Abortion & Adoption, In The Spiritual Realm

The Senior Pastor at my church, Sagemont Church in Houston, never fails to amaze me with his insight into the things of this world that have a direct correlation with things in the spiritual realm. Dr. John Morgan, or Brother John, as he is also known, this past Sunday morning shared with the congregation how he had come to a realization in the previous days about how abortion in the physical - the cutting short of a physical life - is the same as abortion in the spiritual. "How so?", you might ask. I will use my own words to describe my understanding of Brother John's thesis.

In the same way that a physical life can be sadly cut short in the womb through abortion, and oh how we mourn that loss, so too can a spiritual life be aborted. When we introduce people to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are a conduit for the Holy Spirit to inject them with spiritual life support. Not that God needs us to do that, but it is perfectly clear in His word that we are to: "19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,even to the end of the age.” Amen." Matthew 28: 19-20.

When we see those who are spiritually lost, and we are not active in the Great Commission to bring others to Jesus Christ, do we mourn that loss in the same way we mourn for the aborted baby in the womb?

We could also use the same analogy for those who are new believers. As Christians, sometimes we do not have the patience and/or perseverance to continue on a path alongside baby Christians. Therefore, they may not grow spiritually, and may never develop into the mature Christian that he has the potential to be. That spiritual life has been stunted. We do know that all Christians, regardless of maturity, have a place in the Kingdom. It is a much debated topic - once saved always saved - but is quite elementary. Scripture says in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." My emphasis added. Whosoever, which is all Christians, not just those who read the bible every day, taught Sunday School, attended seminary and brought hundreds to salvation. Of course, there are our crowns at the Bema Seat of Christ, but that's another study all by itself.

So, what about adoption in the spiritual? Anyone who has attended an Act of Life Adoption Workshop or Primer will have heard myself or Julie talk about how adoption of a child into a new physical family is the same as when we are saved: we are adopted into God's forever family: "... He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ", Ephesians 1:5. Through physical and spiritual adoption alike, a person is given a new life.

Isn't that incredible that God gave us tangible analogies of life and death in the physical to help us understand life and death in the spiritual? He knows how our hearts break for every baby that is aborted, who could have potentially been adopted into the loving arms of a new family. As an adoption educator, I know how hard it is to help people understand that adoption into a physical family is a loving parenting choice that saves lives and creates families. Perhaps now we can understand how our heavenly Father's heart breaks for every spiritual life that is aborted, by not being adopted into His spiritual family.

Grateful for His continuous revelation,

Lynda