Johan SlabbertPhoto: Omar Lopez
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Hold back those Staggering towards Slaughter.
Genesis 25:23–24; Psalm 139:13–16; Proverbs 24:10–12; Matthew 1:18–20
Since 1 February 1997, abortion on demand has been legal in South Africa. While exact statistics are difficult to verify, conservative estimates suggest that well over two million unborn children have lost their lives since then. This reality confronts Christians not merely as a political or social issue, but as a profound moral and spiritual crisis.
At the heart of Christianity stands a sacrament: Holy Communion. When Jesus broke the bread, He said, “This is my body, given for you.” In those words lies the essence of the gospel. Christ gave His own body in death so that sinners might live. Baptism likewise testifies to this truth, symbolising the washing away of sin through the blood of Jesus Christ.
By contrast, modern secular culture repeatedly proclaims a very different creed: “This is my body.” In this worldview, the statement means autonomy without accountability—I will use my body as I please. When sexual activity results in conception and new life, the same phrase is invoked again: “This is my body,” now meaning, I will do with the unborn child as I choose. In this sense, abortion has become the central sacrament of secular humanism.
Marriage, Sex, and the Denial of Purpose
The marriage covenant recognises three primary purposes of marriage: lifelong companionship between a man and a woman, sexual intimacy within a faithful union, and the procreation of children. These purposes are not arbitrary; they are woven into God’s design for humanity. Yet modern society increasingly rejects all three.
Sex is detached from commitment, intimacy from covenant, and children from joy. Pregnancy is no longer viewed as a gift, but as an inconvenience—an unwanted byproduct of self-gratification. Within this framework, abortion becomes not a tragic exception, but a necessary mechanism to preserve a lifestyle.
The contrast could not be sharper. Christ offers His own body in sacrifice to redeem sinners. Secular humanism offers the body of the unborn child in sacrifice to preserve personal autonomy, compounding guilt rather than removing it.
“If You Falter, How Small Is Your Strength?”
Proverbs 24:10 confronts believers directly: “If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!” These are dark days. The abortion industry appears untouchable, fortified by law, culture, and silence. Many Christians experience an uneasy conscience but struggle to act. Difficult questions are raised: What about rape? Severe deformity? Danger to the mother’s life? Poverty?
While such scenarios are emotionally charged, they represent a small fraction of abortions. The vast majority occur because of lifestyle choices and economic pressures. If all exceptional cases were removed, would we still oppose abortion unequivocally? Or are these questions used as distractions to avoid confronting the broader moral reality?
Some argue that abortion is not a “gospel issue,” yet in the same breath affirm that racism is. The comparison is instructive. Both rest on the same premise: declaring a group of human beings as less than fully human. History shows where such thinking leads.
The sexual revolution lies at the root of this crisis. When sex is reduced to self-gratification, pregnancy becomes a “mistake.” Society responds not with restraint or responsibility, but with more explicit sex education, earlier exposure, and widespread access to contraception and abortifacients—solutions as effective as pouring petrol on a fire.
Silence, however, is also a choice. Fear of rejection, social pressure, and the desire to be liked often keep Christians quiet. Yet Scripture does not limit our responsibility to those already born. God’s command extends to the unborn as well.
“Rescue Those Being Led Away to Death”
Proverbs 24:11 leaves no room for ambiguity: “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” When a woman enters an abortion clinic, a human life is in immediate danger. The unborn child has no means of escape. The reality is stark and unavoidable.
Attempts to redefine the unborn as “not yet alive” collapse under scrutiny. If it is not alive, why must it be killed? The word fetus simply means “baby.” An embryo is a human being at an early stage of development, just as a child or adolescent is at a later stage.
Scripture affirms this clearly. In Matthew 1, Joseph is told that what is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit. From conception onward, life is recognised as sacred. Both Jewish and Christian tradition have consistently upheld this truth. Terminating a child in the womb is therefore not a medical procedure, but an act of child sacrifice.
Christians are called to act—to speak, to learn, to inform others, and to refuse silence. Political solutions alone cannot address a fundamentally spiritual problem. Laws may change, but hearts remain the same. True change requires repentance, truth, and the gospel.
This includes compassion for mothers. Christians must encourage life, support women in crisis, offer adoption, and pray earnestly for God’s mercy. To ask God to heal our land while refusing to speak or act is a contradiction.
“Do Not Say, ‘We Did Not Know’”
Proverbs 24:12 issues a final warning: “If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not He who weighs the heart perceive it?” Ignorance is no longer an option. Conscience itself bears witness.
For those who have participated in abortion—directly or indirectly—Scripture offers both conviction and hope. Forgiveness is available in Jesus Christ, but repentance is required. Abortion is ultimately a sin rooted in the suppression of truth, as described in Romans 1. God sees through every justification, every silence, and every evasion.
The Bible is clear: God regards unborn life as sacred, made in His image. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and judgment follows unrepented sin. The presence of widespread abortion is not morally neutral—it brings consequences.
The Gospel Commands Us
Christians do not merely seek to reform abortion or regulate it. The gospel calls for its abolition. While ending abortion is not the gospel itself, it is an implication of the gospel and part of obeying Christ’s command to teach all nations to follow Him.
The darkness of child sacrifice can only be confronted by the light of the gospel. Activism detached from Christ is insufficient, and a false gospel cannot bring true justice. The Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil, and His people are called to follow Him—even when the cost is high.
To remain silent is to fail in strength. To speak, act, and proclaim truth is obedience. The command is clear: Rescue those being led away to death.