The Great Exchange

Day 8

​Beth’s story was familiar. A young Christian woman falls for a non-Christian guy and bad choices follow.  Lots of them.  Soon, she was pregnant.  Her boyfriend threatened to abandon her if she didn’t abort.  Her parents wouldn’t understand.  And she was only 19.  She made her choice 12 weeks into the pregnancy.  The tears begin. “I can’t believe I did that to my child.”
The Bible is clear.  Sin is our natural orientation.  It’s not just that we do bad things.  It’s far worse.  We are bad by nature.  We don’t start off innocent and break bad.  We being bad and stay that way.  “The human heart is desperately wicked; who can know it?” laments the prophet Jeremiah.  That’s Beth’s problem.  That’s your problem and my problem.  And thee only fix is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
That gospel tells us that a good and holy God created humans to worship and enjoy him forever.  But we rebelled against our creator, set ourselves up as God.  But God, who had every right to destroy the race for its rebellion against Him, did something remarkable.  He sent Jesus, the sinless one, the second member of the Godhead, to bear in his full His righteous wrath against sin.
We may bristle at that word “wrath” because it reminds us of an angry parent or vengeful authority figure.  But God’s wrath is not an uncontrolled explosion of rage; it’s His settled hatred of sin.  And if God is holy and just, He can’t sweep sin under the rug.  He must punish it.  And He did punish it, by crushing His Son on a cross for your sin and mine.
That is incredibly good news for those who’ve sinned by having an abortion.  But the news gets even better.  For those who trust Jesus for forgiveness, God the Father adopts them into His family as dearly beloved sons and daughters.
Any and every woman who chose abortion because she thought there was no other way out isn’t in need of an excuse.  She, like all of us, is in need of an exchange, Christ’s righteousness for her sinfulness.  For those who trust in Jesus for salvation, God gives them that righteousness—and a new family to call their own.
Many precious pro-life advocates are trying to atone for past abortions with tireless activity.  Don’t go there.  Good deeds do not atone for bad ones.  Only Christ’s deeds can atone for them.  We all need what Beth needed—His grace.
 

What to Pray for TODAY:

​1. Pray for Post-abortion Women
There are thousands of them out there, who need to trust in the saving work of Christ as their only hope.  Pray that they find Him.  Pray for those who have courageously confessed their past sin of abortion, that they will know God’s peace.  Pray for those who have not yet confessed their past sin of abortion, that God’s grace will draw them to repentance.
 

​2. Pray for those Ministering to Post-abortion Women
Churches and pregnancy centers can offer effective post-abortion counseling that is gospel-driven and biblically sound.  Pray that God will expand His work through them in reaching those women who need to know there is forgiveness and healing.

​3. Pray that God will Raise Up More Post-abortion Services.
There are many churches and care centers that need to expand their work into this area of post-abortion ministry.  Pray for the laborers, funding and initiative to do so.