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GOD’S LOVE FOR ALL HUMAN LIFE |
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I am reminded of a TV commercial which portrays a college football team being admonished by the coach concerning their performance. One of the players says, "Coach, we’re ahead 28–0." The fired up coach turns and says, "The moment you begin believing you have won and begin being satisfied with yourselves is the moment we’re through as a football team." The coach’s point was that even though they may be ahead, there is always room for improvement, learning and growth. Success builds upon success but complacency destroys dreams and dashes all hopes. A recent study came out at the end of 2000, which showed the abortion rate had dropped. In fact, the abortion rate was at its lowest level since 1976. This was indeed great news, especially for those many youngsters who are now enjoying their lives. It is truly a joy to hear of mothers choosing the love of a precious baby rather than maintaining a lifetime of guilt. However, like that college football team, we cannot be satisfied with these results. There are still thousands of babies being slaughtered daily. We must continue to press the battle as the war over the sanctity of life still rages on and we must continue to "speak the truth in love" (Eph.4:15). The bitter controversy inherent in the abortion issue has been tearing apart the soul of our country since 1973. Unfortunately, many do not really understand the nature of the battle. They perceive the abortion issue as being the basic source of the differences, which divide us. These are vital concerns to millions of Americans and we must not overlook their significance. However, these are not the basic issues; they are just the symptoms of a far more serious disease. The fundamental problem relates to the nature of human beings - whether or not all human life is sacred. The battle lines are clearly drawn. Faithful Christians know what is at stake. We are asking the Lord’s help that we may not compromise with the forces of evil. We have no choice but to fight with all the power that our Creator provides. Paul instructs Christians "to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might." He commands us to prepare for battle with principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Christ’s soldiers are to put on "the whole armor of God" that we "may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:10-17). When we have done this, we must seek the Lord’s help and guidance that we may persevere (Eph. 6:18). Christians may be tempted to become discouraged, but we know the truth and right will ultimately win "because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Through our faith in God and our obedience to his will, we will enjoy the victory over all evil (1 John 54). THE KEY ISSUE What ought to be the Christian position on the abortion issue? Is there a definitive Christian response? Do we Christians or others have the freedom to play God? The sacredness of ALL human life must be one of the overriding factors in making decisions relating to our own self-worth and the worth of others. If all human beings are not sacred, then we cannot consistently condemn the power ethics of Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, and Priedrich Nietzsche. In Plato’s Republic, Thrasymachus argues that power should be the rule of life, "Justice is nothing else than the interest of the stronger." Machiavelli supported as right whatever strengthened the state and opposed as wrong whatever weakened it. His thesis seems to have been, "My country, right or wrong." His philosophy has had supporters in every generation. It is of more than passing interest that Mussolini submitted a thesis on Machiavelli for his doctor’s degree. Nietzsche respected only power. He denigrated many of the essential elements of New Testament Christianity; gentleness, meekness, love-as a malignant form of falsehood. He said, "It is really poisonous, decadent, weakening. It produces nincompoops, not men." Such views are obviously unchristian, but how can they be condemned unless all human life is sacred? Christian business ethics, biblical norms relating to human sexuality and respect for the family make sense only if all human life is sacred. If human beings are not precious in the eyes of God, then we are justified in using whatever means are available to achieve business and professional success. What could be wrong in cheating another in a business deal if human beings are merely glorified animals? Further, why be bothered about imposing one’s sexual demands on another unless the other person is of equal value? Husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, children, and in-laws should not be held accountable for failure to fulfill their obligations to the people involved in these relationships unless they have a sanctity which belongs to them simply because they are human beings. The worth of every individual is inherent-not contingent. We must not judge the value of a child on the basis of his ability to perform. He may not have great intelligence, he may never play in the NFL or the NBA, he may have very few skills of any kind, but he is important because he is. If we have the freedom to judge the worth of people on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, knowledge, financial standing, or physical attractiveness, millions of lives are in grave danger. WHO DECIDES? If there are some lives not worth living, who should make that determination? Do we commission our medical profession to make these difficult decisions? Hitler gave the necessary orders for the mentally incompetent, the physically handicapped, the old and a great number of the young and unborn to be exterminated and many German doctors went right along with him and carried out these orders. Doctors are probably no worse and no better than other professionals, but they have no greater knowledge or skill in these life and death matters than other human beings. Besides, doctors take a sacred oath to heal and not kill. If the doctors do not possess moral expertise to make these grave decisions, perhaps we can turn to scientists in other academic disciplines. Are biologists, zoologists, embryologists, and other scientists equipped to deal with these important questions? Many of these men and women believe in the theory of evolution as well. They do not necessarily make any great distinction between man and animals. Some of them experiment with human beings, especially fetuses, which are born alive, just as they would experiment with dogs, cats, or rhesus monkeys. In fact, there are more governmental controls regulating animal experimentation than there are governing the way fetuses are handled. Do you want that kind of scientist deciding whether you live or die or whether your unborn child lives or dies? Maybe we should delegate the authority for this decision to the theologians They are supposed to be lovers of God and lovers of their fellowmen. Unfortunately, many theologians have no greater respect for human beings than do some of the most liberal scientists. Some of their views are as radical as most atheistic and humanistic philosophers and scientists. THE IMAGE OF GOD The apostle Paul said, "Is He the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also" (Rom. 3:29)." I believe we can paraphrase this verse, in this current discussion, without doing any harm to the text, "Is he the God of able-bodied, highly intelligent, beautiful people only? Is he not also the God of the sick, the mentally handicapped the physically deformed and of the baby in the womb? Yes, of these and all other men." Has not God always protected those who were underprivileged, oppressed and defenseless? Could He possibly care less for the old, the feeble, the diseased, the troubled, the unborn than he cares for the rest of his creatures? The Scriptures speak clearly and emphatically regarding man being made in God’s image. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that cmepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them" (Gen. 1:26-27). A number of observations on this passage are in order. First, God the Father proposed to the other members of the Godhead that they make man in their image. One of the reasons God introduced capital punishment was to prevent men from thinking too lightly of killing other human beings. "Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he, man" (Gen. 9:6). We kill cattle, hogs, deer, and other animals without any compunction of conscience. Why not treat our fellowmen in the same way? Second, animals were placed on earth for man’s use, contrary to the view of many animal rights activists, who seem to have created their own religion in which they exalt animals over people. Man was commissioned to have dominion over the animals. Men and animals differ in worth in God’s eyes. Third, man is actually made in the image of God. What is the meaning of the expression, "the image of God?" Jesus taught that our resemblance to God could not be physical since God is spirit (John 4:24). The likeness refers to the intellectual, moral, and spiritual qualities which man has in common with his Creator. The scriptures reveal that God is love (1 John 4:8), that he is good and merciful (Jer. 33:11), gracious (Eph. 2:8-10), etc. Human beings have the capacity for developing these attributes of God. Christians are encouraged by every Bible writer to seek to become Godlike in these and in many other respects. Does God’s image reside only in physically and mentally perfect people? All of us - men, women and children are made in the image of God and ALL includes ALL; black people, yellow people, red people, white people, poor people, crippled people and all others have the image of God in them, even though that image has been sullied somewhat by sin. Would you be willing to meet God in the judgment and try to explain the taking of innocent lives through such acts as abortion? Do you honestly believe that God will exonerate abortionists? If the ones who are killed are innocent of wrongdoing, on what basis can we justify society’s treatment of them? WHAT IS MAN? What is the nature of human beings? The Psalmist breaks forth in praise to our God because his name is excellent in all the earth. "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him" (Psa. 8:1-4)? We may not be able to fully comprehend the Psalmist’s statements, but we can learn much from his inspired words. First, David affirms that God made man "a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor" (Psa. 8:5). What an absolutely marvelous creature man must be to have been made a little lower than God’s holy angels and to have had God himself to crown man with glory and honor. Such statements are never made concerning any other of God’s creatures. Second, God made man to have dominion over the works of God’s hands. He put all things under man’s feet (Psa. 8:6-8). No wonder David stood in awe of the crowning act of God’s creation and could declare: "0 Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth" (Psa. 8:9)! If God has done all of this for human beings, and there cannot be any doubt about it, then why in heaven’s name do we puny creatures think we have the right to kill babies in their mother’s wombs? Do not babies from the moment of conception bear their maker’s image? How can we fail to understand how disappointed God must be that his own creatures should have so little regard for his other creatures - the little ones for whom Jesus expressed such compassion? How utterly inexplicable that we should have so little concern for those for whom our Lord has such great concern. FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE Psalm 139 teaches many awe-inspiring truths regarding God’s love for man and the worth of every person. Let me briefly summarize these great principles. First, men are of such great concern and interest to God that he makes special effort to know us. "0 Lord, thou hast searched me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thoughts afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways" (Psa. 139: 1-3). Second, man cannot escape from God’s love and care, "whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I made my bed in hell, behold, thou art them. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even then shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me" (Psa. 139:7- 10). Third, the Psalmist was exuberant in praise to God because he was "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psa. 139: 14). Fourth, God knew David when he was made in secret, "and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth" (Psa. 139: 15). "Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect (incomplete); and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them" (Psa. 139: 16). Does this beautiful passage leave any room for doubt regarding the nature of unborn babies and God’s provisions for them? All human beings are sacred in God’s sight and that includes the unborn! THE PROPHETS AND THE DIGNITY OF MAN The prophets of the Old Testament constantly emphasized the sacredness of all human life and that included the lives of heathen. How else can one explain God’s sending his prophet Jonah to the pagan city of Nineveh? Jonah apparently was more troubled by the disappearance of the gourd which had given him protection than he was about the destruction of the Ninevites. The Bible says, "Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not labored, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: and should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle" (Jonah 4: 10-1 l)? The so-called "divine right of kings" (or presidents, or governors, or other leaders) simply cannot bear careful scrutiny in the light of the teachings of scripture. Ahab sinned grievously against God and against humanity when he violently seized the vineyard of Naboth. His accomplice in his evil deed was Jezebel. She believed that the king had greater rights and greater dignity simply because he was the king. In her view, Naboth was expendable. Her regard for one insignificant human being may certainly have stemmed from her Baal connections. If Baal be God and not Jehovah, what difference does the killing of one troublesome Jezmelite make? JESUS AND THE WORTH OF INDIVIDUALS In His great Sermon on the Mount, our Lord criticized his disciples for failure to trust Him for their every need. Jesus told his followers not to worry about what they would eat or drink or what they would wear. God takes care of the fowls of the air and the lilies of the field. "Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the over, shall he not much more clothe you, 0 ye of little faith" (Mt. 6:25-30)? God knows our needs and will provide for them. Does that not give us an exalted view of God’s love for men - all men? But what about the diseased, the downtrodden, the dreadful sinners which Jesus met? Surely, the Son of God did not have any communion with the likes of these. John 4 records Christ’s meeting with the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s well in Sychar, The Samaritan woman was not only a Samaritan and a woman; she was also an immoral woman (John 4: 16-18). Is such a person a legitimate object of our Lord’s love? If you know the Lord, you know the answer. Perhaps the greatest indication of the essential worth of each individual can be seen in God’s gift of His Son for our redemption. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom.5:8). "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3: 16-17). GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER The word Abortion in this country is considered almost as slang. People frown on the word. "Terminate Pregnancy" sounds much better. Yet, both mean the murdering of an unborn, sinless, gift of God known as a child. Yet, in most cases the child is called a fetus and again we have a lesser meaning to some. Planned Parenthood is supposed to mean to prepare for parenting a child, then why do they also carry out the murdering of children, known as "Termination of Pregnancy"? I wonder if in the counseling sessions of such practices, if they tell the soon to be murderer of her child, the four ways that they do this procedure? One way is to give the baby an acid bath. There is a way that they suck the baby into pieces. Then let us not forget the partial birth abortion when in minutes the baby would be born. Lastly, we have the tapping into the brain of the baby and literally sucking the brains from the skull. While this is all morbid to us that love children, it is done daily by thousands of mothers. In our society if a person is involved in an accident and is charged with manslaughter, or even murder, if there was a pregnant women the court system then recognizes this "fetus" as a human being. The person at fault would be charged on two counts. Also, the State of Connecticut, under it’s Workers’ Compensation Statutes, states that if a pregnant mother is injured while at work, the "fetus" is, then, actually called a "child" and or "dependent" of the mother. It’s not only hypocritical but it is absolutely disgusting to recognize the unborn as a "child" or a "dependent" only when it impacts a person’s "wallet" but never recognizing it as a child at any other time during the pregnancy.
Obviously, society views abortion as a woman’s "choice" since it is her body and views it as a necessary procedure for the improvement of her own personal circumstances because, after all, this is not a living human – it’s a thing to be discarded. Yet, the Lord sees the unborn as human beings, even before conception. (Jeremiah 1:5) "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." I am thankful that Jeremiah was born, and his mother did not decide that it was the right time. The fact is that today abortion is used as a form of birth control. We can even decide that if the baby is not what we want, then we can abort it. Laws charging one with two counts of murder are as God would have it, "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine" (Exodus 21:22). It is very important for us to recognize that the term "fetus" did not come from God. Rather, it came from man. In fact, God is the One who calls the unborn, "Babes". (Luke 1:40-41) "And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost." I believe it would be wise for us to analyze this word a little closer. The Greek word is brephos. This word appears only eight times in the New Testament, but its bearing on the abortion controversy needs to be understood. Luke records a visit which Mary, the mother of Jesus, made to the hill country of Judah to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. "Mary entered the house of Zecharias, and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe (brephos) leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit." By the power of the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth was able to understand what was transpiring. She pronounced a blessing on Mary and on the fruit of her womb. The fruit of her womb was a brephos, an unborn baby. Elizabeth stood in awe that the mother of the Lord would come unto her. "For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe (brephos) leaped in my womb for joy." The meaning of the Greek breph in this context cannot be missed. Undeniably, it means "an unborn child." The New Testament also uses the word brephos to refer to a baby or an infant. The angel of the Lord announced to the shepherds, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe (brephos) wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Lk. 2: 11-12). Brephos was used of the baby in its mother’s womb (Lk. 1:4 l-44); it was also used of the child who had exited its mother’s body. By what standard can human beings justify aborting one brephos, the one in its mother’s body, and condemn the killing of another brephos, the one outside its mother’s body? In other words, what argument can be offered for abortion that may not also be used for infanticide?Brephe is used interchangeably with the word puidia (little children). "And they brought unto him also infants (brephe) that he might touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked him. But Jesus called them unto him and said, Suffer little children (puidiu) to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God" (Lk. 18: 15 16). Since the word brephos is used both of unborn and born children and since brephos and paidiu are used interchangeably, does that not give us an insight into the importance which God himself attaches to the fetus or embryo? On the basis of these biblical words; how could anyone ever determine which brephos has the right to live and which should be destroyed? Stephen used the word brephos in referring to the children which were killed by the decree of the ones who were already born and whose sex had been determined (Ex. 1: 16). Brephos was used of Timothy whose mother and grandmother had taught him about God (2 Tim. 15). "And that from a child (brephos) thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:15). My friends, I trust you can see that abortion is murder. I remember back in the 1980’s when President Reagan was asked about his view concerning abortion as a Federal issue. President Reagan responded, "In my view, abortion should never have been made a Federal issue but should have remained a state issue because murder is a state issue." Friends, abortion is the most senseless and selfish act one human being could commit against another human being. It is the taking of life from one who is absolutely innocent. If you knew Jesus you would see that and I plead with you to come and know the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is clear on what the judgment of murderers will be, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8). CONCLUSION The problem involved with the abortion issue is not one of ideology, not one of politics, not one of convenience, not one of women’s rights, not one of choice, although all these are woven into the argument of pro abortionists, the problem is one of the human heart. We see just how cold, callous and rock hard the heart can become. The heart that is in this condition does not get there over night but, rather, by a slow steady progression away from God. Paul tells us a little about this process in Romans 1:28-32, "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." The next time someone defends abortion, remind that person that they’re mothers had a choice. Murder is a sin unto death, and abortion is murder!
Every child, born or unborn, has the attention of our heavenly Father. Jesus demonstrated the love of God for all human beings when he demanded that his disciples allow the little children to come unto him (Lk. 18: 15 16). Our Father even has concern for the sparrows. "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten of God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows" (Lk.12:6-7). Do pro-abortionists agree with these words of our Savior? Many of them apparently believe that snail darters and bald eagles am mom valuable than unborn babies. One who destroys an eagle’s nest or a live eagle can pay a large fine and even go to prison. However, those who kill little babies in their mothers’ wombs are praised as doing great service for the child-especially if he is unwanted or severely handicapped-for the mother and for society in general.There is hope, however. Jesus Christ is your answer. If you are guilty of having had an abortion we ask you to repent. Repentance is not just feeling sorry for what you have done. It is not just feeling sorry for being caught. Rather, repentance is a change of mind; a change of heart and attitude concerning something you have done. Repentance involves realizing your action was wrong, realizing that it was sinful and that it has separated you from God (Isa.59:1-2). It involves a renouncing your sin. It involves turning from sin and turning toward Jesus who can forgive all sin ( 2 Cor.7:10). Christ will forgive every sin, including abortion, if you recognize it as sin. The Bible tells us that, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness" ( 1 John 1:9) On the other hand, if you are one who is considering having an abortion, we ask you to please reconsider. Take the time to think about the consequences of your actions. Please understand that what is formed within a woman is nothing but life. God blessed women with the privilege of having, within them, a living, breathing, growing life that is designed to be developed and nurtured by her and within her. Here, we see the brilliance of a God’s design of the role of a mother and the Divine wisdom involved that places supreme honor on the bond that is biologically, spiritually and emotionally formed between a mother and her child. God saw the necessity of this bond and so must we. In our next article, we will discuss the abortion issue from a legal perspective. We will examine the many legal arguments associated with abortion since the landmark case of 1973. We will expose the arguments that have traditionally supported abortion and show how they evolved from an incorrect and illogical interpretation of the Constitution. Please pray that these articles will impact the lives of those struggling with this insidious, senseless, selfish and sinful issue. Return to Top |