Children: The Preciousness of Life, Part II

This blog is a follow-up to one I wrote a couple of weeks ago (or more) on the issue of abortion and the life of the unborn.

In this article, I want to address a Biblical perspective on life.  Before doing so, I want to mention a couple of things.  This hot button issue is not new.  Since Roe vs. Wade was put into play, over 60 million children have been aborted. 

What has brought it to the forefront was the recent law passed in New York regarding babies who are born alive if an abortion did not work.  This led to the obvious discussion over the issue of infanticide, which this law supports. 

Adding this to the ever increasing attempt to not even consider the unborn in a womb, this to me has been a major black eye on our country.

I also want to address something from a political/religious side.  I received a note from someone recently via the internet who made the comment that evangelicals are going to regret the day they abandoned Jesus for Donald Trump.

I do not know if this was in reference to the previous blog on the unborn that I shared, but there are a couple of things I think Christians should keep in mind.  The first thing is this – I don’t look for any politician to fix the world.  That does not mean that we should not be involved in the political process, but I do not expect Washington D.C. to be the final answer.

I sure have not, and no one I personally know, has abandoned Jesus for Donald Trump.  I pray for our president and government because the Bible commands us to (1 Tim. 2:1-4).  It does not matter who is in office, we are to pray for them to know Christ, I believe, and to govern with integrity.  But no politician saves anyone.  It requires Jesus changing the hearts of people.  That is how we change our land.

Second, we made it clear last time that we are not trying to make anyone feel guilty who may have had an abortion.  As with anything we do that is wrong, God’s grace and mercy reaches out to anyone who has been through a situation such as this.  Many people live with guilt after making the decision to abort a child, but God’s love and forgiveness extends to any person who asks.  There is nothing a person can do that is outside of God’s forgiveness.

Now to the heart of this blog.  Since many in our country have chosen to ignore much evidence to the contrary about when life begins, I believe the giver of life, God Himself, should be allowed to speak on this subject.

Some will, of course, accuse Christians of pushing their Biblical agenda and beliefs on someone, and my response is, in fairness to what they want us to hear from their side, it is being closeminded and arrogant to assume that Christianity should not have a view.  If someone does not want to hear or read a particular view, they do not have to. 

Before sharing what the Bible says about life, I also must keep in mind that I am not going to get into shouting matches with people who disagree with me.  Even if they get mad at me for my view, or ridicule and put me down, I will respond by praying and being kind to them, yet not backing down from saying what may need to be said (Matthew 5:43-48).

So here are some things to consider, Biblically speaking, regarding children in the womb:

1) In Ps. 51:5, David notes that in sin his mother conceived him.  This is not saying that his mother was sinning when David was conceived, but at the point of conception his life began.

2) In Lk. 1:44 we read that when Mary, the mother of Jesus, visited her cousin Elizabeth, who also was carrying a child (John the Baptist), the baby in Elizabeth’s womb responded to the conversation between these two women.  At this time Elizabeth was several months along carrying John.  A mass of tissue did not leap at the sound of what was said, a child did.

We read about babies in the womb reacting to music and sounds.  And we see children who are being born weeks in advance of their due date, surviving outside the womb.  We should not ignore the fact that what is in the womb of a mom is a precious life.

3) The word for unborn children (Lk. 1:41) also refers to a child already born (Lk. 2:12).  God does not note a difference between the two.

4) Christ was human (the God-man) from the point He was conceived in the womb of Mary (Mt. 1:20-21).

5) Personal pronouns are used to describe unborn children (Jeremiah 1:5).

6) In the Bible, the unborn child was given the same protection regarding injury or death as an adult (Exodus 21:22-25).

7) The unborn are created by God (Psalm 139:13-16).  He takes intense interest in the child in the womb of the mother.  Children are created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26-27), just as Adam and Eve and anyone outside the womb is.

As I mentioned previously, we could discuss the philosophical reasons that abortion is wrong but first and foremost, as a Christian, I believe it is important to see what God says about the life of the unborn. 

More could be said, but I will finish with this statement – The Bible teaches that the child in the womb is made in the image of God, is a human being, and therefore needs to be protected and loved just as any person who already exists outside the womb.  They are innocent and indefensible and I believe God’s love and interest for children (Matt. 18:1-7) extends to all children, born and yet to be born.