February 17, 2019 NOTES NOT EDITED
Fearfully and
Wonderfully Made
Psalm 139; esp. v.14
SIS-- Combating
the evil of abortion begins with knowledge but must end with action.
The great reformer,
Martin Luther, said in regard to preaching, “The
church that preaches the gospel in all of its fullness except as it applies to
the great social ills of the day, is failing to preach the gospel.” Ronald
Reagan, himself a great reformer, declared, “Within
the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.”
Both Luther and Reagan shed light on the essence of Biblical truth: it presents the remedy for the human predicament in all its various forms. Biblical preaching presents the antidote, or cure, for human evils of every kind. To preach the gospel in the abstract is to distort the very meaning of the gospel. In no area of human life in these United States is the need for a clear biblical remedy more acute than with the evil of abortion.
Abortion was catapulted into the mainstream of American conscience by the Supreme Court ruling commonly known as Roe v. Wade, in 1973. Since then the abortion industry has torturously ended the life of over 60 million babies in the U.S. It is the single-most important issue in American life, especially in politics. It literally defines the two parties of our system: one for life; one for abortion. People want to complicate the issue, but it really is that simple. Killing a child is not a complicated idea, though it is often a very twisted and uncertain practice with a myriad of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual consequences--all of them negative.
Just recently, a Virginia governor blew the lid off of the ugly underbelly of the abortion industry. Himself a physician, Governor Northam supported a bill by Virginia delegate Kathy Tran that would allow abortion right up to the moment of birth--and beyond.
It is the "and beyond" part, called infanticide (killing of a child) that threw gasoline on the fire of a 46 years long controversy. According to Northam who gave a definitive answer from a physicians point of view of what happens should a baby be born alive. Northan explained, in summary, the baby's fate would be decided by the physician and the mother.
This is reminiscent of the "thumbs up, thumbs down" decision of the Emperor in regard to a slave's fate in the coliseum games. Life or death is literally at the whim of a physician and a mother who already decided she didn't love her child.
Abortion is an ugly topic. Any attempt to shed light on this dark, evil practice is met with the most horrible and vitriolic attacks from pro-abortion activists. I cannot be silent when babies are being snuffed out in the womb.
The immensity of this social ill compels me to speak about it. I won't solve all the problems associated with abortion. The clear, blunt language required to address this issue may even offend some of you. I don't wish to offend people unnecessarily, but I am forced to make a choice: speak and risk offending man; or keep silent and offend Almighty God. We cannot remain silent. We are the voice of those who cannot speak for themselves.
I want to approach this issue from several different aspects hoping to achieve three objectives. First, I want to Frame the Issue. Second, I want to Focus Scripture on the Issue. Finally, I want to Faith the Issue (Yes. Faith from a biblical perspective can be a verb).
1. Framing the Issue of Abortion.
There are many elements or perspectives on abortion. It can be discussed from a myriad of angles. I want to mention four primary areas that converge in the conversation of abortion. These are broad concepts around which the picture of abortion in America may be framed. I have chosen for my frame four aspects. I will not go into depth on any of these. Each element could, and has, generated hundreds of thousands of pages in both scholarly journals and everyday blogs, journals, news accounts and such.
A. Abortion and Biology. In regard to biology we confront scientifically the question, “when does life begin.” In the early 1900’s, when abortion occurred but was very rare, the issue of when life began usually involved the idea of “quickening.” Quickening is that time when a mother can perceive the movements of the baby inside her womb. This usually occurs around the 13th to 20th week of gestation. Scientifically, the study of embryology began in 1677 with the discovery of sperm by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek using a microscope. He described them as being animalcules (little animals), probably due to his belief in preformationism, which thought that each sperm contained a fully formed but small human (Internet). The discovery of the female egg (ovum) did not occur for another two and one-half centuries when Edgar Allen discovered the human ovum in 1928. The fusion of spermatozoa with ova (of a starfish) was observed by Oskar Hertwig in 1876 (Internet). So, the understanding of life beginning at conception, as a scientific idea (not a religious one), had a slow development in science. The old idea of “preformationalism” which Leeuwenhoek assigned to the male sperm, actually more accurately describes the male zygote, or embryo. This is a symbol outline to show that the beginning of life can, and has, been established by the field of biology. Issues of “quickening, implantation, viability” say nothing about when life begins scientifically. Life, biologically, begins at the time of conception when the zygote (early embryo) contains all the DNA components necessary for human life. I will say more about this later when discussing when life begins from a biblical perspective.
Both Luther and Reagan shed light on the essence of Biblical truth: it presents the remedy for the human predicament in all its various forms. Biblical preaching presents the antidote, or cure, for human evils of every kind. To preach the gospel in the abstract is to distort the very meaning of the gospel. In no area of human life in these United States is the need for a clear biblical remedy more acute than with the evil of abortion.
Abortion was catapulted into the mainstream of American conscience by the Supreme Court ruling commonly known as Roe v. Wade, in 1973. Since then the abortion industry has torturously ended the life of over 60 million babies in the U.S. It is the single-most important issue in American life, especially in politics. It literally defines the two parties of our system: one for life; one for abortion. People want to complicate the issue, but it really is that simple. Killing a child is not a complicated idea, though it is often a very twisted and uncertain practice with a myriad of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual consequences--all of them negative.
Just recently, a Virginia governor blew the lid off of the ugly underbelly of the abortion industry. Himself a physician, Governor Northam supported a bill by Virginia delegate Kathy Tran that would allow abortion right up to the moment of birth--and beyond.
It is the "and beyond" part, called infanticide (killing of a child) that threw gasoline on the fire of a 46 years long controversy. According to Northam who gave a definitive answer from a physicians point of view of what happens should a baby be born alive. Northan explained, in summary, the baby's fate would be decided by the physician and the mother.
This is reminiscent of the "thumbs up, thumbs down" decision of the Emperor in regard to a slave's fate in the coliseum games. Life or death is literally at the whim of a physician and a mother who already decided she didn't love her child.
Abortion is an ugly topic. Any attempt to shed light on this dark, evil practice is met with the most horrible and vitriolic attacks from pro-abortion activists. I cannot be silent when babies are being snuffed out in the womb.
The immensity of this social ill compels me to speak about it. I won't solve all the problems associated with abortion. The clear, blunt language required to address this issue may even offend some of you. I don't wish to offend people unnecessarily, but I am forced to make a choice: speak and risk offending man; or keep silent and offend Almighty God. We cannot remain silent. We are the voice of those who cannot speak for themselves.
I want to approach this issue from several different aspects hoping to achieve three objectives. First, I want to Frame the Issue. Second, I want to Focus Scripture on the Issue. Finally, I want to Faith the Issue (Yes. Faith from a biblical perspective can be a verb).
1. Framing the Issue of Abortion.
There are many elements or perspectives on abortion. It can be discussed from a myriad of angles. I want to mention four primary areas that converge in the conversation of abortion. These are broad concepts around which the picture of abortion in America may be framed. I have chosen for my frame four aspects. I will not go into depth on any of these. Each element could, and has, generated hundreds of thousands of pages in both scholarly journals and everyday blogs, journals, news accounts and such.
A. Abortion and Biology. In regard to biology we confront scientifically the question, “when does life begin.” In the early 1900’s, when abortion occurred but was very rare, the issue of when life began usually involved the idea of “quickening.” Quickening is that time when a mother can perceive the movements of the baby inside her womb. This usually occurs around the 13th to 20th week of gestation. Scientifically, the study of embryology began in 1677 with the discovery of sperm by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek using a microscope. He described them as being animalcules (little animals), probably due to his belief in preformationism, which thought that each sperm contained a fully formed but small human (Internet). The discovery of the female egg (ovum) did not occur for another two and one-half centuries when Edgar Allen discovered the human ovum in 1928. The fusion of spermatozoa with ova (of a starfish) was observed by Oskar Hertwig in 1876 (Internet). So, the understanding of life beginning at conception, as a scientific idea (not a religious one), had a slow development in science. The old idea of “preformationalism” which Leeuwenhoek assigned to the male sperm, actually more accurately describes the male zygote, or embryo. This is a symbol outline to show that the beginning of life can, and has, been established by the field of biology. Issues of “quickening, implantation, viability” say nothing about when life begins scientifically. Life, biologically, begins at the time of conception when the zygote (early embryo) contains all the DNA components necessary for human life. I will say more about this later when discussing when life begins from a biblical perspective.
2. Abortion and
Philosophy. Under this heading I want to discuss the
simple answer to the question, “Is abortion murder?” Webster’s dictionary gives this
definition: the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. It can be simplified for our discussion
as, “killing an innocent human being.” A
simple logical analysis of abortion from a philosophical perspective would
begin by asking, “Does abortion involve killing?” The obvious answer to this is yes. The second question to analyze would be, “Is
the being that killed, in fact, innocent?”
I know of know court that has ever challenged the innocence of the being
who is killed. Finally, we must ask, “Is
the being killed in an abortion, human?”
Scientifically, there can be no other conclusion but that the being
killed is, in fact, human. Therefore,
unless we change the definition of murder to one that only applies to abortion,
which would be philosophically dishonest, then we must conclude that abortion
is murder. This may insult the
sensibilities of many in the culture, but it is the only philosophically defensible
conclusion following from the commonly accepted definition of murder. By definition, capital punishment is not
murder for the person is not “innocent.”
By definition, the necessary or consequential delivery of an unviable
child because of a medical condition of the mother, would also not be murder,
for the intent and best effort is to save both the life of the child and the
mother, though this may not be possible.
Abortion is “killing” not “healing.”
3. Abortion and Politics. In regard to “politics” I want to point to the various “vested” interests in the “abortion” industry. Far beyond just the welfare and circumstances of the mother, many other persons have taken an interest in abortion for political reasons. For example, recall the pro-abortion views of Governor Ralph Northam. He is politically ties to Planned Parenthood, the major provider of abortion services in the United States. That is just one example of how the issue of abortion intertwines with the issue of politics. Abortion is deeply engrained in the foundation of a major political party, and opposition to abortion is identified with another. America’s Two-Party System can be identified summarily as: one party for abortion, and one party against abortion. This single issue more clearly defines Republicans and Democrats—according to formal party platforms—than any other issue. Even among the general population this divide is easily identifiable. About 55% support abortion to some degree and 45% oppose. For those that oppose abortion, it is undoubtedly the single-most important issue in politics. The news sources bombard the American populace with crisis and chaos of all political types from global warming to immigration issues, but the single-most important issue for the last 46 years has been “abortion.” Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, every subsequent Supreme Court appointment has focused on “abortion rights.” To summarize my point about abortion and politics, I’d say it is THE life and death issue—literally and figuratively—in the political arena of our nation.
4. Abortion and Economics. On 11 August 2018, Chelsea Clinton was a featured speaker at the New York City stop on the Rise Up for Roe tour. At that rally she claimed in her speech, “Abortion has been an important economic stimulus ever since it was legalized by the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.” You can imagine the uproar such a statement has caused. Margaret Sanger, who founded what would become Planned Parenthood in 1932, also spoke of the economic benefits for eliminating what she called, “undesirables,” from American society. So, seeing abortion as an “economic” benefit to society was not a new concept with Chelsea Clinton. It has always been a driving force in the movement. But, what is the real economic cost/benefit analysis of abortion? According to a lengthy study of the economic impact of abortion, the conclusion is that the sum total of lost GDP (Gross Domestic Product) from 1973 to 2007 due to surgical abortion was nearly $37 trillion. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that a loss of $37 trillion to our economy since 1973 has taken a big toll. Because of abortion, we have 52 million fewer taxpayers who would have provided a strong economic foundation for the nation (National Study: The Cost of Abortion, thecostofabortion.com). As early as 1920, during the formulative years of Adolf Hitler, German authors, Karl Binding, a law professor, and Alfred Hoche, a distinguished psychiatrist, wrote the most significant work on infanticide in our time in 1920. They titled their work, “The Permit to Destroy Life Not Worth Living.” They paved the way for an “economic test” for the right to live.
Put aside the “statistics” for a moment and just ask some common sense question about the economics of abortion? How many inventors like Thomas Edison have been killed in the womb? How many great innovators like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs have been killed in the womb? How many great statesmen who have led the nation into periods of great economic booms like Eisenhower, Reagan, or even Donald Trump have been denied the opportunity to make great contributions to our economy, and indeed to the global economy? To see killing human beings as a “boom to the economy” is as asinine as it is atrocious!
Now, that we have a “frame” around our discussion of abortion, let us
2. Focus Scripture on the Issue.
3. Abortion and Politics. In regard to “politics” I want to point to the various “vested” interests in the “abortion” industry. Far beyond just the welfare and circumstances of the mother, many other persons have taken an interest in abortion for political reasons. For example, recall the pro-abortion views of Governor Ralph Northam. He is politically ties to Planned Parenthood, the major provider of abortion services in the United States. That is just one example of how the issue of abortion intertwines with the issue of politics. Abortion is deeply engrained in the foundation of a major political party, and opposition to abortion is identified with another. America’s Two-Party System can be identified summarily as: one party for abortion, and one party against abortion. This single issue more clearly defines Republicans and Democrats—according to formal party platforms—than any other issue. Even among the general population this divide is easily identifiable. About 55% support abortion to some degree and 45% oppose. For those that oppose abortion, it is undoubtedly the single-most important issue in politics. The news sources bombard the American populace with crisis and chaos of all political types from global warming to immigration issues, but the single-most important issue for the last 46 years has been “abortion.” Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, every subsequent Supreme Court appointment has focused on “abortion rights.” To summarize my point about abortion and politics, I’d say it is THE life and death issue—literally and figuratively—in the political arena of our nation.
4. Abortion and Economics. On 11 August 2018, Chelsea Clinton was a featured speaker at the New York City stop on the Rise Up for Roe tour. At that rally she claimed in her speech, “Abortion has been an important economic stimulus ever since it was legalized by the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.” You can imagine the uproar such a statement has caused. Margaret Sanger, who founded what would become Planned Parenthood in 1932, also spoke of the economic benefits for eliminating what she called, “undesirables,” from American society. So, seeing abortion as an “economic” benefit to society was not a new concept with Chelsea Clinton. It has always been a driving force in the movement. But, what is the real economic cost/benefit analysis of abortion? According to a lengthy study of the economic impact of abortion, the conclusion is that the sum total of lost GDP (Gross Domestic Product) from 1973 to 2007 due to surgical abortion was nearly $37 trillion. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that a loss of $37 trillion to our economy since 1973 has taken a big toll. Because of abortion, we have 52 million fewer taxpayers who would have provided a strong economic foundation for the nation (National Study: The Cost of Abortion, thecostofabortion.com). As early as 1920, during the formulative years of Adolf Hitler, German authors, Karl Binding, a law professor, and Alfred Hoche, a distinguished psychiatrist, wrote the most significant work on infanticide in our time in 1920. They titled their work, “The Permit to Destroy Life Not Worth Living.” They paved the way for an “economic test” for the right to live.
Put aside the “statistics” for a moment and just ask some common sense question about the economics of abortion? How many inventors like Thomas Edison have been killed in the womb? How many great innovators like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs have been killed in the womb? How many great statesmen who have led the nation into periods of great economic booms like Eisenhower, Reagan, or even Donald Trump have been denied the opportunity to make great contributions to our economy, and indeed to the global economy? To see killing human beings as a “boom to the economy” is as asinine as it is atrocious!
Now, that we have a “frame” around our discussion of abortion, let us
2. Focus Scripture on the Issue.
I do not have time
today to discuss all the issues in regard to life, or the life of an unborn child. There are many issues in the Law that deal
with such matters. I want to focus on
the primary issue—the issue of the “sanctity” of human life.
We read Psalm 139 earlier. Verses 13 and 14 deal directly with life in the womb. The sanctity of life within the womb rests dependently and absolutely upon the [1. Sovereignty of Almighty God.] Life is sacred because God is sovereign and declares all life “fearful and wonderful, a holy product shaped by His own hand.” The matter of abortion cannot be settled in the courts, but has already been settled in the Degree of a Sovereign, Fearful, Mighty God. Let me read again verses 1-12 to show you the importance of the Sovereignty of God, both in general and in relation to life in the womb. Verses 1-4 say,
We read Psalm 139 earlier. Verses 13 and 14 deal directly with life in the womb. The sanctity of life within the womb rests dependently and absolutely upon the [1. Sovereignty of Almighty God.] Life is sacred because God is sovereign and declares all life “fearful and wonderful, a holy product shaped by His own hand.” The matter of abortion cannot be settled in the courts, but has already been settled in the Degree of a Sovereign, Fearful, Mighty God. Let me read again verses 1-12 to show you the importance of the Sovereignty of God, both in general and in relation to life in the womb. Verses 1-4 say,
1 Lord, You have searched me and
known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You
understand my thoughts from far away. 3 You observe my travels
and my rest; You are aware of all my ways. 4 Before a word is
on my tongue, You know all about it, Lord.
Yahweh is the All-knowing, All-powerful God. His knowledge and power are limitless and His Sovereignty is Absolute. It is God and God alone that decrees the final judgment on any matter—including the matter of the sanctity of all human life.
And . . . what is God’s
decree in regard to life in the womb?
The Psalmist declares, [2.
The Unfolding Life]
For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My aframe was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.
For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My aframe was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.
This passage
scientifically describes the nature of the embryo over 1200 years before scientists
like Leeuwenhoek, Allen, Hertwig or other early biologists stumbled upon the truth
in their labs. Two words show the Sublime
Genius of the Almighty. I will deal with
the second one first. Verse 16 refers to, “my
unformed substance.” More
literally, that means, “my embryo.”
The Hebrew word is golem (mlg),
or “embryo.” This word gives the
image of “an unfolding process.” (golem comes from galam, meaning, folded together) Like a folded piece of paper contains the
entire sheet, so the embryo contains the entire person. A better translation than “unformed” substance would be “unfolding essence.” An embryo is “essentially”
a human person. Gestation is a “developmental process.” There is no fundamental difference between an
embryo and an adult, except for time and size.
A two year-old is no more a person than an embryo, any more than a
teenager is more of a person than a two-year old.
There is another important word demonstrating that a child in the womb, from conception, is a human being. Notice the words, “My frame,” in verse 15. “My frame . . . “ ‘osemi (fr., עֶצֶם ʿetsem)), literally bones and skeleton. More generally, according to Hebrew scholars, “the state of being as a sum-total of elements of being” (Keil, Delitzsche). The embryo (golem) represents the “totality of being—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.”
So, the essence of what it means to be “fearfully and wonderfully made” is to be the “essence of human personhood gloriously unfolding at the direction of Almighty God, before the womb, in the womb, and beyond.”
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that a child in the womb is a unique, special, and sanctified creation of Almighty God. This brings me to a summary point in regard to the sanctity, or holiness, of life. When does life begin? Biologically, it begins at the moment of conception, when the sperm fertilizes the egg. Theologically, life begins much sooner—even eternally. Notice verse 16 again, “
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.
Your life did not begin in your mother’s womb. Your life—all life—begins in the [3. “Mind of God!”] God knows all our days, “before even one of them had passed.” Jeremiah echoes the Psalmist’s declaration:
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." (Jer. 1:5).
Personhood is not related to “size.” The embryo does not become a person when it reaches a certain size. If being and personhood were determined by size—Pastor Andrew would be more of a person than I am because he is bigger. Neither is being and personhood dependent upon “time.” In that case, I’d be more of a person than Pastor Andrew.
The second the sperm unites with the egg, the human being begins unfolding. Everything the person will ever be is contained in that union—that two-cell embryo. Like the unfolding of a piece of paper that ultimately reveals what it has always been, so the unfolding of that embryonic human being will one day reveal what he or she has always been. In a very real sense, a person—particularly a believer in Christ—never stops unfolding throughout all eternity. If that don’t blow your mind, I’m not sure what could!
There is another important word demonstrating that a child in the womb, from conception, is a human being. Notice the words, “My frame,” in verse 15. “My frame . . . “ ‘osemi (fr., עֶצֶם ʿetsem)), literally bones and skeleton. More generally, according to Hebrew scholars, “the state of being as a sum-total of elements of being” (Keil, Delitzsche). The embryo (golem) represents the “totality of being—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.”
So, the essence of what it means to be “fearfully and wonderfully made” is to be the “essence of human personhood gloriously unfolding at the direction of Almighty God, before the womb, in the womb, and beyond.”
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that a child in the womb is a unique, special, and sanctified creation of Almighty God. This brings me to a summary point in regard to the sanctity, or holiness, of life. When does life begin? Biologically, it begins at the moment of conception, when the sperm fertilizes the egg. Theologically, life begins much sooner—even eternally. Notice verse 16 again, “
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.
Your life did not begin in your mother’s womb. Your life—all life—begins in the [3. “Mind of God!”] God knows all our days, “before even one of them had passed.” Jeremiah echoes the Psalmist’s declaration:
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." (Jer. 1:5).
Personhood is not related to “size.” The embryo does not become a person when it reaches a certain size. If being and personhood were determined by size—Pastor Andrew would be more of a person than I am because he is bigger. Neither is being and personhood dependent upon “time.” In that case, I’d be more of a person than Pastor Andrew.
The second the sperm unites with the egg, the human being begins unfolding. Everything the person will ever be is contained in that union—that two-cell embryo. Like the unfolding of a piece of paper that ultimately reveals what it has always been, so the unfolding of that embryonic human being will one day reveal what he or she has always been. In a very real sense, a person—particularly a believer in Christ—never stops unfolding throughout all eternity. If that don’t blow your mind, I’m not sure what could!
In order for us to rightly discern the issue of abortion, we must FOCUS the piercing Light of Scripture on the matter. Life is not what scientists say it is. Life is not what philosopher’s say it is. Life is not what politicians say it is. Life is what Yahweh, Almighty God, says it is—“human life from the inception in God’s Own Mind, through the conception in a woman’s womb, and beyond is unique, precious, fearful and wonderful.” Abortion destroys the very “Handiwork of God” and is a gross, immoral, and unholy act.
Now that we have framed the issue, focused the Scripture on the issue, the final objective for me this morning is to get us to
3. Faith the Issue! (v19)
O that You would slay the wicked, O
God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
The Psalmist did not merely present
the Sovereignty of God and
the Sanctity of Human life as intellectual seeds for impotent discussions. His desire was not merely to flex and gyrate upon
the various apparatuses in an intellectual gymnasium. The Psalmist goal is not merely enlightenment,
but obedience. My objective is not that
you would now “know” more about the abortion issue. My objective is that you apply your faith in
holy obedience to push back strongly against what has become a cultural norm.
The Psalmist prayed that God would “slay . . . the men of bloodshed.” How appropriate this is to describe the literal “butcher shops” the abortion clinics have become. These place literal gorge their pocketbooks with the shedding of human blood.
The Psalmist saw evil not as a “quirk in the cosmic system,” but as “wickedness” to the highest degree. In verses 20-21, the Psalmist speaks of “hating these wicked men of bloodshed.” The Psalmist speaks of those who shed blood as “enemies of the Almighty.”
Faith demands we do something about such wickedness as abortion. When we “faith the issue” of abortion, we engage our total being in the fight against the most grotesque and unholy act in our culture—the murder of innocent human beings.
Proverbs 31:8-9 commands us to 8 Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.
The Psalmist prayed that God would “slay . . . the men of bloodshed.” How appropriate this is to describe the literal “butcher shops” the abortion clinics have become. These place literal gorge their pocketbooks with the shedding of human blood.
The Psalmist saw evil not as a “quirk in the cosmic system,” but as “wickedness” to the highest degree. In verses 20-21, the Psalmist speaks of “hating these wicked men of bloodshed.” The Psalmist speaks of those who shed blood as “enemies of the Almighty.”
Faith demands we do something about such wickedness as abortion. When we “faith the issue” of abortion, we engage our total being in the fight against the most grotesque and unholy act in our culture—the murder of innocent human beings.
Proverbs 31:8-9 commands us to 8 Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.
At the very least, faithing the issue of abortion means we
must become much more vocal in the Christian community. We must develop more sophisticate ways to
plead the cause of the most innocent. We
must sacrifice more of our time and our resources to this issue. Faith demands we DO MORE! Anything and everything just short of violence.
I do not have time to go into all the rationale behind why it is not biblically warranted to confront the abortionists, abortion supporters, or politicians with violence. In short, in the war against abortion, we must practice the principles best articulated by Augustine in regard to Just War Theory. Taking up arms in any battle is only biblically justified, according to Just War Theory, when all three of the following conditions can be met:
I do not have time to go into all the rationale behind why it is not biblically warranted to confront the abortionists, abortion supporters, or politicians with violence. In short, in the war against abortion, we must practice the principles best articulated by Augustine in regard to Just War Theory. Taking up arms in any battle is only biblically justified, according to Just War Theory, when all three of the following conditions can be met:
1.
The damage inflicted by the use of force must be lasting, grave, and certain. 2. All other means of putting an end to it
must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective. 3. There must be serious prospects of success.
Using force in the battle against abortion cannot meet any of these three conditions. The use of coercive force of any kind is NOT WARRANTED in the battle to save the lives of the unborn.
When the Bible says, “Believe,” it is the verb form of the word “Faith.” To believe means, in a Biblical sense, “to do faith.” James gives us guidance along these lines:
Using force in the battle against abortion cannot meet any of these three conditions. The use of coercive force of any kind is NOT WARRANTED in the battle to save the lives of the unborn.
When the Bible says, “Believe,” it is the verb form of the word “Faith.” To believe means, in a Biblical sense, “to do faith.” James gives us guidance along these lines:
22But
prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude
themselves. 23For if anyone
is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his
natural face in a mirror; 24for once he has looked at himself and
gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25But one who looks intently at
the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a
forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he
does. (Jam. 1)
The words, “effectual (ergou, ergou) doer,” means
a person who “demonstrates his beliefs with great energy and effectiveness.”
Politicians on the progressive side have stepped up their attacks on the unborn over the last few years, as evidenced by the brazen words of the current Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, and delegate Kathy Tran. These are the most recent persons leading the charge, but they are by no means the only ones with contempt for the sanctity of human life. The battle has heated up. It’s time for God’s people to rise up even more.
I have great misgivings about the Catholic Church and Catholic doctrine. I have no misgivings about giving praise where praise is due. Great praise needs to be given to the Catholic nun, Mother Teresa. She labored for the most poor of the poor in our world. She sowed love where there was no love. She shed light where there was much darkness. Mother Teresa had great disdain for the very idea of abortion. She once said, “If abortion isn’t wrong, then nothing is wrong.”
Will you make a commitment today to join me as a member of this church in renewing your efforts—personal and financial—in standing up for the Unborn, and giving a voice to those too young to cry?
Politicians on the progressive side have stepped up their attacks on the unborn over the last few years, as evidenced by the brazen words of the current Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, and delegate Kathy Tran. These are the most recent persons leading the charge, but they are by no means the only ones with contempt for the sanctity of human life. The battle has heated up. It’s time for God’s people to rise up even more.
I have great misgivings about the Catholic Church and Catholic doctrine. I have no misgivings about giving praise where praise is due. Great praise needs to be given to the Catholic nun, Mother Teresa. She labored for the most poor of the poor in our world. She sowed love where there was no love. She shed light where there was much darkness. Mother Teresa had great disdain for the very idea of abortion. She once said, “If abortion isn’t wrong, then nothing is wrong.”
Will you make a commitment today to join me as a member of this church in renewing your efforts—personal and financial—in standing up for the Unborn, and giving a voice to those too young to cry?
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