Birth Control and the Sovereignty of God
Most who call themselves Christian consider birth control a non-issue. Our modern churches might deal with the subject of abortion but rarely if ever drill down to the real issue. That issue concerns the sovereignty of God in every aspect of our daily lives including birth control. Those who refuse to be content with the unthinking status quo have easily found the answer within God’s word. I have written a theological book on this topic that covers this topic in short but concise detail. This book covers the issue from virtually every scriptural angle. But the answer is so simplistic it should easily be understood by a little child. To illustrate, here is the logical/scriptural framework.
The basic scenario:
- Life is strictly and only from God.
- Our life begins in the will and foreknowledge of God.
- Nevertheless, our God-given freewill gives us the ability to snuff out many of God’s plans in our life.
- The attempts to snuff out life can occur prior to conception or after conception.
- Whether the snuffing out of life is successful or not, it directly goes against the sovereignty of God.
Some birth control excuses & responses to the excuses
Excuse #1: I just can’t handle a whole lot of children.
Response #1: My wife and I ended up with 12 children. Sadly, four died in childbirth. We started the marriage using birth control. We certainly did not feel capable of raising a large family. Being uncomfortable with that position I researched the topic and found that using birth control was a direct violation of God’s sovereignty.
I also found the many promises in the Bible stating that God would provide the strength and means to face anything that came into our lives as we walked according to His will. The problem arises when we focus on our own abilities when trying to raise a family. That puts us out of focus. On the other hand, if the focus is put on God who said, “my strength is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9) means there is no limitation in regard to managing family struggles. Surrendering to the sovereignty of God means that whatever comes our way also comes with God’s promise that our daily burdens will be light and manageable (Matthew 11:30). Those entreaties are either true or God is a liar. My experience avows to God’s perfect truth and perfect faithfulness.
Excuse #2: Adding to overpopulation brings tremendous suffering into a world with limited resources.
Response #2: Some of our major problems today are a result of limiting the population and creating a bubble collapse where a shrinking population has to shoulder the huge financial burdens of the baby boomers. The bottom line on dealing with this excuse is basically an expansion of #1 above when you consider the family as the whole world.
God has told us in his word that he wants the population so big that he wants the increase to be like the overflowing of the Nile. In other words he wants this world so filled with people it is bursting at the seams. Failing to put our trust and faith in God doesn’t mean he is incapable of providing for a huge population. We tend to forget he fed millions in a wilderness for 40 years with manna from heaven. Most people don’t believe in that kind of God but that is no excuse for a faithful Christian who should believe in exactly that kind of God.
God calls you and you are only called upon to be faithful in your life. The entire population is God’s charge and therefore in God’s hands. Muslims, who worship a false god, are multiplying like rabbits because they trust in that god. What is our excuse when we are dealing with and claim to be servants of the living God? Most honest people will recognize it is actually their own faithlessness and selfishness that are the true reasons for practicing birth control.
The late Malcolm Muggeridge called the issue a slippery slope which started with birth control becoming acceptable and then quickly slid to the acceptance of abortion and finally we see euthanasia of the weak and elderly becoming more and more acceptable. All of these atrocities are against the sovereignty of God, starting with birth control. Christians, who practice birth control but are out there protesting against abortion and euthanasia, are hypocrites who need to get the mote out of their eye in order to be authentic.
If you would like a to see this topic in more detail I invite you to pick up the book Birth Control and the Sovereignty of God, which is also available as an EBook at a nominal charge.
Ralph Wendt