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).

HOW CAN I EXPERIENCE HGEALING AND RECOVERY AFTER AN ABORTION?

 

GotQuestions.org: How can I experience healing and recovery after an abortion?

  Abortion healing and recovery is possible. Having an abortion and regretting it later is a common experience felt by women. While what has been done cannot be undone, you can experience healing and recovery after an abortion. The God of all comfort and healing is more than able to ease the sorrow and pain of an abortion. He can restore you to life and joy.
  An unwanted pregnancy can be a frightening experience for someone who is not financially, emotionally, or physically prepared for such a responsibility. Perhaps you are one of the many women and teenage girls who are scared, confused, and desperate. In your search for answers, perhaps you were fooled into believing that your unborn child was an expendable “lump of tissue,” not really a pre-born human being. Often the realization of the truth comes later, in the form of post-abortion stress syndrome, guilt, and depression. This is where abortion healing and recovery is essential.
  There is good news for anyone who has had an abortion, and that is that God offers forgiveness to anyone who asks for it. Abortion healing and abortion recovery begin with accepting that forgiveness. Romans 3:22 says, “We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.” It is never too late to come to God for healing. There is nothing we can do that is so bad that it is unforgivable. God offers this forgiveness, through Christ, and with it He offers peace of mind and heart. Abortion recovery is yours if you will only receive it by putting your faith in Jesus, allowing Him permanent residence and authority in your life.
  Perhaps you are already a Christian, yet you decided to have an abortion, perhaps out of fear of how you would be perceived by the Christian community. Even if you understood how God feels about abortion, you may have felt, out of desperation, that you must get rid of the “evidence.” Please understand that abortion recovery is available. God is ready to offer forgiveness, redemption, healing, and restoration. Yes, having an abortion was wrong; it was the taking of a life, but it is not unforgivable. The Bible says that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), and so, when we confess our sins to Him, He freely forgives (1 John 1:9). This is not because we deserve forgiveness but because of the loving nature of our Lord.
  When you realize the repercussions of having an abortion, you may find it difficult to forgive yourself. But God does not want us to live with perpetual guilt; He wants us to learn from our mistakes and use them to His advantage, as well as our own. Abortion healing and recovery will provide freedom from guilt. It will require a lot of prayer, which is simply conversation with God. This and studying the Bible help us get to know God better so that we can trust Him to heal us and be better equipped to do His work. Instead of dwelling on your choice to have an abortion, be encouraged to use your experience to help others. You may need to seek Christian counseling to help get through the experience. But through the healing process, if you trust in the Lord, you will be stronger and more spiritually mature. You can experience abortion healing and abortion recovery! You will have gone through an experience that God is able to use to strengthen your character and prepare you for ministering to others.
  If you are looking for abortion healing or abortion recovery, please contact If Not For Grace Ministries (www.infg.org) for free resources and counseling.

IF ABORTED B ABIES GO TO HEAVEN, WHY IS ABORTION WERONG?

GotQuestions.org: If aborted babies go to heaven, why is abortion wrong?

  We who defend the sanctity of life sometimes face questions similar to this: “Why do you say abortion is wrong, if babies go to heaven when they die?” That question often has a follow-up: “Aborted children never have a chance to grow up and reject Jesus; thus, by your own reasoning, abortion fills heaven and keeps people out of hell. Isn’t that a good thing?”
  Considering abortion as mercifully sending babies to heaven is an invalid option for Christians for several reasons. First, if we believe that heaven and hell are real, then we have to believe that there is a God. And, if there’s a God, we need to care what He’s said on the subject of abortion. By that measure alone, we cannot justify killing the unborn, an action that God expressly forbids (Leviticus 20:1–5; 2 Kings 24:2–4). God commands us not to commit murder (Exodus 20:13), He knows the child before birth (Jeremiah 1:5), and, in the Mosaic Law, He prescribed punishment for killing an unborn child (Exodus 21:22–25). Abortion is never an act of mercy; it is always an act of shedding innocent blood (see Proverbs 6:16–17).
  So, the first reason that we reject the idea of a mercy-motivated abortion is fairly simple: because God said not to kill. Regardless of what else we may think, God told us that killing the innocent is wrong. Period. Just as with a parent-child relationship, the only thing we ultimately need to know is that the Father has said, “No.”
  The second reason that abortion cannot be justified as a merciful act is that we are not absolutely sure what happens to those who die before they are born. We have many good reasons to think they’ll be in heaven, but we don’t have explicit biblical proof. So we can’t definitively say that aborting a soul will rescue it from hell. We dare not take such an awful risk with the souls of other people.
  With both of those reasons in mind, we can pose a useful statement: “God didn’t just kill Cain before he sinned.” That fact doesn’t tell us exactly why we should not abort a child for mercy’s sake, but it does tell us that God does not see killing to prevent sin as a viable option.
  A third reason that we cannot justify abortion on the basis that it sends babies to heaven involves eternal rewards. An aborted child has been denied the chance to serve God in this life and gain rewards for heaven. A child killed in the womb is being denied the chance to honor God in this world and earn rewards in the world to come. The chance to serve God is one of the things abortion steals from a human being.
  Logically, the attitude that abortion is merciful in that it sends babies straight to heaven would lead us to kill all children, unborn or not. After all, if it really is “better” for them to be dead, then we should do them the favor of killing them and sending them to a better place. Anyone who takes seriously the idea that babies in the womb should be killed to send them to heaven would logically have to favor the killing of every single child who is—in his opinion—under the age of accountability. Following the same rationale, he’d also be inclined to kill other believers to prevent them from sinning any more before they get to heaven.
  Given that God is a God of logic, and given that He specifically tells us to protect the weak and innocent (Proverbs 31:8–9), to have children (Genesis 1:28), and to see them as a blessing (Psalm 127:4–5), we can’t justify abortion on any moral grounds whatsoever. Abortion is the murder of the unborn, and we can’t mitigate the heinous nature of the act by injecting some perverse sense of human “mercy” into the equation.

WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD SAY ABOUT CHILD SACRIFICE?

 

GotQuestions.org: What does the Bible say about child sacrifice?

  The horrific practice of child sacrifice has been committed throughout the world for thousands of years. Generally, the sacrifice of a child was intertwined with the worship of a pagan deity, often a fertility god. Worshipers sought to obtain a blessing from their god(s) or to confirm or complete a vow taken in the name of the god.
  Ancient Aztecs, Incas, and a few other peoples in South and Central America practiced child sacrifice. The same for the Druids of Europe. The city of Carthage in North Africa contains evidence of child sacrifice related to the worship of Ba’al Hammon, a god imported from Phoenicia. Many Roman writers refer to this barbaric act in Carthage.
  The Bible contains the heart-breaking tale of child sacrifice practiced in the name of Molech (also spelled Moloch or Molek), a god of the Ammonites. Molech worship was practiced by the Ammonites and Canaanites, who revered Molech as a protecting father figure. Images of Molech were made of bronze, and their outstretched arms were heated red-hot. Living children were then placed into the idol’s hands and died there or were rolled into a fire pit below. Some sources indicate a child might also be “passed through the fire” prior to the actual sacrifice in order to purify or baptize the child. Molech worship occurred in the Hinnom Valley near Jerusalem. Because of this, the valley became associated with the idea of Tophet, or hell (Isaiah 30:33; Jeremiah 19:12; Mark 9:45).
  God prohibited Israel from child sacrifice in general and Molech worship in particular. Leviticus 20:2-5 states, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.’” Many other Old Testament passages affirm God’s zero-tolerance for child sacrifice.
  Sadly, King Solomon became involved in this horrendous practice, as recorded in 1 Kings 11:4-11, “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD. . . . On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. . . . The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command.”
  Later, the evil king Manassah offered his own son as a sacrifice (2 Kings 21:6), as did King Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:1-4). The people of Judah participated in this crime against their own sons—a sin so “detestable” that God said it had never even crossed His mind (Jeremiah 32:35). Child sacrifice was one reason for the Babylonian captivity (verse 36).
  Some critics of the Bible point to the story of Abraham, who laid his son Isaac on an altar and prepared to sacrifice him as directed by God (Genesis 22:1-14). However, in this case, God was testing the obedience and faith of Abraham. God stopped him from actually following through and provided a ram as a substitute sacrifice.
  Today, child sacrifice is practiced throughout the world. There has been a resurgence of child sacrifice in Uganda. Witch doctors have been implicated in the mutilation and death of children who were killed in an effort to bring good fortune and wealth to those willing to pay for it. There is also a correlation between child sacrifice and modern-day abortion. Unprecedented numbers of children have been “sacrificed” at the hands of abortionists for the sake of convenience, immorality, or pride. Hundreds of thousands of babies have been killed so that their parents can maintain a certain lifestyle. God hates “hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:17), and we can be sure that God will judge this horrendous sin.