Forty-nine years ago this week, SCOTUS decided a case called Roe v. Wade. And America hasn’t been the same since.
But things might be changing again.
Currently, the Court seems to favor upholding a Mississippi law, rambling through the courts since 2018, that disallows abortion after 15 weeks except in a couple of extreme cases. A similar law is proposed in Florida.
Pro-abortion activists fear that Roe v. Wade is in jeopardy and may be overturned. Pro-life activists fear it may not.
So, advocates on both sides continue to collide outside the Supreme Court, creating a familiar scene. Protests, signs, shouting, news reports. And in the midst of it, people holding placards that echo a common theme, a mantra of sorts for pro-abortion activists: “My Body, My Choice!”
Should Christians agree with this?
But should Christians agree with the mantra, “My Body, My Choice?” See, we might oppose abortion, but sometimes we still lean toward the world’s way of thinking.
And when we hear a statement like, “My Body, My Choice,” we think, well, that sounds reasonable. Maybe a person should have the right to do with his or her body what they want, right?
So even Christians tend to accept it without much analysis. But should we agree with that declaration, “My Body, My Choice”?
More importantly, would the Bible agree with that?
What is a Christian perspective?
A biblical answer begins with a biblical perspective on the human body, which applies to all people. From there, we can get specific about the uniquely Christian perspective.
Here’s what the Bible teaches:
- The answer from creation
Every person bears the image of God, and from the very conception of each human life, God has a purpose and a plan (Gen 1:27, Jer. 1:5). So, ownership begins with creation. From conception, ultimately, every person belongs to God—body, soul, and spirit.
The Bible doesn’t explain it in detail, but the overall biblical picture looks like this: You are a soul, you have a spirit, and you are in a body. That triad makes a human being complete. Just as each part of the person is impacted by sin, each part will be redeemed and made whole in Christ (1 Thess. 5:23). The soul and spirit come first, and then the final stage of this will be the body at the resurrection (Phil. 3:21).
So, even at the very outset, we have an obligation and a stewardship. We should take care of our bodies, along with our minds and souls (Prov. 4:23, 1 Cor. 10:31). We should not worship our bodies, but we should not neglect our bodies, either.
That’s a fact for all humanity, Christian or not. Any person who neglects his body will suffer for it. So if we work in concert with creation, we are healthier. It’s just common sense.
That means, at the most basic level, the human being doesn’t “own” his body. It’s a product of the created order and must be treated as such. “My Body, My Choice” only means you have the choice to disobey the laws of nature and suffer from it or live in concert with the created order and benefit from it. It’s your choice.
With that in mind, the question is not only a question of creation, but a question for the Christian. The dictates of creation apply to all people, including Christians. If we treat our bodies without respect, we don’t get a pass on the consequences just because we are Christians.
Even so, God calls Christians to a higher calling than living like everyone else in the created order.
- The answer for the Christian
When you decided to follow Christ, you were born-again in Christ. You died to your old life, you were given eternal life, and you were set free to live for Christ (John 8:36). All of this is achieved by the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus—not by your good works, erudite philosophy, or wishful thinking.
Your new life is activated by the Holy Spirit, God Himself, who inhabits you. When that happened, something changed. Immediately and permanently. Something remarkable, magnificent, and incredibly unsettling.
The Apostle Paul captures it without glamour, decoration, or ambivalence: “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
In the ancient world, everyone knew what a temple looked like. And they knew the purpose of the temples. You go there to worship. Whether your worship was the flagrant hedonism of the Artemis cult in Ephesus, or the holy reverence of Yahweh in Jerusalem, true worship took place at the temple.
Paul uses this image strategically. He teaches that the temple of the Jews has found its fulfillment in Christ. But also, Paul left no room for equivocation. “You are not your own…. So glorify God with your body.” Paul evokes this image to remind Christians of one indisputable fact: No one desecrates God’s temple.
And now, you are His temple. What does that mean for the Christian? It means that the care of your body is a matter of Christian stewardship.
You are accountable to Him for the choices you make that impact your body. Any intentional harm to your body is a desecration of His temple. And by extension, a human life inside the womb should be treated with the same stewardship.
So you can add that to the list of reasons that a biblical worldview prohibits abortion.
Christians have a higher obligation. For you, it’s not simply a matter of working in concert with creation or avoiding high cholesterol. Now it’s a matter of proactively honoring God with the body that houses Him, and which He intends to resurrect.
This obviously applies to more than the issue of abortion. The principle is sweeping in scope. But we violate this principle persistently. We fail to care for our bodies proactively, participate in destructive behaviors, and ignore His presence in our lives.
But what if you mess up?
We violate this principle in many ways, and some ways are far worse than others. From junk food to drug addiction, from forsaking sleep to taking the life of an unborn child. So, some of us may need more help and support than others to get back to God’s grace.
But the good news is that God’s grace is the same for all of us. God is a forgiving and loving God. He is faithful to love you, no matter what. And if you ask forgiveness, He will always forgive you and help you start fresh (1 John 1:9).
And, as you start the new year, remember, you belong to Him.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
1 Cor. 10:31