There are two victims in an abortion – one dead, one damaged. If you have been damaged by an abortion, this article is written for you.

It is a mistake to try to eliminate feelings of guilt without dealing with the root cause of guilt. No matter how often someone may say to you, “You have nothing to feel guilty about,” your guilt feelings will remain because you know better. Only by a denial of reality can you avoid guilt feelings, but such a denial is unhealthy. It sets you up for an emotional collapse whenever something reminds you of the child you once carried. You need a permanent solution to your guilt problem, a solution based on reality, not denial or pretense.

Because the Bible offers a solution to your guilt problem, I will quote from it. So think about them on your own.

Because of Christ’s death on our behalf, forgiveness is available to all.

The good news is that God loves you and desires to forgive you for your abortion, whether or not you knew what you were doing when you had it. In fact all have sinned and fallen short of God’s requirements. (Romans 3:23).

Sin is falling short of God’s holy standards. Sin separates us from a relationship with God. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Jesus Christ is the Son of God who loved us so much that he became a member of the human race to deliver us from our sin problem. He came to identify with us in our humanity and our weakness, but did so without being tainted by our sin, self-deception and moral failings. Jesus died on the cross as the only one worthy to pay the penalty demanded by the holiness of God for our sins.

When Christ died on the cross for us, he said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) The Greek word translated “it is finished” was commonly written across certificates of debt when they were cancelled. It means “paid in full”. Christ died so that the certificate of debt consisting of all our sins could once and for all be marked, “paid in full.”

The Bible is full of offers of forgiveness for every sin

As a result of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross on our behalf, God freely offers us pardon and forgiveness.

He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:10-14)

Forgiveness is a gift that must be received to take effect

The Bible teaches that Christ died for every person, without exception. (1 John 2:2). He offers the gift of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal lif to everyone. Whoever is thirsty, let him come and whosoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. (Revelation 22:17)

There is no righteous deed we can do that will earn us salvation. Salvation is described as a gift. (Ephesians 2:8-9). This gift cannot be worked for, earned, or achieved. It is not dependent on our merit or effort but solely on Christ’s generosity and sacrifice on our behalf.

Like any gift, the gift of forgiveness can be offered to you, but it is not yours until you choose to receive it. Just like a presidential pardon to a convicted felon, it is valid only if the prisoner is willing to accept it. In order to receive the gift you must choose to accept it.

None of us deserve forgiveness. It is all by God’s grace.  Christ received what we deserved on the cross, so we could get what we don’t deserve – forgiveness, a clean slate, a fresh start. Once we are forgiven we can look forward to spending eternity in heaven with Christ and our spiritual family. And once forgiven you can look forward to being reunited with our loved ones covered by forgiveness, including the child you lost through abortion.

As a result of forgiveness we need not dwell any longer on our past sins

God does not want you to go through life punishing yourself for your abortion or for any other wrong you have done. Jesus said to a woman who had lived an immoral lifestyle, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you, go in peace.”

Having trusted God to forgive us, we must resist the temptation to wallow in our guilt, for we are no longer guilty in God’s eyes.  Accepting God’s forgiveness does not man pretending we didn’t do something wrong, but realizing that even though we did, we are now fully forgiven. Christ asks us to accept his forgiveness, not to repeat it. It is behind you and you need to look forward. (Philippians 3:13-14)

Forgiveness for the past should be followed by right choices in the present and future

Many women who have had abortions carry understandable bitterness toward men who used and abused them, towards parents who were insensitive to their situation, and toward those who misled them or pressured them into a choice that resulted in the death of their child. God expects us to take the forgiveness he has given us and extend it to others. (Matthew 6:14-15). Among other things, this frees us from the terrible burden of resentment and bitterness.

One of the most important things you need to do is become part of a therapeutic community, a family of Christians, perhaps a church group you feel comfortable with.