The first GOP debate just took place, and—naturally—abortion came up. It seemed every candidate had a different posture.
Former Vice President Mike Pence staked out a bold position, saying he’d sign a national ban. “[Abortion is] not a states-only issue. It’s a moral issue,” Pence argued.
Regardless of your personal political leanings, Pence brings up a good point: Abortion is, in fact, a moral issue. It’s an issue for all of us. Importantly, it’s an issue for all believers. The faithful know just how much God loves each person, preborn or not, and for that reason they understand just how tragic each abortion is. We know God’s love and are charged with His work here in the world.
Abortion causes the death and suffering of innocents. It kills preborn babies and harms their vulnerable mothers—even mothers sitting in the pews of our churches, with a new survey showing that 1 in 6 churchgoers have made, paid for or encouraged an abortion.
This isn’t a matter of perspective, and it’s not up for civil debate. Their suffering cries out to God. He suffers when they suffer, and we as His people are called to minister and protect these women and children however we can.
And precisely because of the moral and spiritual nature of the evil, its remedy must similarly be moral and spiritual. Political parties are a means to an end in this respect — even at their best. The noblest politician is still a man seeking power.
“Do not put your trust in princes, [nor] in a son of man, in whom there is no help,” the Psalmist tells us in Psalm 146:3-5. “His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish. Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God[.]”
Happy are we who hope in the Lord our God. Happy are we who are called to witness and minister as the death and suffering inflicted daily upon women and children dwindles and finally ends.
The pro-life movement is doing Kingdom work—joyful, essential and inescapably faith-driven work. Men, no matter their power or intent, cannot limit our efforts or dictate to us what can and cannot be done. Of course, Christians can engage prudently and virtuously with political movements as we seek to follow God’s will—but our obedience to and hope in Him must be our final resting place.
That gives the Christian pro-life movement unique freedom of movement. We can and must simply trust and follow God—all else follows.
On this issue, we must work tirelessly for the advancement of His will and glorification of His word.
Walk prudently and graciously alongside those who would help you, and carefully near those who could thwart your work. Pray for the success of the pro-life movement, and conversion of those who haven’t yet joined it.
