How can I pursue justice and mercy with the abortion issue?
Matthew 2:16Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.
Romans 13:4The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.
Governments have a God-given responsibility to carry out justice here on earth. However, governments are run by humans, and humans are often foolish, corrupt, or evil (as in Herod’s killing of the infants). As Christians living in the age of democracy, we can use our voice to inspire change.
Matthew 5:44“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”
Luke 18:7“So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?”
1 Timothy 2:1-4I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
Prayer is powerful. Pray over elections. Pray for those who are in office—whether you wanted them to be in office or not. Pray even for those who oppose the right to life, that they would understand the truth.
Psalm 82:3-4“Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless.”
Isaiah 1:17“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”
God calls each of us to stand up for those who are weak, helpless, and oppressed—such as the unborn. For some of us, that may mean political activism. For others, it may mean volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center. For others, it may mean adoption or getting involved in foster care. For still others, it may mean teaching a respect for human life to our children.
Matthew 26:51-52One of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear. “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword.”
Luke 22:51Jesus said, “No more of this.” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
John 18:36Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”
The early church experienced persecution from the leaders in government and society. However, Jesus did not call his followers to bring change through violence. Harming or threatening others in the name of Jesus only hardens hearts that he wants to change.
Matthew 28:19-20“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Luke 6:45“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”
Philippians 3:20We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
Hebrews 13:14This world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
Scripture makes a clear distinction between earthly governments and God’s heavenly Kingdom. It is good for Christians to inspire reform in earthly governments and promote just laws. However, the great commission is not a command to build an earthly kingdom. Earthly governments enforce laws on citizens, but they cannot change citizens’ hearts. God’s heavenly Kingdom grows when its laws are written in its citizens’ hearts and each citizen freely chooses to live them out.
Ephesians 4:14-15We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
Ephesians 6:12We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Colossians 4:6Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
When it comes to the abortion issue, many well-meaning people—even Christians—are sucked in by clever lies. Genuine respect and empathy for women becomes twisted into apathy toward the unborn. The people who believe these lies, however, are not our enemies. There is danger in those lies. When we speak the truth, speaking it with love and grace will help lower our listeners’ resistance. Sharing God’s truth with boldness will help untangle the lies.
John 5:43-44“I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. No wonder you can’t believe!”
1 Timothy 1:15“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners.
Jesus ministered with truth and love, yet even his perfect words were often rejected. Sometimes, no amount of words or actions can change a stubborn heart. Still, there is hope. Paul—a violent persecutor of Christians—had his heart completely changed. It is impossible for us to know who will reject or accept the truth, but it is always our duty to preach that truth patiently.
Matthew 25:45“He [the Lord] will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’”
Galatians 6:2Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
1 Peter 3:8All of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.
It isn’t enough to preach that abortion is wrong. We have to care about the mothers too. We have to empathize—to understand what may have driven her to this point—in order to help her. Many women are afraid to share about an unplanned pregnancy for fear of being rejected. The first thing they expect to hear is “Why did you have sex outside of marriage?” and “How could you even consider abortion?” The first thing they ought to hear is “How can I help?” We can’t change anyone’s past actions or control their decisions, but we can provide support so they won’t have to make those decisions afraid and alone.
Malachi 4:6His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children.
Matthew 27:24Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”
1 Timothy 5:8Those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.
There is a man involved in every abortion. Maybe the woman never told him. Maybe the man abandoned the woman to deal with her pregnancy on her own. Maybe he pressured the woman to have the abortion. Maybe he “washed his hands” of the matter. Maybe he tried to persuade the woman to keep the baby, but she had the abortion anyway, and now he struggles with guilt from that. When addressing the subject of abortion, we also have a responsibility to speak to the men involved—both to encourage them to take responsibility and to support them in their grieving.
