The Abortion Debate

Sadly, this morning, there was a shooting in a church in Kansas. However, it was committed by someone who claimed to be pro-life. He shot down an abortion doctor, one who was well known for doing late term abortions. He was serving as an usher in his Lutheran church. It is a sad story and a sad testimony concerning someone who claimed to be pro-life. However, he decided it was within his rights to take justice into his own hands and take the life of this doctor. Now, I definitely do not agree with the doctor and I do believe that abortion is murder. However, the man who shot him down in cold blood is also guilty of murder. Justice needs to be carried out by the law of the government that God has ordained and not by an individual's judgment. We are called to show the love of God to people and make it clear by our life and teaching what is right and wrong. There is a way to peacefully teach and explain sin as sin without playing the role of God and executing judgment on those who are living in sin. Sadly, the church did not do its responsibility by practicing church discipline on this doctor who saw nothing wrong with abortion. But church discipline is much different from someone assuming the right to take the life of this man. Church discipline would have shown him the sinfulness of his actions in the hope that he would be made right with God. This man was not concerned with the doctor's relationship with God. He was only concerned about his own personal agenda. And sadly, because of the church's lack of discipline, they also were not concerned about his relationship with God. The worst thing a church can do is to allow sin to continue without regard to the consequences that follows from the sin that is committed. This is sadly true for both the doctor and for the one who committed the shooting.

Let us remember the words of John Piper in his 1995 sermon, "Fasting for the Safety of the Little Ones."

"This war will not be won by bullets. It will be won by brokenness and humility and sacrifice. It will be won when we identify with the children in our suffering rather than with the abortionist in his killing."

We must go to our knees to God in prayer to change the hearts of the people and live the love of Christ in our lives as we relate to the lost around us. That is the only way we can hope to change the hearts of the people towards abortion. Change comes not through political activism or violent actions, but through the demonstration of the reality of the love and enjoyment of God in our lives and the change that can be experienced in the lives of those who don't yet treasure Him as their highest good.