You are right that God pours out grace from his Word. He pours it forth out most in his Gospel doesn't he?

The fact that, sinful as you and I are he forgives us is just incredible! That the Son of God should die for us!

God's Word says that since he saved us from sin, we must discover what his way is for it is full of blessing. In light of this, I would humbly suggest that crossdressing is not in line with God's Word.

We must realise that there is 100% continuity between Old and New Testament. Jesus came to fulfil the law, not abolish it.

Some parts of the OT law were fulfilled in Christ (i.e. the sacrifices). That is why they stopped. They are fulfilled not abolished.

It's hard to see how Jesus fulfilled Deut 22:5. Moreover, it is unlikely that something God called an abomination would continue. Other things called this included homosexuality and idolatry. These are definitely still sins in the NT.

In any case the NT does not condone crossdressing either. The closest you could get in the NT to cross dressing would be head coverings, which men were banned from doing (see 1 Cor 11).

I hope you do not consider me a judgemental fundamentalist. I am a fellow sinner. We may commit different sins, but I struggle to understand the Word and put it into practice too.

I would ask that you think over these things, get in touch if there's anything you want to ask.

Yours in Christ
Tim

It seems good to me that we have started every point in our discussion by praising Jesus once more. He took all our sins on the tree as if they were his. Praise be to him!

You're right, our society has some sins that it rank higher than others. It seems to me people always rank highest the sins they don't commit. I don't know if there is a ranking, all I know is if you break one part of the law you break it all and you need a saviour.

What I've been realising recently is that the Bible sees the root of our problem not as our behaviour but in our heart. As you said, sometimes we can pray and sin, because our heart is truly worshipping men in that moment.

Therefore, we must examine our hearts if we wan to see our sinfulness. The problem is our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore we must ask others to examine us, as they may see more clearly the attitudes of our hearts (Hebrews 3:12-13).

I recently opened up my heart to my fiancee, and she found that many of the seemingly Godly things I did (preaching and Bible study) were motivated largely by pride.

Let me give the example of someone very close to me who is struggling with the same issues as you. He admits that the reasons he crossdresses are twofold.

1) Lust. He finds it provocative to picture himself in wear women's clothes. At it's heart, lust is no different to adultery (Matthew). His wife isn't his partner, his fantasy is. Even worse, he is valuing sexual pleasure over God. That is a henious sin!

2) People-pleasing. The women this man was brought up with all wanted Will & Grace style “gay best friends”. He wasn't gay and didn't want to be. But in his thought life he set up this idea that women would value him more if he wore ladies' clothes. Here the attention of these women was more than the attention of God.

I don't know your heart, I challenge you to let others examine it. Open your hearts and feelings totally to them and see what they say. I'd challenge you to open up to a Christian who you know is honest enough with you to be able to rebuke you when needed.

Now as for the OT passages, the tassels etc were to separate Israel from other nations. The Gentiles when welcomed in in the NT were called to remain Gentiles and not adopt the things that made Jews, Jews (1 Corinthians 7:17-24). Therefore, they do not apply to you and I.

What about cross dressing? Note, God makes clear he is personally offended. This is not something he says of tassels. Therefore it seems it was not just to separate from the nations but because it was something despicable to God.

As for the 1 Corinthians, I agree that Paul's text is spoken to a people context we must understand. However, if it can only be applied to the Corinthians then it is not worth reading the Bible. I would argue that while what Paul says is contextual, the principles are timeless.

Let's look at the principle in this passage. Women in that culture are not wearing headdresses. In that culture it screams out rejection of male headship (which is a timeless principle v3). Paul says it is wrong for men and women to get rid of clothing ideas that identify them as male and female.

As an aside he says in v7 and v14 that everyone knows it is shameful for a man to wear a head covering. Now, imagine this: imagine a man coming into your workplace wearing a wedding veil or a Muslim's hijab. Wouldn't people laugh at him and think him shameful?

Or if you walked into work in a dress, wouldn't people do the same? Now you use wigs and makeup to try and make yourself look like a woman so the shock is lost, but the fact is if people knew you were a man they'd find it immensely difficult to take you seriously.

Paul seems in those verses seems to take for granted that this response is right, and uses it to apply to the women and says “You trying to be like a man is equally shameful”. Therefore, we see that Paul assumes male crossdressing should be seen as a sin.

As for your other point, you're right, just because it isn't in the NT, doesn't make it a sin. However, we still must judge it by the standards found in there. Let me exemplify, is TV a sin? No, it is a neutral thing. It can be used for good or bad, we just simply must be discerning.

However, is watching pornography a sin? Of course, we know it is even though the Bible never mentions it, because we discern it arouses lust in the viewer.

What do you think of crossdressing? Can it be done to the glory of God? I could spout my views, but I'd prefer to know what you think to begin with my friend.

As for all you say at the end of your response, I utterly agree. May the Spirit grant us both a greater understanding of his truth.

Sorry for the massive essay, and let me confess once more that I am a greater sinner than you. I hope the Lord may use such a worm as me to be of some benefit to one of his children.

Yours in Christ
Tim

P.S. Have you read this http://www.stonewallrevisited.com/pages/randall_w.html? Wondered what you thought.

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

I'm not sure how I missed this thread but I would be remiss if I didn't put my two cents in. There is so much going on here and Tim, I respect your views, but pretty much disagree with most of your interpretations. Christ did come to fulfill the law,this much is true, but He came to fulfill all laws, whether God deemed them an abomination or not. I guess our first disagreement would be on the point of what fulfillment means to you and what it means to me.
To me it means simply this, God knew we could either live unto the law, something which by our natures we are incapable of doing, no matter how hard we try, or we could just give up and turn from God and abandon ourselves to behaviors that are not good for us and our relationship with God, but I think even more importantly in our relationship with each other. Jesus took upon himself to fulfill the law in himself, to free us from living under strictures that bind the spirit and point us only to despair. Fulfillment means completion, not the setting up of a new system of laws or retention of the old set which we are bound to fail at again. I could go on about the fact that these laws were originally set up for a Jewish nation that lived on the edge of annihilation for much of it's existence and were designed to support the survival of that set of peoples. It is unlikely that God had as His intent when He sent Himself, in the person of His Son that Christ's sacrifice would mean the perpetuation of a system over and above a broader audience, the Gentiles, who needed to hear of God's New Covenant, the covenant that says whoever believes in Me, the Son, shall have eternal life. So even though God might say, and let's be clear on this, the context for the passage on crossdressing is important to consider as well, this is an abomination, it no longer matters. Christ has freed us from these strictures and has replaced it with the simple two piece Commandment to love God, and to love and care for our neighbors. Really, that's it. Christ has fulfilled and yes abolished slavery to the law in order that we might live free as ourselves and as God intended us to be, to love Him and to care for each other.
I guess I'd like to answer one more question that you had, about whether crossdressing can be used to glorify God. Since I view my desire to dress as a gift from God the short answer is say yes. To deny that which is what God made me to be, is to in fact deny Him and to hide His Glory from others. Yes, you heard it right, God put in me this thing I have for dressing up in clothes of what society, read again, society (not God) defines as being meant for the opposite sex. So to hide that from others, to listen to others tell me it is wrong, is to deny what God has intended for me to do. And for so long I have allowed others to define who I am, not God, and not His laws, but what others THINK, those laws mean. I have discovered that the gift that God has given me is meant to bring hope to others lkike me, at least intially and thus glorify God. But ultimately and it cannot be any other way, by example that my love of God shines through in me no matter what clothing I am attired in. that it is what is in my heart and how I treat others that my worship, if you will, of God is most evident. I would hope that others would see me and begin to understand that it is not the clothes that make the man, but the heart residing within that make the follower of Christ.
Tim I sense from your referral of yourself as a lowly worm that you still live too much in the shadow of the Law. God has intended better than that for you. The law exists to condemn and if that is all we had then God forsake us. But it isn't. Martin Luther had painted himself into a corner surrounded by the Laws of the OT and the Laws and requirements of the Catholic Church. He saw simply that there was nothing he could do. He stands condemned to hell. But a light went on, and the realization that it was God's action not his own, God's action, not our own, that saves us. It was accomplished, fulfilled if you will, at Calvary and hammered home to us in the Victory at the Tomb.
Again Tim, I look forward to hearing your response and further discussion on this matter. But it will take much to convince me otherwise that 1) if I should at some point admit that crossdressing is sin, that God has not redeemed even me, but more to the point, 2) that in light of historical context, in light of the way that Jesus reached out to those whom society saw as sinners and outcasts, lived and taught among them, ate with them, loved them; that what I do, done to glorify His name, could even remotely be considered sin or an abomination now.
I simply pray that we all accept our sinful nature as being part of who we are, but which also opens us to the Love God wants to pour out on all of His Children and that we each be willing to accept it not only in others, but also in ourselves.
Peace in Christ
Vicki

great posts all of you i am a sinner of stuff as well according to the bible i am Mormon but still we are considered part of Christianity because we believe in Christ but the rules are similar but for what i know we are not here to focus on what others do or condemn them but to love one another.
As for sins go if you are judging some one and you your self are sinning should take a look at a good quote i think its from the bible but cant remember "how can you get help get a sliver out of another mans eye when you have a pole in yours."
that goes along with "he who is with out sin should cast the first stone."
But I'm not here to point fingers just saying judging others sins is not what man is on this earth to do and if we are forgiven be it we must do one thing for our debtor that he has asked then sins although will be judged by god and Jesus are what we were expected to do all we need to focus on is TRYING to be like Jesus no one says we have to make it as it is not possible and god will love all just the same as would our heavenly brother Jesus.

if you can get what I'm trying to say then good other wise I'm sorry because I'm not good at such explaining

i try my self to love any one a But I'm not here to point fingers just saying judging others sins is not what man is on this earth to do and if we are forgiven be it we must do one thing for our debtor that he has asked then sins although will be judged by god and Jesus are what we were expected to do all we need to focus on is TRYING to be like Jesus no one says we have to make it as it is not possible and god will love all just the same.

if you were able to get what i was meaning to say good else i am sorry i am no good at explaining such thing that i understand.

i may be a sinner but i try to be open and love every one i meet equally and even give them a chance no matter who they are where they are from or what they believe or even do as that is what i know to be the right thing to do even if religions turn away sinners who are the ones who need to be there the most i wont.

its to just turn some one away even if they sin as the sinner is the one who needs to learn the word of god the most not the one who is all perfect.

Hello,
Let me first say that in the times of the Old Testament clothing for men and women was identical. However men used to wear untreated cloth, usually sand or earth coloured. Women were wearing cloth that was quite primitivaly treated, either bleached or dyed blue. You still can see that in the traditional statues of the Virgin Mary. She is almost always in blue and white.
The old Israelites had not mastered the art of colouring cloth. Dyed cloth in red, purple, yellow or green was a sign of wealth and had to be imported, even fom India or China.
The other thing I would like to say is that crossdressing is addictive, just like alcohol or drugs.
In the end our Lord will ask us: did you love Me with all your heart and all your mind, with all your strength...?
Some crossdressers will answer: I loved my crossdressing better....

Reading through this post and the comments it seems like the majority of the disagreement is how we view the Old Testament law as Christians. That is a very tricky thorny issue, perhaps one of the most debated and misunderstood aspects of the Christian faith. It's something that even Christians have no idea about much of the time because they aren't taught enough about it.

In my post on Deuteronomy 22:5 here - http://healingcd.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/deuteronomy-225/
I explain how to view the Old Testament law. It's not the only possible Christian view of how to view the OT law, but I think it's the best one (it's not just my own personal view).

I believe that Jesus came to fulfill the Law rather than do away with the Law as he himself explains in Matthew 5:17-20. In a sense, we are still under the Law today, but we look at it through the lens of Jesus who fulfilled it for us. The important part of my view is that the Old Testament Law contains 3 types of laws. And each of these types of laws Jesus fulfilled perfectly for us, and we relate a bit differently to each type of law today.

1. There are Ceremonial Laws. These are laws concerning the entire cultic system for the Israelites. They include laws about the sacrifices the Israelites had to complete, laws about ceremonial cleanliness, and laws about the tabernacle and temple. Jesus fulfilled these laws by becoming the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He also became our perfect great high priest (Heb. 4:14) offering himself as the sacrifice. Instead of the blood of sheep, he gave his own blood. He was perfectly righteous and innocent, and became the final sacrifice for the sins of humans. Through his righteousness we are all made perfectly clean and don’t have to go through cleansing rituals to enter the presence of God. We no longer have a temple, because Jesus was and is Emmanuel – God with us. All of the laws about cleanliness and sacrifices were shadows pointing the way to Jesus ultimately as the final sacrifice (Hebrews 7-8). We no longer obey these laws today since Jesus is our sacrifice and way of salvation.

2. There are Civil or Judicial Laws. These are laws about the social and civic life of the Israelite people in all of its ramifications. Their social relations had to reflect the covenant relationship with God that they were in. These are laws about the justice system, with penalties for sins that affected the society like laws for capital punishment. These were also laws about the unique culture of Israel, how they were supposed to stand apart and be distinct from the other cultures around them, like circumcision laws. Jesus fulfilled these laws perfectly as well. Jesus was the true King of Israel, but also made known that he was the king of the world. Through what Jesus did, salvation history progressed, and the Gentiles were invited to become part of God’s people as well, through faith in Jesus. No longer are the people of God limited to one nation and one culture. Now the people of God is made up of people from all nations. So we no longer follow these laws today. There were only for the specific Israelite people. Some Jewish-Christians, however, because they continue to belong to the nation of Israel and the Jewish ethnicity, continue to observe these laws. And that isn’t inappropriate. But the Jews at the first Church Council of Acts 15 declared that Gentiles were exempt from these Jewish customs.

3. There are Moral Laws. In general, the 10 Commandments are the summary of the entire Moral set of laws in the Old Testament Law. The first few commandments are about our love and worship of God. And the rest of the commandments of the 10 are about our relationship to our neighbor, loving our neighbor. These laws were also fulfilled perfectly by Jesus. He perfectly loved God and neighbor. He had no sin. But unlike the other 2 types of laws, we still follow the moral laws today. We follow them not to earn salvation. We follow them out of gratitude to Jesus for what he has done. We follow them because Jesus has transformed our lives, and we want to love God and love our neighbor. Old Testament righteousness is normative for all people today. The New Testament writers even remind us not only that we must follow these Old Testament moral laws, but that we must even obey them in our hearts and minds. Jesus made clear in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) that he was not bringing a new Law, but he was preaching a new kingdom ethic of radical love, which magnified and strengthened the original moral law. It’s not just that the moral law continues to apply to Christians, but in a sense it is on steroids. Not only is it wrong to commit adultery or kill, but even to lust or hate in the mind. Of course, becoming a Christian is not dependent on observance of such radical commands, but the goal of salvation is to transform us into the type of people that actually live out these ethics by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I’m not going to give a long argument of why I think this view of the Old Testament Law is the best. There are plenty of examples in the New Testament where Jesus or others talk about certain laws in the Old Testament that we no longer follow, and ones that we still do follow. Although the Old Testament doesn’t make these distinctions real clearly, it can be deduced from the distinction of the 10 commandments in the Old Testament, and from the way authors in the New Testament relate to the Law. Paul made distinctions between various types of Law. Jesus did as well (Matthew 23:23). Hebrews 7 talks about cessation of ceremonial laws. Jesus and the New Testament authors held up the moral laws for us to still follow today, whereas the civil and ceremonial laws were not held up as things for Gentiles to follow. The first church council, written about in Acts 15, also affirms this. The Gentiles were not to give in to sins (moral laws) especially the ones they were prone to like sexual immorality. But they didn’t have to follow the ceremonial and civil laws of the Jews, such as circumcision. They were told to follow a few dietary laws, for the sake of easier fellowship among their Jewish-Christian brethren in church.

For Christians today, ceremonial and civil laws are not followed to the letter because of their nature and how they have been fulfilled in Jesus. But they do have use for us as God’s inspired Word and have a pedagogical function.

The thing about Christianity is that it is personal. A personal relationship with the living God. The blood of the sacrifice of Jesus assures us of this. Theren is only one sin in the Gospels that Jesus himself says is unforgivable and that is blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
The lyrics to a song called "I am new" say this: "Dearly beloved, forgiven in Christ, made in the image of the giver of life. Righteous and holy. Born and remade, accepted and worthy, this is our new name." I am a christian who is also a TG. How can I be both? Because even though we were made male and female the fact that we struggle with this is a fact of the fall in Genesis 3. So wether you are a woman, man, tg or used to be a man, God loved us enough to die for us, forgive us, and help us.
Not everyone can help who they are. Some do it for fun, some because they don't know. Others because they have a real chemical imbalance, but what about those (like me) who are deeply troubled by the fact that they were born male. I do not believe that a loving God would condone suffering mental anguish for a person He loves so much that He gave His life for.
I believe that if I could serve God better as a woman because I can now reconcile with myself, that He would not only forgive me, But I would be able to move forward with the life He blessed me with, and do it in a way that brings honor and glory to His name. Is what you do as important as why youdo it?

Satan must be laughing at the amount of sinful factions and dissensions that have arisen out of an improper understanding Deuteronomy 22:5. I took a look at this verse and came to the conclusion that the difference between male and female is first and foremost, the difference between the Church and and her Husband, namely God. The Church's role is first and foremost to receive God her Husband's plan for salvation through Jesus Christ. Her role is not to sew fig leaves together in hopes of obtaining some false righteousness that comes from the clothes we invent with our own hands (Genesis 3:7). Her role is to submit to her Husband by wearing the garments of skin God had blood sacrificed for her (Genesis 3:21).

CONTEXT: Deuteronomy as a book was given to the Israelites who were a group of nomads and wanderers for hundreds of years right before they were to enter the promised land. These nomads and wanderers had never planted vineyards, milked cows, owned homes. They had spent all their lives as wanderers. They were entering the land formerly dominated by the Canaanites, a group of people who practiced prolific idolatry. They were basically a clueless people, who had no idea about how life was to be in their new city, so God gave them Deuteronomy and it’s laws to guide them throughout. This is a chapter about living in Canaan, without becoming a Canaanite. About living in the world, without being of the world.

12-26 constitute the Torah, a community under God.
21:1-25:19 is ultimately about community obligations

Chapter 22 exegesis

VERSES 1-4: animal rights, principle of how to love your neighbor as yourself. Maybe you’ll find an animal, but that doesn’t mean you get to keep it. The moral principle is maybe you found it, but that doesn’t rightfully mean you get to keep, an ultimate form of loving your neighbor as yourself.

VERSE 6: this is about eating eggs and taking the chicks, but not killing or taking the mother hen for food. Remember, these people have been eating manna all their lives. They’ve never seen raised farm animals, never cared for a chicken, never planted a crop, never had possesions until now. Principle don’t sacrice long term good for short term pleasure.

VERSE 8: parapet on roof. Remember, now they’re taking homes they’ve never lived in before. Priniciple: make provisions for the safety of your guests which fulfills loving your neighbor as yourself.

VERSE 9: don’t sow with two kinds of seed. To be honest, I don’t know why this provision was given.

VERSE 10: don’t plow with Ox and Donkey together. The Ox is a powerful animal and will literally drag the poor donkey along, possibly injuring the donkey. This verse is referenced by Paul in the New Testament about Christians not being unequally yolked with unbelievers.

VERSE 11: don’t mix wool and linen together in clothing. Principle, God is against mixing incompatible things because he wants believers to stand apart from the world as he commands wool not to be mixed with linen.

VERSE 12: standing out from the rest of the world with four tassels.

EXHORTATION TO UNITY KEY
Titus 3:9, “But avoid foolish controversies and geneologies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless”

1. NOT LITERAL--just as believers are not required to find a stray ox to fulfill verses 1-4, just as they’re not required to build a parapet around their roofs to fulfill loving their neighbors as themselves, so this verse does not literally mean “a woman can’t wear men’s clothing” or vice versa. After all, it’s ultimately a sinful human being who classifies clothes as being either male or female, not God himself. Additionally, Israel was about to occupy the land of idolatrous Canaanites, who often used crossdressing as a means to affecting their pagan idol worship. Basically, God didn’t want Israel to identify with pagan idol worship in the way they dressed.

2. PRINCIPLES-- moral code is to maintain the difference between the sexes to maintain God’s created order.
A. MAINTAIN DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN THE SEXES--maintain the difference between the sexes to maintain God’s created order.

1. SPIRITUAL IDENTITY DIFFERENTIATION PRIMARY--this verse represents the different roles the sexes are supposed to play before God most importantly.

A. The male is the federal head of household, not the female. Just as God first approached the male Adam after the fall in Genesis 3:9, so God will first hold accountable the male in the household, not the female, for the sins of the family.

B. Church as Bride & Marriage Roles Just as God the Father is Head of the Chuch his bride, so God will also hold the male accountable for the sins of his wife and family as found in Ephesians 5:23-24. Equally, the church should not usurp God the husbands role.

C. Ahab/Jezebel Role Inversion. The female is not to be Jezebel, the male is not to be Ahab. Jezebel despised the Word of God by killing off the Lord’s prophets (1 Kings 18:4), Jezebel used money to follow the modern equivalent of false gods for she financed Baal and Asherah prophets with food (1 Kings 18:19), Jezebel counterfeited her husband Ahab’s authority (1 Kings 21:1-10), and Jezebel relied on perishable beauty even unto the point of her death, instead of inner imperishable beauty in God’s sight (2 Kings 9:30. 1 Peter 3:1-6).

2. Sexes have equal value, despite having different roles for both are both are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, Psalm 139:14).

B. PROTECTION AGAINST IDOLATRY--Deuteronomy was given to Israel right before Israel was to go in and take hold of land formerly dominated by idolatry. The Hebrew word for “detests” is toebah. It used a total of 8 times in Deuteronomy, 4 of which make explicit reference to idolatry of false gods. From this, the inductive reference to idolatry is made. They are required to burn the false idols of Canaan (7:25) that condoned the idolatry of greed, they are commanded against child sacrifice (12:31) which the Canaanites did to their false gods, they are warned against divination, sorcery, soothsayers (18:10-12), and they are warned against the actual crafting of physical idols (27:15).

C. MAINTAIN BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENTIATION SECONDARY--Differences between the sexes is secondarily maintained by maintaining the difference between the biological sexes in the interests of avoiding deception to self and others. What is considered male and female clothing ultimately is defined by humans. It’s humanely defined by how a product is marketed (Jeffrey Campbell markes the exact same Lita shoe to both females and males). It’s humanely defined based on culture (a “skirt” on a male in Scotland is okay), space (rural traditions are different from urban clothing stereotypes) and time (a tunic in biblical times is a dress in modern times). To apply that verse for all generations regardless of culture, space and time is to honor the differences between males and females that don’t change.

Those differences are:
1. gonadal differentiation
2. internal genital differentiation
3. external genital differentiation
4. breast differentiation
5. muscle mass differentiation
6. height differentiation
7. hair differentiation--thickness, not length.

Transexualism and living as the opposite sex are forms of both deception to self and others and are thus not condoned. Transexual believers are reminded that their resurrected body will bear the marks of SRS, just as Jesus’ resurrected body bore the marks of his crucifixion (John 20:27)

5. CONCLUSION--as long as males and females are living first to God to honor their God ordained spiritual role differentiations and as long as they are maintaining the difference between the biological sexes, both to themself and others, then they have the freedom to wear what they want to wear. Provided of course, that the exercise of this freedom does not become a stumbling block to other believers (1 Corinthians 8:9)

Hi great thread, I too am a born-again Christian, and I have some questions that I've been struggling with, trying to find an answer, and mean no offense to anyone who reads this. Reading the Bible and what it has to say about gender roles, what about post-op transsexuals (male to female especially)? Since the idea of asking forgiveness is that you try never to do that sin again, is that something that transsexuals can be forgiven for, [since according to the Bible there would be issues here with transsexuals changing their gender roles from what God assigned to them, and them living as their preferred gender full time could be seen as a form of lying to society about who you are] or are they living in a "chronic" or perpetual, permanent state of sin, since once they have the surgery to change their genitals there's no going back?

For those here who don't seem to understand, what the Bible tells us to do is to "tell the truth in love". We are to not only save the lost but help guide them from wrong; we're commanded not just to love everyone but also to try to model our lives after Jesus and his teachings as much as is humanly possible. You mention not judging. Depends on what type of judging you're talking about. We're commanded against judging someone's heart because only God knows everyone's hearts, but at the same time we're commanded to watch over our brethren and make sure they're educated to know what is wrong and where those sins will lead them if they don't change and repent (which is Hell). We're commanded to judge sins, but not judge people. We will all be judged on the Judgment Day for unrepented sins and things we didn't do that we should have. If you love someone without speaking out about truth of right and wrong, you're lost, just as much as if you speak out truth without love. They take a proper balance. Also as the Bible says, the path that leads to destruction (Hell) is wide and many will find it, and the gate that leads to eternal life (Heaven) is small and few will find it. Not everyone is going to Heaven, not even people who are just "good people", thus our charge is very important.

Well. For me. I want a hope. Perhaps people don't acept our presence, but GOD, He is like to love us.
God bless you, Vanessa. I like you blog, living in Brazil, were the nation is very religious, and crossdressers don't be acept by cristian society.

Thank you.

Have read the KJV thru cover to cover 50 times and working on 51 now.

Hope to have read it cover to cover as many times as I am old when I die.

Notice over the years it is true you can use the Bible to teach anything you want it to teach. That is why we have so many flavors of religion where one religion says one thing and another religion can say another thing...none agree on much of anything except ... if you act like me...talk like me...think like me...dress like me...you are okay.

God does not save Baptists...God does not save Catholics...in heaven there are no Baptists...in heaven there are no Catholics...there are only sinners...saved by the blood of the crucified one.

Another thing I have noticed is the Bible is a closed book...unless you have been born again...it remains a closed book. If you are born again...the Holy Spirit can lead and guide us thru God's word...not our own personal interpretation of God's word. Many have a lot of opinions on God's word but often it is taken out of context...misapplied...conveniently high lights others sins and ignores our own. Example...Preachers ought to only be married once. Many preachers have one wedding ring but by Bible definitions of marriage (flesh joining flesh) have more 5, 6, and many wives...and conveniently hide behind the pulpit and the Bible as great men of God...at least in their own minds.

II Tim 2.15 notes...study...rightly dividing. The New King James does not have that verse that commands you to study...only one version does in the English language...The authorized King James Version 1611. So for me that makes my choice of Bible simple...the one that commands me to study. The 244* versions of Bibles 'add to' and 'take from' the words of God. 'Words' may sound harmless but most folks want a Bible convenient for themselves...and the Word of God for them becomes the 'message' 'original intent' etc.

If we are born again again...it is because we came to Jesus as a sinner...in need of a saviour...and that is definitely me...'he that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out'. If you tend to be a religious person you might want to remember religion crucified Christ. The religious elite incited the mobs to chant crucify him.

Now that I am born again the third heaven is mine...I did not earn it and I can't lose it...and at the judgement seat of Christ I will be judged for did I glorify God or waste my time on earth glorifying myself. And my judge (your judge if you are born again) said this 'But I say unto , That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement.'

Now say you were never born again...but are counting on your own...righteousness, as opposed to God's righteousness which is his Son Jesus Christ. If you are a godly sort of person...and a righteous kind of person...that is too bad because Jesus died for the ungodly, Jesus died for the unrighteous, Jesus died for sinners...he did not die for you. So if you religious and self righteous don't waste time God's time or our time. Save your breath for arguing with God at the White Throne Judgement where you can explain to God why your righteousness is just as good as God's if not better. Good luck with that humble religious approach but count me out.

As the CDH notes they try to avoid religion...
Religion is man reaching out to God
Salvation is God reaching out to man
Religion never saved anyone Mt 1.21 ... thou shalt call his name JESUS for he shall save his people from their sins.

As the CDH notes they try to avoid politics...
And some cried...we have no god but Caesar!

The god of this world is the wrong god if is he your choice.
His goal...
II Cor 4.4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not...

If you are concerned about where you will spend eternity...that is a good start. The conviction of Holy Spirit is the only way that happens (not the guilt trips of religion, or immoral folks trying to legislate their morals on others).

Here is hoping as you go thru your journey in this world you have not rejected the call of the spirit...
As Jesus said Mk 8.36,37 What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his own soul?

In heaven there are no Baptists, Catholics, Democrats, Republicans, Communists, Capitalists...only sinners saved by the blood of the crucified one. In the interim whether CDH or elsewhere I need worry only about myself and answer to God in the end...not waste my time seeking the approval of men, or religious men, however good are the intentions they may have.

Here is hoping you find God's will for you in this life...and more importantly be prepared to meet God in eternity on his terms...not yours.

CDH helped me accept myself, and God helps me work out my own salvation with fear and trembling (not earning salvation...but how to live for Him after salvation).

Best wishes on your journey thru CDH, planet earth, and eternity.

Great topic
I read deut 22:5 and it says what it says
Everything else is a man made interpretation
Deut is a covenant made with God for Israel, hence we can eat shellfish pork etc and NT backs this up eg. everything prayed for can be eaten.
New Testament Jesus fulfills the Law
Eg men should not be effeminate
However if women can wear pants
Then men can wear dresses and skirts
If they are made for them
Hmm this is getting tricky
I m sure (but my opinion) God doesnt want deception.
So are you or me trying to fool someone into thinking we are wonen? Or am i a guy that likes the feel of a bra? If i am and i get one from home mystere how am i crossdressing?
Another thing : if i m crossdressing for sexual gratification which i did for a long time is the a sin of sexual immorality or perversion, not sure but i know it is a sin of sensuality
So now if i dont do it for sexual gratification and i get my clothes from homme mystere
My own personality made custom shoes and wear as a guy with heels on sexy jeans bra and panties under am I crossdressing am i even sinning?
Very confusing especially if u consider the context of Deut 22:5
Israel going into a new land that practiced crossdressing as a religious ritual....
If you take that approach and that deut is a covenant with israel(foods forbidden, stoning, etc) and that the NT doesnt mention it,
If your re wearing lingerie for men heels made for men dresses skirts made for men then where are we????
Interesting topic

As an ordained clergy with four degrees in religious studies I may be of some help here. First, the Tanaka or Old Testament is not our book. There is no need to pretend that we can find Jesus in most of the Old Testament, the exception is the last few chapters of Isaiah. Those passages in Leviticus are reactions to the way the neighbors of Israel were living and the response created rigid boundaries between them and us.

Paul is a commentator upon the story of Jesus but he is not our Savior. It is wrong to elevate Paul to being equal in truth bearing to Jesus. No doubt Paul agonizes on what we do with his words in making them equally authoritative with the words of Jesus.

What did Jesus say about crossdressing? Nothing. I cannot imagine Jesus erecting walls where walls don't exist. I believe that sin is anything that unbalances a person. If all the money goes to clothes of any gender and nothing is left for food for the children then the unbalance the person embraces is what is sinful not how he or she does the unbalancing.

The Old Testament seeks to motivate a balanced life through laws permitting some things and forbidding others. Jesus motivates by giving a new status to a sinner: you are royalty. Jesus makes us a child of God, an inheritor of a royal status. We are surprised to find out about this gift and the gift giver: its unexpected, it is freely given. As long as we live within the reality that we are royalty and keep our eyes on the King's son, Jesus, we will want to live as royalty. But if we take our eyes off Jesus we will fall back into our old reality. The only folks who go to hell are those who can no longer enjoy heaven. Their souls are so full of hatred that there is no room for grace. I have yet to meet any crossdresser who hates even a little bit.

I did meet a demon one Sunday afternoon when my studies in rhetoric and persuasion took me to a Klan rally. As I stepped closer to interview the leader I felt as if I had stepped into a freezer. When I looked into his eyes I saw pure evil. Hating had eaten out everything in him. I never have had that experience with anyone else in my 68 years. So let us live as the royalty Jesus declares that we are, choose the words of Jesus over the O.T. and Paul, and do deeds of love and kindness to all.

When I have to take a long trip, especially on a plane, I tuck a $20 bill in my pocket and make it my mission to get rid of it by giving it to someone who needs it. That means I really need to listen to what people are saying. Once I give the person the money and tell them how I know they need it, I walk quickly away. It creates enough dissonance as to open a crevice for Jesus. No matter how we dress, no one can deny that a disciple of Jesus just did a Jesus thing.

I hope this helps all of us feel rebalanced into true royalty.