Deception...Death by Abortion...Hope Beyond

The writer of the book of James says this..."Do not be deceived my beloved brethren, for every good and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."  To be deceived...to err...to wander away from what is true...

Like lambs to the slaughter are Christians who listen to the theology of the world, for minds must be full of something and hearts must be full of someone and so the struggle begins with each word we hear day after day.  Yet James makes it simple.  He says "do not be deceived".  Don't wander away from what is true.

You see God is love.  Everything he has done comes from a heart of love.  That is why He gave himself on a cross to pay our debts...out of love.  His death was so that we could have life...and give life to others. 

Based on that one simple but powerful truth, why then are we deceived?  James also gives the answer when he says, "each one is deceived when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed". In other words, we are deceived when we are drawn away by our craving for what is forbidden and baited.  Then when we take the bait we head down the path to death. 

The desire seems good and the bait has a tasty flavor, but like eating sweetened poison, the end result is death.  Death may not be the physical dying of ones self, but rather the physical death of an unborn child.  It's sting is beyond any sting which one can imagine.  It's memory...for a lifetime.

But being one who has experienced the deception of abortion, I say there is hope beyond the memory.  There is joy beyond the memory of the loss.  How can this be when deception brings death?

Remember the first part of what James said?  "Every good and every perfect gift comes from above..."  That child is with the Father of lights where everything is good and everything is perfect.  That is the first consolation.  The second is this.  As a Christian, when we see the deception for the first time and recognize it for what it is, then with repentance (or making a 190 degree turn) our hearts will be flooded with God's forgiveness and healing will begin to take place.  For our Father is a good father and desires for us to have good gifts like his unchanging love for us. 

There is a further healing which must take place and that is the healing which comes from self forgiveness.  God wants us to move forward and not be further deceived.  Forgiveness breaks the bonds of self hate.  Forgiveness even goes further than the forgiving of ones self and extends to the persons who facilitated the abortion.  For you see, God freely forgave us and He wants us to freely forgive ourselves and others.

Forgiveness is simply being "for" "giving".  God wants us to give to ourselves and give to those who hurt us and took the life of our child.  You might say He is pro-giving.  Jesus said to do good to those who spitefully use us.  He knew that a heart full of hate and anger would only destroy.  He knew that if forgiveness was offered to the hater, the murderer, that not only would release come to the one hurt, but a way would be paved for the hater and murder to receive forgiveness themselves.

God wants a complete work done in all.  He loves you and He loves me and He even loves the one who hurt you.  So, yes, there is hope beyond.  Embrace now, not the deception, but the freedom and forgiveness which comes through the Love of an Eternal Father.  Give forgiveness and experience the FULL freedom.