Pro-Life Primer

Pro-Life Primer

John 8:1-11

James 5:16

January 17, 1999

The Holy Bible, King James Version

John 8:1 through John 8:11
¹Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. ²And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. ³And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, ⁴They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. ⁵Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? ⁶This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. ⁷So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. ⁸And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. ⁹And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. ¹⁰When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? ¹¹She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

The Holy Bible, King James Version

James 5:16
¹⁶Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

James 5:19 through James 5:20
¹⁹Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; ²⁰Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Twenty-Six years ago, the Supreme Court ruled in the case Roe v. Wade that abortion was legal in the United States. For twenty-six years our country has been involved in a civil war of epic proportions pitting neighbor against neighbor, men against women, brother against brother. For twenty-six years we have fought against abortion; fought against a rising tide. This one issue polarizes communities, politicians, and even churches. In the name of the greater good, many actions have been undertaken, some good, some bad. Some of them abhorrent.

The question that comes to mind as I watch people from Operation Rescue, and some other Pro-Life organizations is how would Jesus handle this issue? How would Christ approach the young women having abortions? Would he stand on the street curb screaming insults at them? Would he engage in name calling? Would he take a gun and shoot the doctor? Would he bomb a clinic? Would he? No, I don't believe our Lord would do any of these things. So, if he wouldn't---Why do we?

Abortion is indeed a hot topic, pushing many buttons but one thing rings true. We must learn how to reach out compassionately and redemptively to those who are being affected by abortion. We must become healing helpers rather than hurting hinderers.

This morning we are going to look at a familiar passage of scripture, which I believe can give us insight into how Christ would treat abortion. Before we go any further, allow me to make one point crystal clear. I don't want anyone mistaking my position or thinking I'm condoning or accepting the practice of abortion. It is my stance that abortion is murder, and forbidden in God's Word. It is my stance that people who have had an abortion have committed a sin. It is also my stance that the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ covers those sins and washes them away.

Before we become harsh and judgmental we need to look at some Biblical principles to be found regarding abortion and how we deal with it. If we are going to fight the battle in favor of life we must remember what God has to say.

We Are All Created In The Image of God

The Holy Bible, King James Version

Genesis 1:27
²⁷So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Life is sacred to God. He created us in his own image. Each of us are created with inherent qualities that make us unique among God's creation. He created us with a soul. The thing is, the scripture there does not say God created a select few in his image, or just the wealthy, or just those on 'the right side of the tracks', instead it says he created man in his image. Each of us has the same propensity to get caught up in the world and make poor judgement choices that ultimately lead us into sin. We read in John 8 the story of a young woman who had clearly done wrong. She had clearly committed sinful acts. The Pharisees who brought her before Jesus clearly expected Christ to condemn her. To them she was worthless. She was a woman in the first place which put her in the position of property, but on top of that she was an adulterous woman. To see her put to death would have literally made their day.

To Jesus, however, this woman had worth. She had potential, and she could change her life and effectively serve our Lord. Jesus reminded us through his kindness and compassion that even the imperfect are valuable creations of God. No one was so damaged that Christ could not restore them.

Like Christ interacting with this unfaithful woman, we must deal with compassion for those who have sinned. Rather than hurl harmful verbal missiles at a hopeless young woman we should be looking at them through the eyes of Christ and realize that they too were created in the image of God.

We are Not Tasked to Be the Judges of Mankind

When dealing with the fallout in this civil-war over abortion we need to also be sure that we remember this: No one passed us out a black robe and told us to sit in judgement over mankind.

The Holy Bible, King James Version

Psalms 75:7
⁷But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

1 Peter 4:5
⁵Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

We who call ourselves by Christ's name are becoming increasingly quick to pass judgement. We run the risk of acting just like the hypocritical Pharisees who were ready to execute the woman. Jesus however reacted with love and calm understanding. It's easy for us to condemn a woman who has had an abortion, but in God's eyes it is no worse than a sin which you and I might commit. Let us allow God to judge their sin as well as ours while we help them to overcome their sin. We too are stained with sin, and we have been given a cleansing that we have need to share.

Forgiveness is Our Hallmark

The woman brought before Christ was not beyond the scope of God's forgiveness. God's forgiveness can touch any person, no matter what they have done. We must emulate Christ in this manner. It is our place to extend forgiveness over and over and over again, as many times as it takes to share the one thing that will bring a person out of a lifestyle of sin. See, in our forgiveness we don't simply condone what was done, we forgive the act but exhort the person to go on their way and sin no more.

Prayer Changes People

Finally if we are going win this civil war raging in our society we must use our most potent weapon. We must use prayer to bring about change in our society.

The Holy Bible, King James Version

1 Thessalonians 5:17
¹⁷Pray without ceasing.

James 5:16
¹⁶Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

If we are truly going to make a difference we must begin on our knees Prayer doesn't change things, it changes people. We must pray to see God heal the deep wounds that abortion causes, we must pray to see God change the lives of those who have had abortions. We must remember that our battle is being fought against Satan and his demonic hordes, so the only way to gain success is fight with God's weapons and not our own.

Begin The Healing

Touch Lives

Once we are fighting the battle in a Godly manner rather than a worldly way, then we can begin to exert a healing influence. I have become increasingly convinced we are fighting in the wrong war. The problem is not at the doctor's office, the problem is manifested long before the woman reaches an abortion clinic. The way to shut down abortion clinics is not to picket their entrance or to kill the doctors, but the way to do it is to remove the demand. If we can reach out to young women and remove some of the despair and hopelessness that leads to abortion we can make the profession unprofitable. If women are not going in for abortions, the abortion doctors will quit offering the 'service'. Let's quit treating the symptoms and cure the disease. We must touch lives in a positive way if we are to influence people. Most often, women reach the decision to have an abortion because they have already decided that they have no other options. With education, love, and Biblical guidance we can instill in our younger generation the values that we once held dear as a nation. We can and should expect our children to live holy lives, but we must lead by our example.

Share The Truth

We must share with women facing the prospect of an unexpected pregnancy the truth of God's Word. We must share how he forgives, how he can change a life, how he can make things right. We must also share that abortion is prohibited by God, but that there are alternatives. Let's not fuel the despair already present by heaping more judgmental hatred upon hurting people. Instead, may we share the life changing gift of salvation. We cannot ignore the battle altogether, but neither can we fight it incorrectly. Far too much damage has been done by zealots fighting in a worldly way while claiming to be doing God's work. Let's begin to start fighting by God's standards and not our own.

csmims@n-jcenter.com This was based upon an outline found at www.christianteacher.com and resources found in the Life and Work Series of the weekly Sunday School lessons.