The Church is Pro-Choice

THE CHURCH IS NOW PRO-CHOICE

Concerning the Teachings of Jesus

The word “abortion” is usually used to denote the unnatural termination of a pregnancy. We who believe that life begins at conception must believe that all abortions are wrong except when the life of the mother hangs in the balance. Those cases are very rare and some would use that as a loophole. The issue of abortion is a red hot political football which is leveraged on both sides. Even an elementary understanding of Scripture would dictate a pro-life stance on the issue. The legalization of abortion in America indicates just how far the culture has descended, as well as just how saltless the church has become.
But instead of driving us to repentance and to the prayer closet, it has driven millions of believers to the ballot box. We seem to believe that the answer to everything is the next election, regardless of the year. The gospel recreates the soul but democracy recreates behavior? Legislation seems to be the new gospel.
But in a much broader sense the word “abortion” can indicate the termination of other things. When a leak is discovered in a space ship before takeoff, the mission is aborted. Sometimes when you are attempting to accomplish something on your computer you get the message that the attempt was aborted. In general, it indicates the cessation of something.
The pro-life crowd is extremely passionate about the issue of abortion. Even Roman Catholicism has placed abortion as its main course. But politics aside, can we take up the cause of abortion while simultaneously aborting much of the teachings of Jesus? Is there Biblical license to stand upon some of His teachings on principle while rejecting others in practice? If you refuse to have an abortion but are mean, self righteous, and without a shred of redemption and forgiveness, are you emulating Jesus?

II Tim.2: 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

We as believing followers of Jesus Christ can never exhibit speech and behavior that is unbecoming for a believer regardless of the cause. Of course I continue to contend that these moral wars almost always result in compromises by believers in speech, behavior, and associations. So many times in these abortion battles the church has jettisoned so much of the teachings of Jesus in favor of a political agenda. It seems as if once we take a Biblical perspective and position on a given issue, we then can proceed with unkind rhetoric and carnal aggressiveness.
There is more to following Jesus than just taking moral and political positions. Without love we are sounding brass, tinkling cymbals, and voices of political rhetoric. Two of the greatest men in the Bible were murderers. Both Moses and Paul were chosen miraculously by God to be His spokesmen and both of them were murderers. But the modern church would have picketed them, castigated them, and all but eviscerated them. In fact, most “orthodox” Christians would have insisted they pay for their crimes in the electric chair. But God showed mercy.
There again we must be careful to cling to Christlike verbiage which should emanate from a heart filled with Christ. How can we be so ardent in our moral stand against abortion when we so openly abort the teachings of Jesus through the power of the Spirit? It is a spiritual paradox which defends moral positions through immoral means. We are pro-life concerning the unborn but pro-choice concerning the born.
There are so many teachings in the New Testament that call, for instance, for humility. Even the phrase “clothed with humility” is used to describe what the heart and the demeanor of a believer should be. I contend that it is easy to be against abortion, but it is difficult to be clothed with humility. It is easy to be against abortion, but it is difficult to love your enemies. It is easy to be against abortion, but it is difficult to pray without ceasing. It is easy to be against abortion, but it is difficult to be content with food and clothing. It is easy to be against abortion, but it is difficult to do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
Do you see the point? The church has conveniently identified certain moral issues and made them the doctrinal staples of our Christian life. The other more sacrificial and even painful issues that require much, much self denial are relegated to doctrinal subordinates. But many of these “subordinates” are necessary and indispensable for an observable reflection of Jesus, who by the way is who we are supposed to emulate and represent.
And so it is evident what has happened. The church has dived into the cultural and political melee and we have deconstructed His teachings and reconstructed what it means to be a follower of Jesus. As long as you are pro-life and anti-gay marriage you are a platinum member of the evangelical club. How very, very sad. In effect, we are pro-choice when it comes to the teachings of Jesus. Let us turn the mirror on ourselves instead of parading our moral and patriotic credentials and castigating those who are not of our voting tribe.
The present situation cannot be justified. In fact, the present practice of Christianity is openly pro-choice as it pertains to the teachings of Jesus. The faith that believes in and follows Jesus is no longer found in our doctrinal statements. We proudly display our credentials concerning the Trinity, the virgin birth, the inerrancy of Scripture, justification by faith, the existence of heaven and hell, and a few other doctrines that make the final cut in the doctrinal statement in church pamphlets. And that is what we suggest makes a believer.
That is excruciatingly insufficient and completely misses much of what should be the core of what a believer should be. Without the terms surrender, self denial, take up our cross, esteem others greater than ourselves, living sacrifice, losing our lives, and a long, long list of other descriptive terms and phrases, without those we cannot even pretend to be Christian. The way the western church has mangled and reshaped the Christian faith is treasonous. And it isn’t just the usual heretics we so conveniently use as whipping boys, but that kind of pro-choice Christianity lives and breathes in the most orthodox churches among us.
These statements of faith are often little more than modern day tablets of paper placed neatly in the Ark of the Covenant under the Mercy Seat. And Sunday mornings are our Days of Atonement with the Pastor being the High Priest. And we observe this concocted New Testament feast and alleviate ourselves of any deep relationship which significantly alters our lives. Go ahead and quit smoking and drinking and cursing, and those are good things. But to be like Jesus we must go much further, much further. Much, much further.
One year a contestant in the Boston Marathon took a subway mid way through the race and was dropped off a few blocks from the finish line. And with hands raised in victory she crossed the line and broke the tape. They placed the wreath upon her head. But soon her mischief was discovered and she was dethroned. You see, the second and third place runners had not seen her pass them. She had cut out a large portion of the race but still wanted the winners wreath.
That reflects what the western church has done. We have rerouted the race to circumvent the uphill climbs. We have short circuited the race in order to win. And we have embraced an issues oriented faith which shines infinitely brighter on issues than it does through our lives. Forget about love or mercy or humility, we now wear our moral and political issues as our crowns. We have won the race and we congratulate each other. But among all this exuberant congratulatory ambience there remains another great issue that is left undone. As the Scriptures say, we have not won lawfully. Why? Where have we left the prescribed Scriptural course?
We say we believe in Jesus, but we are nothing like Him. We have have created a conservative American Jesus and we are most like Him. We may raise our hands in a gesture of victory, but we can never wear His crown. Get out the map, retrace the route, and begin running again. Be advised, the finish line ends with the victors on their faces before Him.

Heb.12: 1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Keep looking unto Him and stop looking at the crowd.