I often see conservatives on social media complain about how atrocious it is to carry out an abortion on a baby who is in his late stages of development. Conservatives often malign the left for supporting partial-birth abortion or abortion-on-demand. Here’s one example:

It’s understandable from a secular perspective—whether conservative or progressive—that people associate abortion at a later stage of development in a baby to be worse than a baby who “can’t feel pain” or “doesn’t have a heartbeat” yet. The fact is, we naturally associate these developmental milestones of “viability” with our humanness.

But to answer this person’s question, the reality is that the same kind of monster who can commit an abortion against a baby at an early stage really has no solid ground to reject abortion at later stages.

From a biblical perspective, which is the true perspective from which all Christians should derive their worldview, our humanness isn’t defined by our physical developmental stages—it is defined by the Imago Dei (Image of God) that each of us bears beginning at conception. We must understand that abortion, regardless of physical developmental stage, is an attack on the Image of God and subsequently an attack on God Himself.

No Matter Which way you slice it, an attack on the Image of God, regardless of what stage of development he is in, is sin, and all who commit this atrocity will be held accountable to God for it.

Will God Forgive Me For an Abortion?

It’s easy to think that you’ve done something so terrible that God would never forgive you. After all, abortion is murder, and what sins are graver than murder? Does God forgive murderers?

Good news. Yes, he does!

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9

You see, the good news is that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). There is nothing so grave that we can do as sinners, that we can’t repent and turn to Jesus Christ for his love, mercy and grace.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1

God didn’t send his Son to die on the cross to save righteous people. He came to save sinners (Mark 2:17). And yet, the Bible says there is nobody righteous–not even one (Romans 3:10). There is nothing you can do to earn a righteous place with God, but at the same time, there is nothing you can do to out-sin God’s grace and mercy. Without Christ, your “good works” are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Yet his death, burial, and resurrection were completely sufficient to cover all of your sins, including abortion.

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. -Psalm 103:12

And he will never stay angry with you if you repent and believe in Jesus Christ for your forgiveness.

Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity. And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. – Micah 7:18

If you want to receive God’s mercy, let go of your sin, and trust Jesus.