"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools .... Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!" - Romans 1:18-22, 24-25
Let me be clear, this is not about politics. It is about Christians living in a carnal world. That said, I was reading the news on line when a I came across an article about VP Harris. The title to the article read "VP Harris says Americans don't need to 'abandon their faith' to support abortion". That got my attention. Romans chapter one was brought to mind. Again, this is not about Democrats and Republicans. It is about Romans chapter one being lived out by Democrats and Republicans and Independents and ... well the list is all inclusive. The Spirit reminded me that, there are none are righteous. No! Not one. (Romans 3:11) All we like sheep have gone astray, everyone to our own way. and the Lord has laid on him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
So back to the article. This is an excerpt.
"[VP] Harris made the statement while speaking at an abortion rights conference in Connecticut, joining a panel discussion alongside Planned Parenthood president Alexis McGill Johnson and Rep. Johana Hayes, D-CT. Hayes pressed Harris to explain how a person might still support abortion rights even if their religious beliefs declare it immoral.
"What would you say to someone who understands why abortion should be a personal decision between a pregnant person and whomever else they decide to include in the conversation, but believes they can't reconcile it with their faith?" Hayes asked, reading a question from the audience.
"That's such an important point to raise," Harris responded. "It is her choice and it should be her choice to make, if she chooses a consultation with a loved one, with a healthcare provider, with her faith leader."
"I say this: One does not have to abandon their faith or their beliefs to agree that the government should not be making that decision for her," she continued. "It's literally that basic."
VP Harris did not answer the question of resolving the tension between what the culture says is OK and what God has made clear as to what is not OK. She is a politician after all :) Instead she said that the government should not be making the decision for a woman considering abortion. It raises the question in my mind of what foundation our laws should be based upon. The answer is easy - it is on the consensus of the majority. Don't deceive yourself into thinking that the majority of the culture embraces the Word of God as the standard for right and wrong. There may be some agreement between the law of the land and the Bible, but today, that is more by coincidence than intentionality. And when there is a conflict between the two, the government will defer to majority opinion - or perhaps I should say the most influential opinion, which will not be the Word of God. God is only one, faint voice among many.
There is more to the story. Women do not conceive without the involvement of a man, with the exception of one. In 2020 there were 74,686 abortions in Florida alone. Did you know that only 120 of the 74,686 abortions in Florida in 2020 were the result of rape or incest. That is 3 ten thousands of one percent! The rest? 99.999 percent. Pregnancy as a result of consensual sex. Meaning there was a man involved and agreement between the two on sexual intercourse. (and you are thinking DUH!) So I wondered where is the man in this issue? He is invisible. Much like the man was when the crowd was going to stone the adulterous woman. [John 8] Another interesting statistic, that number, 74,686 represents 26 percent of the pregnancies that resulted in live birth or abortion in Florida that year. A baby had a 3 in 4 chance of surviving in the womb.
So to the root of the problem. The culture, the world really, has said that sex outside of marriage is OK. Even adultery is seen as normal. Don't believe me? Just watch any show on television or any movie. Sex outside of marriage - single or not is normal behavior. Look - this is a very emotional issue. Once pregnant, the woman faces the consequences if the pregnancy is unwanted. The man is free to move on to his next "conquest". Both are complicit. Since contraception didn't work, given that was even attempted, then the woman either has the child and raises it, adopts it out, or terminates the fetus. Not many choices. My point is the real problem with abortion is the decision to have sex. This is an ancient problem by the way. The risk of pregnancy is minimized in the face of passion and emotion.
That is the nature and allure of sinful behavior. Taking a risk. Minimizing the bad outcome by focusing on the moment. And when you roll the dice and get snake-eyes - for the woman, it means she is pregnant. So what to do now. Do you remember David and Bathsheba? Snake eyes. The sin started with David on a roof top. The result, Bathsheba got pregnant. So David tried to cover his sin with more sins. That is what abortion is. A sin to cover a sin.
So, what is the answer to this mess we are in? Jesus. Sound simple? It is. But most will reject that solution and choose to go through the wide gate.
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." - Matthew 7:13
As far as the abortion issue is concerned. I don't hold much hope for resolution - not until Jesus returns. As salt and light we must stand for the truth - but the whole truth. Not being influenced by the culture so that we lose our saltiness and have no value for the Kingdom of God.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet." - Matthew 5:13
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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