The Supreme Court of the United States decided Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973. Forty-nine years, abortion has been the law of the land. Forty-nine years of legalized murder for the innocent babies in the womb. Majority or non-majority opinion fails to determine whether or not abortion is right or wrong, moral or immoral. The Bible teaches that abortion is wrong because it is intentionally killing an innocent human being. This is true for two primary reasons.
The Image of God Matters!
Genesis teaches that man was made in the image of God.
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28)
The image of God makes man different than any other living thing. Because man is in the image of God, every human being has inherent value. Furthermore, every human being since Adam and Eve are made in God’s image.
Animals are different. In the creation account, there are five major animal kinds (Hebrew min) created on days five and six: birds, sea creatures, beasts of the earth, cattle, and creeping things. Each living animal and plant were to reproduce after their kind (Genesis 1:11-12, 20-25). The Bible however never refers to people in any sense as kind; rather, the Bible refers to people as image-bearers of God. Therefore, it is essential to understand image (or humans) as distinctively different than kind, which refers exclusively to animals and plants.
We have children who are in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28; 9:6-7).
God gave two instructions at creation, known as the creation mandate. Those instructions were to 1) be fruitful and multiply, and 2) subdue the earth. In the process of multiplication or having children, the image of God is passed down from initially Adam and Eve to all their descendants. This is apparent later in Genesis when after the world-wide flood, God reaffirms the creation mandate to Noah (Gen 9:1-7), referring to people as image-bearers.
Because of the image of God, it is wrong to murder and to curse another human being.
God takes human beings made in His image seriously – both in a creative sense (image-bearers) and moral sense (inherent value determined by the Creator). Because of the image of God, it is wrong to murder (Gen 9:6-7). In other words, what makes murder of the innocent wrong is the image of God. Since man is in the image of God, anyone who intentionally kills another innocent person kills one made in the image of God. God forbids this.
Image-bearers have so much inherent worth, the Bible declares cursing another human also a sin (James 3:9).
Therefore, human beings, unlike plants and animals, uniquely bear the image of God. As such, each human being has intrinsic value. The individual’s value does not come from the opinion of others; the individual’s value is determined by God as Creator. As image-bearers, God declares it wrong and immoral to kill another innocent human being in the image of God.
Consider the Work of God… (Psalm 139:13-18)
King David reflects on the relationship God has with mankind in Psalm 139. He begins by recognizing God’s omnipresence (He is everywhere) and omniscience (He knows everything) (Psalm 139:1-12). David then considers the work of God (by personal observation from God to him) in a baby’s birth. What’s true for David would be true for God’s work in every baby’s formation.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You. (Psalm 139:13-18)
God is the Creator and is responsible for life (v. 13).
The Lord has made us. In the process of an egg being fertilized by a sperm in the womb, God creates life. God is the subject and life is directly attributed to Him.
God superintended our development in accordance to His plan for us (vv. 14-16).
Furthermore, the psalmist David credits God with supervising the development process through birth. David praises God for His incredible work of development while in the womb. As an image-bearer of God, David recognizes that God is the One who superintends the process of development. He describes the mother’s womb as the place where God saw him even as unformed (or should we say as not viable to live outside the womb). Even in that stage of the development process, he describes God as having a specific plans for him as an image-bearer before he ever lived his first day.
As little image-bearing babies are formed and develop after conception, God is active and present. Nothing happens in the womb that is not under the careful scrutiny and sovereignty of God. God creates life at conception and providentially superintends the development process.
God has a rich plan for the one being formed in the womb (vv. 17-18).
King David then describes God’s thoughts toward individual human beings. He says how precious are God’s thoughts toward us. This word for precious was often used to describe precious gems and highlights the personal value assigned to this object. Here, God as Creator assigns precious value to each baby in the womb as image-bearers of Him. God’s good intentions for the baby in the womb are precious.
He then describes how much God cares about this baby. The baby is never out of God’s mind. David says if it were possible to number the sand on the earth, that is they amount of thought that God gives this forming baby. How much is that? From conception throughout this baby’s life, God’s mind and attention is constantly turned toward him or her. God’s thoughts are always settled on this one.
Therefore, God’s work in and throughout the process from conception to birth emphasizes the value and worth of this unborn baby. God cares. In either case whether or not the baby is developmentally viable or developmentally perfect, God loves and cares for this image-bearer tucked innocently inside his or her mother’s womb.
Regardless of viability or any other criteria, abortion is morally wrong.
The issue of whether abortion is wrong or right is not settled by law or the developmental stage of the baby. Abortion is wrong because at conception this baby is in the image of God. Furthermore, God is actively superintending the development process of this valuable baby, innocently tucked away in his or her mother’s womb.
No one has the right to take the innocent life of another.
Abortion is wrong because no person has the right to take the life of another innocent human being. Just because the human is inside a mother’s body does not give the mother permission to determine whether or not the baby should live. God determined that. As in the image of God, God declares authority over the innocent baby’s life. No government or individual has the authority to determine based upon any set of issues that it is permissible to extinguish or kill this developing image-bearer from conception through birth.
Pro-life? Pro-choice? Pro-image?
The issue biblically is not whether or not one is pro-life or pro-choice, or even as some say, anti-choice. As Christians whose authority is the God of the Bible, it is an issue of pro-image. We value the image of God because He values every living one in His image.
We do not value life simply because it is life. We do not value choice simply because as individuals we want the freedom to choose. Instead, we value what God values – image. God places incalculable value on each new living image-bearer at the moment of conception. This value is irregardless of viability or development; God declares image special to Him.
How do we engage others?
As followers of Christ, it is our responsibility to speak the truth in love (Eph 5:15). In this instance, the truth is that abortion is morally wrong. It is wrong not because we personally decide and declare it. Instead, abortion is wrong because it destroys one in the image of God.
In communicating the truth of God’s Word to others, we must always be gracious, sensitive, and Christ-centered in our response. When we disagree with others, we must focus on the problem not the person with whom we disagree. In fact, this other individual is also made in the image of God and demands our respect as such. It is morally wrong for the Christian to stand for the value of unborn humans while treating those with whom we disagree as less than valuable. Regardless if we agree or not, we are all image-bearers.
What about the one who has had an abortion or encouraged one?
Thankfully, the Bible says there is forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Any individual who comes to God and asks for forgiveness of sin in Jesus receives forgiveness. The Bible says, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ” (Rom 8:1). Furthermore, John writes, “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). The Bible teaches then that forgiveness in Jesus Christ is available for any person who has participated in an abortion at any level. God forgives. You can enjoy full fellowship with Him and other Christians as a forgiven person.
Take heart, Jesus has overcome the world.
We live in between John 16:33 and Revelation 21:4. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble and suffering.” This is true. We live in that kind of world. We long for the day when millions of babies worldwide will not be aborted each year. We sorrow with the loss of babies in the image of God.
However, Jesus continues, “…but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We are grateful there is coming a future day as described by John in Revelation: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21:4).
Alongside John as he penned those words so many years ago, we long for that day. We long for eternity. We have hope in Jesus Christ. We trust God and His plan until that day.
In summary
Fellow Christ-follower, abortion is wrong because it kills an image-bearer of God for whom God cares even as unformed in the womb. Therefore, we must lovingly and passionately share this truth. God cares for these little ones. God also cares for the ones who choose abortion and the ones who perform them. Therefore, we must protect the innocent while continuing to live and share the love of Christ for all mankind.
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