Today’s Devotion
Topic: Against Abortion
Text: Romans 8: 29 – 31
PART 3
The Value Of A Life (Its Origin, Purpose And Destiny)
29 For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Amen
ORIGIN:
Every life is very precious to God regardless of the activities or circumstances that surround its conception. Jehovah has set in place natural laws that allow living things to procreate after their own kind. Whenever those conditions are met, all things being equal, it must result in procreation.
In sexual reproduction, this means, for instance, that once the semen of a male of child bearing age comes into contact with the matured egg of a female who is ovulating, a zygote is formed which should later develop into an embryo. This is regardless of whether or not the male and female in question actually meant to have a child or were just playing around.
Now, this is what makes it a serious matter. God has also designed it such that each sperm which is to fertilize an egg is infused with a unique purpose and destiny. Yes; the physical fusing of the sperm and egg to allow fertilization to take place provides the unborn individual his or her DNA and external features. So he or she may take part and part of either parent’s looks and mannerisms here and there. However, the soul within carries its unique design to carry out a purpose; an assignment from God. Whereas the breath of God in him or her becomes the spirit within which gives life to both the soul and body.
PURPOSE & DESTINY:
The ultimate purpose and destiny of every life is to live for and in fellowship with God, and to conform to the image of His Son. Of a truth its expressions and extensions vary from person to person but the aim is that we all become like Christ in all we do now or become later. There is a divine strategy to make sure this is achieved:
i. God Knows Us: Before our mothers and fathers would be born, God already knew us from eternity.
ii. Because He knows He will make us appear on earth for such and such a time, He PREDESTINES us. This means He lays out a plan for our lives; plans of GOOD and not evil. To bring us to an expected end and to give us hope. (Jer 29: 11)
iii. Because we remain oblivious of Him and the plan He has for us when we are born, He CALLS us. He draws our attention first to Himself, and then when we have noticed Him, to the plan He has for us. If we have godly parents or guardians, He calls us through their teaching us of His Word. He also calls us through the evangelist, preacher, and even through creation as Paul writes in Romans 1: 20. The Call is to repentance because in our ignorance of Him we may have gone astray; far from His love and plan for us. It is also a call to return to Him and be BORN AGAIN. This time with the full conciousness that He is our God and we are His children; not children of the world or darkness.
iv. Knowing that we never measure up to Heaven’s standard for us as children of the Most High God due to Satan’s consistent enticement through traps and temptations so that we love this world and its pleasures more than God, coupled with the fact that we also do not always make the right choices with our free will; HE JUSTIFIES US WITH HIMSELF, THROUGH THE BLOOD AND SACRIFICE OF JESUS. HE IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS AND NOT WE OURSELVES. So that no matter a person’s past or lifestyle, in Christ he or she becomes a new creation. All the old gives way to a new life, new way of thinking and a new heart that yearns for God.
v. As we remain in Him to learn from Him, we begin to conform to the image of His Son, and God begins to use us to fulfil the destiny He had for us in an extra ordinary way. He GLORIFIES us each step along the way, perfecting His work in our lives till Jesus shall appear and we will all be like Him.
As stated earlier, the details of this purpose; as to where to work, who to marry and when to die, vary from person to person but God unveils them through the fellowship of His Holy Spirit.
THE VALUE:
You see how important each life is to God? So important that Jesus had to die for the redemption of every soul of man. The more reason why all Heaven rejoices when one sinner repents from his sins and turns to God.
Cutting off a life through abortion is denying the individual all the opportunities to know Christ and discover his or her destiny as God has purposed before time. It also means throwing back at God a wonderful blessing He has designed for a whole generation because we feel its birth brings us struggles and shame among our friends.
Summary:
As we all can see, the favourable or unfavourable conditions that surround fertilization, whether a male and female meant to have a child, or were just having fun, mean nothing to the processes above. Once the conditions are conducive, another one of this life process will begin. Think carefully about this, even the way you treat other human beings around you. They mean a lot to God!
Tomorrow, we will discuss whether or not there should be exceptional cases where abortion should be right and also whether there is the hope of restoration for anyone who’s ever aborted a foetus. Make a date.
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