In a world that is grappling with the disturbing reality of suicide rates among people who identify as “transgender,” we must approach this topic without compromising the truth of God’s Word. Although the world points fingers at the Church, particularly, conservative, Bible-believing Christians, accusing us of instigating despair by upholding a strong, biblical sexual ethic, we must look beyond the surface. Could it be that what we’re seeing is the unbearable tension that occurs when a human soul tries to escape the all-encompassing holiness of God?

The Bible isn’t vague on this matter as it tells us clearly that God’s law is written on our hearts and that our conscience bears witness to this (Romans 2:15). For many, that internal courtroom can become a place of such torment that they seek an escape, even if that escape leads to tragedy. But pointing fingers won’t save lives—only the truth will. The ultimate answer lies not in redefining God’s standards but in finding reconciliation with God through repentance and faith. This is the path to true and lasting peace.

In a culture that prefers to keep God at arm’s length, the biblical picture of God’s holiness and righteousness is a sobering reminder that we cannot escape His presence or His justice. The Bible paints an awe-inspiring picture of God. In Hebrews 12:29, we read, “For our God is a consuming fire.” God’s holiness is not a secondary attribute—it’s ablaze, intense, all-encompassing, and definitional to His nature and character. Just like fire consumes everything in its path, God’s righteousness envelops all aspects of human life. The Apostle Paul warns in Romans 1:18 that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve attempted to hide from God after realizing they had sinned. They tried to cover themselves with fig leaves as if a simple man-made covering could shield them from the eyes of an omnipresent God. Yet, God found them. Their attempt at concealing their sin and shame was futile because of who God is. He sees and knows all.

Likewise, we cannot escape God’s penetrating gaze. King David recognized this when he wrote Psalm 139:7-8: “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” No matter where we go, God’s presence and justice follow us.

This truth is echoed by Job, a man who knew all too well the scrutiny of God during times of intense suffering. In Job 10:16, he laments, “If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me.” Job felt cornered by God’s omnipresence and omnipotence—there was no place to hide, and God’s power was a reality he could not escape, even in his deepest misery.

While Job felt the weight of God’s justice, he also was confronted with His holiness and righteousness. He understood that God’s purpose, though mysterious and often not revealed, was always good and just. The presence of God that felt like a lion stalking its prey was also the same holy presence that offered redemption and ultimate hope. The difference between these two men—David and Job—and the rebellious, suicidal “transgender” person is that the rebellious person has no hope. While the rebellious person hates God and turns their back on them, David and Job, on the other hand, turned to Him.

On the other end of this dichotomy, consumed by the overwhelming weight of his betrayal of Jesus, Judas Iscariot represents the catastrophic outcome of what often happens when one’s guilt, apart from the grace of God, consumes them. Instead of seeking forgiveness for his sins, Judas surrendered to despair and took his own life, as described in Matthew 27:3-5: “…he departed, and he went and hanged himself.”

Judas felt an intense and inescapable shame, much like the soul-wrenching guilt that plagues anyone at odds with God’s unyielding holiness. Yet, the path he chose only confirms the destructive power of rebellion against God. In the lives of David, Job, and even Judas, we see the role that our response to God’s pervasive righteousness plays. David and Job trusted in God and found redemption and hope—even amid suffering and despair. Judas, like so many suicidal “transgender” people, overwhelmed by guilt and shame, chose a path devoid of that hope.

It might be unsettling to think of God as an angry God, but it’s extremely important to remember that His anger is always just and rooted in His righteousness. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 2:5, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

However, God is not solely a God of wrath—He is also a loving Father who wishes for no one to perish. The gospel is that God’s holiness and God’s love met in a profound way—mercy and grace. Jesus Christ, God incarnate, took the penalty for our sins upon Himself, offering us the only way out of the eternal wrath of God. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

The undeniable truth is that God’s holiness and righteousness are inescapable. We can neither hide from His presence nor dodge His judgment. Yet, in His infinite love, He offers us a way out through Jesus Christ. Like a consuming fire, God’s nature can either purify us or judge us, depending on whether we stand covered in the righteousness of Christ or try to hide in the inadequate fig leaves of our own self-righteousness.

The bottom line is this: “transgender” people do not commit suicide because conservative, Bible-believing Christians refuse to affirm them. It isn’t because of bathroom policies, or anything else they claim is “oppressive” to who they think they are. They commit suicide because they cannot escape the holiness of God, pursuing them at every moment of their life. Their conscience bears such a powerful witness against them, yet their hearts are so hardened against God, that they believe the only escape is death. “Those who hate me love death” (Proverbs 8:36). But sadly, even in death, they will not escape the holiness of God, which will manifest in His judgment and wrath being poured out on them for all eternity.

Understanding God as an all-consuming fire serves as both a stern warning and an invitation—a warning to not underestimate His holiness and righteousness, and an invitation to be consumed by His grace rather than his wrath. God’s very nature demands that we address the state of our hearts and our standing before Him, for it’s a dangerous thing to try to hide from an all-consuming God who is angry with you. But the great news is that we don’t have to. Through Jesus Christ alone, we can stand righteous and purified before a holy God.