Things are shifting in America before our eyes. The state of New York recently passed a bill legalizing abortion right up the moment of birth. The name of the bill was the Reproductive Health Act. It had previously been blocked for years when Republicans controlled the State Senate in New York. Because the Democrats recently took both houses in the New York legislature, it was quickly passed. The Senate passed it 38-24. In the Assembly, it passed by a 92-47 margin. Gov. Cuomo quickly signed into law Tuesday night.
This is an ominous sign concerning the direction of abortion in our country. This bill could play a role in opening the floodgates in the future, as inevitably, other states begin to follow New York’s lead. We cannot take the passing of this bill lightly. Some people may argue that the pro-life movement is stronger than ever, however, just days ago an Iowa judge struck down a state law banning a woman from obtaining an abortion once a fetus’ heartbeat is detected, saying it violated the state’s constitution. There is still a very strong, vocal and bold resistance to the pro-life movement. We must remember that the legalization of gay marriage began with one state which then led to other states adopting similar laws. We have no future guarantee that the same trend will not occur regarding abortion laws in our nation.
As Christians, we have an obligation to stand in the gap for the helpless, and the most helpless lives are the lives of the unborn. Abortion is not just a societal issue. It is not just a cultural issue. Abortion is a moral issue, and all moral issues, at the end of the day, are actually spiritual issues.
When we look at abortion purely from a spiritual lens, abortion is satanic worship. There is truly no way around this reality, and in the following paragraphs, I will explain why this is so.
If we as believers are to be in the truth and in the light, we have to acknowledge abortion for what it really is: the shedding of innocent blood.
The shedding of innocent blood is a clear violation of the fourth commandment, which states in Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.” Proverbs 6:17b also says God hates “hands that shed innocent blood.” The right to life is the most valuable right that has been given to any human being by the Creator. This is why from the beginning of human history, the devil has sought to twist people’s hearts and to tempt them to murder. Murder is always inspired by Satan, whether it be in the womb or outside of it. The shedding of innocent blood is a form of satanic worship. It honors Satan. It never honors God.
Many pagan cultures throughout history had child sacrifice as part of worship to their gods. They would sacrifice children to idols in the hope that it would bring favor, blessing and a better life. The modern abortion industry, at its heart, is no different from the child-sacrifice rituals of the ancient world and pagan cultures. The only difference is that in ancient times they didn’t sacrifice children while they were still in their mother’s womb.
In 2004, the Guttmacher Institute anonymously surveyed 1,209 post-abortive women from nine different abortion clinics across the country. Of the women surveyed, 957 provided a main reason for having an abortion. 92.5 percent of those survey gave purely selfish reasons for why they decided to have an abortion. That means that 92.5 percent of these children were sacrificed in the hope that it would result in a better life for the mother.
We as believers cannot allow culture and the mainstream media to define abortion in our minds. Abortion truly is not an issue of reproductive rights or women’s health. An extremely small percentage of abortions are performed to save the life of the mother. Half of one percent of abortions are done because of rape or incest. The majority of abortions occur because it is the most convenient option for a woman who does not want deal with the consequences of having a child.
The Old Testament deals with this topic of child sacrifice. In biblical times, one of the gods mentioned throughout the Old Testament was Molech. This was a god of the Canaanites and Ammonites. One of the primary ways ancient cultures showed worship to this god was to sacrifice children to it. They would place the children in the idol’s metal hands, which had been heated up to the point that they were red and smoldering hot, or they would just throw the children into the fire pit below the idol.
God judged Israel harshly for participating in this satanic ritual. Jeremiah 32:35-36 says that Israel offered up its sons and daughters to Molech and that God would judge and lead the nation into captivity for doing so. There are other instances where God warns Israel about participating in this practice. It is not a one-time occurrence.
Psalm 106 says, “They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to false gods. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood. They defiled themselves by what they did.”
Instead of sacrificing children on an altar to Molech, today, children are sacrificed on the altar to “self.” Therefore, there truly is no way around calling abortion what it really is. It is satanic worship. Satanic worship, in essence, is the love of self above all others. This is what abortion is. Abortion is the love of self above the love of the child that has been conceived. It is an abomination in God’s eyes.
This struggle against the abortion industry will be a long-haul in our nation. This struggle does not look as though it will end soon. We as believers must stand up against abortion and stand for the lives of the unborn. We must always speak unashamedly concerning the issue while conducting ourselves lovingly with those on the other side.
We cannot back down on this issue. We must stand steadfastly for the lives of the unborn. We cannot afford to be on the wrong side of history concerning this issue. Abortion is a moral issue. It is a spiritual issue. As believers, we must understand that there is a real spiritual battle for the lives of the unborn, the lives of the mothers aborting them, and for the future laws of our nation. Our voices matter. Our votes matter.
Ultimately, abortion also hurts the mother who aborts her child. Jesus Christ offers grace and forgiveness to whoever comes to Him in humility and repentance, no matter how big the mistake. So, as we stand boldly, uncompromisingly, and with the full conviction of truth and righteousness on our side, let us also stand in grace and love as we minister to those who are considering abortion or have already had one.
May we not give up. May we not be discouraged. May we not water down the truth about abortion. And may we one day see an end to abortion in the United States, by the grace of God. {eoa}
David Hoffman is an evangelist and the director of Kingdom Enterprises, an outreach and evangelism ministry in Tucson, Arizona. His passions are to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ, ignite a passion for evangelism within the lives of believers and help equip them to live Spirit-filled and Spirit-empowered lives. For more information or to contact him, please go to HisKingdomEnterprises.com or WinTucson.com.
