There are many evils that are perpetrated by sinful man in this world. King Manasseh offered his sons to the fire as sacrifices to the idol gods he had set up for the people to worship. No doubt the screams of these children would have been heard as they were thrown into the fires. When one thinks about it, we cannot imagine such evil. It was clearly against God’s will for Manasseh to do so and God warned them not to do it (Deut 12:29-31).
Well today, in many ways this sin has been surpassed, because many children are being sacrificed (aborted) mercilessly before their scream can be heard, all for the sake of self, family expectations, or purely because pregnancy is inconvenient. As many as one in three babies are aborted today!
Although Scripture doesn’t specifically address the issue of abortion, it is clear that God loves life and hates murder which is clearly what abortion is. Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that God knows us before He forms us in the womb. Psalm 139:13-16 speaks of God’s active role in our creation and formation in the womb. Exodus 21:22-25 prescribes the penalty of death for someone who causes the death of a baby in the womb. This clearly indicates that God considers a baby in the womb to be just as much of a human being as a full-grown adult. For the Christian, abortion is not a matter of a woman’s right to choose. It is a matter of the life or death of a human being made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6).
The first argument that always arises against the Christian stance on abortion is “What about cases of rape and/or incest?” As horrible as it would be to conceive as a result of rape and/or incest, to murder the unborn baby is not the answer. There are other options, such as giving the child up for adoption to a loving family. The unborn baby is completely innocent and should not be punished for the evil acts of its father.
The second argument that usually arises against the Christian stance on abortion is “What about when the life of the mother is at risk?” This is the most difficult question to answer on the issue of abortion. Thankfully, this reason for an abortion, accounts for less than one in a thousand abortions done in the world today. Also, because of God’s grace in improving medical procedures, and early induced delivery or even a C-section can save both the mother and the unborn baby. Ultimately, though, if the life of the mother is genuinely at risk, a decision like this can only be decided prayerfully (James 1:5) and between a woman and her medical doctor, and the father of the child.
Ironically, because of God’s punishment, Manasseh repented of his sin. For those who have had an abortion, remember that the sin of abortion is no less forgivable than any other sin. Through faith in Christ, all sins can be forgiven (John 3:16; Romans 8:1; Colossians 1:14). A woman who has had an abortion, a man who has encouraged an abortion—or even a doctor who has performed one—can all be forgiven by faith in Jesus Christ. JZ.