Unless you were living on a remote island for the past few months, you immediately and clearly heard about the U.S. Supreme Court’s dramatic decision in the case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Its landmark 6-3 ruling upheld a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The decision also overturned Roe v. Wade, which for 50 years had guaranteed in every state the right to an abortion within the first trimester.
So Roe v. Wade is done in America. What now?
The response has not been muted, to say the least. Those on the so-called “pro-life” side rejoiced; those on the so-called “pro-choice” side lamented, with many even choosing to riot to express their rage over the ruling. And the controversy is not going away; on the contrary, it has only just begun.
In an America already deeply divided on almost every issue—guns, immigration, sexuality, politics, gender, you name it—many pundits and citizens have already been talking about another civil war. The Dobbs decision has added high-octane fuel to a fire that threatens to burn out of control.
In the Image of God
Despite decades of the mainstream scientific community trying to convince people that we are nothing but a byproduct of chance in a godless universe, a majority (albeit a thin one) of Americans still believe that we were created by design—by the will of a Creator God.
Moreover, millions of Americans specifically believe the Bible’s account of creation, which says that human beings were made not in the image of apes but of God—a crucial difference. They believe that human life has sanctity in a way that it would not have if atheistic evolution were true. That’s why so many Americans hold human life sacred—even when that life is still in the womb.
For Christians, nothing shows us just how sacred human life is in the womb more than the incarnation of Jesus. According to Scripture, though Jesus is the Creator God— “All things were made through Him” (John 1:3)—He became a fetus in Mary’s womb. “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest” (Luke 1:29–32).
In other words, God Himself entered into human existence much as the rest of us have: conceived in a woman, where He developed and grew until born. “So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths” (Luke 2:6, 7).
Jesus first partook of human existence not as a newborn but as a fetus; His human journey began not at birth but at conception—just like you, just like all of us.
Before You Were Born, I Knew You
Scripture acknowledges that human personhood exists even before birth: “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them” (Psalm 139:16).
Of Jeremiah, Scripture says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).
In reference to Samson when he was still in the womb, the Bible says he was to “be a Nazirite to God from the womb” (Judges 13:5).
These verses and others (Galatians 1:15; Luke 1:15, 35; Genesis 25:21–23; Job 10:8–12; 31:13–15) all acknowledge our humanity even while in vitro—as well as life’s sacredness in the womb.
The Aftermath
Though many Christians are rejoicing over the Roe v. Wade decision, they need to be prepared for the consequences. This would be as good a time as ever for Christians to reveal the love and compassion that God has called all His followers to make manifest. “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
There are going to be a lot of hurt, scared, and vulnerable women—unwed mothers, pregnant teens, those feeling unprepared for motherhood—who don’t need to be judged or condemned or vilified. They need to be loved and ministered to. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
And there are going to be more precious children born in less-than-ideal situations who will need to be nurtured, cared for, and raised. Jesus speaks of these vulnerable little ones, identifying Himself with them: “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40).
We have the example of Jesus, not just physically but morally: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:3, 4).
Yes, Jesus showed us how sacred life is by becoming a human—just as we are. Meanwhile, believers must show their respect for this sanctity of life, not just for the baby in vitro, but also for the infant, the child, and the adult who follows. Christianity demands nothing less. To learn more about Jesus’ humanity, please read “Who Is Jesus?”