Since the early days of the church, Christians were known for valuing life – especially the vulnerable and weak. There was a common and culturally acceptable practice in the Roman Empire (as well as other ancient cultures) of killing unwanted children by leaving them to die outside the city, neglected and exposed to the elements. It was in this cultural context the church had a reputation of rescuing these babies and adopting them.

Now, a couple of thousand years later, the church must not waver valuing life. To be sure, the sins of our culture toward the unborn look slightly different from the ancient culture and there may be different reasons for these sins. But the heart of the matter remains the same. The church must be a defender of life because God is the author and giver of life. In America, this has only intensified since the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe in 2022 with the Dobbs decision–returning the issue of abortion to the states. Therefore, Christians must be informed and engaged on these matters. As Christians, we must think biblically consistent on the sanctity of human life for…

(1) ethical decisions that are just a part of the landscape in our culture. Medical technology has made medical induced abortions just as prevalent as surgical abortions today. Closely connected to the abortion issue, we must think about the implications the dignity of human life has in relation to IVF and physician assisted death.

(2) evangelism. People who have been involved in abortions must know there is forgiveness and freedom only found in Jesus Christ. The power of the gospel can and does change people’s lives to the glory of God. As important as winning arguments and getting just legislation passed is, winning people to Christ must be included in our fight for life.

This Sunday, president of Project Life Voice, Mike Spencer will help us do just that. He will speak on Abortion, the Church, and the Gospel in the morning service. In Sunday School with adults and youth, he will lead a workshop entitled The Art of Persuasion: Six Strategies for Winning the Abortion Debate Without Losing Your Opponent. Mike will have his book, Humanly Speaking, available for free will donation on Sunday as well.

If you are looking for additional resources on this topic, I would encourage you to check out the ministry of Christ Over All. In January, this ministry devoted the entire month to publishing helpful content to help Christians stay informed and engaged. You can find these resources at ChristOverAll.com.