Image of God & The Abortion Question
Text: Psalm 139; Gen 1:26; 1 Cor 6:
Subject: How does God see human life?
Complement: made in his image
Idea: All human beings – born and in womb are made in God image.
Preaching idea: “made in God’s image & likeness” (Fearfully and wonderfully made)
Introduction - Abortion Is In The News...
USA supreme court leak...
Court is ready to overturn 1973 decision.
Such a leak is unprecedented – and undermines the integrity of the court.
Furthermore, in today’s so called left-right world even supreme court justices have been labelled – fairly or unfairly – conservative or liberal.
This undermines the prospect of justice – and the very essential role of a judge to accurately interpret the law and render rulings.
2. Legal experts tell us “Roe v. Wade” (1973) was a legally flawed decision from the start.
See article in CT.
(the) Roe v Wade decision of 1973, ...(quote) is an offense against America’s democratic order, a renegade ruling utterly untethered from the text, logic, structure, or history of the Constitution it purports to enforce. Supporters and opponents of abortion ought to find it equally indefensible.
Justice Harry Blackmun’s majority opinion discovered a phantom “right to privacy” lurking in the darkest recesses of the 14th Amendment’s Due Process clause—a zone of autonomy said to encompass a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy.
Even liberal legal scholars who cheer the outcome scratch their heads at the Court’s reasoning.
Take Yale and Harvard Law School’s John Hart Ely, who opined that Roe “is not constitutional law and gives almost no sense of an obligation to try to be.”
Or Harvard’s Laurence Tribe, who remarked, “One of the most curious things about Roe is that, behind its own verbal smokescreen, the substantive judgment on which it rests is nowhere to be found.”
** the 1973 ruling – once rendered ... permits an abortion during all 9 months of the pregnancy up until delivery of the baby.”
Commenting on the recently leaked draft decision of the US Supreme Court...Ed Whelan, distinguished senior fellow and Antonin Scalia Chair in constitutional studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, called the version of the draft opinion leaked Monday “powerful and meticulous” and “a systematic dismantling of the illegitimate Roe/Casey regime.”
In the document, Alito described Roe as “exceptionally weak” and said ...,
“The inescapable conclusion is that a right to abortion is not deeply rooted in the Nation’s history and traditions.”
Canada, has no legislation limiting or restricting abortion whatsoever– so, it is possible to abort a baby in Canada during all 9 months of a pregnancy.
3. Abortion – has been cast as being “Pro-Choice” – you can see the rhetorical strategy in the choice of these words...
Abortion represents a cultural collision with the gospel.
o An extremely strong political lobby has formed
o Abortion has been equated with women’s rights – at the expense of the unborn.
o This is a framing of the issue that is incomplete and one that devalues the child and the male partner.
• I sympathize with the problem of “woman as victim” – I recognize that a man can (and does) “run away” from an unwanted pregnancy and the woman cannot.
***That cultural collisions occur between biblical values and our modern world should not surprise us.
o The bible talks about the “world” and it's ways... “do not love the world...” (1 John 2:15-17)
Worldliness has long been a point of mis-application in “holiness” circles... sometimes we have focussed on trivial matters at the expense of substantive matters.
**If we have zero cultural collisions we have capitulated to the surrounding culture!
That doesn’t mean we should look for a fight – but it does mean we should expect opposition to gospel values.
4. A snapshot of Our (POST) Modern World/Culture:
• Canada is a “Liberal democracy”
• Product of The Enlightenment – which created human autonomy – in place of divine accountability.
• 17 and 18th centuries
The Enlightenment has its roots in a European intellectual and scholarly movement known as Renaissance humanism and was also preceded by the Scientific Revolution and the work of Francis Bacon, and Rene Descartes
the Enlightenment undermined the authority of the monarchy and the Catholic Church and paved the way for the political revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries.
A variety of 19th-century movements, including liberalism, communism, trace their intellectual heritage to the Enlightenment.[6]
In France, the central doctrines of the Enlightenment philosophers were individual liberty and religious tolerance, in opposition to an absolute monarchy and the fixed dogmas of the Church.
Accountability to God was lost.
Individual autonomy was advanced.
• While a Christian understands Christ is our King - Canada (where we hold citizenship) is not a “theocracy” – nor a Christian state.
• Nor do we live any longer in the realm of “Christendom”
• – only a few shadows remain as public/civic /national holidays – Christmas – the most Christian of holidays - is simply too lucrative to jettison from the culture.
• Truth is now seen as relative ... “your truth” is a common expression... “be true to yourself”
• Individual rights are one of our highest cultural values.
• Therefore, Morals are not objectively held
• Morals are based on public opinion – and pragmatism. (does it benefit me/us in a tangible way)
• Pluralism is king.
• Politicians live “downstream” from culture – which means govt legislation does too.
This is our Canadian context...the palce where believers live today. Our challenge is to be able to think in a Christian and biblical manner.
Romans 12: 1-2 talks about not being conformed to the pattern of this world...
5. Christians therefore, must know and understand A Biblical foundation/theology of human life:
Genesis 1& 2:
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
“imageo dei”
“image ? “like God”
As a photo is an image of something – we are an accurate representation of God
Namely,
(1) moral likeness (sense of justice)
(2) Spiritual likeness (spiritual desire...)
(3) Mental likeness (intelligence/creativity)
(4) Relational likeness ( need for Community)
** the entrance of “sin” – mars and stains that image
**Like a classic painting (ex. Rembrandt) that has been crusted with dust and moisture needs to be restored – we too need to be restored in the image of God – through redemption.
This redemption strengthens the image of God in us – as his love and truth comes.
And, Jesus Christ our Lord, represents the purest representation of the image of God.
And... At Christ’s return the “image of God” will be fully restored in humanity. (1 cor 15:49)
Now, You will immediately notice a chasm forms between God as creator and evolutionary theory.
• No creator - means no “image of God”
• No image of God - relinquishes the most powerful and beautiful reason for humanity – both dignity and sanctity(!)
• We are a collection of atoms and molecules
• We lack a spirit.
• It means everything concerning humanity is now subject to opinion and philosophical perspectives.
Were this true it leaves the very future and existence of humanity in peril.
But the bible says we were created by God and for his glory – 1 Cor 10:31.
This gives our lives significance and purpose.
When it comes to the pre-born or unborn we look to Psalm 139 and a number of other scriptures...
Psalm 139
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
“you created...”
“inmost being”
“you knit me together in womb...”
“fearfully and wonderfully made”
**( NL expression - “who knit ya?”)
“your eyes saw my unformed body”
“the days ordained for me – are written in
your book!
Proverbs: 22:2 “the rich and poor have this in common – the Lord is the maker of them all.”
Additionally, lets read Luke 1:
Luke 1: 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born...
This speaks to the baby while in the womb having spiritual capacity
And also from Paul’s letters:
1 Cor 6: 19-20 “you are the temple of the HS... you are not your own; you were bought at a price - therefore, honor God with your bodies”
• Temple concept is ? magnificent – ? holiness/sacredness.
• Identity is “you are NOT your own”
• We have surrendered ownership
• So much for individuality and “my rights and freedoms”
Honor God with your bodies
This Christian ethic speaks to diet...drugs...sleep...exercise...and morality – the immediate context here is sexual morality.
As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ we find our ethics in scripture... not cultural norms.
• Politicians, largely live downstream from culture
• Now, lobbies are trying to exert moral suasion on the US supreme court!
• Shocking!
• Loyalty ? honor God with your body.
Do you notice the counter-culture truth here?
*** so much for being “pro-choice” ... not if you’re a Christian!
James 3:9 teaches us about our use of the tongue...
• James says use our words to bless people and praise God!
• Why?
• “...who have been made in God’s likeness.” (3:9)
That’s the reason we need to control our words – with God’s help – because if we hurt people with our words... gossip...accusations... being judgy... we violate the “image of God” in all human beings.
The Didache: (earliest and most authoritative guide to Christian practice aside from the Bible itself)
(Earliest Discipleship manual} - 2nd generation of Christian Leadership
And so, in the Didache, we read these words in Section 2:2: "You shall not murder a child, whether by abortion, or by killing it once it is born."
In the ancient world, the child was considered the sole and absolute property of the father.
A father could beat his child, sell his child into slavery, and could even kill his child without penalty because that child was considered the father's property in much the same way that his cattle were considered his and his stack of wood was considered his.
Therefore, the Didache had to address this issue:
"You shall not murder your child once it is born, and you shall not murder your child by abortion."
These church leaders - who knew the apostles, said it was wrong to kill your child once it was born, but it was also wrong, in God's eyes, to kill your child when it was still in its mother's womb.
The Bible and the Didache affirm how God values a baby in its mother's womb.
Through modern technology, we can see that a fetus at three or four weeks of age—is able to pump blood through its heart.
We can see that the young life's arms and legs are forming at around week three or week four.
We can see that around week nine, the baby's fingertips are starting to experience definition.
We know at week twelve that their nervous system is so developed that they can actually experience pain.
Theologians differientate the sanctity of life from the “dignity of life”
• K. Barth: “the unborn child is from the very first a child... it is a person and not a thing... he who destroys a germinating life kills a person.” (Church Dogmatics)
And now ... A testimony – Norma McCorvery ( she was “Roe”)
POSTED JANUARY 12, 1998 (CT)
Roe v. McCorvey
Norma McCorvey could outcuss the crassest men; she could outdrink many of the Dallas taverns' regulars; and she was known for her hot temper. When pro-lifers called her a murderer, she called them worse. When people held up signs of aborted fetuses, Norma spit in their faces.
She had a reputation to protect, after all. As the plaintiff in the infamous Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, Norma's life was inextricably tied up with abortion. Though she had never had one, abortion was the sun around which Norma's life orbited. She once told a reporter, "This issue is the only thing I live for. I live, eat, breathe, think everything about abortion."
Then the fiery pro-life group Operation Rescue moved in next door.
As Norma's mind was challenged to consider the truth of the gospel, God began working on her heart through a seven-year-old girl named Emily, the daughter of OR volunteer Ronda Mackey. Quite understandably, Norma had difficulty relating to children. She had given birth to three, all of whom had been placed for adoption (one of them against Norma's will). And because she worked in an abortion clinic, Norma was fearful of bonding with anyone so young. "It was part of my denial," she explains. "When you know what is happening to the children behind closed doors, it's difficult to become attached to them outside."
Emily's blatant affection, frequent hugs, and direct pursuit disarmed Norma. The little girl's interest was all the more surprising considering Emily made it very clear that her acceptance of Norma wasn't an acceptance of Norma's lifestyle. Early on in their relationship, Norma explained to Emily, "I like kids and wouldn't let anyone hurt little kids," to which Emily responded, "Then why do you let them kill the babies at the clinic?"
This childlike innocence cut open Norma's heart. Norma wasn't won over by compelling, intellectual arguments. While the OR adults targeted Norma's mind, Emily went straight for the heart. Over time, Emily began to personify the issue of abortion—especially when Ronda broke down and told Norma that Emily had almost been aborted.
Another Testimony;
“... as a woman who has had an abortion, I want my pastors to address it from the pulpit. As a matter of fact, when I first started attending church again—this time as a new believer—I was extremely puzzled as to why abortion was not talked about in the church. In the early days of my Christian faith I was receiving healing from the Lord in regards to my abortion. I knew the pastors were kind and godly leaders, and I had received compassionate pastoring from them regarding my abortion. Yet there was this weird silence ... a penetrating, deadly silence in Christ's church when it came to abortion.
If the devastation abortion has had on me, and countless other people sitting in these pews cannot be safely talked about in Christ's church, well, where can it be talked about?
A recent Angus Reid poll asked 1,528 Canadians for their moral perspectives on a wide variety of issues. Among the findings: while 51% thought that using plastic straws is always or usually morally wrong, only 20% thought the same of “doctor-assisted dying” and just 26% for abortion.
More human beings died in abortions than any other cause of death in 2018.
A heartbreaking reminder about the prevalence of abortion.
42 million abortions world-wide in 2018.
A study contrasted the abortion numbers to other causes of death.
Here’s a breakdown of the causes of deaths world-wide for 2018:
Abortion—41.9 million
Cancer—8.2 million
Smoking—5 million
HIV/AIDS—1.7 million
Each unborn baby already had their own unique DNA, making them distinct from their mother.
Their DNA indicated if the child was a boy or girl, their eye and hair color…and much more.
In most cases, the unborn babies’ hearts are beating when they are aborted, too.
In America, just under 1 million babies are aborted every year.
Though abortion rates have been dropping in the past decade, abortion remains the leading cause of death in the United States as well.
An estimated 60 million unborn babies have been killed in abortions in the U.S. since Roe v. Wade in 1973.
Source: Micaiah Bilger, “Abortion Was the Leading Cause of Death Worldwide in 2018, Killing 42 Million People,” LifeNews.Com (12-31-18)
In 1969, Dr. Bernard Nathanson served as the medical adviser for the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (now Pro-Choice America).
After abortion was legalized in 1973, he became the director at the Center for Reproductive Health, which he claimed was "the largest abortion clinic in the Western world."
Later in his life, Nathanson said, "I knew every facet of abortion. ... feeding it great draughts of blood and money."
But in 1974, in an article published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Nathanson expressed his growing uneasiness with abortion. He wrote: "I am deeply troubled by my own increasing uncertainty that I had in fact presided over 60,000 deaths. There is no longer serious doubt in my mind that human life exists from the very onset of pregnancy."
His unease was intensified by the arrival of ultrasound technology.
“For the first time we could really see the human fetus, measure, observe, and indeed bond with the baby…. I changed my mind because the new scientific data … persuaded me that we could not indiscriminately continue to slaughter what was demonstrably a human being.”
Nathanson eventually converted to Christianity ...When asked why he was baptized and received into the church, he said, "[Because] no religion matches the special role for forgiveness [in Christianity]."
Conclusion? What does the gospel say?
• Forgiveness
o Christ died for our sins
• Healing
• Uphold truth
o Honor God with our bodies
o All human life has dignity – and sanctity – we are made in God’s image and likeness.
o Created for him and for his glory
• Defend and protect the weak and vulnerable.
