May I turn in your Bibles to Psalm 139? Psalm 139. We'll essentially continue our study from this morning with a few questions concerning abortion, I did want to read Psalm 139, review several of the texts that I only stated this morning by way of address. We'll just look at those.

We'll read them. And then, as I said, I have four questions I want to ask concerning this issue of abortion. But beginning in Psalm 139, beginning in verse 1. For the chief musician, a Psalm of David.

O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, you know it all together. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high.

I cannot attain it. Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there.

If I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall fall on me, even the night shall be light about me. Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from you, but the night shines as the day.

The darkness and the light are both alike to you. for you formed my inward parts. You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed, and in your book they all were written. The days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God!

How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with you. Oh, that you would slay the wicked, O God!

Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men! For they speak against you wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate you?

And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Try me, and know my anxieties. And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Amen. Well, let us pray.

Our Father, we thank You for this, Your Word. We thank You for this wonderful psalm ascribing praise and glory unto You, the omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God. Truly, You are from everlasting to everlasting. You are majestic and holy and all-powerful and all-glorious.

And we have found You to be very merciful and very gracious and very kind and very good and forgiving in Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank You for the Gospel, We thank you that you've taken us, formerly enemies, those who hated you, those who despised you, and you've brought us nigh through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We praise you for so great a salvation. We praise you for redemptive benefit, for every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus that you've given to us.

And we pray now that you'd guide our thoughts, guide our study, and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Introduction and Passage Review

Well, as I said, just by way of introduction, let's just go through some of these passages I referred to this morning. I wanted you to hopefully write them down, or at least write them down in your mind or heart. But Genesis chapter 25 illustrates one of the points that we brought up this morning, that children are indeed children. When they are in the womb, the pre-born are considered children.

Genesis chapter 25 verse 22, but the children struggled together within her. This is the children of Rebekah, this is Jacob and Esau. The children struggled together within her and she said, if all is well, why am I like this? So she went to inquire of the Lord And the Lord said to her, two nations are in your womb.

Two people shall be separated from your body. One people shall be stronger than the other. The older shall serve the younger. So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb.

And the first came out red. You see that language there. We saw it in Exodus 21, in verses 22 to 25. If a woman is struck, so that her child or children come out.

This is the language. of birth. What is in view in Exodus 21 is a premature birth, not miscarriage. And then he says in verse 25, and the first came out red, he was like a hairy garment all over. So they called his name Esau.

Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. So we see within the womb they are considered children, not undefined products of conception or a lump of cells. Turn over to Job chapter 10. Job chapter 10.

Again, just rehearsing a few of these passages before we ask a few questions by way of application. Job 10, beginning in verse 8. Your hands have made me and fashioned me in intricate unity, yet you would destroy me. Remember, I pray, that you have made me like clay, and will you turn me into dust again?

Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews? You have granted me life and favor, and your care has preserved my spirit." Again in Job 31, Job 31, verses 13 to 15. He's speaking about his own righteousness. He's speaking about his own compassion toward his own servant.

And notice what he says in Job 31, verses 13 to 15. If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant when they complained against me, What then shall I do when God rises up? When he punishes, how shall I answer him? Did not he who made me in the womb make them?

Did not the same one fashion us in the wombs? We see God as the divine weaver, the one who fashions men and women together in their mother's wombs. Ecclesiastes chapter 11. Ecclesiastes chapter 11 verse 5, as you do not know what is the way of the wind or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

The divine mystery, the fact that we don't know everything about God Himself is similar to the way we don't know how He does what He does in the womb of women who are carrying children. This is what the text specifies. Isaiah the prophet, chapter 49. a servant song of the Lord, specifically referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the second servant song of Isaiah.

Isaiah 49.1, Listen, O coastlands, to me, and take heed, you peoples from afar. The Lord has called me from the womb, from the matrix of my mother. He has made mention of my name. and he has made my mouth like a sharp sword. In the shadow of his hand he has hidden me, and made me a polished shaft.

In his quiver he has hidden me." Jeremiah the prophet, chapter 1. Jeremiah the prophet, chapter 1. What we find here is not only his call to the prophetic ministry, but as well his purpose and mission as the prophet of God. We see that purpose and mission specified in Jeremiah 1 at verse 10.

See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant." I believe those first four verbs highlight the reality that Judah is going into exile, but it will not stop there. There will be building, there will be planting again. So the Lord is going to chasten Judah, but He will bring them out of exile and restore them to their land. But back in chapter 1 verse 5, beginning in verse 4, Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.

Before you were born, I sanctified you. I ordained you a prophet. to the nations. As we rehearse these passages, hopefully you see and appreciate that truly God indeed has fashioned men in the womb, that children in the womb are his image bearers. Turn over to Luke chapter 1.

Luke chapter 1, verse 15. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, referring to John the Baptist, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb." And then going over to chapter 1 verse 39. Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. But why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." As I mentioned this morning, the Greek word employed there is the same word employed in chapter 18. You can turn there. We see this same term applied to babies in the womb and to babies or children outside of the womb. Luke 18.15, then they also brought infants to him.

This is where we get the word pedo for pedo-baptism. The pedo means infant. Then they also brought infants to him that he might touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them to him and said, let the little children... Here's the word that is employed in chapter 1, verses 41 to 44. What is called brephos in the womb is here called brephos outside of the womb. It's not two separate terms describing two separate entities, but rather the same term describing the same entity, whether it be in the womb or it be outside of the womb.

Jesus called them to him and said, let the little children come to me and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." And then in Galatians 1, a passage very similar to what we see in Jeremiah 1. Galatians 1, when the Apostle Paul is highlighting the fact that he is rightful participant in the apostolic ministry. He says in Galatians 1.15, But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me.

But I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus." So I gave you those passages this morning with the hope and the intention that you would have looked them up. If you don't look them up, then at least now you have seen them for yourself in the Holy Scripture. Now, abortion or infanticide was a problem the early church had to contend with. In the Roman Empire, there's fragments, there's letters that are still extant, still in possession of historians and in museums, where a man would write to his wife and say, if it's a boy, good.

If it's a girl, put her out basically with the trash heap. That's what they would do in terms of getting rid of unwanted pregnancies. They would put the baby out with the garbage, and then the dogs would possibly come and destroy those little ones or perhaps they would be taken and enslaved or sold into prostitution or any number of things. An early Christian document called the Didache in chapter 2, verse 2 says, you shall not abort a child or commit infanticide.

You shall not abort a child or commit infanticide. Probably the Didache is dated around AD 120. So this was a common problem in the Roman Empire. Exposure, infanticide, abortion.

Oftentimes drugs were used as a means by which to try and promote abortion in the lives of people. So that, again, is introductory.

Four Questions on Abortion

Now I want to ask four questions. And the first question is simply this.

Question 1: Is Abortion Ever Lawful?

Is it ever right to have an abortion? Is it ever right to have an abortion? I believe that the Bible specifies, the Bible authorizes, the Bible gives three instances of lawful killing. In other words, when we read that sixth word, the old King James translates, you shall not kill.

I think the preferable translation is, you shall not murder. Because the law itself, the Sinai legislation, includes instances where one may take the life of another human being. We'll look at those in a bit more detail in just a moment. But suffice it to say, abortion does not fall prey to any of these three instances.

They are self-defense. They are legitimate war, and they are capital punishment. Those are the three times that the Bible says it is right, it is lawful, to take the life of another human being. Remember, there is a distinction made within the law itself between accidental homicide and murder.

As well, there is a distinction made in the law itself between lawful killing and unlawful killing. And abortion cannot be argued with reference to self-defense. The baby is not trying to destroy the mother. It's obviously not legitimate war to engage upon a baby in the womb, and there is absolutely no reason why we ought to capitally punish a little infant in his mother's womb.

But let's look at these three instances, just so we can see the full-orbs sense of God's Word with reference to this issue. of taking life. As I said,

Lawful Killing: Self-Defense

first of all, self-defense. Exodus chapter 22. You may turn there. Exodus chapter 22.

We need to make sure we think biblically concerning the whole counsel of God, that we understand the same psalmist that rejoices in the fact that God knit him together in his mother's womb, then says, I hate those who hate you. The Bible is full-orbed, it speaks to all issues, and we as Christians need to understand these truths. So there is an instance of lawful killing with reference to self-defense. Notice in chapter 22 we move into property violation.

If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. Notice verse 2. If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. If you are at home and a thief breaks into your home and in an attempt to stop the thief from engaging in his criminal activity, he dies, you are not guilty for his bloodshed.

Verse 3 says, if the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. What I believe that we are supposed to understand here is that if the sun is up, we know the thief's intention. We're better able to ascertain and determine why he's there. Obviously, if he's there to kill us, we can resist that, and if necessary, use that force reasonable to stop him.

But if it's dark, And we come stumbling downstairs, or we're trying to rub the sleep out of our eyes. We don't know the intention of this man. We don't know if he's there simply to steal stuff, or he's there to engage in harm and destroy us or our family. And so self-defense is assumed here.

Self-defense is authorized, even to the point where the man we are defending ourself against dies. Now obviously we don't have to kill everybody that tries to take our stuff, but what the law specifies here is what Matthew Henry speaks to. A man's house is his castle, and God's law as well as man's sets a guard upon it. He that assaults it does so at his own peril.

Genesis chapter 14, Genesis chapter 14, we see an instance. It's not a mandate, it's not a command, it is not go thou and do thus, but rather it is an illustration of this principle of self-defense. And it is by the righteous man Abraham, Genesis 14, 13. Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner.

And they were allies with Abram. Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, He armed his 318 trained servants who were born in his own house and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. So he brought back all the goods and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods as well as the women and the people.

You see there, Abram arms his 318 servants and he goes and he does what he is supposed to do. The book of Nehemiah. The book of Nehemiah, remember the particular historical context. The temple has been rebuilt and now they go about building up the city, building up the city wall.

And in the midst of this building project, they suffer or they have challenges in terms of the persons around them. And so Nehemiah 4.13 says, therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall at the openings and I set the people according to their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

And it happened when our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. So it was from that time on that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor, and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. Those who built on the wall and those who carried burdens loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction and with the other they held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built, and the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me." The Lord Jesus in his earthly ministry assumes the reality that people will try and defend themselves.

In Luke chapter 11, Again, this isn't a straight, direct passage teaching. Thou must go and defend yourself. I think there's more weight to be had in saying that it's an assumption by our Lord. It is natural.

It is the way we function. It is the way we conduct ourselves. When someone tries to do damage to us, we defend ourselves. When somebody tries to steal our property, we defend ourselves.

If we don't have property, ultimately we will die. There is that indirect necessity of property to sustain people. In Luke chapter 11 at verse 21. Luke chapter 11 verse 21, When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.

But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoils. Now the larger context is what Jesus is speaking to is the devil. He's armed, he's trying to defend his kingdom. Jesus is the stronger than the devil.

He plunders him and he seizes all of his goods. But again, the operating assumption here is that strong men will arm themselves and guard their own palace. And then in Luke chapter 12 at verse 39. Luke chapter 12 at verse 39.

Same sort of a thing, but know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Again, the larger context is to be watchful, to be mindful, to be vigilant, to be dutiful in this area of spiritual watchfulness. But the analogy is very clear. The assumption that our Lord brings to the table is very clear.

Know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. It just doesn't happen. Self-defense is authorized in the law of God.

Lawful Killing: Legitimate War

Secondly, legitimate war. Deuteronomy chapter 7 verses 1 to 5. We won't read all this because we're going through Deuteronomy in our Wednesday night studies, but essentially God says go in to the land Canaan and utterly dispossess the land of the Canaanites and of their stock. You are to destroy them.

In Deuteronomy chapter 20, there are principles, there are laws governing warfare. So we see it as legitimate. Again, not in every instance, but in certain instances, God Most High authorizes and legitimates war.

Lawful Killing: Capital Punishment

And then, of course, the third lawful instance of killing We rehearsed this on Wednesday night as well. Capital punishment, Genesis 9, 6. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood will be shed. For in the image of God he made man.

Romans 13, verses 1 to 4. God has armed the civil magistrate with the sword. He is an avenger of God's wrath in history, in time, in space, in order to bring historical judgment upon those who engage in evildoers. I quoted J.

Gressom Machen this morning. Machen said that the state exists for the repression of evildoers and the protection of individual liberty. That's what we get from Romans 13 1-4. That's what we see when we study the Sinai legislation.

We don't see an over encroaching government that's involved in every area of our lives from cradle to grave, but rather we see a state that is tasked with the repression of evildoers and the protection of individual liberty. So is it ever right to have an abortion? If we ask the Bible, in what instances may I lawfully kill someone, and I don't suggest all of us ask that question, But if we do ask the question, in what instances may I... I'm just being a little humorous there.

I hope on your Monday morning devotions you don't say, when can I kill someone? That's weird. That's bizarre. If we ask the simple question, does the Bible authorize killing?

It does in three instances, self-defense, legitimate war, capital punishment. Not abortion. That is a sin, it is a crime, it is wicked, it is heinous.

Question 2: The Hard Cases

The second question, what about the hard cases? What about the difficult scenarios? What about the woman who is raped? What about the pregnancy that comes as a result of incest?

What about the life of the mother? Let's just take that one first. In the life of the mother, I think a doctor's primary interest is to do all he can to save everybody involved. Right?

Very infrequently do I imagine, at least the literature that I've researched, does it suggest that doctors are always struck with this idea, the woman or the baby. Generally speaking, a doctor is going to try to do the best he can, he should do, the best he can to promote the life of the baby and the mother. Now, in the midst of doing that, sometimes difficult things happen, to be sure. But it's probably not the regular occurrence where there's a group of doctors given some time, given some opportunity to meditate, to consult, to consider, and say, well, are we going to save the woman, or are we going to save the baby?

In many respects, this whole issue is a bit of a red herring. The idea is simple. We want doctors, you should want your doctor, to do everything he can to promote life in the mother and in the baby. What about the case of rape?

Turn to Deuteronomy 22. Deuteronomy 22. There are several instances specified concerning sexual crime in Deuteronomy chapter 22. Notice in verse 22, if a man is found lying with a woman, married to a husband, then both of them shall die.

The man that lay with the woman and the woman, so you shall put away the evil from Israel. That would be what we would call garden variety adultery. Notice the second situation, the seduction of a betrothed woman. Verse 23, if a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a husband and a man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and shall stone them to death with stones.

The young woman because she did not cry out in the city and the man because he humbled his neighbor's wife. so you shall put away the evil from among you." Now, the betrothed woman is considered the man's wife. That's what the text specifies. Notice as well, she did not cry out in the city. That means she was complicit.

That means she was consenting. That means she was a willing participant in this particular scenario, in this particular situation. Some have seen or interjected a dichotomy between a betrothed woman and a non-betrothed woman. The betrothed gets the protection of the law, the unbetrothed doesn't.

It has nothing to do with those categories. It has to do with consent on the part of the woman, whether she's betrothed or unbetrothed. And notice the third situation, verse 25. If a man finds a betrothed young woman in the countryside and the man, here's the language of rape, forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die.

But you shall do nothing to the young woman. There is in the young woman no sin deserving of death. For just as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter. For he found her in the countryside, and the betrothed young woman, here it is, cried out, but there was no one to save her." You see, this was not consensual.

This was not participatory on her part. This was something against her will. He forced her. She cried out.

Because it was in the countryside, there was no one to hear. She is a victim. But the interesting thing to notice, with reference to our study tonight, when a rape occurs, it is the rapist who is executed, not the baby. You see that?

I would love to preach a sermon on stupid things pro-abortion people say. Somehow people have got it into their heads, even pro-life people, that in the case of rape or incest, it's somehow OK. The origin of that conception doesn't change the status of that concepted or conceived. Does it?

Has there been a radical alter, a radical shift, a radical change in the substance of that, if I can use the language for just a moment, that product of conception? whether it's brought about in a loving, monogamous, wonderful marriage relationship, or it is the result of a vicious attack in rape. It does not change the substance, it does not change the status, it does not change the image of God in that person. We need to be consistent as Christians. We cannot say we're pro-life except in these instances that are inconvenient in our worldview.

If it is an image-bearer, it is never right to take his or her life. It just isn't. We are not allowed. We don't have loopholes.

We're not the rabbis looking for ways to justify a sinful expression of violence. It is very intriguing to me that in this instance concerning rape, it is certainly not the baby that is executed. It is the rapist who is executed for his crime. You never ever fix crime and you never ever fix sin by adding sin and crime to it.

Haven't we all learned that to some degree or other? Haven't we all learned that when we tell a lie, we generally have to tell more lies to fix the scenario? Does it fix the scenario? No.

The only thing that fixes rape, the only thing that fixes sin, the only thing that fixes these sorts of things is abiding by the law and submitting to the lordship of our blessed Jesus. He gives grace, He gives mercy, He can see us through difficult situations. In the case of rape, the woman is legitimately able to give that one up for adoption. That does not compound sin, it does not compound crime, it does not exacerbate an already messed up situation.

In the case of rape or incest, you never deal with sin by compounding sin. In the life of the mother or the child, you do everything possible to save both lives. And then you'll sometimes hear them say, well, you know, if we don't have abortion clinics, they'll seek them out in back alleys. Do you realize that back alley abortion were done in clinics, in doctor's offices?

It's rhetoric. It's all couched in the language of trying to horrify people.

Question 3: Avoiding Abortion

A third question, what is the foolproof way to avoid abortion? This is interestingly a piece of the puzzle that you don't ever hear. I almost feel, you know, redundant mentioning this. I almost feel somewhat simplistic having to highlight this, but you hear about these abortion statistics, you hear about all this stuff, no one ever stops for a moment and says, wait a minute, remember Paul when he was standing before Felix?

He not only preached righteousness, he not only preached judgment to come, he also preached this thing called self-control. You know, sometimes people seek out abortion to try and cover up sin. People seek out abortion to try and to remove any evidence of wrongdoing. Well, to avoid the abortion, to avoid that particular sin that we need to cover up or compound with another sin, don't have sex.

I'm not a biologist. I'm not. I mentioned this morning, I'm not a mathematician. I need to call my son to get percentages for 300 million, and a million, and 100,000, and 30 million.

But this much I know, as a non-biologist, you can't get pregnant without sexual activity. Unless that's changed and no one told me, I'm operating under that assumption. Children and young people. Did you hear the statistic this morning? 20% of those who profess to be born again have abortions.

Why is that? Why is that? Because they had sexual congress. The girl got pregnant and then they went out to try and cover it.

Self-control. Guard your heart. Don't have sex. Wait.

I know we live in an immediate gratification era. We need things right now. I want a burger. Let's go to the burger place.

I want this. Click the computer. I mean, what a time to be a merchant. What a time to have an internet business.

We got a lot of people that can't wait to spend money. They got credit cards. Instant gratification. I don't care if you're 18 or you're 19 or you're 20 and you're not married and you want to have relations.

Don't do it. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. The apostle utters this statement. He says, this is the will of God for you. Pay attention.

Everybody wants to know, what is the will of God for me? You ever meet people like that? I'm trying to figure out what the will of the Lord is for me. 1 Thessalonians 4 specifies what the will of the Lord is for you. Abstain from sexual immorality.

You see, if you don't have sexual immorality, you can't get pregnant. If there's no pregnancy, there's no possibility to abort that pregnancy. You see, self-control goes a long way in fighting this particular evil. Self-control goes a long way in trying to promote life.

Abstain from sexual immorality. The Apostle speaks to sexual sin in Ephesians chapter 5, verses 1 and 2. to 7. Ephesians 5, he says, therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. Walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you as is fitting for saints. neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Therefore, do not be partakers with them." Hebrews 13, verse 4. The apostle is clear. Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled. But fornicators and adulterers, God will judge.

Young people that really want to enjoy the bliss of marital relations. Work hard, prepare yourself, and get married. and have babies. That's the remedy. That's the antidote.

That's what God says to young people. Young men, work hard. Make money. Have something to bring to the table.

Young women, learn how to serve a man. I don't mean that we get these connotations and all that. Learn how to be a homemaker. Learn how to be a lover of your husband.

Learn how to be a lover of children. Work on those things. Find the man, find the girl that God has for you, and enjoy the blessings associated with marriage. That is the lawful outflowing of that particular activity.

It's not that sex is bad any more than guns are bad. It's when we use them unlawfully that it becomes a problem. You don't condemn the activity because there's some who abuse it. Abusers should repent and forsake and learn to use it properly.

You cannot have an unwanted pregnancy without sexual relations. So is it ever right to have an abortion? No. What about the hard cases?

No. What is the foolproof way to avoid abortion? Self-control.

Question 4: The Church's Responsibility

And fourthly and finally, what should the church do? Now, certainly, as I mentioned this morning, within the Church, the individuals of the Church, we ought to be large-hearted. We ought to be compassionate. We ought to be loving.

We ought to be kind. We ought to be gracious. We ought to entertain, bringing in a young girl who's pregnant and caring for her. We ought to entertain adoption.

We ought to be those sorts of people that are large-hearted and are looking to serve and to express that second great commandment, which is loving our neighbors as ourselves. Certainly, these things are absolutely crucial in the life of God's people. As well, the church needs to preach the whole counsel of God. We have a lot of people today that don't know a lot of Bible.

I know it's not you. You guys are all really skilled and really well-versed, and you traffic, and you know scripture, and it's great. But if one looks around at larger evangelicalism, and even within the Reformed community, man, it's sometimes scary. Jesus defined eternal life in John 17 3 this way.

He said, and this is eternal life, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. We need to know God's law. We need to know God's gospel. We need to preach these things.

We need to teach these things. We need to set forth these truths. Carl F.H. Henry said this concerning the preaching of God's law.

Even where there is no saving faith, the law serves to restrain sin and to preserve the order of creation by proclaiming the will of God. By its judgments and its threats of condemnation and punishment, The written law, along with the law of conscience, hinders sin among the unregenerate. It has the role of a magistrate who is a terror to evildoers. It fulfills a political function, therefore, by its constraining influence in the unregenerate world.

You don't understand the things that we've mentioned tonight, those three instances of lawful killing. You don't understand how the law of God is to be employed. You don't understand the purposes that it serves and how it points us to the Lord Jesus. Then by all means study, brethren.

Have answers. 1 Peter 3.15 says that the Christian, the disciple of Christ, must always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within him to anyone who asks. How come you have hope? How come you have encouragement? Well, I understand the gospel.

I understand the truth of God's word. Let me share it with you. Let me declare it with you. Let me tell you about it.

You know, as Christians, that is what we have. Science arrives at the same conclusion. Those babies in the wombs are babies. Philosophers arrive at the same conclusion.

Those babies in the wombs are babies. The Christian arrives with the consequence. That baby in the womb is a baby and is an image-bearer of God. And therefore, it is unlawful to take its life.

If one does take its life, however, there is hope in Christ. There is hope in the gospel. There was a man by the name of David, king of Israel. I was just rehearsing that passage or reviewing that passage this afternoon.

It's interesting. In chapter 11, there's no mention of God until verse 27. You'll remember that chapter 11 is when David is covering his sins. He's doing everything he can to cover sin.

He calls to Joab. He has Uriah brought to his house. He thinks if he can get Uriah drunk, Uriah will go lie with Bathsheba, he'll have relations with Bathsheba, and then everybody will think that it's Uriah's baby and not David's. That doesn't work.

Uriah's a little bit too noble for that. David plies, David tries, David functions, David's engaged in machinations. We don't see any reference to God until verse 27. But the thing that David did displeased Yahweh.

That's it. That's all it needs to say. The reader of scripture goes, what's going to happen? It's when God sends Nathan to preach to David, and God delivers David from his sins.

It's beautiful. It's a wonderful picture. It's glorious. You see, the Christian, the Church, the people of God, not only have that law of God that is calling man to stop from sin, to be a restraint to sin, but we preach the gospel of free and sovereign grace to sinners.

We tell them there is hope. We tell them there is forgiveness. We tell them there is mercy. We tell them that in the midst of a sin-cursed world, God was pleased to send his son to live, to die, and to rise again.

So the church, first and foremost, must be about preaching the whole Council of God Most High. This is the answer. This is the need. This is what our generation desperately needs.

They don't need me standing up here with holes in my jeans, sipping a latte, and being culturally relevant. They need to hear a clear exposition of Exodus 21, 22 to 25, They need a clear exposition of 2 Corinthians 5.21. They need a clear exposition of who God is, what He demands, how we violate that law, and how Christ is the provision for sinners. That is culturally relevant.

That is what our generation desperately needs to hear. Well, let us pray.

Closing Prayer

Our Father, we have considered a horrific subject today. I pray that you would give us clarity in our thoughts with reference to this issue, realizing that babies in the womb are the image of God, that it's wrong to terminate, it's wrong to kill them. We pray, Father, that you would help us to not only think clearly, but have opportunities to testify to others Give us grace and compassion and large hearts to seek to render genuine aid to those in need. Help us, God, to truly reflect the glory of Christ as we see Him in the Scriptures.

I pray that you would go with each one of us now, that you would cause your face to shine upon us, that you would refresh in our own minds and in our own hearts what a great and glorious Savior we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's in His name that we pray. Amen.

Scripture References

• Genesis 9:6; 14:13; 25:22; 25:25
• Exodus 20:13; 21:22-25; 22:1-3
• Deuteronomy 7:1-5; 20; 22:22-27
• Nehemiah 4:13
• Job 10:8-12; 31:13-15
• Psalm 139:1-24
• Ecclesiastes 11:5
• Isaiah 49:1
• Jeremiah 1:5; 1:10
• Luke 1:15; 1:39; 1:41-44; 11:21; 12:39; 18:15
• John 17:3
• Romans 13:1-4
• 2 Corinthians 5:21
• Galatians 1:15
• Ephesians 5:1-7
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3
• Hebrews 13:4
• 1 Peter 3:15