If You're Biblically Pro-Life, You Must Do These 3 Things

God is the author of life, so Christians should advocate for the life He creates and cares about. People are made in the image of God, and therefore have inherent dignity and immeasurable worth. The Biblical position on abortion is, without question, pro-life. We cannot take the position that we have the right to voluntarily take life in the womb. 

This is not a political statement. Sure, being pro-life has political implications for voting and policy, but that is not the aim of this article. 

What I want to discuss is what the posture of a pro-life follower of Jesus must be if you want to be Biblical. That sounds like strong language, and it is — and I’m going to use the Bible to make these points. 

1. You must believe the gospel. Spiritually, without Jesus, we are helpless, enslaved to sin, and destined for death. Our sin makes us guilty before God, with no defense and no right to stand before Him. And in that sense, just like the unborn, we need an Advocate. Jesus is that Advocate. He came for you, and He liberated you from slavery to sin by taking on your sin. He rescued you from death by taking on your death. And this will change you, making you progressively more like Jesus — who loves the vulnerable and defends the defenseless,.

2. You must use your words. When a toddler is having an incoherent tantrum, what do we say to them? Use your words. They need to learn to express what they’re feeling and thinking. In the same way, let your yes be yes and no be no about abortion. You don’t have to bludgeon people with your position — and in fact, please don’t. Boldness and gentleness can coexist in a Spirit-filled person. Proverbs 31:8-9 tells us, “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” The unborn are defenseless, and we should open our mouths for them. Scripture makes it clear that God sees and values the unborn (Psalm 139:13-16, Jeremiah 1:5). 

3. You must love your neighbor. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Jesus encounters a guy who squirms at the call to love all people. We love in categories — them, but not them. And so you might be an advocate for the unborn, but what about the immigrant who just moved in next door? What about the coach who won’t start your kid? What about the young mother who had an abortion? In the same way that we do not have the right to take life in the womb, neither do we have the right to curate those who we bless and care for. You must love your neighbor. And who is your neighbor? Yes. The same God who commands us to care for the unborn commands us to love all the people He places in our lives — even enemies. 

I want to end with an important caveat — not to the position of being pro-life, but to this topic of abortion. Many women with unwanted pregnancies have been pressured, frightened, and manipulated into thinking abortion is their only option. In certain pockets of our culture, abortion is classified as a “reproductive right” or “healthcare”. It’s not. Without excusing that abortion is wrong, we must also recognize these decisions are often made under duress. 

If you have had an abortion, repent and receive the forgiveness Christ purchased for you. The blood of Jesus cleanses you from all sin. Your sin was nailed to His cross, and He willingly took every bit of it for you. All of our guilt and shame died there with Christ, and He rose in power that we too could have new life. 

If you are pregnant or know someone who is, I want to make you aware of two wonderful ministries. The first is called Pregnancy Help 4 U. They will walk with you and help you if you are pregnant and don’t know what to do. The second is called Blue Haven Ranch, and they have a unique focus on helping single moms who already have children and are in difficult life situations.