Introduction

This is not meant to be controversial. Nor is it meant to be revolutionary. Recently a friend simply asked for some Scripture that relates to the idea of abortion so he might come to a fairly Biblical position concerning the matter.

The Bible never explicitly addresses the idea of abortion on demand. But it does talk about the value of unborn children, murder, our responsibility in the matter, and God’s answer to the problem of sin.

As an aside, one is also to make arguments concerning abortion that are extra-Biblical, but that is not my purpose in this piece.

First, Scripture Recognizes Unborn Children as Human

In Luke chapter one we read about a couple named Zacharias and Elizabeth. She was barren, so they prayed to the Lord. God responded and told Zacharias of his coming son to be named John (the Baptist). Interestingly, in verse fifteen it says that John will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb (pre-birth).

Later in verse forty-one, it says that when Mary (mother of Jesus) visited Elizabeth that John leapt inside his mother.

What we see is not a description of a lump of tissue until birth, but of a person. Consider the passage:

Luke 1:13-17,41
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Early in Jeremiah chapter one God speaks to Jeremiah. He affirms that not only is Jeremiah called now, but that God knew him (the person Jeremiah) while in the womb. Before birth he had been called as a prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah 1:4-5
4 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Second, Murder Is Wrong

Moving to the Ten Commandments.

This following verse would fall into the domain of common knowledge, but I will cite it here because it is relevant.

Exodus 20:13
13 You shall not murder.

Third, Abortion Is Murder

Assuming the unborn child is human (based on the first premise), intentionally taking his/her life is murder, and (based on the second premise) thus wrong.

Conveniently, there is a single passage in Scripture that makes this logical connection for us. While I feel the first two premises are fairly strong on their own, this following passage from Exodus very clearly makes the connection, and allows us to need not lean purely on extra-Biblical reasoning. (Taking the life of an unborn child–>murder…”life for life”.)

Exodus 21:22-25
22 If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Fourth, The Charge for the Children of God

Psalm 82:3-4
3 Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked.

Proverbs 6:16-17
16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
17 …Hands that shed innocent blood.

Proverbs 24:11
Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.

Proverbs 31:8-9
8 Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Isaiah 1:17
17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.

James 1:27
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

If anyone today fits the category of persons described by these words, it is unborn children. They are innocent creations of God who are being sacrificed by the millions to the Idol of Convenience.

• Rejected by their parents, they are fatherless and orphaned.
• As unborn babes they are innocent, speechless, needy, and poor.
• As ones who’ve been sentenced to death with the approval of the US government, they are helplessly stumbling to the slaughter.

And if you think abortion in the United States is an unrealized fiction, consider the fact that about fifty million babies have been killed by legal induced abortion since 1973. (That’s a bit over one million annually; that’s close to a baby being killed every thirty seconds; how many have died while you read this?)

Finally, Concerning Repentance and Forgiveness

I think it would be unwise to write this without telling the entirety of God’s heart in the matter (at least in brief).

It is clear that God abhors the taking of innocent blood. His heart breaks for those who are being slaughtered—I believe their blood cries out to Him like Abel’s (Genesis 4:10). His desire is for a relationship with them, not their extermination!

But there is more.

His heart is for the mothers and fathers who lead their children to the slaughterhouses. His heart is for those who conduct the abortions too. Whether the impetus for sin is societal pressures, demonic, finances, selfish ambition, or something else, God desires a relationship with all people. He has died for the sin of each and every abortion (the sins of believers and those of everyone else too):

1 John 2:2
2 And [Jesus] Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

People are broken, God knows that. This is the very reason why He sent His Son Jesus to live and die for us. So that we, the ones who murder, rape, steal, gossip, lie, cheat, abuse, and distort can be righteous in Christ Jesus!

If you read this and want to learn more about the Gospel and forgiveness in Christ, please send me a message (jamiesinclair@gmail.com).

I’ll leave you with two passages.

The Psalm David wrote after committing adultery with Bathsheba and having her husband murdered:

Psalm 51
1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,[a]
And blameless when You judge.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

A promise I cling to daily:

1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.