Conversations about family and planning for children can bring up many questions. Christians often wonder about the use of contraceptives and what the Bible teaches. Today, we’ll look at principles in Scripture to see how God guides us in family planning and trusting His plan for our lives.
Also Read: What Does The Bible Say About Contingency
What Does The Bible Say About Contraceptives
Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”
This verse highlights God’s command for humanity to multiply and populate the Earth. It emphasizes the importance of procreation and the blessing of fertility.
Psalm 127:3
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
This verse acknowledges children as a precious gift from God. It emphasizes the value and significance of offspring, emphasizing the reproductive aspect of human existence.
1 Timothy 5:14
So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.
In this verse, the apostle Paul encourages younger widows to remarry, bear children, and fulfill their familial duties. It implies that having children and managing a household is an honorable calling.
Proverbs 31:28
Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
This verse praises the virtuous woman for her dedication to her family. It implies that children are a source of joy, honor, and pride for their parents.
Psalms 128:3
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
This verse depicts children as blessings that bring abundance and happiness to a household. It portrays them as symbols of vitality and prosperity.
Genesis 38:9
But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife, he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother.
This verse tells the story of Onan, who intentionally practiced withdrawal during sexual intercourse to prevent impregnating his brother’s wife. It demonstrates God’s displeasure with this act of contraception.
Psalm 106:36-38
They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.
This verse condemns the practice of child sacrifice, which was prevalent among certain Canaanite cultures. It underscores the sanctity of human life and the abomination of deliberately ending it, even for idolatrous purposes.
Jeremiah 32:35
They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
This verse speaks against child sacrifice, declaring it as an abomination that the Lord neither commanded nor desired. It showcases God’s disdain for practices that disregard the sanctity of life.
Leviticus 18:21
You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
This verse explicitly forbids offering children as sacrifices to false gods. It affirms the sanctity of children’s lives and warns against profaning the name of the Lord through such actions.
Deuteronomy 12:30-31
take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
In these verses, God warns His people against imitating the detestable practices of nations that worshipped false gods. This includes child sacrifice, which He declares as an abomination.
Deuteronomy 25:5-10
“If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. But if the man does not wish to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’ Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, ‘I do not wish to take her,’ then his brother’s wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’ And the name of his house shall be called in Israel the house of him who had his sandal pulled off.”
In this passage, the custom of levirate marriage is described. It entails a brother-in-law marrying a widow to continue his brother’s family line. This practice emphasizes the importance of preserving and continuing one’s family heritage.
Matthew 18:6
But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
This verse underscores the value and importance of protecting and nurturing the faith of children. It highlights the severe consequences for those who lead children astray or harm their spiritual well-being.
Psalm 22:9-10
Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
These verses speak of the intimate relationship between God and an individual, even before birth. It reveals the divine care and involvement in the lives of individuals from the very beginning, including the womb.
Jeremiah 1:5
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.
This verse further emphasizes God’s knowledge and purpose for individuals even before their conception. It highlights the sanctity of life and the divine plan that encompasses each person.
Luke 1:41
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
This verse portrays the miraculous encounter between Mary and Elizabeth during their pregnancies. It showcases the unborn John the Baptist’s recognition of Jesus even in the womb.
Psalm 139:13-14
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
These verses celebrate the awe-inspiring work of God in forming each individual within the womb. It highlights the uniqueness and beauty of every person and acknowledges God as the creator.
Luke 1:15
For he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
This verse describes the unique calling of John the Baptist, who was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. It showcases God’s divine purposes that can transcend the boundaries of time and space.
Job 10:8-12
Your hands fashioned and made me, and now you have destroyed me altogether. Remember that you have made me like clay; and will you return me to the dust? Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese? You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.
These verses reflect Job’s realization of God’s hands-on involvement in his formation and existence. It acknowledges God’s intimate design and the importance of divine care in sustaining life.
Exodus 20:13
You shall not murder.
This verse stands as a clear commandment, affirming the sanctity of human life. It declares the prohibition against intentionally taking the life of another person.
Psalm 106:38
They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.
This verse laments the shedding of innocent blood through the practice of child sacrifice. It highlights the grievous moral offense and the defilement it brings upon the land.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
These verses remind believers that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, emphasizing the importance of honoring God with their bodies, including their reproductive choices.
Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
This verse highlights Jesus’ love for children and His desire for them to have unhindered access to Him. It emphasizes the significance of nurturing and safeguarding the lives and faith of young ones.
Matthew 5:17
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
This verse asserts Jesus’ affirmation of the law and the prophetic teachings of the Old Testament. It underscores the continuity and importance of God’s commandments, including those concerning human life.
In light of these Bible verses, it is evident that the Scriptures emphasize the value and sanctity of human life. They consistently affirm the blessing of children and the importance of procreation in God’s design. Verses warning against practices like child sacrifice reveal the abhorrence of deliberately ending human life. Moreover, passages recognizing God’s involvement from the womb underscore the preciousness and divine purpose of each individual. While the Bible does not explicitly address the topic of contraception, these verses provide a foundation for understanding the biblical perspective on matters related to the sanctity of life. Believers are encouraged to prayerfully consider these principles and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in making personal decisions regarding family planning. Ultimately, the Scriptures prioritize the acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty over life and the responsible stewardship of the gift of procreation.