this in gender identity, before transsexuality claimed to feel weak, unimportant, hidden, now he had an identity. He was socially powerful. When she dressed as a woman, she put others on the defensive; he could judge those who disagreed with his lifestyle as prejudiced, bigoted, loveless. He was in control. Now that I saw what I loved and loved, I could direct the conversation in a direction that would treat the disease and not the symptom.
So how do you solve the problem of idolatry?Well, the right answer, of course, is to get away from idols and come unto Christ. This is the ultimate goal: repentance and faith. But here’s a problem: we love idols because we love them, we beg them. They’re more important than life, so just say, “Repent and believe!”It may seem empty. Breaking our idols requires efforts to bring our deepest desires to the surface.
Ryan started talking to Amy and me about the things on the CD, agreed with Mike and said that when he was gay, he always wanted to be normal, have a wife and kids. Ryan identified himself with that desire. But I thought it would never be possible, because he was gay and transgender, but deep down, desire, will were there.
“Where do you think this will comes from? I asked
? I don’t know. ?
“Can I offer an answer?
? Of course. ?
“Understand that I will talk about it from a biblical point of view, because that is my worldview.
? yes, I know. Go on, he says.
“I believe that the fact that you wanted to marry and have children shows that God has implanted certain instincts in your soul. If you were born gay, and if there were no God, it would make no sense for you to want a wife and The existence of this desire attests that you were created in the image of God, as the Bible says, and that sexuality is something deeply linked to the identity that God has given you as a human being. Does this mean it’s possible for you to change. ?
? No, it isn’t. I don’t want to change I’m transgender, I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember.
“Then why do you want a wife, children and a normal life?” I asked
“Honestly, I don’t know. “
“I think there’s a lot more out there than you want to think.
Ryan thought for a moment, “How much do you think this change would cost me?” He asked.
“I think you have an idol called pride, which you worship today. You’re your own god. It will cost you a thanksgiving from the true God to change you. Then you will get to the point where you will understand that Jesus is trustworthy and you will want him to rule your heart instead of yourself. I understand it’s going to take some time.
Ryan said, “Bob, let me tell you why I don’t trust Jesus. “
Continue reading in part 5.