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By Dr. Sean Cole
Lead Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church
Adjunct Instructor, Colorado Christian University
Many well-meaning leaders in the pro-life movement claim they want abortion to be “unthinkable,” which is a noble goal. However, those who hold to God’s Word as the absolute standard of morality must defend the idea that abortion should be illegal. The sanctity of life is a moral, spiritual, and legal matter rooted in God’s law as revealed in the Scriptures. The Ten Commandments, God's moral law, is the objective standard for right and wrong. It is also the standard by which we will be judged on the final day. (Hebrews 4:12-13)
God alone defines the sanctity of human life, as revealed in Genesis 1. All humans (born or pre-born) are created in the image of God. As a result, every single human, whether born or pre-born, has equal worth and value. This means that those with mental or physical handicaps, such as my son Zachary, who has a rare chromosome disorder that causes severe autism, epilepsy, and developmental delays. This condition was not detected when my wife Dawn was pregnant but when he was almost a year old. But if it had, I am sure we would have been counseled either by doctors or others to abort the pregnancy because Zachary would be mentally disabled, and we would not want to have that burden as parents. This attitude sickens me because Zachary is fearfully and wonderfully made, and God has sovereignly given him to us as our son. He is a blessing and not a nuisance.
Humans being created in the image of God also means those whom some would think have no potential to contribute to society. You often hear pro-abortion people say things like, “What kind of life do you think a handicapped baby will have if they are born?” Or “Children are expensive, and the mom is already stretched thin with other kids to care for.” “The unselfish thing to do for her sake and her family is to have an abortion.”
In addition, abortion is still murder regardless of whether an unborn baby was conceived by rape or incest. It is assumed that because a child was conceived through criminal means like rape and incest that the baby now possesses less value or is dispensable if the mother does not want the child. Any child conceived through rape and incest has the SAME worth as every other child. If we believe that human life begins at conception and all people (born and unborn) are created in the image of God, then there is no difference between a baby that was conceived by a happily married couple or a baby conceived by rape or incest.
If you believe that rape and incest are morally wrong and criminal because it involves violating the body of another person, what is the logical conclusion? Violating the body of another is precisely what happens during an abortion. If someone objects to rape, to be consistent, one will also have to oppose the killing of the unborn child since it is a violation of another person’s body. In addition, should the innocent baby pay for the sins of the father? Would not the perpetrator or the rapist be the one to suffer the penalties of the law for a crime he committed instead of the innocent baby? An abortion punishes the innocent baby instead of the actual criminal—the rapist.
Fundamental to the sanctity of life position is that the taking of an innocent human life (born or pre-born) is murder. Genesis 9:6: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. Exodus 20:13: “You shall not murder. Proverbs 6:16–17: “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.”
The Scriptures are clear that abortion, in all cases, is murder. This means that not only is abortion a sin, but it is also a crime. John Calvin said, “The fetus, though enclosed in the womb of its mother, is already a human being, and it is almost a monstrous crime to rob it of the life which it has not yet begun to enjoy.”[1]
God’s law gives us principles for the sanctity of human life in Exodus 21:22–24: “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” If the unborn child died from these men fighting and accidentally hitting the pregnant woman, the man who did it deserved the death penalty. If the mother or child survived, a stiff fine still had to be paid. This verse tells us that the fetus is a person who deserves equal protection under the law just as much as a person who is born—that is, the mother.
In essence, to take the life of the unborn baby is murder and deserves the death penalty.
This is a good case for our legal system that those doctors or medical professionals who perform abortions should be guilty of murder and tried in a court of law just like any person who committed murder on a born person.
What is the practical application of these truths? First, abortion is an obedience issue. What is our ultimate goal as believers? To obey the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18–20: “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Notice that Jesus has ALL authority on heaven and earth. That means He is sovereign over America, the Supreme Court, Congress, the President, and every single person who lives. As such, He commands us to make disciples, and one of the primary ways we do that is to teach people to obey all He has commanded—to teach EVERYTHING the Bible says. We cannot pick and choose which parts of the Bible we want to leave out and which parts we want to keep. We need a bold, prophetic voice that clearly states what the Bible says in the public square. This is no time to be silent on this issue.
Second, abortion is a moral issue. We are commanded by Scripture to rescue those who cannot defend or speak for themselves. We are called to seek the justice of all human life. Proverbs 24:11–12: “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?”
Who is being taken away to the slaughter? Unborn babies? Since 1973, over 63 million babies have been murdered in the womb. They have no voice to defend themselves. They are the most vulnerable of any person in our society. We are called to rescue them from death. Proverbs 31:8: “Open your mouth for the mute.” We need to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. We must have a heart of compassion and burden to stand against abortion and defend innocent life.
Third, abortion is a political or legal issue. As those who believe what the Bible teaches about life and the moral evil of abortion, we must work through the political process to abolish abortion in America. This means that we should support equal protection laws that would abolish abortion and treat the unborn just like the born when it comes to crimes and protection.
Isaiah 10:1–2: “Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!”
Abortion does need to be unthinkable, but more importantly, it must be illegal. The laws of our land must reflect God’s definition of justice and righteousness. More than ever, Colorado needs not only a legal and political realignment but the amazing grace of Jesus in the gospel.
Ultimately, abortion is a gospel issue. Everyone needs the forgiveness and love of Jesus. Whether you have had an abortion or not, whether you’ve gone to church all your life, or whether you think you’re a good person and try to obey the Ten Commandments. We are all guilty before a holy God because of our sins and need Jesus! We need His forgiveness, which He accomplished when He died on the cross and rose again.
Would we all cast ourselves at His mercy as we understand these truths about life, God’s Word, and abortion? Would we be faithful to the Bible? Would we be a voice for the voiceless? Would our hearts break for the wickedness done in our nation? Would we cry out in prayer to our Lord for revival and spiritual awakening?
[1]John Calvin, Commentaries on the Last Four Books of Moses, Calvin’s Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1999), 41-42.
Dr. Sean Cole is the lead pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Sterling, Colorado. He has a doctor of ministry in expository preaching from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also an adjunct instructor of Old and New Testament and Biblical Interpretation at Colorado Christian University. He hosts a podcast called "Understanding Christianity." His wife is Dawn, and they have two boys, Aidan and Zachary.