Abortion

Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. (1Samuel 2:30)

I want us to look at a doctrine I believe has been abused so badly, especially in these last days. It is the doctrine that grace requires nothing from me. That God has released everything and that nothing I do can affect it.

Have you noticed that there are some versions that remove the human responsibility from some promises?

I was shocked when Romans 8:1 was read in church to notice that the second part was nowhere.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)

How does one walk without condemnation when they are walking in the flesh? Is it not superfluous to imagine that I can do anything I want and still stay free from condemnation just because I made a decision long ago?

But I want us to look at an incident in the life of Israel to get this message clearly.

Remember Barak and Balaam? Why did their partnership initially flop? They wanted to curse the uncursable.

And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. (Numbers 22:12)

A few days, probably weeks later we see a reverse of fortunes for the same blessed. And why so?

And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. (Numbers 25: 1 – 3)

They had aborted that blessed status by breaking God’s law. That was the same thing Eli did to the promise God gave to Phinehas after he averted the wrath of God during that incident.

You see Balaam knew something we choose to ignore to remain relevant to a world that is hostile against God. That is the power of choice. God will never take the power of choice from us. But it is also important to note that He will also never take the consequences of our choice.

That is why he advised Moab to use sex appeal and availability to cause Israel to abort that blessing. You see as long as they were undefiled with sin their blessing was intact. It would be foolish to think like we are wont to think, that they were blessed however they behaved before God. The fact that God had declared them blessed was not enough to block the consequences of their choices.

Even beyond Balaam, we know that all who left Egypt were destined to the Promised Land. And we know they came to the edge of that land, even having conquered some of it.

Then they requested for a survey report so that they get to know where and what exactly they were getting into. The report was mixed depending on the perspective of the surveyors. It was dependent on the focus those spies had, with some focusing on the Promise as the others focused on the residents of that land and Israel’s capacity to handle them. The majority opinion was that the residents were unconquerable. Of course all who held that opinion perished in the wilderness. The crossing was delayed for thirty eight years to ensure that all of them died.

Who was at fault? Was it that God’s promise became invalid? Was it that God changed His plans for His people? Had He become unable to keep His word?

Of course not. It is the unbelief of the majority opinion that aborted God’s promise to them.

Has God changed that now we can walk in sin as we swim in God’s blessings as most preachers want to infer? Is that even remotely possible?

Just like in the physical realm an abortion is the willful determination of the one carrying the pregnancy. A still birth and miscarriage may be related to some lifestyle choices like diet and exercise but is not a direct choice of the mother. In fact the mother will many times become depressed due to that. An abortionist will be depressed from the guilt associated with the termination of a pregnancy thought she may use any other excuse for the guilt.

That is the same way with the spiritual realm. Only I have the capacity to abort anything God has planned and purposed for me. No one else and nothing else has the capacity to do it.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 38, 39)

Supposed I am not interested in walking in that status? What will happen when I decide to refuse to take responsibility for my part in the promise? Does God force me to receive a blessing or status I am not interested in accessing?

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)

Does effort cease when we accept Christ and get born again? Does the fact that He paid it all at the cross mean that I have no responsibility at all for my Christian life? What does this verse mean?

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: (Hebrews 12:14)

Can I enjoy God’s blessing without pursuing holiness? In other words, can I really expect any favor from God if I am unconcerned about the sin in my life? Can I really be identified with God if my life is at cross purposes with the plain teaching of His word?

As an example many young people have given up on their pursuit of sexual purity. They seem to demonstrate that God has no capacity of keeping young people sexually pure, especially in the area of abstaining from sex until one is officially married. The church leadership, including pastors and other preachers also treat that sin as normal. And I say that as someone who has been involved in sexual purity seminars and seen the shock even some Christian leaders show when told that sexual purity is not only an ideal but a requirement for a normal Christian. Older people, even married ones do not fare much better.

Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4)

And that is one among very many other verses spread all over the Bible, from Joseph son of Israel to Joseph husband of Mary who stood for God’s standard in a spiritually hostile environment.

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: (1Thesalonians 4: 3 – 5)

Or take the reality of lying with the advent of the cell phone and internet. Convincing someone using whatever means at your disposal takes precedence over God’s commandments. I use public transport and can say that most Christians (and they can be identified by the testimony they give to the conversations they carry) behave as if that gadget has been placed outside the Ten Commandments. The social media is even worse. This reminds me of a friend who wanted to attend an event that could not qualify for an off from the office. He feigned sickness and went to the event. As he was going his boss happened to see him. He called him asking how he was then feeling and he said he was improving though he was still bedridden. The boss asked him to look behind and you can understand the embarrassment it caused him. What about God who sees beyond the word to the thought to the intention (Hebrews 4:12, 13)

Yet we are witnessing the same all over. Pastors will give such a shameless lie that the people around them wonder the kind of God they represent.

Again we seem to imply that God’s standards are the whims of the few who are foolish enough to take God serious without realizing that we do not have any options concerning what God has stated.

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: (1Peter 1: 15 – 17)

It is tragic that we can talk of God and His presence in our lives when our lifestyles demonstrate the contrary. Again let us look at the scriptures.

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20)

How inclusive is that for a start?

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (Matthew 7: 13 – 16)

Can we really be Christ’s when we are living outside His standards?

Could we be aborting our journey into eternal life even as we seek political and levitical correctness? And why do I ask this?

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

Add to that the political correct as that is the fuel for most of those abominations. You see accommodating the homosexual and abortionist and the single mother by choice so that they can bring their offerings in the church is not much different from practicing those things yourself in God’s eyes. That is why the coward is the first in this list.

Could your lifestyle be aborting God’s dealings and promise in your life?

I close by saying what Christ Himself said, you shall know them by the kind of fruit they bear. Someone going to heaven will by their life demonstrate where they are going. One who is of the world will demonstrate familiarity with the world.