I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. (Psa 139:14) My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. (Psa 139:15) Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psa 139:16)

I’ve been doing a study on the use of birth control pills. I was reading how “the pill” prevented the egg from implantation into the uterus and how sometimes the egg has already been fertilized. This began to bother me so I did the study. Not because I need to convince myself that life begins when the egg is fertilized, but because some Christians don’t seem to know when life begins. God’s Word is the only tool we should use to convince ourselves as well as others. Man’s opinions are many, but God’s Word should be final to the believer.

I noticed in God’s Word that He refers to man’s “seed.” I often wondered why God chose the same word for plant seeds as man’s seeds. I researched the plant seed and when the seed comes to life (germination). This quote was taken from http://www.fastplants.org:

Germination is the awakening of a seed (embryo) from a resting state. It involves the harnessing of energy stored within the seed and is activated by components in the environment. Growth represents increase in size, number and complexity of plant cells and organs. Environment and genetics play fundamental roles in regulating growth. The energy for growth comes from photosynthesis

As you can see, a plant’s seed life cycle is no different from the human’s seed life cycle. We can almost take the same quote and replace germination with fertilization, etc. In fact, let’s try that:

Fertilization is the awakening of the embryo from a resting state. It involves the harnessing of energy stored within the seed and is activated by components in the mother’s body. Growth represents increase in size, number and complexity of the fetus’ cells and organs. Environment and genetics play fundamental roles in regulating growth. The energy for growth comes from within the mother.

As you can see, I did not have to change much in that quote to convert it to a human seed definition. I have said all of this to make the following points. Please bear with me.

Christians today believe that taking birth control pills is a “private and personal” matter. They believe that the fertilized egg is not yet alive since science says the heart begins to beat at the earliest at 12 weeks. These same Christians back this belief with Leviticus 17:11 which says that life of the flesh is in blood. Therefore the Christian believes the fetus’ life does not begin until at least 12 weeks because that is when the heart begins to pump blood. Let’s pick that apart a bit.

I think we can all agree that NO cell can reproduce if it is a dead cell. Ovulation usually takes place in the middle of a woman’s cycle. The egg can only be fertilized at this time. If the egg is fertilized, it will travel to the uterus and implant into the uterus. The woman will then miss her cycle and begin to suspect pregnancy. By the time she has missed her cycle, the egg has been growing for about a week or so.

If the egg is not fertilized, the egg is released with her next cycle. As well, if the egg is fertilized but the cells within it die, whether prior to implanation or afterwards, a miscarriage occurs. It stands to reason that the fetus does not continue to grow if the cells have died.

With that said, how then, can these same cells separate, divide and reproduce prior to 12 weeks prior to when the heart begins to beat if they are not alive? These same living cells are conducting “business as usual” prior to the heart even beginning to beat. This is science, plain and simple. One cannot refute this scientific fact. But does God’s Word state the same facts? Should the Christian depend on science to know when life begins? Or should the Christian depend on God’s Word to guide and direct in this area?

What then does God’s Word have to say about when life begins? Psalm 139:16 states that God’s eyes see our substance, yet being unperfect. The Greek word for unperfect is H1564 golem meaning unformed mass. The verse goes on to say that the members are written in Heaven when as yet they had no form. Each of our members are written in heaven. God has recorded in Heaven whether this baby’s index finger will have a freckle on it or not or whether his big toe will curl in like its father. According to the Word, this fetus continually grows until birth.

Read the end of verse 16: when as yet there was none of them. Is God referring to the egg prior to fertilization here? I don’t think so. This surely sounds like a fetus in its early stages having no form yet – no feet or hands – no heart or heart beat. When as yet there was none of what? Of them – the members! God’s Word says that He has written in heaven everything about this fetus even when the members were not formed – even the heart! If God did not regard a fetus at conception through 12 weeks as a living soul, this verse would not be in the Word as it would be in direct contradiction.

God’s ways and thoughts are not the same as ours. The knowledge of man and his science are taken as law amongst God’s own. Just because man says that life does not begin until the fetus is at least 12 weeks does not mean that it is so according to God. God’s Word says that His thoughts are not the same as man’s. In fact, God wants to make it so perfectly clear that He emphasizes it by stating it twice, one right after the other! For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (Isa 55:8) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:9)

Some Christians will probably read this and say, “Well, what about the other 50% of the time where the egg is not fertilized?” OK, this is true … but can you pick the time? How can you be sure that in the time one takes the birth control pill that an egg won’t be fertilized at least once? Christian, are you willing to keep this baby from implantation into the mother’s uterus? Are you willing to take the chance of losing a living soul that God has given you? That baby’s members are written in heaven. That baby, yet unformed, is seen by God. That baby’s cells started splitting and duplicating and separating the day the egg was fertilized. The day that egg was fertilized, life began because cells started separating and forming.

I pray that as Christians read this, they will realize that science has deceived the Christian into believing their agenda of convenient conception. Science conveniently can say that a cell is alive when it is splitting but then contradicts itself by saying that a fetus can be aborted because it has not been born yet. The “conservative” Christian says that the fetus IS alive but only when the heart begins to beat. But science and God come together and agree that when a cell begins to split, it is alive. It’s not often that the Word and the world’s science agree but they do agree on this point. Why then does the Christian say the fetus isn’t alive prior to the heart beating? Please, Christian, won’t you study the Word for yourself? I pray my study encourages you to get into the Word and study for yourself.

God’s Word says Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psa 139:16)