You knitted me together in my mother's womb.

Psalms 139:13, ESV

One of the most difficult and unpleasant subjects for Christians is that of abortion. Questions such as "Is abortion a sin?" or "Is abortion discussed within the Bible?" and "What does God think of abortion?" are all important questions which must be correctly answered. Perhaps the first question that should be answered is whether or not God considers the fetus a baby or not. This is readily answered in Luke 1:41-44 when we are clearly told that the Mary's cousin Elizabeth reacted in this way to Mary's visit: " For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy". Some might say that Elizabeth was just confused as to whether that which was in her womb was a baby or not and that it was just her opinion, but verse 41 states that she was filled with the Holy Spirit. In other words, it was an inspired statement from God that tells us in no uncertain terms that the fetus in the womb is a baby.

Next, in order to understand how serious it is to damage a baby in the womb, one needs only to go to the Old Law in Exodus 21:22-24, where we are told that if two men are fighting and hit a pregnant woman so that her "child comes out" that if there is any harm then they are to pay "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth..." The conclusion is plain: That which is in the womb is a child and if the child was harmed through sinful activity, then those who harmed were child to be punished. The "eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth" standard of the old law was initially mentioned in regard to harming an unborn baby - a child! 

Now for the most revealing fact: Did you know that the name Jesus used for Hell came from the place outside of Jerusalem where the Israelites sacrificed their children? Remembering that God has already identified an unborn baby as a "child" from the Exodus passage will help us to understand that it did not matter if the person was born or unborn, they were still a child. In II Chronicles 28:3, we read of King Ahaz sacrificing his sons in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. In II Chronicles 33:6 we read of King Manasseh sacrificing his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. In Jeremiah 7:31, God Himself is quoted as condemning the people of Israel for burning their children in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. The Greek translation for "Son of Hinnom" is Gehenna. This is the word Jesus is quoted eleven times in the New Testament as the description of Hell.

Do you see? The word for Hell is taken from the place that the evil people of Israel used to kill their babies! Of all the sins that people have committed, the location for the sin of child sacrifice was used by Jesus as the description for Hell. Can a reasonable person conclude anything else than that the killing of a child, whether in the womb or outside the womb, is as detestable of a sin as you could possibly imagine. 

Is abortion discussed within the Bible? Absolutely - it is the origin of the eye for an eye punishment. Is abortion a sin? Absolutely - the place where the Israelites offered up their children as a human sacrifice is the origins of the word that Jesus used for Hell. It does not matter if a person kills the baby before it can escape the womb or after it is born, it is still defined as the killing of a child in God's eyes.

So, what does this mean? Does it mean that if you have ever aborted a baby that you are going to Hell? The answer to this question is the same as for any other sin. If a person has repented and has been baptized, they have had their sins washed away. If a person sins after they have been added to the church in this way, they can certainly receive forgiveness if they will repent. But this stubborn refusal on behalf of many Christians - some well-intentioned and some not - to acknowledge abortion as sin has prevented many people from seeking forgiveness. The result is that they appear to be lost in that sin until they repent. We as Christians have got to stop making the path to Hell more comfortable to those who have sinned - including the sin of abortion - if we are ever to be of genuine help to others.

One last thought: In recent weeks, a prominent political party brought an abortion facility to be parked outside of the building where their convention was held. Each day, they proudly announced the number of human sacrifices that they had made that day. I realize that they did not admit that these were human sacrifices, but semantics notwithstanding, that is precisely what they were. These children were sacrificed to the "gods of selfishness and convenience". It was an appalling display of disdain towards the sanctity of human life, towards Christians in general, and especially towards God. I pray that they will repent of this wicked sin before it is too late. God will make the judgement upon this sin, as He will on all of our transgressions, so we need to stay out of that part, but we do need to recognize this heinous act of violence for what it was.

Millions of women have had abortions through the years. Who knows how many of these ladies have gone on to live lives of turmoil and sorrow caused by the guilt from their actions. And I do not want to leave out the men who had a role in this act, because they are just as guilty. But they can yet experience the peace that God desires for them if they will only seek the forgiveness of God if they will only repent. In the absence of that needed repentance, the Day of Judgment may reveal to them just why Jesus chose the name "Gehenna" for the final dwelling place of the unforgiven. 

These things are hard to hear - I realize that. Please understand that they are not written out of hatred or any other form of animosity. They are written out of a hope that people will finally realize the serious nature of this sin so that they will repent and not be lost. In short, these words are a warning, but they are motivated out of a deep love and concern towards those who have been deceived by this horrible sin. I pray that they will be received in that manner, for it is an urgent topic that needs to be considered while there is still time.