Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision which ruled that a woman's right to privacy could extend to the abortion of her child. While the rates of abortion in America have declined, countless men and women struggle with the shame and sorrow of having had one. Christian hip hop artist Lecrae Moore has brought his painful experience with abortion to the light and gives hope for healing in Jesus Christ.
Lecrae Moore, who shared his testimony in Billy Graham's "My Hope America" special, topped the Billboard 200 chart last year. He has been faithful to use the fame that 'Anomaly' brought to call others to confess sin and seek the Lord's restoration. The song 'Good, Bad, Ugly,' on the recent album is about his remorse over encouraging a past girlfriend to end her pregnancy. Lecrae sat down with the president of Passion Life Ministries, John Ensor, and retired pastor John Piper to share his testimony of healing.
In the beginning of his Christian walk, Lecrae chose to end his child's life for the sake of his own freedom. "I was a young man, trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life," says the hip-hop artist.
Lecrae had begun to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit about the relationship that he had with his girlfriend, but he did not heed the Lord's warnings and she ended up getting pregnant. "We were doing drugs ... engaged in sexual activity consistently," he says - Lecrae believed the urban myth that doing drugs made it impossible for his girlfriend to get pregnant, so he was quite taken aback when he learned that they had conceived a child.
Because Lecrae had been suppressing the Holy Spirit in the midst of using drugs and alcohol, he says it felt like second-nature to suggest that his girlfriend get an abortion. He could sense the Lord impressing upon him that it was wrong, but he chose to ignore Him.
Lecrae's girlfriend had wrestled with what to do about the baby at first, but he was able to persuade her that the right thing to do was to end her pregnancy. Like many men who encourage women to get an abortion, Lecrae soon broke up with her and tried to forget about the whole situation. "It's shameful, but I ignored all her calls, I quit dealing with her altogether," he says.
Years later - and after much growth in the Lord - the hip hop artist was going through premarital counseling with his soon-to-be wife and felt it was appropriate to destroy the pictures he had of his past relationships. "I came across her picture and ... I couldn't throw it away," he says. The picture of his old girlfriend had served as a kind of memorial for his child. Lecrae broke down in tears in front of his wife - "The guilt and the remorse and the shame of it all ... I think that was actually the beginning of the healing process for me, too," he says.
Lecrae is not alone - about 90 million would-be parents are affected by abortion each year. "A lot of people don't realize that that's a common experience ... that other person wrestle through [having had an abortion]," Lecrae says. He wants to raise awareness so that men and women can know that they are not alone in this tragedy and can find help and healing in Jesus Christ.
In 1 Timothy 1:15-16, the Apostle Paul says, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life" (English Standard Version).
Paul's life is a beautiful portrait of God's redemption. The once murderer and persecutor of the church was radically saved to become God's chosen missionary to the Gentiles, and would also pen a large portion of the New Testament. His life is a testimony that those who receive Christ as their Savior can trust God for the full forgiveness of their sins. In the grace that He has lavished upon us in Christ, God not only forgives us but also calls us to be His saints (see Ephesians 1:7-10).
"A confession of [abortion] is such a liberating thing for others to come forward, and if they don't come out of the darkness, they can't have the sweetness of forgiveness," John Piper says of the Gospel - "It rescues us when we fail to live [how] we're supposed to live ... the Gospel is healing."
Lecrae wants men who feel ashamed from their past experiences with abortion to know that the Lord can help them find healing and become committed husbands and fathers. "It's not an impossibility ... it's what God has called you to be. And if He has called you to something, He'll equip you ... He's called you to be a responsible, faithful, diligent leader as a man - and He'll equip you to do that," he says.
Lecrae's story is not one of condemnation, but of restoration in Christ. "But by the grace of God, I'm here," he says - "My prayer is that people will find healing and not be ashamed. To know that the confession is not the end of the world - it actually brings healing."
