The Case for the Living Fetus

We hear so much in the media about the argument that the human fetus isn't anything more than non-living tissue until it breathes oxygen through it's tiny lungs.

We actually have Biblical proof that this claim is not true! In the first chapter of Luke, we read the story of Jesus and John the Baptist "meeting" for the first time as fetuses. John literally jumps for joy when his mother, Elizabeth hears the greeting of Jesus' mother, Mary! How amazing is that?!

Luke Chapter 1: 39 A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town 40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

(Read more about the conception of Jesus and John the Baptist in the full first chapter of Luke here. It's a really cool story!)

John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was even born! He recognized Jesus while He was in His mother Mary's womb. How great is our God??!!

A joyful heart is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22

You might be tempted to think , "Well, they were special so they were given life in the womb, but the rest of us are lifeless blobs until we're born." No! We are made in His image!

Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

"So God created human beings in His own image..."

Why would the universe's ultimate artist, who crafted us in His image, kick off our journey as tiny, lumps of tissue? He would not and did not.

Luke 2:21 (NLT)

21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. He was named before He was conceived!

And again, yes, He was very special. But Jesus isn't the only one who was named before He was conceived.

Genesis 16:11 (NLT)

11 And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress.

Genesis 17:19 (NLT)

19 But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.

2 Samuel 12:25 (NLT)

25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means “beloved of the Lord”), as the Lord had commanded.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Perhaps those who believe we are not truly alive until birth think that babies are created for our own purposes. We possess the (limited) capacity to decide when to have children and we can attempt to shape how they live their lives.

What a sad and unfulfilling existence it is to believe that we, as humans, do not have a purpose.! Don't you agree? But, every human life has a purpose. Yes, even yours. It's true that John and Jesus were unique and had their own special purposes. Even though we are neither saviors nor prophets paving the way for a savior, we still have a purpose. We were not placed here merely to "exist". God created us to serve Him.

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"IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose."

Rick Warren "The Purpose Driven Life"

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As a new Christian, I often pondered the question, "Why am I here"? just as, I'm sure, many people have. If I'm not doing great things then why am I on this Earth in the first place? Well, the definition of great changes dramatically when you learn the answer(s) to this question. So, how do you get that answer? The short answer is, to serve the Lord. But there is a reason Rick Warren wrote an entire book on it. And I don't mean, to make a buck , although he has made a few. Now, I did not start this article with the intention of promoting a book, but the whole point of this blog is to help new Christians, so I will share anything I find to be helpful. I have to say that The Purpose Driven Life is definitely a resource that helps to answer those questions . I will admit, I had low expectations, when I first picked it up since most books that promise to answer the hard questions are typically a big disappointment. But, he does have God on his side!

So, if you are interested in getting this book, here is an Amazon link to purchase. I do not get any type of commissions from your purchase. I just want to make it easy for you. I have posted other links before that stopped working, so Amazon is probably going to be the best link. I have found that if you do a Google search for the book, you will have many purchasing options, including used versions. If you can't afford to buy the book, email me at theinfantchristian@gmail.com and I will send you one for free.

I hope this article was helpful to you in some way. If so, please consider scrolling down to leave a comment or give a rating. Thanks for reading!