There are a lot of “Rachels” sitting in our pews, fathers and mothers of aborted children. They need to hear the hope of the Gospel preached and taught to them and applied to the sin of abortion. They need to be brought to see themselves as “Mary Magdalenes,” the demons gone, sent on their hellish way by a word from the Lord and Giver of life.
Some have argued that there are no Biblical references to prove that life begins at conception. But a quick Scriptural journey to Nazareth and the hill country of Judea shows otherwise–for here we encounter the Annunciation and Visitation accounts that give us a powerful portrait of the sanctity of human life in the womb.
Quotes (from the English Standard Version) show: God is the Creator of all Life. Conception is God’s Gift. God is the Creator of the Unborn. Pre-Natal Life has special value and stands in relation to God. Jesus loves the little children. God does not jstify abortion or “mercy killing’ in cases of rape, incest or birth defects. Life and death belong to the province of God. consequences of practing or ignoring injustice. Obey the voice of God, not the ways of men. Healing and hope for wrong decisions. God’s timing, presence, and hope in human suffering.
A Collection of resources from the LCMS.ORG Life Library.
“The Meaning of the Presence of Children”
“Real and Abundant Life”
“That They May Have Life”
Read more for full text.
When we think about men and abortion, many times we only hear about the stereotypical man who forces a woman to have an abortion, or who ends up abandoning his expecting girlfriend or wife. However, there are many roles men play in the abortion experience.
I have always loved the story of Ruth —her faithfulness to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and the wonderful confession Ruth makes that begins with “For where you go I will go …” (Ruth 1:16-17). I love knowing of Ruth’s desire to live as one of God’s people and Boaz’ kindness and fidelity to the Lord to the point that he was willing serve as Naomi’s and Ruth’s redeemer and marry Ruth, knowing that a son born to them would not be considered his own (Ruth 4:10). And, because of her faithfulness, Ruth is one of only four women listed in Matthew’s lineage of Christ, as David’s great-grandmother.
Could you use a little good news?
Abortion discriminates against children in the womb. It denies them their civil rights, and it denies them the basic right to life. Are African-American babies at greater risk of such discrimination? Some of the data would suggest that they are!
Adoption is not always seen in a good light. The perception is that adoption is abandonment, a bad choice that is not very loving. There is a need to shed some good light on adoption by looking at adoption in the light of biblical servanthood.
Jesus cares for life at all stages; we are called to do the same.