Made to be Glorious

In this volume Luke Griffo presents the hope and redemption available for all those who find themselves in the mire of transgenderism. He not only faithfully presents the goodness of the natural order and the grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but also captures their inherent beauty and wonder. Griffo has a heart for seeing the American church activated toward the task of reaching the millions who believe the lies and practice the sins that surround transgenderism. This book is therefore a guide for the self-described transgender who has come to the end of himself or herself in those sins, as well as a framework for the Christian who seeks to understand and address these matters in our day.

Having read Luke Griffo’s earlier work, The Beauty of the Binary: Male and Female Created He Them, I knew I was in for another fine read with Made To Be Glorious, but there were pleasant surprises. I thought it would be a book about delivering these benighted folks from sin; turns out, it was also one written to those in this sinful condition. Indeed, it is an evangelistic enterprise. I also expected to see the Bible brought to bear on this transgression (and it was), but I didn’t anticipate the ways in which Griffo’s analysis of the trans conceits brought a deeper understanding of the biblical message itself. Near the end, Griffo says that his goal “has been to provide an exposition of the gospel specifically for those whose sin lies in gender ideology, transgender identity, and related temptations.” It was clear that he’d succeeded—through both prophetically-edgy and pastorally-gracious discourse; through evidence in text and footnote of diligent research, as he identified and toppled idols of our age; and through blessing us with page-turner readability. And, yes, it serves to remind us non-trans sinners that we, no less than they, depend upon the shed blood of Christ for mercy and grace—and that they, no less than we, possess the "dignity and glory" of "image-bearers of God."

Griffo has rendered great service to the church with his timely book Made to be Glorious. In this much-needed work, Griffo rightly articulates the sinfulness of transgenderism and the redemption that can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. He advances his argument comprehensively for such a succinct book and in doing so gives the church a vocabulary that enables her to witness lovingly and truthfully to those who have embraced this wicked ideology. For example, Griffo emphasizes the Creator/creature distinction and the obligations that image-bearers have to live according to the way the Triune God made us and the world. We are not autonomous; rather, we were created by God, are sustained by God, and will ultimately give an account to God. Furthermore, Griffo demonstrates how transgenderism transgresses God’s Moral Law as expressed in the Ten Commandments. Finally, he walks the reader through the process of biblical repentance and faith and what living as a Christian means. Contrary to the popular narrative that suggests help is found within oneself, Griffo points the reader to true help found externally— the salvation found in the Triune God. In doing so he helps the reader avoid the ditches of hedonism and moralism. There is much more that could be said about this book. For instance Griffo includes a chapter on the local church as a community and another chapter on the hope of a future glorified body. Needless to say, Christians who take the time to read and reflect on this book will be well-equipped to engage with this issue thoughtfully and biblically. I’m pleased to commend Made to be Glorious to you.