The Fight For Life
If you have the desire to care about what God cares about (which you should as a born again, Spirit-filled believer) then you have to be concerned for life in the womb. The Scriptures are absolute and clear that God provides all life on earth and He has decided that life on earth begins in the womb.
Psalm 139:13-16
“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. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
Isaiah 44:24
“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: ‘I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.'”
Psalm 127:3-5a
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!”
Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in your mother’s body I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart to serve me. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”
Isaiah 49:1, 5
“The Lord called me from the womb… formed me from the womb to be his servant.”
Ephesians 1:3-4
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”
God’s Word gives no room for abortion, or the notion that life is only life once it reaches a certain date in the womb. The ending of life in the womb is the same as ending life out of the womb.
This summer, the United States Supreme Court will have the opportunity to rule a case that would pave the way to overturn the landmark Roe v Casey Case. This case gave our federal government permission to protect a woman's right to end the life of an unborn child within her womb. The overturning of Roe v Casey wouldn’t necessarily end abortion in all 50 states. It would certainly set an important precedent in all abortion law and would literally save untold numbers of pre-born lives, in the states that wanted to establish extremely limited abortion laws or abolish abortion all together. If the court were to overturn Roe and Casey, access to abortion in America would shrink dramatically and immediately. Twenty-one states have laws in place that would ban all or nearly all abortions if Roe and Casey fell. Even if the court does not formally overturn Roe and Casey, a decision weakening those precedents would permit new abortion restrictions, perhaps including bans on some early-stage abortions.
It's never been more important for the church to be engaged in prayer and conversation about abortion. Let me be very clear, it’s simply not enough to be against abortion. It does no good for the church to simply be against something and not be clear on what we stand for. As much as we fight for pro-life values, the church needs to be equally involved in fighting for men and women who have been victimized by the abortion industry. We also need to fight for orphans and, of course, for unwed, single mothers and fathers who are caring for their children alone. Part of the fight is demonstrating to the world that abortion is not the only option. There are communities of people bound by the love of God, that are willing to do whatever it takes for someone not to end the life of their pre-born child. Even if you chose to have an abortion in the past, healing is available and God is willing to restore and empower you with His love. As Jesus walked the earth, He did not simply talk about what He was against, He walked in and demonstrated the Kingdom that He was for. God is for life inside and out of the womb. God is also for restoring lives that have been damaged by the abortion industry in this nation. So let's continue to fight by petitioning in prayer for our nation's courts, but also be the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting and dying world that desperately needs God’s love. As a person who, before knowing Jesus, once believed abortion was an acceptable medical pratice that empowered women, I can firmly tell you that one experience with the love of God can change and save any life. So, even though it seems the battle is too great, it’s not too great for our God. Who knows how many lives will be saved if we, as a Church, engage the world with this issue through prayer and practical acts of God’s love.
Love,
Pastor John