Andy Sochor June 20, 2011

The “Miracle” of Birth

Text: Genesis 4:1

Two Ways in which God Can Operate

Directly — through miracles
Indirectly — through providence
Childbirth fits into the realm of providence, rather than the miraculous

Childbirth is Common

This is not to say that conception & childbirth are automatic & without risk of complications
But childbirth is common for all peoples, places, and generations since the beginning (Genesis 4:1)
Miracles are uncommon — childbirth is common because of God’s providence

Self-Sustaining Creation

God designed creation to be self-sustaining (2 Peter 3:4; Acts 14:15,17)
One of the things God ordained was that living things would reproduce after their kind (Genesis 1:12,21,24,28)

God’s Help in Childbirth (Genesis 4:1) — What has God provided to make childbirth possible?

God made male & female (Genesis 1:27)
God gave women the unique role of bearing children (1 Timothy 2:15)
God also gave women the ability to handle childbirth — there would be pain (Genesis 3:16), but women would not be unable to handle it

Conclusion

God plays a role in childbirth (Psalm 139:13; 22:9)
Yet He is not involved in the miraculous creation of each member of the human race — instead, by His providential design, each one of us was formed in the womb & born
God instructed man to be fruitful & multiply (Genesis 1:28) — through childbirth He has given the way for this to be done
It is a “witness” of God (Acts 14:15,17) — perfectly showing His wisdom & power to all generations & peoples

Read the article: The “Miracle” of Birth

Filed Under: God, Old Testament Tagged With: birth, creation, God, miracles, parents, providence

Jesus Christ came to set us free from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:3-6; John 8:34-36). Yet many Christians are content to remain enslaved to it. They have been convinced that we can never defeat sin; therefore, they have resigned themselves to the belief that they will always struggle with it.

Yet the Bible does not present the removal of sin from one’s life as an unattainable ideal but as a realistic goal. Paul said there is a way of escape for every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Peter spoke of what one needs to do so that he will never stumble (2 Peter 1:10). John wrote so that we may not sin (1 John 2:1). Jesus told the woman allegedly caught in adultery, “Go. From now on sin no more” (John 8:11).

But how can we successfully remove sin from our lives? We first need to understand the reasons why we sin so we can learn how to find the way of escape. This material has been written to help each one of us overcome sin, rather than struggling with it perpetually.

The second edition also contains questions at the end of each chapter to aid in personal and group Bible studies. There is also an appendix at the end with additional articles related to sin and temptation. This book is available in paperback and digital formats.

Click here for more information and to download a sample of the book.