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NASB | Romans 14:23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 14:23 But he who is uncertain [about eating a particular thing] is condemned if he eats, because he is not acting from faith. Whatever is not from faith is sin [whatever is done with doubt is sinful]. |
Bible Question: Should Christians use methods such as birth control or natural family planning to prevent conception? Does God intend for us to trust Him with how many children we have or to pray and be guided by His wisdom to make this decision? Is there overwhelming Biblical evidence one way or the other? Thank you! |
Bible Answer: My wife and I spent a good amount of time looking into this very question. Read a lot of books and of course sought out the Bible and guidance in prayer. We ended up in a place I never thought I would. Even when we agree to look into this very question, I had my mind pre-made up. But.... Now we will have the children God blesses us with. There are sub-questions we ask, such as "Should we do Natural Family Planning until the new baby is old enough to wean in case my wife's milk supply dries up if she becomes pregnant?" (Believe it or not, the ancient Jews had discussed this very question, and said that “[Natural Family Planning] was expected lest the baby wean too early and die.†That was a discussion prior to 200 AD.) Like I said, I didn't expect to end up here, but I am glad I did. Now I bite my lip when I listen to people's discussion about how many babies they will allow God to bless them with. Good question, and regardless of what your conclusion, keep asking and seeking answer to questions. If you want resources, I'll be glad to dig them up, at least the ones we used. MJH |