ALMIGHTY GOD, Giver of Life and Creator of man, has revealed to us in His divinely inspired Word a concept of life-affirmation, a restoration of human dignity by God taking on human form - born into this word - through Jesus Christ, His Son, and an ultimate victory of life over death, springing up into life everlasting. Thus, the Apostle John testifies in John 1:4,5: In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
LET US NOW look in specific where the Word of God instructs us to regard and to respect life rather than killing it in the mother's womb and throwing it into the garbage.
First of all, let us start with the creation of mankind and progress further from there to discover the sacredness of the gift of life. On the sixth day of creation the Lord said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it... (Gen 1:26-28). Yes, we are created in God's image, unlike all other creatures. We are God's idea and His work. Therefore, each new life that has been conceived needs to be regarded as a gift of God, created in His image. If we kill the innocent unborn, we are killing the image of God. Environmentalists and animal rights group try to protect species of animal life and they go to extremes to protect certain endangered animals, but do we give the same respect and sense of protection to our preborn and newborn children? Knowing that they are created in the image of God, should we not rather focus on the rescue and the protection of those unborn babies who are right now scheduled for an abortion?
It is not in vain, that the Bible says in the Ten Commandments, Thou shalt not kill (Ex 20:13). This refers most certainly to the precious lives of innocent children. God hates hands that shed innocent blood (read Proverbs 6:16,17). Abortion is one instance where innocent blood is shed. The death penalty is instituted in many states of the US to punish brutal acts of murder. Many people use the 6th commandment to denounce the death penalty, involvement in wars, etc., but they are not willing to apply God's commandment to the massive slaughter of unborn children. This is a terrible double standard, esp. since God so clearly condemns the shedding of innocent blood, whereas the death penalty serves to punish those guilty of homicide (see Genesis 9:6) and war action in self-defense serves to protect and safeguard the homeland (see Romans 13:1-4).It is noteworthy that in the chapter following the giving of the Ten Commandments a special law is given to protect the unborn life in the mother's womb. There it says in Exodus 21:22-24 that, 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. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. A premature birth as a result of a violent altercation is being punished. But if the women miscarries, i. e. if the unborn child has died in the womb as a result of that altercation, severe retribution is inflicted on the man who inflicted violence on the woman. Even this Old Testament law for the people of Israel reflects God's caring love and supports the notion that human life begins at conception (not at birth or at some time during the pregnancy).
We begin to see that God affirms life. The notion that for some reason a pregnancy can be ended and an unborn life removed from the womb is totaly alien. In fact, the Lord says in Psalm 127:3 that, Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Yes, children are a gift from God. They are a blessing, not a burden. They might become burdensome, if they are not raised in the Biblical way. If children are brought up without the rod, without discipline, without teaching in Christian values, but rather indulging in TV, toys, and other materialistic, secular seduction, then children grow up into unruly tyrants and rebellious haters of everything that is good, holy, and right. But children who are raised with love and discipline, with Biblical values in a godly home, taught in obedience, will be a blessing. Not a burden. Many think that "having children costs too much". But shouldn't you rather consider, if your car or your house costs too much? Do you spend money for cigarettes, alcohol, giant screen TV, 500 channel cable TV, football game tickets, hunting outfit and complain about what it costs to raise children? That's hypocritical and outrageous. Children, created in the image of God, are God's reward and heritage to us. Let us accept them, welcome them, and thankfully receive them into our lives. Always remember that Jesus himself was an unplanned, unwanted, and untimely pregnancy (read Matthew 1, Luke 1). But blessed Mary did not consider some method to "get rid of" the child. Nom she gladly responded to the angel, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. (Luke 1:39) Mary accepted the Christ child that was conceived in her of the Holy Ghost even before she was married to Joseph. If Mary had had an abortion, the Savior never would have walked on earth, nor would he have gone to the cross to die for our sin and rise again from the dead. What, if there never had been our Lord Jesus? There would be no hope for us. Life would be a few days of trouble, and then we were to enter the fires of hell for all eternity. I wonder how many great talents, great leaders, and great people in general have been killed in their mother's womb without ever having had the chance of accomplishing their life's mission or ever seeing the light of this world.
Bearing children is a blessing from the Lord and it is says in Psalm 127:4,5, As arrows are in a hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with their enemies in the gate. Our quivers today are not filled with those arrows. The scourge called abortion has robbed the mighty man of his arrows. Promiscuity ravages our land. Children born into out of wedlock relationships - pre-marital or extra-marital - are being put to death. Sexual sins (7th commandment), covetousness (10th commandment) and the sin of murder (6th commandment) amount to these large numbers of abortions since their "legalization" (not legal under God) in the US in January 1973. But the Bible gives us the concept for blessed family life in Psalm 128:3,4, Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The heart of God is pounding for fathers and mothers who will reflect His love to their children. The modern notion that children are unwanted or unwelcome is against God's will. Psalm 113:9 says that, He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord. It is God's calling and planned destiny for women to fill this role of joyful mothers. The idea that an abortion is justified in order to finish college, keep the career, think of the future is selfish, coldblooded, and coldhearted. Where are the joyful mothers who keep house? Women need the courage to step into this God-ordained and blessed role and to forsake the popular ideologies and modern feminist concepts that are basically nothing but devilish deception to lure women away fom the blessing of God that is in store for them. The men who encourage, pressure or in anyway coerce a woman to have an abortion are not worthy to be called men because of the Scripture we mentioned earlier that thus shall a God-fearing man be blessed with a wife and his children (Psalm 128:3,4). He who has no fear of God and forfeits the blessing of God is in danger of having innocent blood on his hands - the blood of his own children that were killed in their mother's womb. The Lord will not hold him guiltless. The Bible tells us exactly what real fathers ought to be like: Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him (Psalm 103:13). The blessed truth that needs to be taught and instilled in men today is that they need to pity - have compassion, have mercy on, show love for - their children. That alone is reason enough to abstain from all lust, promiscuity, adultery, and fornication because the best place for children to be born is within the confines of holy wedlock into a loving and stable home.
By the way, the killing of children is mentioned in the Bible only with reference to idolatry. In Psalm 106:36-39 it says, And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. The heathen worship of the Canaanites involved human sacrifice. Children were sacrificed to their fertility gods. The Canaanite people were an abomination to the Lord and some of the Israelites participated in their idolatry after they entered the Promised Land. That incurred the wrath of God. In the 1st Commandment we are told not to have any other gods. Forsaking the Lord and going after false religions often involves a depreciation of the value of life. The Lord is a life-affirming, life-giving God. Children are a gift from God. This is what Jacob said when he met his brother Esau: And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant. The idea that babies can be killed in the womb of the mother is utterly out of touch with Scripture. The concept of a woman's choice for or against the baby and the "right to abortion" (probably paid for by taxpayers' dollars) is completely foreign to the word of God. Here, life has worth and life is worth living. It is God's will for us to choose life. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deuteronomy 30:19). What will you choose? The right choice is always pro-life. Don't be guilty of the innocent blood of an unborn child. There is no sane rationale for having an abortion. Abortion kills babies, abuses women, and is a sin. Choose life! There are pro-life alternaties to abortion. If the child cannot be raised by the mother or father, it can be given up for adoption. There are parents waiting. Women in crisis pregnancies do not have to go to Planned Parenthood for "help". There are numerous Christian organizations that can help with Christian counseling and solutions that will protect the mother's physical and mental health as well as the baby's life. When studying the Holy Scriptures we can see how God regards the unborn child and begins dealing with it by the Holy Spirit. The following Scriptures let us know that the unborn child is not a "lump of cell", "cell tissue", or a "parasite". It is a person. It is a soul! At the moment of conception all the genetic information for that new person to be born is already present and begins to unfold. Therefore, in the Bible it is usually mentioned that a woman conceives and bears a child. Conception is frequently mentioned (for example Gen. 4:1, 17, 25; Ruth 4:13; Mt. 1:20, Lk. 1:24) as the real start of life. Thus, it is not unusual that the Lord already deals with the unborn child in the mother's womb.
Here is what the prophet Jeremiah says:Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:4,5).While still in his mother's womb, God fashioned Jeremiah for his purpose as a prophet later in his life. What, if Jeremiah had been aborted? The Lord was already sanctifying and ordaining him and then the tools of an abortionist come to destroy this life and its purpose.
Here is what the prophet Isaiah has to say:Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name... And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant... (Isaiah 49:1,5)God placed a special calling on the prophet Isaiah while he was still in his mother's womb. When God formed Isaiah he purposed him to be a prophet. We begin to see what a sacred place the mother's womb is. The cruelties of abortion should have no place in there.
The Psalmist gives thanks to God for being made by his hands:For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my subtance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them (Psalm 139:13-16).Again, we see how God was dealing with the yet unborn child. The Psalmist gives thanks to God for the way he was made. The thought of aborting this fearfully and wonderfully made human child would be totally out of place and an offence against the God who curiously wrought and covered the child in the mother's womb. Isn't it an honor for mothers today to notice that the Lord is at work on the child about to be born soon?
When Mary, the mother of Jesus, went to see Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, the following event is recorded in Scripture: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: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb... For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy (Luke 1:41, 42, 44).The baby John was aware of the presence of Mary and Jesus. John was aware of the presence of God coming in the flesh. John the Baptist, while in his mother's womb, was not a "lump of tissue". He was a living soul. Furthermore, it is said about John the Baptist when the angel spoke to his father Zacharias in the temple:For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb )Luke 1:15).God forbid that we even think about abortion when the Holy Spirit is already dealing with out children. Abortion is a crime against the child, against the mother, but also against God Himself. We do not own this new life. God owns it because he gave it. We are just stewards who will be held accountable for what we did with those precious lives.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was conceived and born into this world. God came in the flesh to sanctify the unit of life we call the family - Mary, Joseph and Jesus. They were not wealthy nor did they have any higher rank in the society. In fact, they come from the poor, rural area of Nazareth in Galilee. Joseph was a carpenter and Mary was espoused to him (not yet married) when the angel announced that Mary was to conceive of the Holy Ghost. Joseph sought to put her away privily because of the untimely pregnancy. But it was revealed to him to stay with Mary and to become the foster-father of the Son of God. It was tax time at the time Jesus was to be born into that humble environment. So Mary, being almost ready to deliver her child, and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem to pay their taxes. There was no comfortable room anywhere, so the child was born near Bethlehem and was laid in a manger. These were difficult circumstances into which Christ was born. But the story of Christ's birth should be an encouragement to all families and to those who are facing crisis pregnancies. Planned Parenthood would have advised Mary to have an abortion because Jesus was unplanned and there was too much troube and too much poverty. But Mary held on to her child because she was aware that God is the Giver of life and that children are a blessing. Thus, in the New Testament we will find the following teachings that completely outrule the option of abortion:Notwithstanding she shall be saved [i.e., kept from deception, transgression] in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety (1. Timothy 2:15).Here we disover the character traits of godly womanhood. If these character traits resurface again today, the abortion clinics would be going out of business.The aged women likewise... that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded (Titus 2:3,4-6).The Bible teaches us a concept of life and family that would make abortion extinct. Mothers have the high calling of becoming keepers at home. It is a disgrace that today's adulterous and materialistic generation does not give those blessed keepers at home the credit they deserve. Our society has subtle socio-economic constraints that force mothers into the job world. It is every Christian politician's duty to remove those hidden constraints from our society so that ONE breadwinner with ONE income can provide for ONE family with the help of ONE homekeeper. Amen! A true revival in America would bring the restoration of the above-mentioned Biblical values. Amen. There is more to revival than just selling "WWJD-bracelets".I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some are already turned aside after Satan (1. Timothy 5:14,15).This is some good instruction by the Apostle Paul. Instead of providing abortion as a shortcut out of "trouble", the Word of God encourages us to strive as much as possible to restore orderly family life. A commitment to live sexually pure is the best way to avoid abortion. Once a woman finds herself in a crisis pregnancy she should not be condemned for any reason, but needs to receive compassionate help. There is a lack of such help today. That's why organizations such as Planned Parenthood can prey on these situations and lure women into an "easy" abortion.
Jesus has commanded us to help the those that are considered the least among us. Let us read this in Matthew 25:34-40: Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Serving the least means serving the Greatest, the Lord Jesus, our King. Modern society does not regard the life of the preborn children. Women who need real help are offered to have their child killed in their womb while they suffer from higher risks of cancer and infection as well as depression and other mental disorders resulting from abortion. These women have asked for bread, but all they got is a stone. Jesus gives us the ultimate reason for the sanctity of human life and for the pro-life cause:Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12). This verse of Scripture is also known as the Golden Rule. So, let's apply it. Would you like to be aborted? What, if you had been killed in your mother's womb? Therefore, please don't do it to any unborn child. We can apply the Golden Rule to all aspects of human relationships and we will always find that it is in favor of the preborn child. Would you like to be rejected by all? Probably no. Then, please don't reject any form of life. Did you grow up in a good home with good parents? Then, please pass this blessing on to your own children and don't rob them of the opportunity of having a good home. Would you like to have your neck forced upon with scissors and have your brain sucked out or the limbs of your body plucked off? Probably not. So let us not do that to our preborn children in the womb.
Jesus always welcomed and blessed little children. The modern anti-child mentality of abortion would be contrary to the thoughts and ways of our Lord. Jesus often used little children to illustrate how we can enter into the kingdom of God. Like in Matthew 18:2-6:And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily, I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.Jesus displays an attitude of gladly receiving children. If we receive them, then we receive Jesus. If we reject them, we reject Him. When the people brought young children to the Lord Jesus, the disciples rebuked the people who brought the children as if the Lord did not have time to deal with children, but that displeased the Lord greatly and he said to them: Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them (Mark 10:13-16)The Lord who blesses the little children will not condone the modern-day, murderous abortion ethic. Our Lord is pro-life. Are you?
Finally, let us close this message with the following prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven, We come to you in repentance for the gruesome killing of the innocent unborn in our land.Lord,? forgive us of this sin and strengthen us to regard and to respect life. Lord, help us to save lives and touch the hearts of mothers and fathers, So that they will not be guilty of the blood of their own children. Father, extend Your hand of protection to those threatened by abortion, And save them from its destructive power. Bless our families and bless our land, That we may have the joy of welcoming and nurturing the life Of which You are the Source and the Giver.We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.? Amen.
Modern society is deceived with such evils as abortion-on-demand or no-fault-divorce. God wants to protect children in true covenant marriages and stable families. Let us establish the unalienable right to life from the holy scriptures.
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