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I've had an abortion. Can God forgive me?
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Short answer
Yes. In Jesus there is full forgiveness, even for this. Your grief is real, and you are not defined by what happened.
If you've had an abortion, you may carry guilt, grief or numbness, sometimes for years. Maybe you felt you had no choice, or someone pushed you into it. Maybe you chose it and wish you hadn't. Whatever your story, God sees you, and He has not turned away from you.
We won't pretend it didn't matter. Your child was a real life, known and loved by God. That is why the grief can be so heavy. And that is why the cross matters: Jesus died for real sin, this one too. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Once you have brought it to Him, it is forgiven. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed your sin from you. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Shame will keep replaying it. God doesn't. You are His child, not your worst moment.
Grief after an abortion is normal, for mothers and for fathers, and for anyone who pushed someone towards it. It is okay to give your child a name, to cry, and to bring your loss to God. You can leave your child in the hands of a God who is good and merciful.
Please don't carry this alone. Talk to a pastor or a Christian counsellor you trust. If the guilt is crushing you, or you have thought about hurting yourself, talk to someone today.
My verses
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.