In every culture, Christians are called to work out their faith in real time and space. To think biblically and to respond as thoroughly Christian as we can. Our faith is not abstract. It is not ethereal. It has real life implication and application. As your pastors, we want to help you think biblically about what has happened this week (6.24.22) regarding the Supreme Court Decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. This has been all over the media, and it will continue to be so. Depending on which media outlet you prefer, you are hearing one side of the story or another, one bias or another.
To think carefully and Christianly, we will zoom out and look historically and then we will zoom in and look at our present cultural moment.
In January of 1865, the United States Congress passed a bill abolishing slavery. On June 19th of 1865 (now celebrated as June Teenth), slaves in Texas were officially released when the decision made in Washington was declared. And in December of that same year, 1865, slavery was officially abolished by the ratifying of the 13th admendament. We know that many states continued to hold slaves and millions were angered by the decision to abolish slavery for decades to come. The lies were told long and loud, and many believed those lies. Lies that allowed human beings to enslave and abuse fellow human beings. And we know that because these lies were believed, we continue to deal with the lingering sins of systemic racism and prejudice in our nation to this day. Yet, we do rejoice as followers of Jesus that in 1865 God used government to abolish slavery. God raised up a few just leaders who were willing to call sin, sin.
This week, we have witnessed another example of God’s righteousness being upheld. Nearly 50 years ago, the Supreme Court made a decision that legalized the killing of unborn life across our entire country. A decision that has resulted in the killing of tens of millions of innocent children. A law that has used billions of government dollars to fund the killing of unborn life. And just like slavery, millions of poeple have believed this to be just and right and good. As a society we have been lied to with labels like women’s rights, pro-choice, & reproductive health care – so that the lives of children could be taken in the womb.
As followers of Jesus with open Bibles, we must be clear - abortion is about the killing of a preborn child. That child is a real human being, created by God. God is the author of life, and God is the taker of life. Abortion is not about your political party. Abortion is not about being pro-choice. Abortion is not about womens rights. Abortion is about agreeing with God regarding life and the taking of life.
And so followers of Jesus should rejoice in the overturning of a law that was truly unrighteous, according to God's definition of righteousness and justice. We should rejoice because government is given to us by God to uphold His righteousness and to condemn all that is unrighteous (according to God’s standard, not ours). And even though government does not always uphold God’s righteous standard, we should rejoice when they do! And we should pray that just as God ended the horrors of slavery, God would end the horrors of abortion. That all across this nation, just and righteous laws would be passed, so that in our generation we could see an end to this great moral evil. Our ultimate hope is not in just laws. Our ultimate hope is not in a just government. But we do rejoice when government agrees with God at any level and exacts just laws according to the Word of God.
As we pray to this end - we hold out the glorious gospel of grace. Abortion is not the unpardonable sin. Jesus died for those children who are aborted and mothers who have had abortions. There is grace and mercy for all who are touched by abortion. And so we lift up God’s goodness and grace and love, even as we stand for His righteousness. As a church community - we are here for the women & girls who are frightened by this new law. We are committed to loving and adopting your child if that would best serve you. We are willing to care for you and help cover the expenses necessary to raise your child. We have people who are ready to embrace you, teach you, and guide you along the way as you learn to raise your baby. We are personally sinners and have no interest in casting a stone at you. We will simply bring the hope, kindness, and compassion of Jesus to you because that is what has been done to us. You are a life and you are carrying a life, and we love and value you just as much as we love and value the life inside of you.
And this is the tension we live in as followers of Jesus - we stand up for God’s righteousness. We rejoice when just laws are upheld. While at the exact same time we offer gospel hope, gospel forgiveness, and gospel grace to all – for we all need it!