For far too long, much of the church has remained sidelined on abortion while secular culture dictates to society what to believe about the unborn. They “aren’t human yet.” It’s the “woman’s choice.” “Jesus never talked about abortion.” It’s just a “clump of cells.” Each of these lies has hushed the many church leaders into silence, and those who do speak up are criticized for getting “too political” in the pulpit. That must change. The church can no longer stay silent on abortion. Consider the opportunity she has to champion the innate dignity, immeasurable value, and eternal purpose each person has as a divinely created being.
Historically, abortion has been a sort of “messy” topic that many Christians have come to avoid, thinking it to be a private affair. However, during his time on earth, wasn’t Jesus always found engaging in the messiest of situations? Consider how he engaged with the woman at the well, dined with tax collectors, healed lepers, healed the woman who bled for twelve years, and flipped tables in the temple. Jesus didn’t stay in neat and tidy situations; he placed himself in the middle of the mess. And instead of judgement, he brought healing and compassion.
Church members don’t have to be ready with every answer to every hard question about abortion. What we should be ready to do, though, is extend Jesus’ grace and mercy by coming alongside and caring for women facing unplanned pregnancies and considering abortion. When speaking with the woman at the well in John 4, Jesus intentionally met the woman in her daily rhythms and took time to know her, speak with her, and counterculturally engage with her even though she was living a sinful lifestyle. He didn’t lead with judgment; he simply communicated truth and hope. He asks the same of the church. Will we be found faithful in showing such love and speaking the truth of the gospel?
No doubt Christians must consider how to faithfully represent Christ in the face of all sorts of issues in the 21stcentury, but let’s not lose sight of the foundational issue of human life. Here are three reasons why the church must speak up on abortion.
1. Scripture is clear on abortion.
Throughout the Scripture, God affirms the personhood of the unborn and that children in the womb are known, loved, and filled with purpose long before they take their first breath outside of the womb. In Jeremiah 1:5, God tells Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” In Luke 1:41 when Mary shares with Elizabeth that she is pregnant with the Savior, Elizabeth’s baby John leaped in the womb. Indeed, Christ even chose to come to earth as the most vulnerable among us—a baby—to fulfill His redemption story for us all.
Scripture is also clear that murder—the intentional killing of another human being—is wrong. Abortion is the intentional killing of human life, and therefore a clear violation of God’s moral law. Why does our culture somehow make an exception for murder when a vulnerable baby is “unwanted” or “unplanned?” Does this somehow make these lives less valuable? Absolutely not. All life is sacred, and God makes this evident time and time again in his word.
Sadly, the practices of abortion and infanticide are not new. In the Old Testament, some nations would sacrifice children to the pagan god Molech as an act of worship. In Leviticus 20, God’s people were instructed to stay away from this practice. But God’s condemnation went further than merely staying away; if any Israelites were found “looking the other way” while children were killed, they would be cut off from the people of God and be considered as worshippers of Molech. Doing nothing to stop the evil was treated akin to engaging in the practice.
God’s love for human life and his warning against those who disregard it must motivate the church’s witness today, as she regularly seeks to boldly advocate for the lives of the unborn (Proverbs 31:8-9).
2. Hurting women are sitting in the pews.
The church has wonderful opportunity to spur individuals toward godliness, seeking to help every congregant live in accord with God’s Word regarding the sanctity of human life. The unfortunate reality is that many who claim the name of Christ disregard this fundamental Christian conviction.
A 2015 Lifeway Research survey[1] found that 7 in 10 women who have had an abortion self-identify as Christian and 4 in 10 women who had an abortion were attending church when they ended their pregnancy. Sadly, of the survey’s respondents, only 7% of the women discussed their abortion decision with someone at church, while 76% said the church had no influence on their decision.
The church must come to terms with this reality, and seek to address the issue with clarity, conviction, and compassion. Church members can share the truth of life in love, be friends to women in need, educate women of various options which accord with life, and empower them to make a courageous decision to choose life. Furthermore, church leaders can seek to partner with local pregnancy centers (which meet women’s spiritual, physical, and emotional needs during an unplanned or difficult pregnancy) or form wraparound ministries designed to empower women with unplanned pregnancies to carry life with courage and confidence (such as Embrace Grace).
Women in the church shouldn’t feel like she will have to face the pregnancy alone. May the body of Christ be a source of hope and compassion during the most uncertain times.
3. The church functions as salt and light to purify a corrupt world
In Matthew 5, Jesus calls his followers the salt of the earth. Just as salt acts as a purifying and preserving agent to the material world, Christians are to serve as purifying and preserving agents to human souls by sharing the truth and leading them to the knowledge of God’s eternal love. In that same passage, Jesus tells his followers, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14)—a call to pierce the darkness with the light of the truth.
Today, American Christians inhabit a culture that has become blind to God’s design for the human person and that embraces the darkness of abortion. Could the stakes be any higher for Christians to embrace Jesus’ call to live as salt and light?
May we as Christians remember our call to value and advocate for human life and press on in this good work with joy and courage.
Notes:
[1] The survey was sponsored by Care Net—a national organization dedicated to supporting the work of pregnancy centers.
