What defines a person: sexual desires, cultural labels or something deeper? Dr. Christopher Yuan joins Family Talk to argue that Christian identity begins with being created in God’s image and redeemed in Christ — not with sexuality. Yuan also discusses helping parents and teens navigate questions of sexuality with biblical clarity, grace and truth through the Holy Sexuality Project. Listen now for the full conversation. On this edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, Roger Marsh continues his conversation with Dr. Christopher Yuan about biblical sexuality, Christian identity and how parents can help young people navigate a culture increasingly shaped by sexual and gender labels. The previous program traced Yuan’s remarkable journey from drug dealing, prison and an HIV diagnosis to faith in Jesus Christ. This conversation shifts from his testimony to the ministry that grew out of it. Yuan begins with a foundational question: Should sexuality be treated as a defining category of personhood? His answer is no. Yuan argues that Scripture teaches human identity first through creation in the image of God and, for believers, through union with Christ. Sexual desires and temptations may be real, he says, but they should not be elevated into statements about who a person fundamentally is. That distinction matters because, in Yuan’s view, Christians should not make any sinful desire or struggle part of their essential identity. Yuan also challenges language sometimes used within churches to describe Christians who experience same-sex attraction. He argues that labels combining Christian identity with sexual orientation can unintentionally make sexuality appear permanent and foundational rather than something believers bring under the lordship of Christ. For Yuan, the issue goes beyond behavior. Drawing from Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5, he emphasizes that Christian discipleship addresses not only outward actions but also inward desires. His concern is that simply telling someone not to act on a desire can fall short of the deeper biblical call to repentance, sanctification and transformation. Yuan describes that transformation using Paul’s language of putting sin to death rather than attempting to redefine or sanctify it. The conversation then turns directly toward parents, youth groups and teenagers. Yuan says young people need clarity because they are hearing competing messages about identity and sexuality from culture, peers, media and sometimes even Christian ministries. He recounts an example involving a church youth group that used material featuring someone identifying as a gay Christian. According to Yuan,…
