Only the Names Have Changed (Abortion)

As I was reading the Bible the other morning, I came across a passage in Jeremiah 7 where God is confronting his people for their sins. Among the many ways that they had turned their hearts away from God was this:

“And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind,” (Jer. 7:31).

As I read these words, it hit me that abortion is always about idolatry.

Abortion Is Always About Idolatry

In substance, what we call abortion today is no different than the unspeakably vile practice of child sacrifice which we read about in the Old Testament. In this pagan ritual—which, like abortion today, was considered culturally acceptable and even noble by many—wicked people would burn their sons and daughters as a sacrifice upon the fires of idol worship. They did this in the hope of obtaining a blessing for themselves. Let’s be even more blunt: They murdered their children because they thought it had the potential to better their lives.

Fast-forward to our present day, over two and a half millennia later, and what you will find is that the only thing that has changed is the names by which we now call the idols. They used to be called “Molech” and “Baal,” etc. Now the idols to which we sacrifice our children are called “Self,” “Reputation,” “Career,” “Convenience,” “Pleasure,” “Feminism,” etc. But make no mistake, it is the same abominably evil idolatry. It is still a parent or parents justifying the cruel murder of their helpless child in the hope of obtaining (what they think will be) a better life for themselves.

With terrifying skill, we are repeatedly told by scientists, doctors, and various activists that this is certainly not the case. Through multi-billion dollar marketing campaigns, we are being brainwashed to believe that calling abortion murder is scientifically false and oppressive toward women. But as John Adams once famously quipped, “Facts are stubborn things.” No amount of medical language, cultural mantras, or any other ‘social cosmetics’ can put a pretty face upon this tragic horror. When an abortion is performed, a vulnerable and helpless person is murdered, (Ex. 20:13). Worse, that person is murdered at the request of the very parent(s) whom God has called to protect that precious child. Worse still, that murder takes place to the applause of our government and culture as those who performed it are hailed as social justice heroes and paid a handsome sum.

Abortion Deserves God’s Judgment

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness…” (Isa 5:20).

Can a God who is holy, loving, righteous, and good look upon such things and not act? Will his sword of justice remain idle in its sheath? Will his gavel not fall in a verdict of judgment upon such a nation as ours in which millions upon millions of babies lives have been discarded like soiled napkins?

When COVID-19 was in vogue—meaning profitable to capitalists and self-advancing to the interests of politicians—men and women all over this nation took great pains to reorder their lives. We purchased masks, closed down schools, changed our work schedules, accepted lay-offs, shuttered the doors of businesses and churches, donated to relief funds, followed imposing stay-at-home requirements, cancelled family vacations, postponed weddings, rescheduled graduations, and even allowed novel foreign substances to be injected into our bodies (repeatedly). We did all of this for something which, for most people, merely has the potential of causing enduring harm—a very low potential.

In contrast, the issue of abortion is not a potential threat of harm, it is an intentional, actual, irreversible, and final action that permanently extinguishes the life of a living person. It has the express goal of lethally arresting the development of a living being. It is only considered successful when it effectively terminates the unique heartbeat of a person who has been made in the image of God. But when the cry to rise up in defense of this cause sounds forth, where are the men of valor? When the call to defend the ruthless extermination of human life comes knocking, why can’t our culture be bothered? Where are the social-justice warriors now? Are unborn babies not the most oppressed and powerless minority of all? Where are our learned medical professionals who are under oath to do no harm? Why do they suddenly pretend not to know what a human being is just because it is in a smaller form? Where are the politicians? They lobby to uphold strict laws for the protection of unborn animals, while at the same time voting against the protection of unborn children by claiming that they do not know when a person is truly a person.

The self-contradiction of our nation goes further still. If a father abuses his children post-birth, he is rightly called a criminal. If a mother neglects her children post-birth, according to our laws those children may be taken away from her for their own safety and protection. But if a father or mother decides to murder their child before they are born, we provide them with a plentiful variety of clinics that are both affordable and conveniently located in their area. Businesses offer their employees days off and compensation for the costs they incur in purchasing the procedure. Courts of law wrangle self-evident truth and morality in order to call their actions “just” and “an exercise of the mother’s rights”. And our culture itself lauds such persons as being brave, wise, and exemplary people.

Abortion Has To Be Addressed

I already know the pushback that I will receive for this article: “You don’t understand, you’re being harsh, you’re shaming people,” etc. My answer to all of those things is simple: You are mistaken.

First, I was a child who, culturally speaking, ‘should’ have been aborted. I understand what it is like to be born into a dysfunctional family of teenage parents who have neither the love, maturity, or resources to properly raise a family. My childhood hurt…a lot. The wounds still echo. But do you know what? I am still glad that my unprepared parents did not murder me instead.

Second, speaking about abortion truthfully will always sound harsh. But that is not necessarily because of the tone of the speaker, but rather the nature of the subject. Murder is a grotesque and hideous thing. Why don’t you take a few minutes to write out, in plain words, the actual process that is involved in the abortion of a baby? Talk about the use of the forceps. Describe the suction vacuum and what it is full of after the process is complete. Tell us about how they make sure they “got it all” at the end. I bet you can’t. And that is not because I am harsh but because it would simply be too hard to put such a gruesome thing into words and actually stare reality in the face. While it is certainly true that some people are simply harsh and unloving in their address of this issue, that hiding place won’t work. Your discomfort is not caused by me, but by the undeniably morbid and cruel nature of what abortion really is.

Third, sin is shameful and it is right for us to feel ashamed of the sins we have committed. I am ashamed of my sins and I don’t think for one second that I am any better than anyone else because I have not personally had or endorsed an abortion. The reason that people feel ashamed when they hear another person speak about abortion is because abortion is a shameful thing. We ought never to try to make it anything else. Making evil more palatable only makes its continued practice in our culture more probable.

I want to be crystal clear: Abortion is a great evil. It must be outlawed. It must end. I make no apologies for that conviction. But right alongside that firm declaration I also want to shout even louder from the rooftops that the Lord Jesus Christ is a great and merciful Savior of sinners.

Abortion Is Not Beyond God’s Mercy

This article is not intended to be an indictment without any charity, mercy, or hope for those whom it indicts. I know that if you are someone who has had an abortion or is considering an abortion, an article like this is hard to read. That is because sin is ugly and something we should utterly abhor. But the most amazing truth of all is this: God has offered his forgiveness to sinners like you and me. God is the Savior of people who have aborted their babies. The blood of Jesus was shed to cover every sin of every person for whom he died. There is grace for you in Jesus’ wounds. There is forgiveness and redemption at the cross.

If you have not already, I urge you to repent and turn to Jesus in sincere faith. Cry out to him as Lord and Savior, and find a faithful local church where you can connect and find help.

On the other hand, if you are someone who has come to Jesus by faith but also has abortion in your past, be reminded that “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” (Rom 8:1). The reason that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus is because the condemnation that we deserve for our sin was set upon Jesus Christ in our place. As the Scripture declares to our sinful and broken hearts, “By his wounds you have been healed,” (I Pet 2:24). The only place for your soul to find true and lasting rest is in God’s undeserved love.

A Time To Stand

Often when Jesus healed someone during his earthly ministry, he would tell them, “Now, go and leave your life of sin,” or, “Go, and sin no more,” (John 5:14; 8:11). He would also tell people to make it a regular part of their lifestyle to openly tell others “how much the Lord has done for [them], and how he has had mercy on [them],” (Mark 5:19). Both of these are crucial aspects in the lives of those who truly belong to the Lord by faith. We cannot continue in this or any other sin, making a mockery of the gift of God’s grace. We cannot self-righteously look down upon others with condemnation as though we ourselves did anything to deserve God’s forgiveness for our own hideous sins. And neither can we who have been forgiven so much by God keep quiet about the abundant kindness that he offers to the world through the gospel of grace.

Together, we need to stand for unborn children by standing against the evil of abortion and standing with those who are right now convinced that they can fix their previous mistakes by making another (even greater) one. Men and women need to know that there are people and churches who are willing to bear their burdens with them and help support them when they choose to say ‘no’ to the evil of abortion and ‘yes’ to the gift of life. They need to know that God is able to take a story that began in brokenness and shame and make it a story of blessing, redemption, and joy.

Together, let’s be clear and firm on the evil of abortion; we cannot give an inch. But let us also, at the very same time, be exceedingly gracious to those who need to see and hear the love of our merciful Savior through us. After all, there is only one kind of person whom Jesus saves, and that is sinners who do not deserve his salvation.

“Mercy triumphs over judgment,” (James 2:13).