“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made … Your eyes saw my unformed substance; In your book were written, everyone of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.” –Psalm 139:13, 14a, 16
I assume by now most of you have heard that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s written draft opinion concerning Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has been intentionally leaked to the press. Alito’s opinion is a brilliant legal argument that outlines in great detail how abortion is not, and never has been, a constitutional right. The opinion powerfully argues against the arbitrary nature of deciding when a child becomes a child during the gestation period. Alito instead defines any conceived child as a child that has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
This draft opinion was leaked to the press after a straw vote was taken inside the court, back in February, and the Alito draft won a majority 5-4 vote. This is groundbreaking history that Christians nationwide have been praying for, and lobbying toward, my entire life. Never in the history of the Supreme Court has an opinion been leaked. This opinion was certainly leaked with premeditation and malice to stir up abortion advocates to take action in hopes of dissuading one of the supporting judges before the case can be finalized. If this opinion does indeed pass 5-4, it will be the end of nationwide abortion on demand. Abortion will be returned to the states to be legislated there. If the opinion is accepted, abortion would immediately be illegal in thirteen states and greatly limited in at least ten more. If you have not heard the facts on what is happening, I encourage you listen to “The World and Everything In It” podcast from May 3 and 4.
I ask that we all pray for the end of abortion. Many of you have been faithfully seeking this end for many years, without losing hope. Pray that these brave justices – Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Coney-Barrett, and Thomas – will not waiver in their accurate originalist interpretation of the constitution or in their Christian moral resolve. It is possible to see change in our time. Do not lose heart or give up hope!
As Christians we are called to be a holy people, a people set apart from the world in the way we live (1 Peter 1:15-16). We are primarily set apart by our worship and moral character. We worship one triune God and we live according to His good and eternally unchanging moral commands. As the moral landscape around us changes so rapidly and with a militant nature, we must give no ground. We must carefully discern convictional and cultural issues from basic moral fundamentals of right and wrong, life and death, good and evil.
Abortion is one of these issues. No matter how an abortion advocate might spin language, killing an unborn child remains the killing of an unborn child. This is classed with other basic unchanging moral commands related to biblical sexuality and gender, honoring your father and mother, speaking truth in love (not lying), caring for the poor and needy, private property (not stealing), and living a content non-materialistic life (not coveting what you do not have). These things are the basis of the ethic of Jesus.
Our day wants to claim Jesus while rejecting His ethic, but this will not do. You cannot claim to privately love Jesus, while publicly advocating for the killing of the unborn. You cannot claim to personally love Jesus, while advocating that biblical sexual ethics are outdated and backward. You cannot claim the name of Christ and have a covetous materialist heart that loves the things of this world. We are not schizophrenic. We cannot live divided lives. Each of us are one person. Taking two positions to appease the passionately ungodly world, is hypocrisy. To withdraw in silence taking no position on the major battle ground moral issues of our time is cowardice.
By choosing to walk by faith and live according to the ethic of Jesus we follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We should expect to be opposed and even persecuted for these stances. We should expect to share in the sufferings of Christ (1 Peter 4:12-19). But when we live for Christ with holiness, love, and grace this separation influences the world. This is what we are seeing with Alito’s opinion. His courageous Christian faith, supported by millions of Christians across America is influencing the greatest nation on earth.
Let’s live winsome and holy lives for Jesus. Let’s be salt and light in our community. Let’s set a boldly different example and not be ashamed. In all things, let us point our friends and neighbors to Jesus our Savior – He who has forgiven our sins and given us a new direction for life.
Pray for the end of abortion,
Pastor Vic