Will God Forgive Me If I Abort?

Recently a pro-life counselor and I spoke with a young unmarried couple contemplating abortion. I'll call them Jen and Larry. They both professed Christianity, but didn't appear to understand what being a Christian means. At some point we mentioned God's forgiveness, and Jen asked too eagerly, "Does God forgive an abortion?"

That question requires more than a one-word answer, because either "Yes" or "No" would be misleading, with possibly fatal consequences. I tried to explain that sin, including the sin of abortion, is very serious--not something to be planned, committed, and forgiven automatically. But I also wanted her to understand that God can forgive someone who has truly repented of an abortion.

I have tried to think of a clearer biblical answer. Here's another attempt. Question: "Will God forgive me if I have this abortion?"

Answer: No, not in your present spiritual condition. Not with that attitude. God's forgiveness is not automatic. It comes only when our sorrow for our sin is real enough that we would not do it again if we could do it over. If you have this abortion, you may or may not ever find forgiveness. God will only forgive you after you have come to the point that you deeply regret this abortion. You will first have to realize that you have violated one of the most sacred laws of the God who made you, and that nothing you can do can ever make up for it.

While that may not be the best answer, any answer must address the common "Grandpa in the sky" view of God that makes God's forgiveness a common and expected thing. This popular "cultural Christianity" takes the sacrifice of Christ for granted. It turns the sinner's only hope of mercy into an insurance plan for continued sin, and tramples under foot the mercies of God. "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid."

As Christians we must be careful to let sinners know that forgiveness is available, but we must also guard them against presuming upon His mercy and continuing in sin.

Update: Jen later scheduled an ultrasound, and after seeing her baby, she told a counselor that she would keep the baby.

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Pro-life Billboard Targets Atlanta Abortion Center Again

This week the pro-life billboard you see at left goes back up outside an Atlanta abortion center, giving a vibrant voice to babies in the womb.

For eight weeks in May and June of this year, the billboard stood directly across the street from the entrance to the Piedmont Pointe shopping center, which contains Summit Medical Associates, Abortion Advice Services, and one office of Atlanta SurgiCenter, among other businesses.

The billboard is paid for by Let Her Live, a non-profit group in South Carolina that aims to post these billboards in the immediate vicinity of abortion centers across the country as silent witnesses against the killing of the unborn. In addition to advertising the Let Her Live website, the billboard lists a pro-life hotline run by the Pregnancy Resource Center of Gwinnett.

While the impact of this billboard is impossible to measure, we know it is seen by thousands of people who drive Atlanta's busy Piedmont Avenue every day. It is also seen daily by the abortion clinic employees and by anyone who visits the clinic. Additionally, we know of two phone calls to the hotline during the billboard's last showing, and of a complaint from a media executive.

We ask all pro-life people to join us in praying that God will use this billboard to save lives, to bring women into counseling centers where they can hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved from sin, and to turn the tide of public opinion against the wickedness of child-killing.

If you want to help with this effort please make a tax-deductible contribution today. We welcome checks or online contributions with your credit card or PayPal account.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a nonprofit dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.

Saving Babies One by One

"Will I go to hell if I have an abortion?" the young woman sitting across from my wife asked. This was the woman's first question, and it was obvious she was leaning toward abortion. But she had some doubts, and she knew it wasn't right.

My wife shared the facts of fetal development with her and explained the abortion procedures along with their risks using the crisis pregnancy center's medically-accurate literature. At the end of the discussion, the young woman decided to make an appointment later in the week for an ultrasound. By the time she returned for the ultrasound, she had decided to keep the baby.

My wife and I are thrilled that she had a part in saving this precious child's life and guiding the mother away from the devastating decision to kill her child. But these life-giving decisions happen every day at crisis pregnancy centers across the country.

Legislative changes are crucial, but as we work for those changes, remember that minds are changed, hearts are won, and lives are saved one by one.

Wesley Wilson

Wesley Wilson is the President of Let Her Live, a tax exempt 501(c)(3) SC nonprofit corporation dedicated to saving babies by showing the beauty and value of life to women considering abortion. Please learn more about the Let Her Live targeted pro-life billboard campaign. Donations are tax deductible.