Life Before Conception
For many, the idea of life before conception can seem impossible. We are used to equating life with the meeting of sperm and egg – the moment of conception. The Bible however, takes a different view. To understand where the Bible says life begins, it is helpful to look at what comes before conception.
The Bible tells us in multiple verses that before conception, “God knew us” and “knit together” or “formed us in the womb.” This indicates that even prior to the combining of sperm and egg, God is already at work – creating and envisioning individual lives.
Job 10:12 says, “You have granted me life and lovingkindness.” This verse tells us that even before conception, God grants life to each person. The Bible also indicates that each unborn child has a purpose from God, stating the “Chief Shepherd” has plans for us “before we were born” (Ephesians 2:10).
The Bible also tells us that “God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us” (Ephesians 2:4). This verse from the book of Ephesians suggests that God’s mercy and love applies even before conception, with God demonstrating his genuine care and concern for all those who will come into existence in the future.
Conception
The Bible does not go into great detail about the individual moment of conception, however it makes several assertions about the power of this event and its importance in terms of human life.
Psalms 22:10 says, “For You formed my inward parts. You covered me in my mother’s womb.” This verse tells us that even at the exact moment of conception, God is at work in a very powerful way – forming, shaping, and creating life.
Job 33:4 says, “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” This verse goes even further to suggest that it is by both the spirit and breath of God that we receive life.
The Bible does not simply limit its description of conception to the physical, it goes beyond to talk about the spiritual. Job 10:8-9 goes so far as to say that, “Your hands formed me and made me. Remember, now, that You have made me as clay, And will You turn me into dust again?”
This verse indicates that the combination of sperm and egg to produce life is not simply a physical process – it is spiritual and supernatural.
Life After Conception
The Bible speaks clearly and repeatedly about the importance of life after conception. In Eccl. 11:5 we read, “As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how bones grow in the womb of her who is pregnant, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” In this verse, the Bible reinforces the point that life after conception is mysterious and wonderful – something to be revered and respected.
In Luke 1:15-17, we are told that even before birth, our unborn children are “filled with the Holy Spirit” and their “mouth shall be filled with wisdom.” This reinforces the idea that life after conception is majestic – that each person is formed special by God, even before they are born.
The Bible also speaks about life after conception in terms of relationships. The Book of Philippians tells us that, “Though He was in the form of God. He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men.”
This verse indicates that even before birth, even before conception, each of us is known by God and has a relationship with him. Life after conception is a relationship of love, not just biology or even genetics – but God’s designed love.
Life Before Birth
The Bible speaks at length about the importance of life before birth. In Psalms 139:13-16 we read “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”
This passage indicates that even before birth the unborn baby is known by God, protected by him and marvelously made – something to be praised and esteemed. It also speaks to our uniqueness as individuals, even though at this time we had yet to be formed.
InIsaiah 44:2, we are also told that, “the Lord formed you from the womb. For your Maker is your husband.” This verse reinforces the idea that from the moment of conception, a relationship exists between God and mankind.
It is the idea of a relationship that is at the core of loving and protecting the unborn child. Even before the child forms in the womb, he/she is part of a loving relationship between God and mankind.
Abortion and Life Before Birth
The Bible’s view on abortion and life before birth can be found in Psalms 127:3 which states that, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” This verse indicates that children are gifts – gifts that come from God and are to be esteemed. The Bible takes a clear stance against the taking of innocent life — or abortion — in Exodus 21:22-25: “If men should strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follows: he shall be surely punished.”
The Bible does not clearly delineate between life before birth and after birth, instead it calls for us to protect, care for and honor both. This applies to ending a pregnancy, as the Bible does not set a definitive point for when life begins and ends in the womb.
Faith and Life Before Birth
When it comes to the issue of life before birth, the Bible provides us with a great deal of insight. The Bible presents multiple examples of how God protects, shapes and loves humans even before they are conceived. This message of hope and compassion also calls us to protect, care for and honor all life, regardless of when it begins.
Our faith calls us to show deep respect and reverence for life in all its forms and stages – from conception to birth and beyond. In 1Cor. 6:19-20 we are called to honor the fundamental importance of life, and the sacredness of our bodies, saying “or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
The Bible’s deep and consistent respect for human life and its clear and vibrant view of life before conception, birth and beyond all point to one important truth. Life, whether before or after conception, is precious, sacred and loved by God.
Birth To Adulthood
The Bible outlines numerous ways God continues to be active in the lives of humans from the moment of conception to adulthood. In a number of verses, the Bible speaks of God’s special relationship with each individual, even before conception, as well as His unique ability to shape, form and protect us throughout our entire lives.
Psalms 139 speaks of God’s intimate knowledge of each of us from the time of conception forward. Isaiah 49:1 similarly states that God knew each of us before we even had the chance to form our first thoughts. This unique and deep knowledge of us reverberates throughout our journey from conception to adulthood.
In Proverbs 22:6, the Bible tells us that God will also help shape and guide us throughout this process. It says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” This verse suggests that by following God’s will, humans can mature into devoted followers of the faith.
In numerous other verses, the Bible emphasizes the role of God’s hand in the lives of humans throughout the entire lifespan. In Deuteronomy 32:10, we are reminded that “He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.” This verse speaks of both the intimate knowledge and the deep care that God has for each of us from womb to adulthood.
Adulthood To Death
The Bible is clear that God’s influence over the human life is not limited to conception and childhood, but continues throughout adulthood and even death. In Hebrews 13:5, the Bible states “He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” This verse speaks to the idea that God is with us throughout adulthood and even in death to protect, comfort, and support us.
Psalms 23 reinforces this idea that God’s presence extends past childhood and adulthood, into death. This passage tells us that “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
This timeless passage speaks of God’s power to comfort us, even through life’s darkest moments. It speaks to the comfort of knowing the God is always with us, always guiding and protecting us – even in death.
Throughout the Bible, in verses both implicit and explicit, we can find clear examples of God’s power, influence, love and care over the life of humans. His role in our lives is not limited to the moment of conception. It is an ever-present power that guides us, shaping us and comforting us, from womb to death.
The Bible and Life Before Birth
The Bible provides multiple examples of God’s role in and importance of life before birth. In Psalms 139:13-16 we are reminded that, “For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” This verse speaks to the unique and beautiful relationship between God and the unborn child, one of knowing, caring and protecting.
In Luke 1:15-17, the Bible speaks to the importance of life before birth, reminding readers that even before birth, our unborn children are “filled with the Holy Spirit” and their “mouth shall be filled with wisdom.” This verse speaks to the importance of life, even before it has had the chance to form.
The Bible also speaks explicitly against abortion in Exodus 21:22-25. This passage makes clear that
