Dr. Prasad told me the theme of the chapel services in early
November was, "Who Is My Neighbor?" This evening I want to narrow the
focus of that question asking more specifically, "Are Unborn Children Our
Neighbors?
Almost 44 years ago the U. S. Supreme Court in their Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions legalized "... abortion in all 50
states during all nine months of pregnancy, for any reason, medical, social, or
otherwise.” (National Right to LIfe) In other words, in our nation, the State has sanctioned the right of a mother to
take the life of her unborn child at any time during all nine months of
pregnancy right up to moment of natural childbirth for virtually any reason.
I am aware that this subject may be difficult perhaps even
painful for anyone whose life has been touched in some way by abortion. So I
address this subject in the context of two very important Biblical truths, God's
grace and God's truth. You see grace and truth are theologically inseparable. They
are like the two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other.
Why is this important for us? Pastor Randy Alcorn writes, "Grace
without truth deceives people, Truth without grace, crushes people." Therefore
this evening if your life has been touched by abortion in any way, while you
cannot escape the truth about abortion nor some of its consequences please know
that there is forgiveness, healing and restoration in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
"Are
Unborn Children Our Neighbors?" In the Court's ruling we just noted, the
Supreme Court declared that an unborn child is not a person and therefore lies
outside the protection of the U.S. Constitution. In other words the words of
the Declaration of Independence, “...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness.” These words
do not apply to children in the womb!
Justice
Harry Blackmun, author of the prevailing opinion in Roe v. Wade recognized the
significance of the personhood of the unborn in the courts decision, writing, “If
this suggestion of personhood is established, the [abortion rights] case, of
course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life is then guaranteed specifically
by the [14th] Amendment.”
So today
the question remains, "Is the unborn a human being? To answer that we begin with the Biblical creation
account. Man was created by God in His image and likeness, Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the
image of God he created them.” Genesis 2:7 (ESV) “…then the Lord God formed the
man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living creature.”
It should be clear from the Biblical creation
account, that man is not the product of a random, meaningless evolutionary process
over millions of years. Man is not the result of a cosmic accident. God
intentionally created man in His image and likeness. Dr. John Rendle-Short, M.D. in his book Man: The Image of God, points out the Godlike qualities man
shares with God.
Language. Humans can communicate. My dog Maggie can bark, whine,
and growl, but I have yet to hear her utter a single word, no less speak a
sentence. Intelligence. Man can think. Not only is he a rational being, he can
think in the abstract. He can compute complex mathematical, chemical and
engineering formulas. Creativity. His intelligence allows him to create
sophisticated products. He can send a man to the moon and back. Love - relationships,
fellowship, community. Man is a social creature with the ability to love and be
loved, to live in a lifetime committed relationships. Holiness man has a moral conscience, the
ability to tell right from wrong. Immortality. He is eternal. Unlike the rest
of the animal world, he will live forever. Freedom. Man can make choices. All
of this “because he is human, made in the image of God.”
Notice the personhood of the unborn in this biblical account. Elizabeth,
six months pregnant with John the Baptist, spoke these words when Mary, just
days pregnant with Jesus Christ came to visit her. Luke 1:41-44,
"When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in
her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she
exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will
bear! She continued, "But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should
come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in
my womb leaped for joy.’"
Do you realize what took place? The text says that John the
Baptist, leaped for joy in his mother's womb when he came into the presence of
Jesus Christ, God incarnate who was but days old in the womb of his mother
Mary. This is the first record of worship of the Messiah. And it took place in
the womb. I call it intra-uterine worship. Do you see the personhood of the unborn
in this Biblical narrative?
The Biblical evidence is clear. The unborn are created by God and for God. They are
created in His image and likeness. They are recognized by God as distinct and
unique persons in the womb. Life begins at conception.
The
scientific evidence leads us to the same conclusion. Douglas Erlandson writes,
"When
the fertilized egg (or zygote) is first formed, it already possesses its full
complement of DNA or genetic information." He continues, "That information never changes. A person’s sex,
blood type hair and skin color, and future height are all determined in that first cell. From
that moment on, unless its life is terminated, it will develop until it becomes
an adult human being.”
Professor, Dr. Micheline Matthews-Roth, M.D. of Harvard
University Medical School, agrees writing, “…It is scientifically correct to
say that an individual human life begins at conception…” I hope you see the
relevance of this biblical and scientific evidence in answering the question, Are Unborn
Children Our Neighbors?
Who is driving force behind abortion? The Biblical evidence
would indicate that abortion is a Satanic enterprise. John chapter eight records
an encounter between Jesus and the religious leaders. In that exchange Jesus
said this about the devil, "The devil…was
a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth
in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the
father of lies." John 8:44 (NIV)
Here Jesus identifies two roles of Satan: A murderer from the
beginning and a liar and the father of lies. Has he been successful? It is
estimated that between 40 and 50 million unborn babies are killed by abortion worldwide
each year. About one in five pregnancies end in abortion worldwide each year. (AGI “In Brief”, October 2007)
A study In 2013 by Dr. Brian Clowes revealed that there have
been 1.72 BILLION abortions worldwide in the forty years since 1973. That's an
average of 117,800 per day for 40 years. Each year over 1 million unborn babies
were killed in the USA, since 1973, over 58 million. Abortion is the most
frequently performed elective surgery in America, almost 3,000 a day. 21% of
all pregnancies, excluding miscarriages, are surgically aborted. "Almost one in three American women will have
had an abortion by the time she reaches age 45.” (Guttmacher Institute, 2011) In Florida,
71,740 unborn babies lost their lives to abortion in 2015, 47,699 through Oct.
5, 2016. (Florida Agency for Health Care Administration)
In John
10:10, Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. The
Devil has been very successful in carrying out his agenda.
Satan is a liar and the father of lies. Deception proliferates in the abortion
industry. In fact, deception characterizes
the abortion industry. Notice, deception involves telling
lies. These were the words of an abortion counselor:
"Although the
test is positive, you shouldn't consider yourself pregnant," she
explained. "It's really just cells dividing at this point. We can take
care of the problem quickly and easily, and you'll never have to think about it
again.” She
made four statements. Each of the four statements was a lie. This is the mantra
of the abortion industry.
Deception involves
withholding the truth. This study showed that, “Even though the majority felt
rushed and uncertain, 67% received no counseling; 79% were not told about
alternatives to abortion.” ( VM Rue et. al., Medical Science Monitor)
As Pastor Randy
Alcorn has noted, “In America it is illegal to harm your pre-born
child, but it is perfectly legal to kill him.” You see, deception
Leads to Moral Schizophrenia.
The Devil is “a murderer” “a liar and father of lies.” These two “attributes” expose
him as the Architect of Abortion.
The Scriptures identify the ancient origin of
child killing. Molech was a fertility god whose worship included child
sacrifice. Israel became involved in this form of idolatry. Ezekiel 16:20-21 records
God's response, “And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and
sacrificed them as food to the idols…You slaughtered my children and sacrificed
them to the idols.”
King Solomon built the first high place for
the worship of Molech. Subsequent kings continued the practice including King
Ahaz and Manasseh who sacrificed their own children as they led their nation in
the worship of the demon god Molech. Notice the parallels with abortion: In Molech worship a child was sacrificed to gain
Molech's favor. For example, seeking Molech’s favor for a good harvest, victory
in battle or financial well-being.
Likewise with
abortion a mother sacrifices her child for something which at that time is of more
value to her than the child: her education, avoiding personal shame, financial
reasons, personal convenience, her career, and birth control.
Do you see the
deception? Consistent with Jesus' words in John 8:44 and John!0:10 the
Scriptures identify the demonic nature of this child sacrifice in Psalm 106. "They sacrificed their
sons and their daughters to demons. (emphasis
mine) They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom
they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their
blood.
Notice the parallels between Molech worship and abortion:
1. Abortion is the “sacrifice” of the unborn. "They sacrificed their sons and their daughters”
2. The unborn are family, our sons and daughters. “They sacrificed their sons and their daughters”
3. Abortion sheds innocent blood. “They shed innocent blood”
4. The innocent blood of the aborted is sacrificed to demons. “They sacrificed…to demons.”
Eric Holmberg & Jay Rogers, in their work, Massacre of Innocence, summarize, “The spiritual heritage of the Moabites and the Ammonites is passed down to our own day through abortion. Today the church is fighting against those same spiritual forces for the very survival of our nation.”
1. Abortion is the “sacrifice” of the unborn. "They sacrificed their sons and their daughters”
2. The unborn are family, our sons and daughters. “They sacrificed their sons and their daughters”
3. Abortion sheds innocent blood. “They shed innocent blood”
4. The innocent blood of the aborted is sacrificed to demons. “They sacrificed…to demons.”
Eric Holmberg & Jay Rogers, in their work, Massacre of Innocence, summarize, “The spiritual heritage of the Moabites and the Ammonites is passed down to our own day through abortion. Today the church is fighting against those same spiritual forces for the very survival of our nation.”
Are unborn children our neighbors? Yes!
Then what is the biblical response to those whose
lives are threatened by abortion? John Ensor wrote, "The demands of Scripture exist that we might be
compelled to do what does not come naturally." (John Ensor, Innocent Blood)
In Luke chapter ten Jesus helped a lawyer
understand what it meant to love his neighbor. He was evidently hung up on
exactly what that looked like. So you'll remember he asked Jesus, "Who his
my neighbor?" Jesus then tells him the story of a man on his way to
Jericho from Jerusalem who was robbed and beaten and left half dead alongside
the road. Three different individuals had the opportunity to come to his
rescue, in all likelihood to save his life. Two of the three did not respond to
the needs of the man bleeding by the side of the road. Those two were the
church leaders of that day a priest and a Levite, responsible for the spiritual
care of their nation. And Jesus points out that not only did they fail to
respond but they "passed by on the other side." In other words they deliberately
distanced themselves from the needs of the man dying by the side of the road. Jesus
then pointed out that
the one who proved to be the neighbor to the dying man was the one who showed mercy
to the badly beaten traveller. He then said, "Go and do likewise."
John Ensor, in his book Innocent Blood,
defines "Samaritan compassion " this way, "Doing
right in the sight of the Lord means acting to stop the shedding of innocent
blood. The only person in Jesus’ parable who is pro-life according to the
demands of love is the Samaritan. Only he was willing to make the nearly dead
man’s problem his own. Only he was willing to see the victim’s suffering as his
own. Only he was willing to act according to what he would cry out for
if their positions had been reversed."
I suggest to you that according to Jesus'
parable our salvation has a moral imperative built into it with regards to the
needs of those around us, our neighbors. Last year (2015) in Broward County 12,268
unborn children lost their lives to abortion. Tat's an average of almost 34
children every day. They were our neighbors!
Children will die unless someone intervenes on
their behalf. In other words, we have an opportunity to "go and do
likewise!" Again, John Ensor, "Loving my neighbor will occasionally
arrest me, and maybe even require me to help prevent someone from being
murdered."
The writer of Proverbs said something very similar, (Proverbs 24:10-12a)
"Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death;
Don’t stand back and let them die.
Don’t try to avoid responsibility by saying you didn’t know about it."
On January 20, 2011, Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Save America issued the following statement in a press release.
"...the time is now, for the Church to rise up and not wait for political parties, or the president, or Congress, or the Supreme Court to take care of the issue. It is our responsibility. The gates of hell will not prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ. Abortion will come to an end, when the Church of Jesus Christ makes up her mind it will come to an end not a second sooner. The responsibility for ending abortion in America rests squarely upon the shoulders of the Church of Jesus Christ.”
I think he's right.
Unborn children are our neighbors.
© James P McGarvey All Rights Reserved
The writer of Proverbs said something very similar, (Proverbs 24:10-12a)
"Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death;
Don’t stand back and let them die.
Don’t try to avoid responsibility by saying you didn’t know about it."
On January 20, 2011, Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Save America issued the following statement in a press release.
"...the time is now, for the Church to rise up and not wait for political parties, or the president, or Congress, or the Supreme Court to take care of the issue. It is our responsibility. The gates of hell will not prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ. Abortion will come to an end, when the Church of Jesus Christ makes up her mind it will come to an end not a second sooner. The responsibility for ending abortion in America rests squarely upon the shoulders of the Church of Jesus Christ.”
I think he's right.
Unborn children are our neighbors.
© James P McGarvey All Rights Reserved
