The debate of abortion has turned into an all-out war. But this war isn’t waged so much in India. America is pretty much ground zero at this point. We watch from a distance as the secular pro-lifers, pro-choicers, and the Christians clash. For, those of you who are new to this discussion, let me give you a little context. Simply put, the debate is on whether abortion is justifiable or not.
Those in the pro-choice camp believe that it is the freedom of the woman to choose what she does with her body. The state, the church, and the family have no authority to override her rights. Therefore, they believe that abortion is not only justifiable but that it is a fundamental freedom a woman possesses. Whereas, the pro-life movement can be further divided into two categories, the secular pro-lifers and the Christians. The secular pro-life camp generally holds to a more middle ground. What’s the middle ground here you ask? That abortion in most cases is not justifiable, but that there can be exceptional cases such as rape, or danger to the mother’s life etc., for which it is ok to consider abortion an option. They don’t come at this from a Christian perspective, but a secular social-justice perspective. This brings about another reason why I say that they hold a middle ground, because they consider abortion a mistake, and not a crime. That’s where the Christian comes in. Christians say that abortion is a sin, abominable in the eyes of God who gifts the baby in a mother’s womb. The issue for them is primarily biblical. To be a Christian and to be pro-choice is a contradiction in terms. For them, the question is not about the rights of the woman, but of the child. Because although abortion is performed through the body of the woman, it is performed on the body of another. They say that abortion is murder, and should be treated as such by the state and the court. They call for a complete ban on it.
So there we are. That’s what the fight is all about.
My prayer, beloved, is that this war is waged in our own country. It is estimated that there are over 15 million abortions in India every year. 15 MILLION! That’s a staggering number and we cannot pretend we didn’t hear it. And if the reason we are complacent is that we haven’t decided on which side of this debate we are on, let me try to help you.
This is Psalm 127:1-5,
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
It is the Lord who build the house. Everything we labour for, watch for, prepare for, is in vain unless the Lord builds. And when the Lord builds the house, behold the heritage we receive from Him. See how He builds it. Not with brick and stone, not with televisions and cars, but with children. They are the fruit of the womb, a reward from the Lord. But what about the woman’s freedom you ask? What freedom? The freedom to deny the gift of the Lord? The freedom to deny the privilege to fill one’s quiver with these arrows, and risk the shame that it will surely bring? Well, yes. The woman has the freedom to deny this gift of the Lord. But here’s what she does not have. What none of us have. We have no hope then, to stand up and face the God of the unborn.
He is the God of the unborn. Listen to these words of David, in Psalm 22. In his state of dire need for God’s intervention, here’s what he says, v9. Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. v10. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. v11. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. Imagine little David embryo in his mother’s womb. Here is a little creature soon to be born, who will one day become king over Israel. He will lead his people well, save them, and through his lineage will come the Saviour of us all, Jesus Christ. And while he lays, so vulnerable, inside of his mother, without any defence, any voice, any lawyer, or any weapon, one thing is for certain. He is not without anyone. Even from his mother’s womb, the Lord was His God. Do you consider the unborn as unrelated to any human being for the child has to be born in order to establish a worthy relationship? Tell me, is there a greater relationship than that of a child and His Father God? Tell me, would we dare kill, or standby and say nothing, as we watch 15 million people murdered every year. Yes, I said it. People. Murdered. What makes these unborn children children is not their premature biology. It is the God who put them in their mother’s wombs. It is the Lord who carries them from the womb and makes them trust Him at their mother’s breasts.
I pray that v11 of Psalm 22 would resonate in our hearts as the prayer of the voices of these unborn 15 million children every year, who cry out from within their mother’s wombs, “Be not far from me my God, for trouble is near, and there is none to help”. Therefore, beloved, this is not a question of women’s rights or freedom. This is a question of murder. For in giving women the freedom to choose life, you take away that freedom from another person inside of her. By valuing one life, you destroy another. There are no two ways about it. Abortion is murder, and the blood of these children cry out to God. And He will not let the guilty go unpunished. He will avenge them.
So, whose side are you on? The world’s or God’s. Behold with trembling knees, for the God whom we worship is the God of the unborn.
If you or anyone you know is considering an abortion, I want you to know there is hope. Reach out to us and we’d love to pray with you and come alongside you to help you through your situation. God will be your refuge and He will keep you if you run to Him.
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