Psalm 127:3-5 says children are gifts from God and the man who has many of them is blessed. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth., For behold, the days are coming when they will say, Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!. G But in all reality, not everyone has the same size quiver (i.e., capacity for a large family). And a family doesn't just trust God to provide food for by waiting for it to drop from the sky, but instead goes to the store to buys it. But he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The book Song of Solomon talks about the pleasure and enjoyment of sex within the marital relationship. Here at Grace to You Europe we take our data protection responsibilities very seriously and, as you would expect, have undertaken a significant programme of work to ensure that we are ready for this important legislative change. Is it Biblical Where God Guides, He Provides? As it is with some things in the Christian faith, there is room for more than one opinion. This may not make sense at first, but it will start making sense shortly. Labs He then asked how a farmer (he lived in a largely agrarian society) knows how much land he should cultivate. The proper use of a non-abortive form of birth control is not wrong as long as we are seeking Gods will in what we do. It is a good thing, if you bring those kids up to be radical soldiers for Jesus. And then if you add, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28), now the normal, good reality of marriage is strengthened with the normal rightness and corporate obligation of humanity to have babies and fill the earth with faithful image-bearers. What does the Bible say about birth control / contraceptives? Should Pay attention, O house of Israel! For him that meant singleness, which is very effective birth control, if you are chaste. Is using condoms a mortal sin? S In the modern debate of pro-life versus pro-choice, many women feel divided on whether or not birth control is a form of abortion. Should Christians Use Birth Control? - pursueGOD.org - Empowering But such regulation must presuppose that we're not doing anything like abortion to measure out when and how many children we have. Some people are using birth control for serious health related issues such as fibroids or uterine cysts. What is onanism? Is onanism a sin? - Bible Questions Answered Where in the Bible can we see when life actually begins? Unless you know that these operations are affordably reversible, tying the tubes or getting a vasectomy may be presumptuous in the mind of God not pleasing to God. A large family involves increased responsibility, but children raised in a godly way will influence the world for good and for God's glory. If birth control is being used outside of a marital context for a sexual purpose, then in this case using birth control is a sin. Why should we conclude that the way to let God decide the size of our family is to get out of the way and just let nature take its course? I have told couples many times over the years during premarital counseling and afterward, What if your spouse dies? So, say you are 30 years old. That is evident from Titus 2:3-5 and Paul's exhortation to young widows in 1 Timothy 5:14. Nevertheless, nothing in Scripture prohibits married couples from practicing birth control, either for a limited time to delay childbearing, or permanently when they have borne children and determine that their family is complete. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. There are many reasons why women may use birth control and there is nothing unethical about a woman using birth control for her own health. The second is to alter the cervical mucus preventing the sperm from fertilizing the egg. Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense. But we dont live in that world, and other factors determine how we live. Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this item by the customs authorities in your country of residence, which is beyond our control. God Himself made the fertility cycle in a woman where she can only become pregnant when she ovulates. Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unintended pregnancy. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth. So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. BBC - Ethics - Contraception: The Bible on contraception If you cannot provide that or can only provide that on a limited basis, there is nothing wrong with limiting the number of children you have, even if that means you choose not to have any at all. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. Then I said, Ah, Lord God! 127:5 ). Isnt that Gods prerogative?. Even though the Bible does not contain information on birth control, it does not mean it is silent on the issue. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Then you become, I think, an instrument of Gods sovereignty, not an intrusion. Geocoding The pride of Israel testifies to his face; Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt; Judah also shall stumble with them. With all of the controversy surrounding birth control, Christians are eager to know what does the Bible say about birth control? Is Singleness a Lesser State Than Marriage? Couples, especially Christian couples, clearly need to evaluate their reasons for birth control. In Genesis 2:18, the Lord said, It is not good that the man should be alone. Now that makes marriage normal and good. Light & Life Publishing Company: www.light-n-life.com. They may ask if birth control is a sin. Both opinions are okay. There is something wrong if a single woman is using birth control to date around. The Bible is clear that sexual relations are only between a married man and woman (Genesis 2:24; 1 Corinthians 7:2). Salem Media Group. R But if you're wondering about the biblical fitness of having any influence in whether you get pregnant, then things get more complicated. On New Year's Eve 1930, the Roman Catholic Church officially banned any "artificial" means of birth control. Havent you read, he replied, that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Illness Let's say that there is a woman with a congenital illness that can adversely manifest during pregnancy and potentially or probably kill her. Use of Contraceptives in Marriage - Focus on the Family Some evangelical churches have stated that to use birth control devices is a sin. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. Since the Bible does not explicitly say thou shalt not use birth control then you are left to decide what is best for you and your spouse. They and Depo-Provera injections appear to work primarily by suppressing ovulation, but also by thickening the cervical mucus. The Bible does have quite a lot to say about children, however. Interactive Bible study with John Piper. Y Endometriosis can cause abnormally heavy bleeding, abdominal pains, headaches, and mood swings among other negative symptoms. He is author of. And they say, "What about Genesis 2:18'It is not good for man to be alone'? And every garment and every skin on which the semen comes shall be washed with water and be unclean until the evening. There is no right or wrong answer as to how many children a Christian family should have, it really is an individual decision. Not killing a conceived child is a top-level Christian commitment, which means not getting an abortion or using a contraceptive that works as an abortive agent. Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? This means from the moment of conception, each baby is fearfully and wonderfully made in Gods Image. a tubal ligation or vasectomy? What does the Bible say about birth control? | Bible.org Is birth control a sin in the Bible? God is just as much in control of whether you have children when you use birth control as when you don't. Biblical commentary on birth control, contraception Birth control can be a way of wisely stewarding the timing and size of one's family. I think one of the things I most tremble about from 45 years ago is whether Nol and I may have inadvertently aborted a baby because of a pill. For further study we recommend the following books: Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. Some people have the emotional and spiritual aptitude, but they dont have the financial means. All rights reserved. Onan was of the tribe of Judah, the kingly . What is the Armor of God and How Can We Put it On Daily? For God shows no partiality. What does the Bible say about using birth control? As stated by Evita Almassi with the National Womens Health Network, birth control is not an abortion-inducing drug. Birth control pills, shots, and intrauterine devices are all forms of contraception.