God’s Heart for The Weak
Christians are called to reflect the heart and character of their God in everything as they seek to live for His praise. This truth is why Christ says that if you love Him you will obey His commandments (John 14:15). Our calling is to love what He loves and hate what He hates. When speaking to the Ephesians Christ commended their hatred of the works of the Nicolaitans which He also hates (Revelation 2:6). Psalm 97:10 calls on those who love the Lord to hate that which is evil. As we grow closer to the Lord our hearts and minds are renewed through His Spirit working by His Word to bring our desires and thoughts into alignment with Him. One of these points is God’s heart for those who are weak. You see this plainly in His call to care for widows and orphans:
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” -James 1:27
The orphans and the widows no doubt are the ones in greatest need. They have gone through tragedy and have no husband or parents to care for them. Therefore, as believers, we must demonstrate the heart of God by caring for these individuals seeking to love them in Christ. There are multiple ways we submit to this command. Visiting widows, praying for them, and helping them gives us a clear way to be obedient and invest in their souls. Churches should take this matter seriously seeking to truly dedicate time and energy into serving those who are widowed. That being said, I also believe the area of abortion gives us the opportunity to serve those who are orphans. Children in the womb who face abortion are often fatherless with the dad wanting to be entirely absent or encouraging their murder. Their mother is going right along perpetrating the crime against them. Certainly, these children fit the bill of those who have had their parents coming against them and we as the church need to stand up for them just as God’s desires.
Maintaining Strength
“If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.” -Proverbs 24:10-11
It is so easy to faint whenever we are talking about protecting the lives of those who are innocent. Especially in a decades long battle against abortion we can step aside before we finish the task. Such is a sign of weakness and does not faithfully adhere to the call of God upon our lives. However, my concern is that many political “conservatives” in our culture today are stepping aside from the fight against abortion demonstrating they do not have a consistent standard. The recent presidential debate amidst the Republican party shows the lack of biblical fidelity. Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley stated:
“Can’t we all agree that we should ban late-term abortions? Can’t we all agree that we should encourage adoptions? Can’t we all agree that doctors and nurses who don’t believe in abortions shouldn’t have to perform them? Can’t we agree that contraception should be available? Can’t we all agree that we are not going to put a woman in jail or give her the death penalty if she gets an abortion?”1
This quote is filled with multiple foundational issues that show inconsistent thinking because of the absence of a biblical worldview. Why should we focus on banning late-term abortions and not all abortions? How is it possible for someone who has committed murder (a.k.a. the woman involved in abortion) not to face criminal action for that heinous offense?2 Tim Scott supported a federal abortion ban after 15-weeks and Ron Desantis pointed to his abortion ban in Florida of 6-weeks.3 Again, with all due respect, these positions show a lack of consistency. The civil government has the duty before God to uphold justice by protecting every human life, not just those above a certain age (see Romans 13). Authorities at both the federal and state levels must punish murderers or else they are shirking their responsibility before God.
My concern is that each of these positions espoused in the presidential debate demonstrate a lack of strength because of the absence of a fully formed biblical worldview. We are called to rescue those taken to death, not just those who are above 6-weeks old. The fact that this kind of biblical consistency is not prevalent amongst conservative leaders is concerning, even more so with upcoming elections fastly approaching next year. It only shows how much work we as Christians have ahead of us and how much grace we need from God.
The Calling of The Church
Brothers and sisters, we must not faint in seeking what Christ has called us to. It is our duty before Him to fight for the life of the unborn. We see inconsistent standards of justice and even perverse standards amongst our own political leaders. Nonetheless, we must stand firm calling on this nation to repent before God and enact justice according to His Word. In a day when many forget about abortion being chemically available in every state, let us be the ones who remember and press on in the fight. God has the power to work by His Word according to the Gospel to bring both salvation to souls and protection to the innocent as His church fulfills the commission He has given to her.
My prayer is that we will be driven by a passion for the glory of Christ on this issue seeking to reflect His heart. May we expose erroneous views on abortion and seek to fight for the protection of life in the womb. It is seeking the glory of Christ being empowered by His Spirit standing on His sufficient Word which shall enable us to not faint in the day of adversity, but instead sprint to the finish line. Let us keep our hearts in love with Christ, our minds filled with His truth, and our direction on the path that He has called us to. I pray that we have a heart for the widow and the orphan that testifies to the world of the loving care of our God and His holy standard of justice as defined by the perfection of His character!
Sources
1 https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/23/gop-debate-national-abortion-ban-00112666
2 I agree if a woman is coerced into an abortion she should not face criminal action (i.e. if a sex trafficker forces a woman to kill her child she should not suffer criminal penalty)
3 https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/23/gop-debate-national-abortion-ban-00112666
Amen and amen!