I've been going to church for a long time, and after my near death experience at the age of ten I became a re-born Christian, but a person who I know feels that I am not a Christian because of my lifestyle, and that she feels that it's against what God believes. From what I've learned, God allows us to make choices in our lives, and sometimes we must live with our choices. If I were to die tomorrow, how would I stand for judgment?

Gina 

I think you'd do great!   God loves us all.

You can't go wrong with being a beautiful soul.   

If I were to die tomorrow, how would I stand for judgment?

My guess is you should not stand, bring a chair, it might be a very long wait.

I think that this is a question that no one on this board is qualified to answer.  Your best friend isn't qualified to answer for you either.  You're the only one who really knows where you stand. 
If you're not sure about where you are, then you have some self-examination to do. 

I think many of us have felt confused about who we are.  The great thing about this community is that we learn that we are not alone.  We learn about what others go through, their triumphs and failures.  We begin to accept (or in some cases, have already accepted) that this is just the way we are. 

One of the girls here, Kristi, uses part of Psalm 139:14 in her signature line: "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well."  That is an encouraging thought.  It opens an entirely new vista to realize that you are not cursed or despised.  You just are the way you are.  You may be unique or different from your friend, but that in and of itself does not make you any less of a Christian.  St. Paul says that we are justified by faith.  Nothing else. 


Wrt to your friend, you might consider asking why she feels the way she does.  Is there something specific that can be pointed to that permits her to condemn you?  This is usually a visceral reaction for most people-- they think you're doing something wrong, but have no justification.  It's prejudice at its simplest. 

The point is, the Bible tells us not to judge others.  This is because it is impossible for us to know what is really in a person's heart.  You can know someone for years, and not really *know* them. 

First of all, doll, your ->-bleeped-<- is not a lifestyle.  It is not a choice. What you have for dinner is a choice.  The clothes you wear and the concerts you attend is a lifestyle.  The religion you choose is part of your lifestyle.

So, if your lifestyle is choosing to be Christian, where does this friend get off?

Besides, the Bible has a choice entry that takes care of us.  Mathew 19:12.  That's what they called us back then... eunuchs.  There were others in that caste, but we were in there too.  Look it up.  If you need additional material for further reading, let me know.

Cindi

Great responses. You are a born again Christian and that settles that. No one can take that away from you by judging you as not fitting into their particular lifestyle or set of beliefs. Your God is the ultimate judge and you have professed your faith as being "Born Again". I have more faith now that I know who I am and the behavior and thoughts I had were the result of life gender issues and not degenerate issues. Please do not fall into allowing someone to take the most personal and beautiful part of you away.

Some quotes by a great woman below;

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
Eleanor Roosevelt

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't."
Eleanor Roosevelt

"A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water."
Eleanor Roosevelt

"I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Nick Lowe --  Failed Christian

I'm a Failed Christian
I dont go to church
I smoke and I drink
and I lie and I curse

it never got to me
your sermon and all
you talked and talked
about nothing at all

I've got two recollections
taking the collections
and tears when the choir
sang in harmony
It scared me half to death
I swore as I left
with a inside pocket full
of change and memories

I'm a Failed Christian
I've got my own church
I pray with my soul
to this great universe
all over the world
the bloods on their hands
religious instruction
I can't understand


I'm going to meet my maker
a firm believer
of spirit in music
theres a prayer in a song
I'm a Failed Christian
and if I'm go under
them you're coming with me
that much I can't tell

I'm a Failed Christian
I dont go to church
I smoke and I drink
and I lie and I curse

Maybe Nick knew something

Thanks to all. I really wasn't expecting on getting such a overwhelming response to my post, but a lot of it makes sense in my confused life.

Thanks Rebis for yoru encouraging words that I would do great for judgment. I know that I have helped out a lot of people, but most of all I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior a long time ago, and that has never left me.

Very good point there Tekla, maybe I might just bring a chair with me if  there's going to be a long wait.

Jessica, I was speaking hypotheticaly, but my friend thinks that she is such a better Christian than me because she tries to live a godly life. But then who's to say that I don't? Just because of the things that I do she condemns me for it.

Thank you Cindi for clarifying things and putting them into a better light for me. I will make a point of bring that up to my friend the next time that she starts to badger me about things. I will read that verse. One of my favorites is Psalm 23.

Thank you for those thoughtful quotes 6 year old. They've really inspired me to be stronger. Elanor Rosevelt sounds like a very strong woman in her beliefs.

"I am strong, beuatiful and will not be inferior to others"

Gina 

"Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come," and don't forget John 3:16

http://www.ecwr.org/resources/ralph/talks/faith_and_homosexuality.html
This might help ease ya, hon.

God is Love - and there is no law against Love in the Christian faith.
So long as you aren't raping angels like the men of Sodom or prostituting yourself to a random god, you'll be fine. ^_~

(PS:  And I know this is more pushed towards homosexuals - but it's a shining little example that so long as you love and believe, you are.)

i too am christian... i believe that i am saved... and i also have gid...salvation is what christ did in his life, on the cross and finished on the resurrection. receiving that salvation is our part. we cant work for our salvation...

here is a cool site.. www.gendertree.com   

I am a born again Christian who is transgender and a cross dresser. I reconciled my faith with my ->-bleeped-<- because God is more interested in my heart and not mygender/sexuality. Transgender is not a lifestyle but who I identfy as. I'm not ashamed of being transgender and Christian. God loves me the same when I wear a skirt or when I wear a suit.

I wrote and article in an online magazine about this very topic. You can read it at www.epistle.us Click 'authors', then click 'Gennee'. The title of the article is 'God's Love for Transgender People.'


Gennee

Jesus said 'I am the way, the truth and the life... all who believe in me shall not perish but have eternal life'. By trusting in Jesus as your Lord and savior, you are saved. To be Christ-like (Christian) means believing in Jesus, and following the two commandments he gave - Love the Lord with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.

The more you come to know Jesus, the more you will want to do things that please him. The problem is, that we try and define a legalistic way to God - the very thing that Jesus spoke out against so often. It's not about observing all the laws (which the Pharisee's did so well). Even within the church we are dividing on things that, honestly, don't really matter. Should I speak in tongues as the Pentecostals say, or only sing hymns and not modern praise music like the Southern Baptists, and what about the Catholics who have a different set of traditions.

The point is that we all have different ways of worshiping God, and no one way is 'the one true way'. I think it pleases God to live who you are with passion, and love others with all your heart can contain.

Hugs,
Vanessa

BTW, I wrote some thoughts on cross dressing as it relates to sin recently here: http://www.crossdresserheaven.com/2008/02/crossdressing-i.html

Posted on: March 25, 2008, 10:50:59 PM

---

I thought I'd also comment on something you said - 'a better Christian'.
What does that mean?
Is it public displays of adoration? Jesus said that you should pray in private and not put yourself on ceremony when praying. Referring to the pharasee's, Jesus said they had already received their reward in full.
Is it how much you give? Jesus praised the widow who gave but two coins as having given more than anyone there
Jesus admonished us not to judge, lest we are judged by a similar measure. Yet by claiming to be a better Christian, isn't your friend judging you, her sister? The very person she should be encouraging and lifting up?

Paul sums it up nicely in Romans 3:23-24
'for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.'

I cannot claim to be a better Christian, for just as surely my sins helped nail my Lord to the cross.

Hugs,
Vanessa

I am very touched by the responses to this post.

Thank you Ty for sharing that site with me.

Thank you Beth for sharing that site with me as well. Having Christ in my life and in my heart fills a large space in my life.

That was a wonderful article that you wrote Gennee. Very good point that God is more interested in my heart and not in the fact that I'm a transgender.

Thank you Vanessa. I always try to live up to the laws set forth by God, and I always try to live who I am with a passion and love others with as much as my heart can contain.

Every denomination has their way of doing things. I've been a member of the United Methodist church for a long time, and just becasue we don't stand up and wave our hands in the air and yell "hallelujah" or speak in tongues does that make me any less of a Christian?

Gina 

The standard Lutheran answer is that nothing you do can make you a Christian.  What makes you a Christian is trusting in Jesus Christ, and that is all that is required.  In fact, for those who have faith, there is no judgement.

Quote from: Lisbeth on March 26, 2008, 08:41:48 AM
The standard Lutheran answer is that nothing you do can make you a Christian.  What makes you a Christian is trusting in Jesus Christ, and that is all that is required.  In fact, for those who have faith, there is no judgement.

Exactly! I mean EVEN IF (and I'm not saying it IS) crossdressing or transitioning is a sin, sinning doesn't disqualify one from being a christian. I mean heck, the churches would be rather empty if that were the case! Everyone "lives a sinful life" to SOME degree, *including* your friend.

~Kate~

Quote from: Kate on March 26, 2008, 09:30:54 AM

Quote from: Lisbeth on March 26, 2008, 08:41:48 AM
The standard Lutheran answer is that nothing you do can make you a Christian.  What makes you a Christian is trusting in Jesus Christ, and that is all that is required.  In fact, for those who have faith, there is no judgement.

Exactly! I mean EVEN IF (and I'm not saying it IS) crossdressing or transitioning is a sin, sinning doesn't disqualify one from being a christian. I mean heck, the churches would be rather empty if that were the case! Everyone "lives a sinful life" to SOME degree, *including* your friend.

~Kate~

That person sins by making a judgment.

back to my belief it is "judge not least ye be judged"  these are the best of words to live by. I personaly believe that there is but one judge for us in our christiany (sp?) and that is our Lord Jesus Christ.  I have enough to be repentive of that I do not have the time in my life to judge others for what they believe, or think. even though their beliefs might intrude upon my beliefs I still say in the end that there is only one body that I have to recon with. we all have had the finger shaken at us for our ways, but I believe that as with my son  I  (we) was born with a birth defect that was different but not that different from him. every day there are people born with birth defects. why should anyone point the finger at them. I never will!
we are so special in our own ways.  I also see it as  I am pleased with myself and happy and I believe that my savior shed his blood for us that I pray that I will be excepted into his kingdom with him. I have to ask this did not Jeasus on his jorney except people in his present with sickness birth defects and yes even people that were labled as Whores and even sinners in general. and what was it that he said to them?
I realy feel that people that have a prolbem with us or anyone with a birthdefect needs to step back and do some serrious soal searching about their own prolbems. they need to repent for their own sins just as we do.
Kristin

Thank you Lisbeth for clearly telling me that as long as I trust in Jesus Christ, then I am a Christian.

Very good point there Kate, about how empty churches would be if everyone felt that they were not sinning.

I'm going to have to remind my friend that by her making a judgment on me she is sinning, and that the only judgment that I will atest to is made by God.

Recently in my church, we've been talking about a game where you simply go up to a person and ask them if they've lead  a good life. If they say they have, you then ask them if they have ever sinned. Most wil say no. So you then ask if they have ever stolen anything or lied about anything, and then it gets them thinking. But the best one is to ask them to recite the ten commandments. Men can easily tell you the names of ten beers more than they can tell you the ten commandments.

Gina 

Quote from: Kate on March 26, 2008, 09:30:54 AM

Quote from: Lisbeth on March 26, 2008, 08:41:48 AM
The standard Lutheran answer is that nothing you do can make you a Christian.  What makes you a Christian is trusting in Jesus Christ, and that is all that is required.  In fact, for those who have faith, there is no judgement.

Exactly! I mean EVEN IF (and I'm not saying it IS) crossdressing or transitioning is a sin, sinning doesn't disqualify one from being a christian. I mean heck, the churches would be rather empty if that were the case! Everyone "lives a sinful life" to SOME degree, *including* your friend.

~Kate~

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (NIV)

We are all sinners, but if you are a believer then what Jesus did on the cross covers your sin.

And something else to think about:

Psalm 139:13-16

"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. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (NIV)

It is my opinion that the Lord knew what he was doing when he made each of us.

I think that it must be made clear in your own mind that our "condition" is not sin.  It is an easy trap to be Christian and believe that we are sinners of the worst sort.  Remember the words of Christ which read something like this:

QuoteThous shalt love the lord, they God, with all thy might, mind, and strength.  Thou shalt also love thy neighbor.  Upon these hang all the law and the prophets.

I'm quoting from memory since I'm too lazy to go look it up.  But here is the message that I want to convey.  Love is the law of Christ.  If you had perfect love for God and your fellow humans, you would have no need for any of the other commandments or prophets who teach.  For someone who has perfect love, there can be no sin (From the Cindi Jones  Edition).  Sin is an Old Testament threat and trap.  Don't let them pull you into the pit with this.

"Be of good heart" and enjoy your life free from the encumbrances of hate.  That's what makes a Christian real.

Cindi