What Scripture Teaches Us About God, Life, Children & Abortion Produced by Dave Hill Adapted from a teaching by John Ensor, Heartbeat International, May 12, 2011

God is life and gives life. “Whoever finds me finds life” (Prov. 8:35). Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. (Gen. 2:7) “In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10). “I am the way, the truth and the life… (John 6:35)

Christ is the Giver of Life. He is… The message of life (Acts 5:20). The words of life (John 6:68). The light of life (John 8:12). The gift of new life (John 5:21). The abundance of life (John 10:10). Everlasting life (John 3:16). To love God is to love life. To be Christ- like is to be for life.

What does God value most in all of His creation? People. “You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5). “You are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31)

Why does God value human life more than all else in His creation? Because He made men and women equally in His own image. We were made like Him! “God created man in his own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). To hurt another human beings is to attack the integrity and glory of God. “Yes, you must execute anyone who murders another person, for to kill a person is to kill a living being made in God’s image” (Genesis 9:6).

God says blood is precious, for life is in our blood. “Precious is their blood in His sight” (Psalm 72:14). “For the life of every creature is its blood; its blood is its life” (Leviticus 17:13-14). “I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life” (Leviticus 17:11).

What follows from all this? God commands us not to shed innocent blood. “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). God commands us to love our neighbor—to value their life. “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18). “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse, therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live” (Deuteronomy 39:10)

God sees children as children, whether in the womb or outside of it. In the Old and New Testament, “child” refers to both the preborn and the newborn child. Of Jacob and Esau: “the children struggled together within her” (Genesis 25:22). The same Hebrew word is used for children outside the womb throughout the O.T.. “When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb” (Luke 1:41). “They…found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12).

David saw his life as a person in the womb. “You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Ps 139:13). Personhood begins at fertilization. The person, Cain, was conceived and born. “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain” (Genesis 4:1). All the information necessary for you to become a fully formed adult was present when you were a zygote in your mother’s womb. This is amazing!

Life in the Womb a baby at 8 weeks   

Life in the Womb a baby at 12 Weeks

Life in the Womb a baby at 20 weeks

John the Baptist worshipped Jesus from womb to womb! “When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.. And she exclaimed, ‘…blessed is the fruit of your womb!...for behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (Luke 1:40-44). After the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, she went “with haste” to visit Elizabeth (Lk 1:39). The preborn baby, John, was glad to be in the presence of the fully God, fully human Son of God

Abortion is the shedding of innocent blood. Every human being, from conception in the womb to death, deserves life and respect as an image bearer of God. God forbids abortion by forbidding the murder of people and showing us that the preborn are people too. “A person’s a person no matter how small.” Personhood is not defined by size or location, by self awareness or dependency.

What is God’s response to the shedding of innocent blood? He hears their blood cry out to Him for justice and vindication. “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed…” (Genesis 4:10-11). He brings wrath and judgment: “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood in her midst…you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed” (Ezekiel 22:3). He brings judgment on us who fail to stop the shedding of innocent blood—Deuteronomy 21:1-9.

God especially cherishes children. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew18:5-6). Because He loves children, He is most offended by child- sacrifice. “Any one of the people of Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:2-5). They built high places…to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin” (Jeremiah 32:35).

What is an Abortion? Many children are aborted at the age of 8 weeks. The removal of an embryo or fetus  (growing child) from a woman’s body in order to end a pregnancy. The fetus dies as a result.

Is abortion a form of child-sacrifice? When people elect to have or pay for an abortion (or let it go unchallenged) in order to save their reputation, get a college degree, save money, hide sexual sin, or to please others, they are sacrificing one thing to get another. The most painful truth of abortion is that it deceives us into doing what, in our right minds, we would be horrified to have even suggested as a solution. Afterwards, guilt and Satan bind us in secret shame and regret.

How does God teach us to respond? We must not kill our babies through abortion, infanticide, or abandonment. We must not passively accept the killing of babies by others. “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?” (Prov. 24:11-12). Preach that forgiveness, healing and hope are available through the gospel and grace of our God.

Jesus forgives even the shedding of innocent blood. “and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Moses, King David, and Saul of Tarsus were all murderers who found mercy and forgiveness.

Facts on Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of abortions in America, and it spent $30 million in the 2016 elections to keep its taxpayer funding flowing; To justify its half billion dollars in taxpayer funding, Planned Parenthood downplays abortion — falsely claiming that it only makes up three percent of its business — and instead plays up its cancer screenings and “women’s health care.” You can go to the following link to watch an excellent four minute video by Live Action on this issue: 3percent . In the United States, Planned Parenthood performs 0.97% of women's Pap tests; 1.8% of clinical breast exams; and 0% of mammograms (they do not perform mammograms). They do perform 34.9% of all abortions in America. I believe the percentages speak for themselves.

Why Pray at Planned Parenthood? We cannot say “but we knew nothing about this” (Proverbs 24:12). We know what is happening and where it is happening. Before God, I want to know that I did something about this evil in opposing it and trying to expose it. I do not want to stand before the Lord on the Great Day and say I did nothing. Women change their minds. We know of at least 33 women who changed their minds in 2016 alone because believers cared enough to sacrifice and bear the reproach of trying to speak with women going into the clinic. Praise God. I want to support them in prayer! Support a crisis pregnancy center! Give money monthly. Volunteer. In the past 25 years of ministry, Learn Your Options (formerly A Woman’s Concern) knows of 2500 babies that have been born through our efforts.

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