INFORMATION WAR: There has always been one.

• So many lies, including:
o There is no God.
o If there is a God, He doesn’t care about absolute right or wrong.
o People can do what they want. For many, personal freedom is the highest value and if someone tells them they

can’t have what they want, the other person is the problem.
o Personal freedom leads to happiness unless someone’s personal happiness takes another’s away.
o Statement: “Unless my decision harms someone else, I should be allowed to do what I want.” The problem? We

don’t agree on what it means to harm someone else.
o Truth is not what corresponds with reality but rather what the individual feels it ought to be.

• Rejecting the truth leads to consequences, including pain.
• Our reaction to pain caused by sin is not to repent but to try to eliminate the pain, not the cause. For example,

  sexual sin leads to consequences, so people seek something that allows sexual sin but with fewer/no consequences.

o This week, we are talking about abortion.

REVIEW THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUTH: There is a God, and He cares about the truth.

2 Timothy 3:12–17 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

TRUTH #1: GOD CREATED A PERFECT WORLD, BUT SIN CREATED A BROKEN WORLD.

• The devil, sinful nature, a culture designed to entice us into sin…
TRUTH #2: WE ALL HAVE SINFUL IMPULSES/DESIRES, AND AS WE GIVE INTO THEM, THEY DESTROY US.

• As we give into these impulses and desires, we are changed. Our hearts become hardened; we feel justified.

Galatians 5:16–21 16So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

TRUTH #3: WHEN WE GIVE INTO SIN, IT LEADS TO MORE THAN HELL; IT LEADS TO DEATH IN EVERY SENSE.

James 1:13–15 13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

ABORTION IS JUST AN ESCAPE FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF SINFUL BEHAVIOR.

• Rather than repentance, it’s “doubling down.”

ABORTION STATISTICS IN AMERICA:

• Just in 2015 (the last time it was calculated): 638,169 abortions
• From 1973 to 2015: over 50 million abortions
• The reason behind women’s decisions to abort according to a Guttmacher Institute survey:2

o 74% Having a baby would dramatically change my life o 73% I can’t afford a baby right now
o 48% I have completed my childbearing

• Most abortions happen in the first trimester and usually around 6 to 8 weeks, at the earliest.
0.69% OF ABORTIONS ARE FOR EXTREME ISSUES LIKE THE HEALTH OF THE MOTHER AND IN THE CASE OF RAPE OR INCEST.

SURVEY SAYS: 99.31% OF ABORTIONS ARE DONE FOR CONVENIENCE ISSUES.

• Most abortions are a response to sex outside of marriage. Rather than repent and seek God’s will, women “double down” in their sin.
• What is the reason(s) behind a willingness to kill a baby? Ignorance, and willful disobedience.

  THE WORLD WILL RESPOND, “But life doesn’t begin until birth.”

  WHAT SCIENCE HAS PROVEN ABOUT A BABY (NOT FETUS) IN THE WOMB:

• Many doctors and scholars teach that life begins at conception. (See also Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments by Randy Alcorn.) Here are just a couple:1

Dr. Alfred Bongioanni, Professor of pediatrics and obstetrics at the University of Pennsylvania, at a US Senate committee hearing: “I have learned from my earliest medical education that human life begins at the time of conception… I submit that human life is present throughout the entire sequence from conception to adulthood and that any interruption at any point throughout this time constitutes a termination of human life…”

Dr. Jerome Lejeune, University of Descartes: “He stated that this is no longer a matter of taste or opinion and not a metaphysical contention; it is plain experimental evidence… Each individual has a very neat beginning at conception.”

THE WORLD HAS DOWNPLAYED THE FACT THAT THE BABY IS A SEPARATE HUMAN LIFE, EVEN IN THE WOMB.

• A separate heart beat? 21 days
• Separate and distinct brain waves? 40 days (That means both thinking and feeling!)

  THE WORLD WILL RESPOND, “The baby’s life isn’t as important because it relies on its mother for life.”

• Many say, “If the child can’t live without the mother, then it is not truly human.” But a one-year-old cannot live without it’s mother.
• Many of our seniors can’t live without help.
• “I am not financially ready, and this will end my personal dreams for my future.”
• “People will be disappointed in me; I’ll be looked down on.”

THE WORLD WILL RESPOND, “The baby’s life isn’t as important because it’s just another animal, and we need population control.”

• Many view humans as an invasive species that needs to be controlled.

GOD’S WORD SAYS, “Life is a gift from God.”

• Humans are more important than any other form of life.
• God’s word tells us that God is the creator of life, life is precious, and it is given by God.

  Genesis 9:6 Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.

  Psalm 139:13–16 13For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

  Ecclesiastes 11:5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

  Luke 1:41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

  GOD’S PERSPECTIVE OF HARD CASES:

• He has a plan for the child, and if you choose to walk with God, He intervenes.
• He has a plan for you—to wake you up and help you become all He would have you be. Children help us understand

  God and ourselves.

  IN THE HARD CASES, PEOPLE FORGET TO ADD GOD INTO THE EQUATION.

• What people forget: God can and often does intervene and do something different than the doctors expect.
• A child with special needs is still a child, and God loves them. They are a blessing! They change us as we become

  more servant-minded.

• In cases of rape and incest, many great people have come from those situations. Adoptive parents are blessed to

  have them. The sin of the rapist does not affect the value of the child.

  LET’S CONSIDER THE NORMAL CASES:

  CHILDREN ARE A BLESSING FROM THE LORD—AS GOD DEFINES A BLESSING.

• Convenience issues like, “I don’t have any money,” “It will keep me from my dreams of…”
• In some cases, it is better for the child to be born and adopted into a Christian family that has been waiting for years.

  Psalm 127:3–5 3Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. 4Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

  IN ALL CASES… Mothers may hear in their heads, “I blew it,” “People will judge me,” or “Take the easy way out.”

  • It’s not easier. The pain it causes is long-lasting.
  • Those who know Jesus really won’t judge.

    REMEMBER: THE DEVIL HAS ALWAYS DOWNPLAYED THE VALUE OF CHILDREN.

• Offered in fire to fertility gods to bless their crops & livestock (Jeremiah 19:5). Killing was for personal convenience.
• There is so much Scripture about teaching & protecting our children because the enemy seeks to destroy children.
• He destroys the hearts of those who choose to sin—it’s an ongoing struggle for those who abort children.

GOD KNOWS THAT TO DOUBLE DOWN ON SIN WILL HURT YOU.

• The many post-abortion therapy and support groups that exist testify to the reality of abortions having potentially harmful psychological effects.
• Women who’ve had an abortion are 9 times more likely to attempt suicide.
• Possible consequences of abortion (some women may experience fewer than others): regret, grief, sadness, anger,

  bitterness, guilt, shame, sense of loneliness or isolation, loss of self-confidence and lowered self-esteem, self- condemnation, insomnia, recurring dreams, nightmares, relationship issues, suicidal thoughts or feelings, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, sense of loss and emptiness, uncontrollable weeping, helplessness and hopelessness, alcohol and chemical dependencies, anniversary reactions, flashbacks, fetal fantasies, numbness, painful re- experiencing of the abortion, sexual dysfunction, insecurity, distrust, hostility toward self and others, communication impairment and/or restriction, preoccupation, confusion or distorted thinking, and other psychological symptoms.4,5

• I have anecdotal evidence from my own experiences with men and women.

  THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE:

• Politically, we take murder as serious as God does. It’s not a choice we have the right to make or condone. We vote and do what we can to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves—but with respect and love as we do it. We don’t fight like the devil for the things of God.
• When someone has disappointed (contributed to an unplanned pregnancy) us or done the wrong thing, we step in to help, to encourage, to support with words and actions.
• If someone has had an abortion, we carefully point them back to Jesus for forgiveness, and/or remind them that they are forgiven.
• There are consequences, but no judgements from God or us.
• If you are struggling with your past, we have a Women’s class coming up this week. Check it out below.

  DISCIPLE-MAKING & PERSONAL HEALING RESOURCES:

  • Books: Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments by Randy Alcorn | The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers | The Case for Life by Scott Klusendorf
  • Studies: Forgiven and Set Free by Linda Cochrane | Surrendering the Secret by Pat Layton
  • Groups: Post-Abortion Healing Class, Monday nights @ 6:15PM, starting Sept 23rd. | Open Arms Crisis Pregnancy

    Center CDA recovery group starts Sept 26th. realchoicesclinic.com 208-667-5433

  • Website: abanon.org

All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
1The National Associate for the Advancement of Preborn Children, “Why Life Begins at Conception,” https://naapc.org/why-life-begins-at-conception/ 2Guttmacher Institute, “Reasons US Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives,” https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/pubs/psrh/full/3711005.pdf

3Human Life International, “Why Women Get Abortions,” https://www.hli.org/resources/why-women-abort/
4American Pregnancy Association, “Abortion Emotional Side Effects,” https://americanpregnancy.org/unplanned-pregnancy/abortion-emotional-effects/ 5Dr. Vincent Rue, as quoted in Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments by Randy Alcorn, p. 195.