Rev. Robert Fleischmann, National Director, Christian Life Resources
The response to the Supreme Court’s overturning of its 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion decision in June 2022 has been fierce. There were acts of violence, protests, and blatant efforts to challenge any restriction on abortion. There have recently been claims that since the Dobb’s ruling, abortions nationwide have unexpectedly increased.
This article will focus on how we navigate the abortion issue with family, friends, co-workers, community leaders, and politicians.
Focus
Abortion is undoubtedly among the most heinous of actions that people commit against the most defenseless human beings in our society. Yet, we have a preeminent focus on the salvation of souls.
Our “prime directive” is to spread God’s message of salvation through Jesus Christ. It is called the “Great Commission” because of the One who gave the commission (Son of God) and the magnitude of the assignment – to evangelize the world.
While Jesus originally commissioned the apostles for this mission, we learn in the Gospels and the Epistles that this assignment is given to all believers (Matthew 5:14-16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Peter 3:15).
The preeminent nature of evangelizing the world is because of the eternal consequences. We are to feed the hungry, heal the sick (Matthew 25:35-40), defend the endangered, and speak up for the voiceless (Proverbs 31:8) because doing such things reflects the sacrifice of Christ for us (1 John 4:19). Yet, doing all this is subordinate to our commission to evangelize the world (Luke 9:25). This is not an “either/or” proposition. There is, however, a hierarchy of priorities, and Gospel outreach is at the top of the list. That is to be our focus.
Truth
The reaction to the Dobb’s decision was a bit jarring. It caught many people off guard, and some wondered if the Court went too far in overturning Roe v. Wade. Don’t forget that the truth doesn’t cease to be the truth simply because of shifts in public sentiment.
Biblically, the teaching is clear that at conception, there is life (Psalm 51:5). In the womb, there is life (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13-16; Luke 1:41). Apart from God’s expressed command or permission, it is wrong to take human life (Deuteronomy 32:39; Exodus 20:13).
Contemporary advocacy for abortion rights is camouflaged under rhetoric calling for reproductive rights. Don’t be deceived. The abortion-rights community clearly understands that in an abortion, a life is lost. We all want people to be as free as possible to make their own decisions but not so free as to have the right to take someone’s life.
The truth must prevail.
Complete
Staking a claim to the truth is a huge responsibility. It requires knowledge and completeness (John 8:31-32; Hebrews 5:11-6:3). You cannot embrace some truth while ignoring others.
The temptation is real to pick and choose the parts of God’s Word you like while ignoring those that make you uncomfortable (Matthew 22:29; 2 Timothy 4:2-4). In ignorance of the full counsel of God, we may misinterpret what is happening around us (Luke 24:44-48) and even our own prosperity and comfort (Revelation 3:17).
Even the apostles, who preached with authority and power, were filtered through the Scriptures as a test of integrity (Acts 17:11).
While it is a good thing to know that it is wrong to terminate the life of an unborn child, it is a better thing to know what else God has to say about life and our responsibilities for it.
Introspective
Solving life’s great moral dilemmas takes more than righteous decrees. It is easy to sit back and point an accusing finger at all those sinners out there who would kill unborn children. Beware, however, of the plank in your own eye (Matthew 7:3,4).
We have been groomed by a culture that thrives on comparisons. Comparatives and superlatives abound as we strive to be better, faster, stronger, richer, smarter, more beautiful, more skilled, more resourceful, etc. That does not work with God, however.
Scripture reminds us that no one has a greater standing before God based on performance (Romans 3:10,23; Ephesians 2:8-9).
When I was younger, I discovered that the actions that disgusted me the most in others were, in fact, characteristics I found in myself. When I saw others bragging, I saw hints of my pride. When I saw someone unkind, I saw my unkindness.
As I have aged and persisted in my study of Scripture, I have found this even more accurate. I see my faltering faith in Peter’s faltering attempt to walk on water.
When Paul calls himself the “chief of sinners,” I think, “I have you beat.”
Introspection is what separates the Christian from the idealogue. The idealogue stands on his conviction about the wrongness of abortion and judges accordingly. A Christian also sees the error of abortion but looks introspectively to see himself as also a sinner. He correctly identifies the sin of abortion and embraces the sinner as someone with a broken relationship with God.
Access
I am three-fourths of the way through this article. Do you still remember your prime directive?
As one charged with sharing the message of Jesus Christ with others, you must remember how to do that. The essential element of communication is to have access. There needs to be an avenue of communication between you and the one you must speak with. Before we target the scourge of the land (abortion), we need to target the scourge of the heart (alienation from God). To do this, we need access.
We learned this first from Jesus. Much to the chagrin of the religious leaders, Jesus found his mission field with the “tax collectors and sinners” of Israel (Matthew 9:10-11). He sought out the sheep who needed a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). Jesus excused none of the sinning but instead focused on rehabilitating the sinner.
In the way we talk about abortion and the way we speak to those who abort and do the aborting, what is our goal? By what we say and do, are we carrying out the great commission or simply making a point?
Put another way, we are doing one of two things with every word and action: Building a wall or a bridge. The religious leaders in biblical times were wall builders. The “sinners” in their day did not live up to their standards (Luke 18:11). On the abortion issue, are you building a wall or building a bridge?
Demeanor
In the fall of 2023, I was interviewed by a reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, asking how I felt about Planned Parenthood resuming abortions in the state. I expressed that I was disappointed but not surprised. She asked what I planned to do about it. I told her that my goal is to be so loving, caring, and sacrificial that even with legalized abortion, it becomes the least desired of all options.
By decree and even by law, I cannot change the heart of someone who wishes to terminate the life of her unborn child. What I can do is stay focused on my mission to share Christ. I want to walk by the truth as a guide so that I do not fall into temptation and sin. That means being a well-read student of God’s Word to understand his will best.
With the clarity of focus and truth, I will then be introspective. I will strive to purge myself of self-righteousness and arrogance that can easily entangle us when we have the truth. Then, I want to begin bridge-building to reach this mission field.
My concern for others begins with one-on-one conversations as I seek to understand what it is that drives someone to the point of desperation that killing an unborn child is the only solution. One-on-one work I could do by myself. I do not need a budget, a corps of volunteers, or a board of directors. This is where I start.
In time, I seek to do collectively what I cannot do alone. I support organizations like Christian Life Resources, the state Right to Life group, the local food bank, and the homeless shelter. I try to bring others in my circle of friends and family to join me. We might do various group activities in a congregation or community. And someday, perhaps we open a pregnancy care center, a health center, or a home for single mothers.
As correction comes with great patience, so does activism. Without a doubt, it is not a popular time to be a pro-life Christian in many parts of North America. But in a world naturally opposed to God (Romans 8:7), that even killed the only perfect man ever to have lived (John 15:18), this will never be easy, but under God’s blessing, it will surely be right.
Listen to our podcast
This article touches on navigating the abortion issue, but you can dive deeper by listening to our podcast episode, “The Sin of Abortion.” Head over to our Life Challenges podcast page to listen and get access to all the other episodes we’ve recorded. You can also find the video on our YouTube channel below. If you found the podcast helpful, subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!
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