As our cry against Planned Parenthood and the reality it represents – abortion – rings louder, have we forgotten a vital part? As Christians and non-Christians who value the life of the unborn who are being slaughtered in the name of “choice” rise up and speak opposition, have we forgotten to let Jesus speak to those whom have experienced the reality of making the “choice?”
I’m afraid that as Jesus followers are rising up in opposition to abortion and Planned Parenthood, which I am one of them, we are leaving in the dust, behind our zeal, the women who have made a choice to have an abortion. We are leaving in the dust the word of hope for these women and the word of hope for the millions of aborted babies.
Hope for Women Who Have Had an Abortion
At the cross of Jesus Christ, every wrong, every sin, was taken on the Son of God so that all may have the opportunity to receive forgiveness. This is true for the liar, the alcoholic, the drug addict, the murderer, the slanderer, the gossiper, AND the woman who has decided to have an abortion.
In our zeal for justice to be done, I am sorry to say, we have forgotten about you. If you have had an abortion, I can only imagine the shame and guilt you deal with on a daily basis as you remember the choice that allowed you to live without the blessing of a child. I can only imagine what your life is like now.
The hope that is available for all people is also available to you.
Yes. All have sinned, which you are absolutely one of the all, for your “choice” has condemned you, for you have taken away a life. But the rest of the popular passage of Scripture that begins with “all have sinned” reads:
are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as propitiation by his blood to be received by faith… (Romans 3:24-25a)
What this means is that there is just as much hope for the liar as there is for the woman who has decided to get an abortion. Jesus is mighty to save and His sacrifice is powerful enough to take away the sin you have committed.
Hope for Aborted Babies
The hope of eternal life in the presence of God is the realized hope for the innocent lives that the abortion industry takes on a daily basis. It breaks my heart at the reality of what we as a society have deemed as a “choice,” but nevertheless, I have hope for these babies, for I know that God Almighty has embraced them. He has welcomed them into His presence as soon as they were killed.
This truth may not help the feeling of loss for the grieving mother of an aborted baby, but it should offer hope for the future. For the mother who has aborted her baby and has turned to Christ, she has the full assurance that she will be able to see her baby when she is ushered into the full presence of God.
What this will look like, I don’t quite know. Heaven is a mystery. We can surely get glimpses from Scripture, but the full reality of what we will see and experience will be realized when we arrive there.
To look at this theologically, we could turn to Romans 5 where we see a comparison between the effects of Adam’s sin and the effects of Jesus’ sacrifice. In many Christian circles, this passage is used to explain the doctrine of original sin. The other option for this passage is original grace. That what entered into the world through Adam – sin – has been defeated by Jesus’ sacrifice – forgiveness. In other words, babies who die and children who die are not sent to Hell, for they have never sinned. They are protected by the embrace of Jesus Christ.
Christ > All
Christ is greater than your choice to get an abortion. Christ is greater than the death your baby has experienced. When Christ came He brought a hope that extinguishes sin and death for all who turn to Him.
Christians, as we rally around the sanctity of life, let us remember those who have been effected by the lie that a “choice” is more important than a life. Let us know one thing in all situations: Christ crucified for all of humanity.
The promise is for all despite what they have done.
Christ has won!
