Like the rest of the world, I watched in disbelief over the past few weeks as American lawmakers repeatedly took murderous stands on abortion.
State legislators in New York clapped and cheered wildly over the passage of a bill allowing abortion up to the moment of delivery. Then, Virginia’s governor, blatantly and without remorse, condoned infanticide. Finally, many of our nation’s highest elected lawmakers sat silently and stone-faced when our president declared in his State of the Union Address, “And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth — all children — born and unborn — are made in the holy image of God.”
These events saddened me, even sickened me. Both Christians and non-Christians alike voiced their outrage on social media against these callous atrocities. But I was disheartened when other people (including some Christians) said they did not understand the anger and outrage over abortion.
In fact, many Christians seriously questioned online what right we have to impose our beliefs on others when it comes to abortion. They argued that it’s none of our business, every woman should have the right to choose.
I could not believe their mindset. How can a person claim to be a Christian and condone abortion?
I seriously don’t get it. I’m not being facetious or provocative. I am seriously asking someone to explain to me how a person can legitimately be a Bible-believing follower of Jesus Christ and still justify legalized (and often government-funded) abortion.
I hear people say we should let everyone make their own choice. Well, that’s great—except as Christians, we believe from the absolute moment of conception that life is sacred, created, and ordained by God with a holy purpose. So, what about our choice as Christians to not fund the destruction of a God-ordained life? Is it acceptable to force Christians to go along with and even pay for abortions? Talk about one group imposing their beliefs on another!
And by the way, does that baby get a choice in the matter? These latest laws target babies all the way to conception. Do we really believe those babies would choose such a hideous, painful death? And what about God’s choice? Once a child is conceived, then God’s choice was made; He chose life. Who are we to end the life He chose to create?
Furthermore, how do we separate our belief in the God-ordained sanctity of life and cast our vote for a person or a party that advocates for abortion—or even the right for others to choose abortion? Is it possible to sear our consciences and think that our votes do not count as our personal mandate and approval of murder in God’s eyes?
Do we not recognize our own spiritual accountability when we allow abortion in our land? Do we not see that according to account after account in Scripture, the shed blood of innocent lives falls on us as a nation? Should that not terrify us as Christian believers?
As an American, I am called to vote according to my individual conscience, but as a Christian American, I am compelled to vote according to His commands.
That might sound presumptuous of me, but not when I read His Word and heed His Spirit. After all, the Bible says that His sheep, His children, will recognize and follow His voice—not listening to or following the voice of another.
I think it is presumptuous of Christians who fail to seek His answers. Do we really think we are wise enough to make life choices contrary to the guidance of the Scriptures or His Spirit within us? Really? If so, then that is the epitome of presumption.
That is exactly why, as a Christian, I do not understand how to separate who I am in Christ from my daily life choices. I don’t see how that is possible. I do not mean that in a haughty way; I really don’t.
I am a sinner, saved by the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. I have no righteousness or right-standing on my own. Yet, miraculously through His blood-bought salvation, I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. In Him, I live and move and have my being. So, how can I possibly accept, condone, approve, or even ignore abortion?
In Luke 17:2, God warns us that it would be better for us to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around our neck than to cause one of His little ones to stumble. So, I simply cannot imagine how someone truly justifies abortion as acceptable.
From beginning to end, the Bible teaches us to value life. We read that God knew us before He formed us in our mothers’ wombs. His sixth commandment says, “Thou shalt not kill.” And we know that God does not and cannot sin, make a mistake, or lie. So, when God makes a life; it is not made in error or by accident, regardless of the situation in which that life begins.
He is never surprised or inconvenienced by a child’s conception. Instead, we see over and over that each life is precious to Him. In fact, we read biblical accounts of pagan religious ceremonies in which children were killed as sacrificial offerings to false deities. And in each account, God condemned those heinous acts of murder.
I can find no biblical instance in which God favors the rights of a mother over the rights of the child growing within her. I believe both mother and child are equally precious in His sight.
So, again, I just want to know how a person who claims to be a Christian can condone abortion, much less be an advocate for legalized, (and yes, government-funded) abortion.
Here’s another question: How can churches in America remain silent on the abortion issue? I do not get it. And I honestly do not think the world outside of the church gets it either. I believe they plainly see the hypocritical inconsistency between what we believe and what we do.
I am afraid our hypocrisy is a huge hindrance, a stumbling block obstructing the path between Jesus and unbelievers. The church in America must learn to love the sinner without condoning the sin. God’s love does not erase God’s truth. Look in the Bible! Never once did Jesus ignore or condone sin, never. He spoke the truth in love—saving, healing, restoring, and then warning, “Go, and sin no more.”
That is the definition of God’s love, a sacrificial love that demands an answer. Either we do or we do not want to turn and follow Him. And if we do turn to Christ, if we really desire repentance and revival in America, it will begin with God’s truth spoken in love by His children.
We simply cannot believe in a sinless, spotless Lamb and let His lambs, His precious pre-born children, be murdered with the approval and funding behind our own, individual vote.
And that brings me right back around to my original question: How does a Christian justify abortion? We can’t. It does not compute.
Following Christ + condoning abortion ≠ real love.
It is high time we heed God’s warning in Proverbs 8:36, “But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death."
Christians cannot choose death over life! If we ignore or condone abortion, then we sin against God and harm our own souls. We can speak the truth with love and mercy, but we cannot remain silent. We must speak out!
