When I got saved, my late father gave me a Schofield Study Bible as a gift. He placed two statements in the front that I am sure he heard from someone. One statement was; “These pages will keep you from sin and sin will keep you out of these pages“. Another statement he placed on the front page was; “When you figure it out, it no longer is faith.” These two statements have served me well in my walk with Christ. I find myself returning to these two basic statements many times as I strive to follow God’s call as a pastor. This is one of those times.
It seems that some months ago there was a post by a fellow blogger that really caused one to stop and look at the issue of when life begins. You can see that article here. The article argues against the theological position of traducianism, which is an argument for original sin, and applies it to the argument for when life begins. In traducianism the argument is that when the male cell comes together with the female cell it is flesh and soul that is procreated. I do not have the intellectual knowledge or the time to argue every point of differences that one can argue for or against this view. However, as I was reading this blog article by another fellow blogger, I remembered this post.
It seems that Senators Clinton and Obama are having the same thoughts as the blogger in the first linked article as they prepare for Pennsylvania and the Christian Conservative votes in that state. Notice what Senator Obama said as he voiced his uncertainty of the beginning of life; “Is it when the soul stirs?” Then Senator Clinton said it this way; “I believe the potential for life begins at conception…. “For me, it is also not only about a potential life. It is about other lives involved……I have concluded, after great, you know, concern and searching my own mind and heart over many years,…that individuals must be entrusted to make this profound decision…” That, my friends, is the reason the argument that the Scripture is not sufficient to give us an understanding of when God implants a soul is such a dangerous argument to hold to. It rationalizes away the sin of murder. I like the way the author of this article says it;
…it is not up to biological sciences to make a definite judgement on questions which are properly philosophical and moral, such as the moment when a human person is constituted or the legitimacy of abortion. From a moral point of view this is certain: even if a doubt existed concerning whether the fruit of conception is already a human person, it is objectively a grave sin to dare risk murder. “The one who will be a man is already one”.
It seems that if we are going to be truthful to the Scripture we need to stop trying to figure out how God takes the immaterial and places it within the material. If we can take Jesus’ words, “Before Abraham was I AM” John 8:58 we would have to ask when the immaterial substance of God was placed within the material substance of Mary. We do not ask about that. Why? Because God was from the beginning. If that is the case, and it is, then why do we need to question when God determines to place an immaterial soul into the material matter known as humans when he has already told us “Before I formed the in the belly, I knew thee” Jeremiah 1:5?
