For Christians Only – Some Thoughts on Abortion: An Ask Pastor Kevin Response

For Christians Only – Some Thoughts on Abortion: An Ask Pastor Kevin Response

Abortion has once again been the subject of much discussion online, at the water cooler, and around family tables over the past few weeks. Several have sent in questions related to what the Bible teaches regarding abortion. Because of this, I offer some thoughts on abortion as an Ask Pastor Kevin Response. For the sake of this discussion, I have labeled this For Christians Only since the arguments in this blog are purely for Christians. For those you know who do not take the Bible as the authority for living or who choose not to be a follower of Jesus Christ, they will not understand this material.

If you are a follower of Jesus and do believe that the Bible is mankind’s authority for living, then please understand how important the three issues are that I will address. People like Jen Hatmaker claim to follow Jesus but then in a full-throated way supports abortion. As you know, she is not the only one. Christians influenced by poor theology, sometimes in an effort to fit in with the world, may not support abortion in a full-throated way, but at least quietly allow for it in their own personal theology.

Again, as followers of Christ giving full respect to the authority of the Word of God, we bear the responsibility to get this issue correct. In no way does this fall along political lines. I write today as a Christian only, without any regard to the politics of the issue. I’ll leave the politics up to those in that field; I write as a pastor and fellow Christian considering what the Bible has to say about life.

 

Three Issues for Understanding the Conversation Regarding Abortion among Christ-followers

There are three separate issues that are necessary to understand as we think carefully about the issue of abortion. The three issues are: 1) The Bible teaches that abortion is wrong because it is intentionally killing an innocent human being in the image of God; 2) Each individual (both male and female) are responsible for personal self-control as they walk in the Spirit; and 3) the Bible’s vocabulary and theology demand the view that life begins at conception.

 

The Image of God 

As I have discussed at length here, abortion is wrong because it is intentionally killing an innocent human being in the image of God. Genesis teaches that man was made in the image of God (Gen 1:26-28). As such, we have children who are in the image of God (Gen 9:6-7). The image of God was passed down from Adam and Eve to their descendants, as well as Noah and his family. Because of this, it is wrong to murder and to curse another human being (Gen 9:6-7; James 3:9). 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).

King 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 (Psalm 139). He basically taught that God is the Creator and is responsible for life (Ps 139:13), God superintends the development in accordance to His plan for us (Ps 139:14-16), and God has a rich plan for the one being formed in the womb (Ps 139:17-18). As a product of the creative hand of God, regardless of viability or any other criteria, abortion is morally wrong. No one has the right to take the innocent life of another person made in the image of God.

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. 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.

  

Personal Self-Control

As God is holy, He calls on all people to be holy too (1 Peter 1:13-21). He tells us to gird up our minds, be sober, and live not according to the lust of the flesh as unbelievers. God demands that we conduct ourselves as those who respect the Lord. He specifically calls us to live as His obedient children. Of course, this must include our sexuality. Personal sexual pleasure, sexual acts, and reproductive choices do not belong to us individually, per se. Instead, we must defer to whatever God says in the Bible.

Paul makes God’s choice for our sexual pleasures incredibly clear. Paul explains, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thess 4:3). He continues, “That each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;” (1 Thess 4:4-5). In other words, God calls us to practice self-control over our lust for pleasure, specifically sexual pleasure. God expects us to abstain from immorality, which would include at least premarital sex, extramarital sex, individual sexual masturbation, and pornography, among other sexual sins. Abstain. Maintain personal self-control.

With this in mind, there are two specific implications for women and men.

First, women have only the right over their bodies that God grants them. They have responsibility for how they use them. That responsibility clearly includes not having sex out of marriage which prevents pregnancy.

Second, men have responsibility for how they use their bodies as well. That responsibility clearly includes not having sex out of marriage which prevents a woman from becoming pregnant.

These two simple implications solves this problem of unwanted pregnancies out of marriage. The issue is not one of clamoring for reproductive rights; instead, it is part of owning responsibility for one’s body as God determines through personal self-control.

For those women who get pregnant by their husband with an unwanted pregnancy, self-control in the this instance includes how one thinks and responds to God’s sovereignty. Although a surprise to the husband and wife, the baby is conceived by God’s providence and becomes a gift to the couple. At that point, self-control means the husband and wife accept God’s will and begins to plan for the baby’s future (which may in some instances include adoption).

 

The Bible’s Vocabulary and Theology

The Bible’s vocabulary and theology demand a pro-life, against-abortion stance. Specifically related to the vocabulary of the Bible, the word used for a baby outside the womb is the same word used for a baby inside the womb. To set this distinction in context consider the Gospel of Luke. Remember, Luke is the medical doctor who wrote the biography of Jesus. As he writes Jesus’ story, Luke narrated the time when Mary, Jesus’ mother, went to see her cousin Elizabeth, mother to John the Baptist (Luke 1). In this story, Luke explains that Mary entered Elizabeth’s house and, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41). The word for baby in the Greek is brephos (βρέφος). This term refers to the unborn baby in the womb. Further, when the angel tells the shepherds where to find the baby Jesus, according to Luke, the same word is used. Luke quotes the angel, “This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). The new infant Jesus is referred to as brephos. Dr. Luke also tells a story of parents bringing their young infants to Jesus so that Jesus would touch the infants. Here, he used the same term brephos for the infants. He describes the events, “Now people were even bringing their babies to him for him to touch” (Luke 18:15). There are other instances of the same word both in Luke and in other places used in similar fashion.

How does this word study of the vocabulary word brephos (βρέφος) help us? Clearly, it shows that the Bible uses the same word for the unborn baby in a mother’s womb, for the newborn infant immediately after birth, and for the infant baby old enough to travel to see Jesus. Therefore, the baby in the womb is no different in biblical terms than the baby outside the womb.

Furthermore, theologically, Jesus was conceived supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. He came as the God-man. According to John, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus came as God in order to be able to become our substitute on the cross. As God, He was capable through His death to be the sacrificial atonement for our sins. Furthermore, as man, Jesus could be our substitute – a man for all mankind. If in the womb Jesus was not fully God, then you would have to say Jesus was just fully man. The early church declared this as theological heresy. In fact, John dealt with this in 1 John 1. Jesus was always while on earth fully God and fully man – including in the womb.

 

The Christian’s Passion and Duty

As followers of Christ who both respect God’s Word and desire to follow it carefully, we must choose life. The Bible’s vocabulary and theology demand it, living with personal self-control commends it, and respect for the image of God values it. Just as someone else may choose to diminish the value of the unborn baby’s life, we must full-throated defend it. And, we do. We teach the value and sanctity of human life. Crisis pregnancy centers all over the country serve communities through the efforts of Christ-followers. Both adoption and foster care are supported and commended to Christian couples. Food banks, clothing banks, and financial help are provided by churches and organizations across the country. We welcome single mothers into the church and desire to serve them well.

Can Christians do more? Yes, and we should. Can government do more? Yes, but that is not the point of this post.

Whatever our hand finds to do, we need to do it with all our might. Each follower of Jesus Christ individually and the body of Christ corporately must maintain creativity, diligence, and love for the baby, the mother, and the family. As we do, we demonstrate our love for Jesus too.

For the Jen Hatmakers of the world and anyone like her, we call her and them to repentance. The Bible demands that we be anti-abortion because anything else fails to recognize the value of human life from God’s perspective. We should never condone the killing of babies (brephos) in the image of God.

For those of us who know these things but fail to respond in help and kindness to those who suffer, we call ourselves to repentance as well. Where we fail to love creatively, genuinely, or compassionately, we must do better.

For all of us, as followers of Christ giving full respect to the authority of the Word of God, we bear the responsibility to get this issue correct. Abortion is not about reproductive rights, a woman’s right to choose, or the cure for an unwanted pregnancy. Abortion is murder of a baby in the image of God.

For those who have had an abortion, we offer the wonderful forgiveness found in Jesus Christ available for all of us regardless of the sin we have committed. Praise the Lord for His grace provided to us through our Lord Jesus Christ.