Following Judah's Lion

Abortion as a Stumblingblock - UPDATE*

Whatever cause draws us to league with unbelievers is a clandestine attempt to draw us away from Christ. To single out abortion and use incendiary verbiage to leverage the most intense and explosive emotions concerning the plight of children is unbiblical and steers the human heart away from the gospel of Christ and onto the horrors of this world. And regardless of how accurate in their assessment of that moral issue, their unguarded rants only seek to awaken uncontrollable emotions in many, the result of which has been seen again in Kansas.

It is surely true that abortion is a sin and against the will of God. It is the murder of an unborn child. But how we handle that truth within the gospel context can be a very fine, yet significant, line of demarcation. An irresponsible diatribe about abortion can excite the emotions of hatred and revenge more than point to Jesus Christ. Our calling is to lift up the Person of Jesus Christ, not engender a torch bearing mob mentality about the actions of lost sinners. In fact, the hope of the world is the gospel not the elimination of any sinful practices regardless how horrific.

Far too often in these days of political involvement the church has been known for its stand on certain moral issues and not its overt and tangible projection of Jesus Christ. Cursing the basement flood without addressing the leak in the pipe is an unproductive venture, and we as followers of Jesus should repairers of the breach rather than condemners of the lost crowd from which we came. These moral campaigns are a clandestine form of compromise since they trade in the good and not the perfect.

So the next time you read a blog post or hear a message on the subject of abortion which is purposely inflammatory with all sorts of invectives, hyperbole, or an a pictorial meant to arouse emotions of hatred and outrage, think of how that draws people to the Lord Jesus. Being against abortion is a Biblical given, but exhibiting the grace and love of Jesus Christ to the vilest among us is a challenge of the highest difficulty and sacrifice. Jesus died for the abortion doctor and calls us to offer him that redemption.

Be a light, not just a verbal firearm.

*UPDATE - If you believe that war is a God ordained way to protect human life, then by the same logic killing abortion doctors can easily be considered God ordained as well. In this age of terrorists, the doctors can be called utero-terrorists. What they are Biblically is lost.