EXODUS 21:22-23 RELATING TO THE ISSUE OF ABORTION

 

GotQuestions.org: How does Exodus 21:22–23 relate to the issue of abortion?

ss  Exodus 21 lays some of the groundwork for the laws of retribution, in which punishment is tailored to fit the crime. Exodus 21:22–23 gives this rule: “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life.” The passage goes on to say that, in general, penalties should be “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” (verses 24–25). The punishment, in other words, should fit the crime.
  This law relates to abortion in that it gives the example of a pregnancy ending prematurely. Basic to the statute is the assumption that the baby delivered prematurely has the same rights and protections under the law as an adult human being. That is, the fetus is a person.
  Medical science says that life begins at conception (see Moore, Keith, Before We Are Born: Essentials of Embryology, Saunders, 2008, p. 2; Sadler, T., Langman’s Medical Embryology, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 10th ed., 2006, p. 11; and Krieger, Morris, The Human Reproductive System, Sterling Pub., 1969, p. 88). Several passages of Scripture also show that truth.
  One such passage is Psalm 139:13 and 16: “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. . . . Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” David’s declaration reveals that God is present in the womb, in the first moments of a person’s life, and He has plans for that life from before birth. Phrases like unformed body, inmost being, and knit me together describe processes occurring at the cellular level of embryonic and fetal life. God makes unique plans for every life He creates, including how many days each person will live—all before that child is born.
  God planned for Jeremiah to be a prophet before he was even conceived: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). The statement I knew you indicates that God regarded Jeremiah as an individual well before he was born.
  Paul says in Galatians 1:15 that God had set him apart for a special work before he was born.
  In God’s eyes, each baby in the womb is already an individual, no matter where in the developmental process the baby happens to be.
  The law of Moses gave equal protection to both the pregnant woman and the child she carried: “Now suppose two men are fighting, and in the process they accidentally strike a pregnant woman so she gives birth prematurely. If no further injury results [i.e., the baby is born alive and healthy, and the mother suffers no lasting injury], the man who struck the woman must pay the amount of compensation the woman’s husband demands and the judges approve. But if there is further injury [to either the woman or the fetus], the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life” (NLT).
  Under the law in Exodus 21, causing the death of an unborn child was a serious crime, and the punishment for it was “a life for a life.” That law was an extension of a more basic law in Genesis 9:6: “If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image” (NLT). Couple these two passages, and we conclude that the fetus given legal protection in Exodus 21 was considered a human life—a human being created in God’s own image.
  Note that, if the only consequence of the men’s fighting was that the woman gave birth prematurely, but she and the baby were ultimately unharmed, then the worst that would happen was that the offender would pay a fine determined by the husband and approved by the judges. The law did not address every loss or consequence, but it did ensure that permanent consequences were justly compensated.
  If the mother or baby or both were injured, the husband of the baby’s mother, along with the judges, would decide a fair punishment. If a life was lost, however, the law specified that the offender would also lose his life.
  Human life is inherently precious to God. We are made in His image. Anything that cheapens human life, denies the image of God in humanity, or devalues God’s handiwork is sin. The shedding of innocent blood, including the blood of an unborn child, was punishable under the Old Testament law. The same standard of protecting the innocent should be reflected in today’s laws as well.

SEXUAL PURITY?

 

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GotQuestions.org: Why is sexual purity so important?

  God gave man and woman the joy and pleasure of sexual relations within the bounds of marriage, and the Bible is clear about the importance of maintaining sexual purity within the boundaries of that union between man and wife (Ephesians 5:31). Humans are well aware of the pleasing effect of this gift from God but have expanded it well beyond marriage and into virtually any circumstance. The secular world’s philosophy of “if it feels good, do it” pervades cultures, especially in the West, to the point where sexual purity is seen as archaic and unnecessary.
  Yet look at what God says about sexual purity. “You should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God. . . . For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:3–5, 7). This passage outlines God’s reasons for calling for sexual purity in the lives of His children.
  First, we are “sanctified,” and for that reason we are to avoid sexual immorality. The Greek word translated “sanctified” means literally “purified, made holy, consecrated [unto God].” As Christians, we are to live a purified life because we have been made holy by the exchange of our sin for the righteousness of Christ on the cross and have been made completely new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17–21). Our old natures, with all their impurities, sexual and otherwise, have died, and now the life we live, we live by faith in the One who died for us (Galatians 2:20). To continue in sexual impurity (fornication) is to deny that, and doing so is, in fact, a legitimate reason to question whether we have ever truly been born again. Sanctification, the process by which we become more and more Christlike, is an essential evidence of the reality of our salvation.
  We also see in 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 the necessity of controlling our bodies. When we give in to sexual immorality, we give evidence that the Holy Spirit is not filling us because we do not possess one of the fruits of the Spirit—self-control. All believers display the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) to a greater or lesser degree depending on whether or not we are allowing the Spirit to have control. Uncontrolled “passionate lust” is a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:19), not of the Spirit. So controlling our lusts and living sexually pure lives is essential to anyone who professes to know Christ. In doing so, we honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:18–20).
  We know God’s rules and discipline reflect His love for us. Following what He says can only help us during our time on earth. By maintaining sexual purity before marriage, we avoid emotional entanglements that may negatively affect future relationships and marriages. Further, by keeping the marriage bed pure (Hebrews 13:4), we can experience unreserved love for our mates, which is surpassed only by God’s enormous love for us.

SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE?

 

GotQuestions.org: What does the Bible say about sex before marriage?

  In the Bible sexual sins are clearly condemned: adultery (consensual sex between a married person and someone other than his or her spouse) and fornication (sexual immorality in general) are specified. Sex before marriage, or premarital sex, is not addressed in that exact term, but it does fall within the scope of sexual immorality.

  The Bible teaches that sex before marriage is immoral in a couple of different passages. One is 1 Corinthians 7:2, which says, “But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.” In this verse, marriage is presented as the “cure” for sexual immorality. Sexual union within marriage, which is commended, is set against immorality, which is to be avoided. Thus, any sex outside of marriage is considered immoral. This would have to include premarital sex.
  Another verse that presents sex before marriage as immoral is Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” Here, we have both adultery and fornication contrasted with what happens in the marriage bed. Marriage (and sexual intercourse within marriage) is honorable; all other types of sexual activity are condemned as immoral and bring God’s judgment.
  Based on these passages, a biblical definition of sexual immorality would have to include sex before marriage. That means that all the Bible verses that condemn sexual immorality in general also condemn sex before marriage. These include Acts 15:20; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:13, 18; 10:8; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Jude 1:7; and Revelation 21:8.
  God designed sex, and the Bible honors marriage. Part of honoring marriage is the Bible’s promotion of complete abstinence before marriage. When two unmarried people engage in sexual intercourse, they are defiling God’s good gift of sex. Before marriage, a couple has no binding union, and they’ve entered no sacred covenant; without the marriage vows, they have no right to exploit the culmination of such vows.
  Too often, we focus on the “recreation” aspect of sex without recognizing that there is another aspect—procreation. Sex within marriage is pleasurable, and God designed it that way. God wants men and women to enjoy sexual activity within the confines of marriage. Song of Solomon 4 and several other Bible passages (such as Proverbs 5:19) describe the pleasure of sex. However, God’s intent for sex includes producing children. Thus, for a couple to engage in sex before marriage is doubly wrong—they are enjoying pleasures not intended for them, and they are taking a chance of creating a human life outside of the family structure God intended for every child.
  While practicality does not determine right from wrong, following the Bible’s instructions concerning sex before marriage would greatly benefit society. If the Bible’s message on sex before marriage were obeyed, there would be far fewer sexually transmitted diseases, far fewer abortions, far fewer unwed mothers and unwanted pregnancies, and far fewer children growing up without both parents in their lives. Abstinence saves lives, protects babies, gives sexual relations their proper value, and, most importantly, honors God. Sex between a husband and wife is the only form of sexual relations of which God approves.

ADOPTION

 

GotQuestions.org: What does the Bible say about adoption?

  Giving children up for adoption can be a loving alternative for parents who may, for various reasons, be unable to care for their own children. It can also be an answer to prayer for many couples who have not been able to have children of their own. Adoption is, for some, a calling to multiply their impact as parents by expanding their family with children who are not their own, biologically. Adoption is spoken of favorably throughout Scripture.
  The book of Exodus tells the story of a Hebrew woman named Jochebed who bore a son during a time when Pharaoh had ordered all Hebrew male infants to be put to death (Exodus 1:15-22). Jochebed took a basket, waterproofed it, and placed the baby in the river in the basket among the reeds. One of Pharaoh’s daughters spotted the basket and retrieved the child. She eventually adopted him into the royal family and gave him the name Moses. He went on to become a faithful and blessed servant of God (Exodus 2:1-10).
  In the book of Esther, a beautiful girl named Esther, who was adopted by her cousin after her parents' death, became a queen, and God used her to bring deliverance to the Jewish people. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ was conceived through the Holy Spirit instead of through the seed of a man (Matthew 1:18). He was “adopted” and raised by His mother’s husband, Joseph, who took Jesus as his own child.
  Once we give our hearts to Christ, believing and trusting in Him alone for salvation, God says we become part of His family—not through the natural process of human conception, but through adoption. “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship [adoption]. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15). Similarly, bringing a person into a family by means of adoption is done by choice and out of love. “His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:5). As God adopts those who receive Christ as Savior into His spiritual family, so should we all prayerfully consider adopting children into our own physical families.
  Clearly adoption—both in the physical sense and in the spiritual sense—is shown in a favorable light in Scripture. Both those who adopt and those who are adopted are receiving a tremendous blessing, a privilege exemplified by our adoption into God’s family.

BIRTH CONTROL?

 

GotQuestions.org: What does the Bible say about birth control? Should Christians use birth control?

  Modern birth control methods were unknown in Bible times, and the Bible is, therefore, silent on the matter. The Bible does have quite a lot to say about children, however. The Bible presents children as a gift from God (Genesis 4:1; Genesis 33:5), a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5), a blessing from God (Luke 1:42), and a crown to the aged (Proverbs 17:6). God sometimes blesses barren women with children (Psalm 113:9; Genesis 21:1-3; 25:21-22; 30:1-2; 1 Samuel 1:6-8; Luke 1:7, 24-25). God forms children in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16). God knows children before their birth (Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:15).
  The closest that Scripture comes to condemning birth control is Genesis chapter 38, the account of Judah’s sons Er and Onan. Er married a woman named Tamar, but he was wicked and the Lord put him to death, leaving Tamar with no husband or children. Tamar was given in marriage to Er’s brother, Onan, in accordance with the law of levirate marriage in Deuteronomy 25:5-6. Onan did not want to split his inheritance with any child that he might produce on his brother’s behalf, so he practiced the oldest form of birth control, withdrawal. Genesis 38:10 says, “What he did was wicked in the LORD’s sight; so He put him to death also.” Onan’s motivation was selfish; he used Tamar for his own pleasure, but refused to perform his legal duty of creating an heir for his deceased brother. This passage is often used as evidence that God does not approve of birth control. However, it was not the act of contraception that caused the Lord to put Onan to death; it was Onan’s selfish motives behind the action. Therefore, we can find no biblical admonition against the use of birth control in and of itself.
  Contraception, by definition, is merely the opposite of conception. It is not the use of contraception that is wrong or right. As we learned from Onan, it is the motivation behind the contraception that determines if it is right or wrong. Married couples use contraception for a variety of reasons. Some feel called to put off childbearing until they are in a better position to care for children. Some, such as missionary couples, may feel their service to God overrides the desire for children at a particular point in time. Some may be convinced that God has a different plan for them. Ultimately, a couple’s motives for delaying childbearing, using contraception, or even having numerous children, are between them and God.
  The inability to have children when they are desired is always presented in Scripture as a bad thing, especially considering the cultural stigma attached to childlessness at that time. There is no one in the Bible who expressed a desire not to have any children. At the same time, it cannot be argued from the Bible that it is wrong to use birth control for a limited time, or even permanently, for that matter. All married couples should seek the Lord’s will in regards to when they should try to have children and how many children they seek to have.
  It all comes down to this: no one has the right to determine whether someone else should or should not use birth control, how many children is the “right” number for them, or whether they should have children at all. As in all things, we are not to judge others or cause brothers and sisters in Christ to stumble, spiritually speaking.

Note – the principles outlined in this article apply equally, generally speaking, to the various methods of birth control, including using a condom / condoms, diaphragm / diaphragms, spermicide / spermicides, contraceptives, intrauterine devices, IUD, or coitus interruptus. Also, those who use oral or hormonal contraceptives (the Pill) or an IUD should be aware that both those methods of birth control can prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum; in other words, low-dose oral contraceptives and IUDs can be abortifacients.

BECAUSE I HAVE LIVED

 

BECAUSE I HAVE LIVED

 

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. 

 

  When we went camping, the first thing I would do is sweep the concrete pad and the scrub the table and cover it with a cloth. Then I picked up trash for the entire campsite. When it was time to leave I made sure everything was clean for the next campers.

  It bothers me when people throw cigarette butts and trash on concrete or the ground. They are messing up my Father’s beautiful world.

  When my time comes to leave this world I hope it will be a little better because I lived here.

Leslie Nivens (12/12/1928 – 3/1/2020)

IF GOD HATES ABORTIONS, WHY DOES HE ALLOW MISCARRIAGES?

 

Got Questions.org: If God hates abortion, why does He allow miscarriages?

  Miscarriages are sometimes allowed by God for His own purposes. There is an important distinction to be made between a naturally occurring miscarriage and the deliberate ending of a human life in abortion. Although pregnancy loss is known in the medical world as a “spontaneous abortion,” it has nothing to do with induced abortion or abortion-on-demand. One is unplanned (from the human perspective); the other is purposeful. One is based on God’s authority over life and death; the other is a human usurpation of divine authority.
  A common form of miscarriage is an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants anywhere other than the uterus. Such pregnancies cannot proceed normally. Although the egg is fertilized and the embryo has grown to a certain degree, it can never fully develop, except in rare circumstances. The fertilized egg has often implanted in a Fallopian tube, in an ovary, or in the cervix. None of those locations are designed to support a growing life, and the pregnancy will end in miscarriage or in some cases through surgical intervention to protect the health of the mother.
  Removal of an ectopic pregnancy, even through medical intervention, is not the same thing as abortion. An induced abortion ends the life of a growing baby who would otherwise develop to a stage where he or she could survive outside the womb. If left alone, a pre-born child in the womb continues to grow and develop. Abortion brings that life to a premature end. In an ectopic pregnancy, by contrast, the fertilized egg will likely never develop to a stage where the baby can survive outside the mother. The embryo usually dies on its own and is expelled naturally, or the tissue is absorbed into the mother’s body. In some cases, the growth of an ectopic pregnancy causes severe bleeding, pain, or life-threatening conditions that require surgical removal of the embryo.
  In this broken, sin-dominated world, God has allowed many things He does not like. Miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and birth defects are among them. Wars, natural disasters, illness, death, crime, and all other manifestations of sin are allowed to remain for a time. They are all part of sin’s curse on this fallen world. While God does control everything, He still allows what He hates to accomplish what He desires (see Isaiah 46:9–11).
  Jesus gave us a glimpse into the mind of God when He responded to a question about a man born blind. Asked whose sin caused the man to be born sightless, Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3). In that instance, the “works of God” resulted in a miraculous healing whereby many believed in Christ. God allows other difficult situations as well in order to bring about a greater good (Proverbs 19:21). Since God is the creator of all life, He alone can take that developing life without being a murderer. When human beings interrupt God’s creative work through abortion, we usurp a power that belongs only to the Creator (Psalm 139:13–16).
  Only God can bring eternal good from situations that are not good (Romans 8:28). We don’t have the power to do that. We did not start that tiny heart beating, create the blood that is flowing through the fetus’s veins, or preordain the days of a child’s life as God has done. Therefore, when human beings induce an abortion, we are destroying God’s creative work without His permission. However, when God chooses, through miscarriage, to take a child’s life early, He has the right to do so. It is His child, His work, His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10; Mark 10:14).