Can God forgive the “worst sin” of abortion? John Piper answers

Theologian and pastor John Piper is overwhelmed by questions from listeners who suffer from guilt after having an abortion on an episode of his podcast, Ask Pastor John, as guilt has not exceeded his forgiveness. urged them to accept God’s grace.

The anonymous young woman, listener, cannot question whether God can forgive her for what she describes as “a very worst sin” and feels worthless. It has been announced.

The woman wrote: “Rev. John, I had an abortion. That’s the only thing I knew I would never do. But I did it. Here I did the sadness and damage that caused me. I can’t go into detail about it. I know I deserve everything. I always feel like I’m a low-class Christian because of what I’ve done.”

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Piper, the prime minister of Bethlehem University and the Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, first introduced the concept of “brave guilt.” This is a term used to describe how to deal with sin that combines unjustified recognition in God’s forgiveness with enduring hope.

Drawn from the Old Testament prophet Micah, Piper emphasized the passage that emphasizes the possibility of red in the face of God’s judgment. “My enemy, I do not please over me. When I fall, I will rise; and when I sit in the darkness, the Lord will become light to me; he will Micah 7:8–9 Quoted from.

The young woman should acknowledge the gravity of her sins, but she should also accept the promise of forgiveness of the gospel, the 78-year-old pastor said.

“Abortion, and all other sins, are things that we should always be punished, and there is a universe of difference between “should be punished” and “punished.” The guilt of the brave gospel is, “I should be punished forever now.” That is the very meaning of sin and justice. I myself am totally about his mercy. ”

The woman’s letter also touched on the feeling that she was not part of the church because of her actions. In response, Piper emphasized that the church is for those who recognize the need for their grace. “If only people who belong to the Church are those who deserve to be with God’s people before him, then no one who worships and grows in him belongs to the Church. Hmm. No one went to church,” he said.

He quoted one Corinthians 6:9–11, reminding listeners that the church is made up of people who have been transformed by the grace of God.

Regarding her own disgust, Piper admitted that such a response to abortion was understandable and healthy. However, he encouraged women to move through her self-discovery to a place of dependence on hope and divine grace.

“Looking back at abortion and not getting tired of it will be a sign of illness. To see it with disgust is a sign of health. Unless you are brave disgust, you will collapse. The disgust of the brave gospel. is not paralyzed. It gives up on the self and steps into the power of grace. We all dislike — and we should then run through it, through it, to God’s grace,” he says. I did.

Piper emphasized that seeking forgiveness for his desire for God is not selfish, and that he is called to do so by believers. “If you want God and want forgiveness, then it’s not selfish. It’s something you made,” he said. “And it respects God, not you. It respects God. When you want to be satisfied with him, God is praised.”

Piper concluded by referring to Revelation 22:17 and asserting that God’s forgiveness and invitation to a new life is open to all. “If you thirst for God, he will invite you. He wants you. And when you come to him, he has a plan for you,” he says. I said that.

A 2023 survey from the Family Research Council’s Biblical Worldview found that one in six regular church fans in the United States paid, paid and encouraged abortion. Additionally, a 2015 Lifeway survey found that seven out of 10 women who had an abortion were identified as Christians.

David Crosson, director of the FRC’s Bible World View Center, said that the FRC’s findings of church people’s views on abortion have attracted attention, and that “the need for continued guidance, particularly on the value of abortion and abortion.” I write what I am showing in OP-ED: Human Life.”

“If America’s most devout Christians are confused about abortion, there is little hope in the life support movement. Therefore, when Prorefers states the path after the entrance, the pastors are the conscience and morals of their people. “We must take the lead to shape our imagination,” he wrote.