Written By Laura Johnson

“False teaching is easily identified by the fact that it is willingly received by all, and is to everyone’s liking.” John Calvin

We live in a culture that is constantly testing and blurring the lines of Scripture. Because of this, it is hard to see the truth hidden behind cultural lies or half-truths. We are quick to justify our actions and claim Legalism or Christian Liberty. However, “Obedience isn’t legalism” (CS Lewis) and Christian Liberty is not freedom to sin but rather, freedom from sin! Legalism and Christian Liberty are all too often used as if it’s a free pass to sin; to be able to blend in with the world. We, as Christians, need to read the Bible cover to cover to see what it says and be able to test everything against Scripture to see if it stands the test and if it doesn’t stand, we need to flee from it.

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”  2 Corinthians 13:5

We can’t just be ignorant of scripture to go on living our lives how we want. We need to be on guard always seeking truth.

“Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them.” Deuteronomy 11: 16.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

The further our culture goes away from Christ, the more radical true Christianity will be. If the Bible talks about something and we go against its laws and commands, that is sin. As a Christian and a servant of God, is it never my position to be able to decide when to follow Christ or not.

“You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.” Deuteronomy 11:1

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” 1 Peter 2:16

Just because birth control, or any other topic, is a cultural norm does not make it right. Seek God in the Scriptures and you will find that it is 100 percent clear, despite what the world says. The Word is never changing from generation to generation but stays the same yesterday, today, and always. We can all see the cultural lies being taught to our children, but how far are we willing to test the cultural lies that we were taught as children to see if it stands the test?!

One of the biggest cultural lies of our time is that of birth control. Birth control was condemned and preached as a sin within the church before 1930. Since then, the devil has lied and blurred that line as the devil does not want God’s children to increase. If we actually test birth control against what the Bible says, it quickly falls when deeply examined. A person has to make many exceptions to the truth in order to be able to say it’s okay.

First off, it is a command to be fruitful and increase in number. “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it…'” Genesis 1:28. Throughout Deuteronomy, there are so many warnings for us to keep Gods commandments always, and that it is not our place as a servant of God to decide when to follow His commands or not. God will bless us in His timing and His plan. When we pick and choose when to have a baby, it is treating babies like a commodity.

Throughout the whole Bible, it is God alone who opens and shuts the womb.

“For the LORD has closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.” Genesis 20:18

“When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren” Genesis 29:31

“Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.” Genesis 30:22

Also read, Ruth 4:13, 1 Samuel 1:6, 1 Samuel 2:21… and many more verses. It is always the Lord who chooses when to open and shut the womb! How amazing is that! It’s scary to be a person who tries to step into the place of God. Having sex while using any form of artificial birth control is an attempt to step into a place that is clearly meant for God alone. That is the very definition of an idol. Using birth control is idolizing sex, wanting to enjoy sex outside of God’s design, and desiring to be in the place of God trying to decide when to open and shut the womb!

Permanent birth control (intentional sterilization) is especially grievous as it is a procedure intentionally designed to alter, destroy, and redesign a part of our body which God has commanded us to take care of. God created us exactly how He wanted; to bring Him the most glory! Studying theology of the body is eye-opening when it comes to our culture’s attack on the body. If Christians want to have a biblical view of the body, it needs to be grounded in how God made us and intended us to be at creation with no exceptions. Just like how we go back to creation to view what marriage is supposed to be like, we need to go back to creation to view what the body is supposed to be like. Intentionally destroying a part of the body goes directly against taking care of it, and it is rejecting a part of God’s creation. God made you the way you are on purpose!

“And God saw everything that he made and behold it was very good…” Genesis 1:31

“For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” 1 Timothy 4:4

Family is the miniature picture of Christ and the Church; a beautiful thing when it is functioning how God made it. When a culture goes away from how God intended, whole societies descend into chaos. As the Church longs for an increase of its people, so should the family, the mini church, long for an increase.

Children are the future generation of God’s kingdom warriors. What a blessing it is to raise children for Christ. “He blesses them, also, so that they are multiplied greatly, so that, clearly, increase in numbers of families…was anciently regarded as a token of Divine favor…We as a church, should seek with all our hearts is that of continual increase.” Spurgeon, Enquire of the Lord #1304. Throughout the whole Bible, the women desire babies. That is how God created women to desire the increase of God’s people through the womb. This is an area where the devil is winning, as the devil does not want God’s people to increase. If our culture had a true Godly view of children and understood true womanhood, we would desire continual increase.

Praying for a revival? God does that through blessing the fruit of your womb and increasing the number of God’s children through the womb. When God blesses you, it is through babies! People most often desire money as a blessing, but the Bible says that love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Christians need to get back to the Truth and have a biblical view of children. Children’s purpose is so much more than to bring their parent’s joy. They are a blessing from the Lord to further His kingdom!

“Saying, surely I will bless you and multiply you.” Hebrew 6:14

“And because you listen to these rules and keep them, the LORD you God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers. He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will bless the fruit of your womb…” Deuteronomy 7:12-13

“Yet even now, declares the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” Joel 2:12-13