The pro-life vs. pro-choice debate has been raging on for years. But let’s take the issue of abortion out of the political arena for a few moments, shall we?
Let’s talk about abortion from a biblical perspective. This is what my students and I did in an introductory Apologetics class I taught last year at the Detroit Bible Institute. After delving into classical issues like defending the existence of God, the reliability of the Bible and the deity of Christ, we tackled some contemporary issues that we face as Christians in the public square, and abortion was among those topics.
I must admit that I approached preparing a lesson on this topic with much prayer and a bit of trepidation. On the one hand, I knew how important it would be to present the biblical passages that condemn taking innocent life (Exodus 20:13; Proverbs 6:17) and establish the personhood of the unborn child (Job 31:15; Ps. 139:13-16; Luke 1:35-45). But on the other hand, I had a keen awareness that of the 20-plus students in my class, it would be likely that some of them may have had abortions themselves, or encouraged others to do so. I would need to “speak the truth in love,” as we are instructed to do in Ephesians 4:15.
So I embarked on this task, asking for the Lord’s help. I began that lesson with encouragement from Scripture, and I encourage you now with the same words…Whether you have had an abortion, influenced someone else to do so, or stood by as someone else went through with an abortion, God’s grace and forgiveness are available. Scripture says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).”
That being said, let’s shift our focus to the state of affairs in the United States since abortion was legalized in this country in 1973. It is estimated that between 45 and 53 million babies have been aborted in the U.S. since that time. Let’s take a moment to let that truth sink in… We’re talking about millions upon millions of babies that have been aborted, and their God-given purposes aborted with them. Scripture says that God knew these unborn children while they were yet in the womb:
“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 (Psalm 139: 13-16).”
The sad truth is that for these children, none of those days came to be…outside the womb. Did not God have a purpose for their lives? Does He not have a purpose for the unborn child you’re carrying, or the one your sister, friend or wife is carrying? The Bible records God’s thoughts about an unborn prophet in Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Now, the children yet in the womb as I pen these words won’t be prophets in the same sense as Jeremiah, but they could grow to be prophetic men and women of God who tell forth the truths of God’s Word, or they could be teachers, or musicians, or doctors…they could be whatever God has purposed for them to be. The truth is, we don’t have the right to end these children’s lives because their lives didn’t originate with us. God is the creator of all life (Genesis 1), so only He has the right to give and take life.
As I bring this article to a close, I pray that I have not presented myself as someone who is unaware of the emotional, economic and social realities that expectant mothers face when making a decision concerning an unplanned pregnancy. I know that this is a heart-wrenching decision, to say the least. However, I hope that I have shed some light on the subject of abortion, and that these words will cause many to choose life, as the Scriptures say in Deuteronomy 30:19: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live…”
This is the motivation behind a series of lectures being held during the month of February. Right to Life of Michigan, in partnership with Crisis Pregnancy Centers and several other ministries throughout metro Detroit, kicked off its Black History Month Life Speaker Series on February 3. At this kickoff event, individuals donated unopened diapers and baby wipes to be distributed to mothers in need at local Crisis Pregnancy Centers. These centers educate pregnant women about alternatives to abortion (like foster care and adoption) and provide post-abortive counseling. During this speaker series, the devastating effects of abortion in the African-American community are being discussed. Organizers of the event report that abortion data released this past summer showed that 42.5 percent of all abortions were performed on African-American women, while these women make up only 16.6 percent of women age 15-44 in Michigan. They further report that abortion kills more African Americans than crime, accidents, cancer, heart disease and AIDS all put together.
I encourage you to attend this series of lectures. But even more importantly, if you are a woman who is considering abortion, or you know someone else who is, I urge you to visit the Right to Life of Michigan website to learn about some alternatives.
Choose life and allow God’s purpose for these unborn children to be fulfilled!
By: Nicole Johnson
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