Slides:
Life in the Grey: Being a “Pro-Life” Church
Slide: The foundation of a Pro-Life position is the Imago Dei.
Slide: Gen. 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Slide: All of mankind is created by God and in His image. We admire, respect, and honor the image of God in every human being.
Slide: What about the unborn?
Psa. 139: 13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, [And] skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained [for me,] When as yet there was not one of them.
Slide: What about the souls of the unborn?
2 Sam. 12:22 He said, "While the child was [still] alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.' 23 "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."
Slide: Abortion History: a doctrine of demons.
2 Kings 23:10 He also defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for Molech.
Jer. 32:35 "They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
1 Cor. 10:19 What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 [No,] but [I say] that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons.
Slide: Abortion history: a legacy of lies.
Margaret Sanger and the eugenics movement.
Alfred Kinsey and the sexual revolution.
The rise of political framing and the dehumanization of babies.
Slide: So what’s the role of the church?
Support the rights of the unborn and those who defend them.
Reject emotional, politically framed arguments that are contrary to the Gospel.
Teach a biblical ethic of sex, marriage, and family.
Support the single mom and the orphan.
Slide: James 1:22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. ... 26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his [own] heart, this man's religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of [our] God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, [and] to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Slide: So what’s the role of the church?
Intervene: Adopt, foster, advocate, and support those who do.
Slide: Eph 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
Slide: So what’s the role of the church?
Repent.
Slide: Dan. 9:4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. ... 8 "Open shame belongs to us, O LORD, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. ... 11 "Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him.
