“Remember Life!”
Lou Tiscione, Pastor, Weatherford Presbyterian Church (PCA)
“For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
their hands to do wrong.” Psalm 125:3 (ESV)
Remember all the unborn babies. Remember the over 63 million plus babies that were not allowed to see the light of day in the United States of America since 1973. Remember leaders who have covered over evil by calling abortion the right to choose, turning a moral issue into merely politics.
The absolute truth is God sanctified all human life. “Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” Genesis 2:7 Men and women bear the image of God. People have immortal souls. God has made it clear that He is for life!
In fact, God ordained capital punishment in Israel for premeditated murder. God revealed that human life was so precious in His eyes that the one who unlawfully took it rightly forfeited his own life.
However, Christians should not be surprised that those who believe in their hearts that there is no God would have such a self-centered and low view of life that abortion would be referred to as a woman’s right to choose. But I am amazed that professing Christians would stand idly by in the midst of such evil.
Psalm 125 is called a Song of Ascent. Psalms so designated were used by the people of God in worship. The ascent was the act of going up to worship. Symbolically, as we worship the Living God, we are lifting up our eyes to heaven from where our help comes, Psalm 121:1.
Psalm 125:3 quoted above is wisdom from God! Throughout Scripture, the themes of blessing and curse are laid before the people of God. Namely, that living under the word of God is the way of blessing. We can apply Psalm 125:3 as an assessment of our culture. As Francis Schaeffer the great Christian Evangelist and theologian of the 20th Century once said, the way society views the dignity of life will determine its end. As our American Culture continues to demean life by supporting abortion as a right, it will continue to be a society of death.
We no longer live under a theocracy as in the Old Testament. God has instituted Civil Government for the good and welfare of all people, Romans 13. Yet, believers ought not to take comfort in that the revelation of God’s wisdom in Psalm 125 is no longer applicable since it was immediately given to Old Testament Israel. God is holy. He never “winks” at sin. Sin is a direct offence against His character. He never accommodates sin. Abortion is a sin. It is first a sin against the holy God. It is also a sin against man and if His people do wrong, there will be consequences.
The Apostle Paul advised the Church in Corinth that judgment must be directed inside the church. He declared the truth that God will judge the world. Christians are followers of Jesus. We were made new creatures by God’s grace alone. Believers live under God’s word. Jesus Christ is the King and Head of the church, and His word is her standard.
As I see it, there are several actions Christians can and should take against the evil of abortion. First, Christians need to acknowledge what abortion is. Abortion is a sin. It had dire consequences both for the immediate victim, the baby, and also for the mother and father. The church should pray for God’s protection of the unborn and for those who have been deceived to think that abortion is simply an acceptable choice. The victims of abortion need the ministry of the church. Second, Christians could support local pregnancy crisis centers financially, by volunteering, and prayer. We in Weatherford have an opportunity to do exactly that. Grace House Ministries is a blessing to our community. I give the Lord thanks for their efforts used by Him to minister to women and their unborn babies. Finally, Christians have been commanded to disciple the nations. We are called to be people of light. We know that the only way by which this evil can be purged from our land is by God’s grace in changing the hearts of people through the gospel.
Remember life and never stretch out your hands to do evil (or support those who do)!
