42 million children are murdered every year, worldwide.
And hardly anyone is batting an eye.
Instead, in our own country, we have movie stars and politicians celebrating it and encouraging people to arrogantly shout that they made the choice to murder their own child.
Abortion is the leading cause of death in America. When God has designed the mother’s womb to be the safest place for the preborn, we have turned it into the most dangerous environment for a child.
4000 children die every day in this country because of abortion and 1 in 3 women have made the choice to terminate the life of their baby. Realize these are women that you know, work with, sit next to you in church, who for whatever reason had an abortion. They may have been forced, coerced, or duped but the result is still the same—a murdered baby.
Now I recognize that this issue and using terms like “murder” to describe abortion is far from popular. In fact, surprisingly enough, some even in pro-life circles cringe at its usage because it is unappealing, choosing to avoid the word altogether.
Yet when someone maliciously premeditates the ending of a person’s life, legally we call that murder. I ask, why does that language apply to those who are born and not to those still in the womb? It is because we don’t really believe that the preborn are people.
It is easy to understand why. After all, a 12-week child in utero can’t communicate with the outside world. They don’t go to school or are learning a trade. They are hidden and tragically denied personhood from most.
But in God’s eyes, the Imago Dei (the Image of God on humanity) extends to all people across all stages of development. The fertilized embryo is still as much of a person as a grown adult. The same as a toddler is still as much of a person as the elderly. We don’t have the right to determine personhood, that is God’s business.
Nor do we have the authority to change God’s definitions regarding His Law.
Abortion, according to God’s standard, is murder (Gen. 9:5-6, Exodus 20:13, Rom. 13:9). Plain and simple.
And likewise, according to God, those who murder are called murderers.
Why call men and women who are involved in abortion “murderers”? Isn’t that unloving or unkind?
Not in the least, because we all need to recognize the gravity of sin. When we do, then we can appropriately repent from it. If we continue to soften the Biblical language or God’s view on abortion then it remains innocuous and people are left unphased about its grim reality.
Not only is calling abortion what it really is, and using Scripture to address this issue important to lead people to repentance, it also helps us understand the power of God’s grace.
God is in the business of saving sinners—even those who murder their own children. God’s grace is greater than all of our sin and that is not to say, excuses the evil of abortion rather it presents the parents who aborted their baby, hope.
Abortion can be forgiven. The gospel can prevail in an individual’s life regardless of what they did in the past. That is good news.
So, as we approach the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade this January and remember the millions of lives taken because of that decision, let us remember to be honest and upfront about what abortion is.
And lastly, to point to the gospel of grace that has the power to save and redeem.