society, the
power of feelings, the precedence of experience
and the
persuasiveness of others.” Randy Smith
I feel very privileged
to have friends from various walks of life. Many of my friends have worldviews very
different from mine. With the recent leak of the potential Supreme Court ruling
on abortion, it’s been a main topic in the national conversation.
Some of my
friends are atheists or agnostics. Because they hold that worldview, the Bible
has no basis for their values and they do not believe in transcendent moral
absolutes. Personally, I respect them because they are consistent with their
worldview, though obviously, I disagree.
I also have
friends who are Democrats and Republicans (I told someone recently I’m in the “Kingdom
Party.”) Abortion though is not a political issue, it’s a moral one. Because I
take a pro-life position, I’ve been accused of being a “Republican.” Though the
media typically fails to acknowledge it, there are pro-life Democrats. It’s
estimated that 30% of Democrats are pro-life. On the other side, according to a
Gallup poll, 42% of Republicans are pro-choice for at least the first trimester.
It’s a slur and not an argument to accuse someone that if they are pro-life, they’re
a Republican.
Thinking individuals
are cognizant of the fact that politicians are pragmatists. Pragmatism is one
of their highest values in that they’re frequently more motivated by the latest
poll than worldview and values. Winning the next election often becomes their modus
operandi.
Some of the recent
Republican presidents only became pro-life when it became politically
expedient, i.e., George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump. Incidentally, both Bush
wives, Barbara and Laura, were pro-choice. Please don’t swallow the opposition’s
strawman argument that if you’re pro-life, you’re part of a certain political
party. Incidentally, Joe Biden’s position on abortion has evolved from being pro-life
in 1973 to abortion in any circumstances once he ran for President. Politicians
are pragmatists.
My concern though
are the views of Christians. Personally, I don’t like the terms “Christian” or “Evangelical.”
They’ve devolved to mean basically anyone who attends a church. It’s as foolish
as suggesting you’re a mechanic because you work in a garage. You might be the
bookkeeper.
“Christians”
don’t shoot at others because they’re Muslim or some other religious group, as
they have in the Baltics. “Evangelical” has been distorted to mean you attend
church periodically and are probably white. Both are media caricatures. By those
definitions, I play for the “Brewers” because I attend a game as often as some “evangelicals”
attend church.
The best term
today for a true Christian is probably “Christ-follower.” Following means that someone
else is leading. For the Christ-follower, it’s the Lord Jesus Christ. If you read
the four gospels, you must conclude that Jesus believed 100% of the Bible. A true
Christ-follower must then believe 100% of the Bible. For a Christ-follower, God’s
Word is not a religious smorgasbord where one can pick and choose what you want
to believe.
“Taking up
your cross” (Mt. 16:24; Luke 9:23) as Jesus commanded His followers to do demands
absolute commitment. Like Jesus, Christ-followers believe and seek to obey all
of the Bible, even the parts that they may not understand. For a
Christ-follower, it is the Ten Commandments not the “Ten Suggestions.”
What does the Bible say about the
beginning of human life?
“For
You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's
womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your
works; my soul knows it very well” (Ps.
139:13-14).
“Now the word of the Lord came
to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were
born I consecrated you…’” (Jeremiah 1:4-5).
“And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the
baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and
she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed
is the fruit of your womb…For behold, when the sound of your greeting came
to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (Luke 1:41-42,
44).
The biblical case
for life beginning at conception is so strong that God’s Word never attempts to
prove it, it assumes it. It’s not a “fetus.” What is conceived in the human
womb is Imago Dei, “made in the image of God.”
Who gives life? The
Creator God. Who takes the little hands and feet and eyes and nose and lips and
assembles them in the womb? The Creator God.
If we believe the Bible, then we must believe
in the sanctity of all human life, born and unborn. From the moment of
conception, a distinct individual has come into being—an individual made in the
image of God; an individual with a human soul; an individual for whom Jesus Christ
died.
Thus, when a baby is aborted, it’s not simply
the termination of a pregnancy; it’s the killing of a human being made in God’s
image. Scripture puts a very high value on human life that stands in stark
contrast to the moral schizophrenia of our day. Unborn children are as valuable
in the sight of God as those who make it out of the womb. The most dangerous
place in America today is often inside a woman’s womb.
Christ-followers can’t rationalize or succumb
to sentimentality or political expediency. Being pro-life demands that we care
not just for the child in the womb, but for that child outside the womb whether
they are rich or poor, regardless of their ethnic group or national origin. It
means that we must show God’s love and compassion to all from the cradle to the
grave.
Being pro-life means that we must demonstrate
God’s love to those who have had abortions and those who perform them. Sin is
sin, evil is evil. Every sin, even those we rationalize as “small,” still sent the
Lord Jesus to the cross. It means that we share His grace and forgiveness with
all, just as it was shared with us. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
The hope of our world though isn’t the outlawing
of abortion. It’s the sharing of the gospel. Our mission is not just saving human
life, it’s to share how one can have eternal life. It’s why the Lord Jesus came!
In two millennia the mission hasn’t changed!
Can
we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out
more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at
262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life,
I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My
Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy.
Please include your mailing address.
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