Using Your Freedom for the Sanctity of Life
1 Peter 2:16-17
1. The Context
2. The Counsel
a. Use your freedom (verse 16a)
b. Do good to others (verse 16b)
c. Honor all in the process (verse 17)
This morning is sanctity of human life Sunday. It's the Sunday where all across our land, churches are remembering the decision that was handed down by our Supreme Court on January 22, 1973 in the Roe vs. Wade case. On that day, thirty-five years ago, abortion was legalized in America. Which means that any woman who is seeking to end her pregnancy has a protected right in this country to do so legally. She has legal protection from those trying to stop her. She has legal protection against all future prosecution for her actions.
The fallout from this decision has been devastating. It is difficult to know exactly how many abortions have been performed since that day. However, the best estimate that I could find places the number slightly below 50 million abortions -- about 1.3 million each year. That's a lot of beating hearts that have been stopped through artificial means. But, the devastation doesn't merely stop with the lives of the babies. The lives of women have been devastated as well. There are many women who deal with the guilt of what they have done. For some, it haunts them for the rest of their lives.
I have read stories of women, getting an abortion, and seemingly thinking nothing of it for months Then, shortly after their due date, they see a baby that is the same age that their baby had been if they had carried it to full term. And the emotions have come upon them so greatly that they have cried uncontrollably in remorse of what they have done. One woman wrote, ...
I was 17 when I found out I was pregnant. I was scared and decided that I could never have this baby. I started thinking about me. What will people think, what will my friends think? All this became a burden. I thought abortion was the only choice. My boyfriend at the time did not agree with my choice but we both were in no position to care for a baby. I went to the clinic and had the procedure. When I woke up from the procedure, tears were in my eyes. I felt ashamed, guilty, and dirty. I thought I would be fine afterwards, if only I knew that nothing would be fine. Years have passed and still that day is so clear in my mind. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret my abortion. There would be times when I would just cry for hours. I became depressed and suicidal. When my mother found out, she was disappointed. We have never been able to look at each other the same. I'm still hiding, hiding in my lie and shame. I have not recovered and I don't think that I will. Abortion is never a solution!! [1]
This is but one testimony of hundreds that can easily be found on the internet. One woman who had an abortion described the torment of her life as if she has now been sentenced to carry around a baby on her back for the rest of her life.
This doesn't only affect women. It also affects others in the family as well. I read this week of how children have come to despise their mother for the abortions that she had, because they have come to realize they could have had some brothers or sisters. I
Abortion affects men as well. Here's a letter that a man wrote to the pastor of his church which shows the sort of hurt that a man may have because of abortion. He wrote, ...
When I heard you were going to speak on the topic of abortion, I just knew I had to write to you. This topic has crippled me more than any other subject. Right out of high school I got my girl friend pregnant. I insisted that she get an abortion. There's a hundred reasons I could give why I took the actions I did, but they would all be lies. I settled for the quick fix — the easy way of avoiding the embarrassment of being found out. And you know what? That was a lie too. Yes, it avoided some embarrassment, but it was replaced by a different type of pain. The pain of remorse. Each spring when life is starting to bloom, there's a renewed pain that my child could be adding another year. [2]
____________________
At this point, before we go on, I want to be sensitive. With 50 million abortions having taken place over the past 35 years in America, it may well be that there are some among us this morning who have had an abortion in the past. You may be dealing with the guilt of something that took place 15 years ago. I don't want to regurgitate the pain for you . But, I'm here to tell you this morning that there is forgiveness at the cross of Christ for any guilt that you may feel. The entire reason that this church exists is because of the work that Christ did on the cross to forgive the worst of sinners.
King David committed sexual sin. Rather than confessing it, he killed to cover it up. This is what most of those who have an abortion do. There is some sexual sin. And then a murder to cover it up. When David kept silent about his sin, his body wasted away (Ps. 32:3). He described himself as being zapped of all energy, as he endured the fever heat of summer. But, when he confessed his iniquity, God forgave the guilt of his sin (Ps. 32:5). And then, he said those famous words, "How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity" (Ps. 32:1-2). Paul would later quote these words to demonstrated that by faith in Christ, your sins may be washed away and you can discover the blessed life.
And so, if you are dealing with the issue of an abortion in your life,
look to Christ, who is the only one who can forgive the guilt of your sin. Now, even if
you aren't personally dealing with this guilt, know that there are people that you see
every day who are. Every time you go to the grocery store, there are many women who are
dealing with the guilt of what took place in their lives. Every time that you go to
Wal-mart, there are many who are dealing with these feelings. The clerk you see at
Hobby Lobby or the waitress at Lino's or the librarian at the local library or the
woman exercising next to you at the gym. Any of these women may be dealing with the
effects of an abortion in their life. They are all around us. Many are carrying around
the guilt of the past. And if you encounter others who are dealing with this same
thing, be quick to share the wonders of the cross of Christ with them.
____________________
Now, it's not my purpose this morning to detail for all of you the evils of abortion. Perhaps we'll save that for another day. Nor is it my purpose this morning to try to persuade you that abortion is wrong. We'll save that for another day as well. I assume it this morning. My question this morning is this: How ought we to respond to such an abomination in our land? How are we to respond when the government permits women to destroy the children in their womb?
Peter gives us some counsel in our text this morning: 1 Peter 2:16-17. My message this morning is going to be a bit different than normal. My burden this morning is to steer us to some pointed application of what to do regarding the abortion crisis that we are facing in America. The blood has fallen upon our land and we are all partly responsible for what is taking place in our nation. I feel the call this morning to trumpet this cause for those who will never have a voice. There are dying babies who need someone to stand for them. Consider the text within it's immediate context:
1 Peter 2:13-17
Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. [Act] as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but [use it] as bondslaves of God. Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
Before we dig into my question this morning, let's first look at
...
1. The Context
Perhaps the biggest question surrounding our text this morning comes in the reason why it is that Peter would include these words here. In the context of this letter, we find ourselves in a section in which Peter is addressing the issue of our submission to our authorities. He says, "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution" (2:13). Later, he says, "Servants, be submissive to your masters" (2:18). He continues later with this command, In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands (3:1). And now, in the midst of all this discussion about submission, all of a sudden for two verses, Peter is talking about our freedom.
In the minds of many, these are contradictory ideas. Submission to authority means that you are under obligation to do whatever your authority tells you to do. In so doing, you have lost your freedom to do whatever it is that you want to do. And so, the question of the text is this: how does our submission to our authorities relate to our freedom in Christ.
The truth of the Bible is clear: as Christians, we are indeed free. In the very first sermon that Jesus ever preached, He preached a message of freedom to those who are oppressed. Later, Jesus would say, "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:32). Throughout the epistles, there is an emphasis upon the freedom that we have gained through faith in Christ. "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2). "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Cor. 3:17).
Now, as free men, we are still under an authority. We are still under the authority of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. In once sense, this makes us free from all governing authorities. Our citizenship is in heaven! (Phil. 3:20). Any citizenship that we hold here is secondary to that kingdom.
Picture a king, who has a son, who will someday inherit the kingdom. During the time that the child is young, the king is off governing the affairs of his country. He delegates the authority of training his child to guardians and managers. That child is to submit to their authority, because his father has willingly delegated authority to them. As the child submits to their authority, the child is demonstrating his submission to his father.
In the same way, the authorities that are in our lives have been established by God. We demonstrate our submission to our Heavenly Father by submitting to the earthly authorities that He has established for us. We do this, not because we are forced into submission. Rather, we do this as a demonstration of our true freedom. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:13, "For you were called to freedom, brethern; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Our freedom doesn't mean that we are free to do whatever we want to do. Rather, we are free to do whatever is right to do. And the right thing for us to do is to submit to our authorities (2:13). Particularly here in verses 13-17, we are called to submit to our governmental authorities (2:13-14). We do so willingly. This means that we freely and voluntarily live our lives in submission to our authorities, not because we are slaves to our authorities, but rather, because we know that the Lord has placed these authorities in our lives (Rom. 13:1-2).
And so, that's how I believe these verses fit in our context. Peter is addressing how it is that we ought to use our freedom. We ought to use it to submit.
As I mentioned last week, this is easy as long as we have righteous rulers enacting righteous laws. However, the rub comes when we disagree with our governing authorities. When we have unrighteous leaders, who enact unrighteous laws, contrary to God's will, we have a dilemma: how ought we to act in such a case? And, particularly, this morning, I want to see the counsel that Peter gives in these verses pertaining to this issue of the abortion laws that are in our land.
2. The Counsel
The people of Peter's day knew first-hand of the difficulty in seeking to submit to an unrighteous authority. As I mentioned last week, they lived under the tyranny of Nero. To refuse to submit to him and his rule may well have cost them their lives. Fortunately, we are not in the same situation. We have a greater degree of freedom than those to whom Peter wrote. And so, here's Peter's first counsel, ...
1. Use your freedom (verse 16a)
Peter begins verse 16 by saying, "Act as free men." In America, we have tremendous freedom. We have freedom of speech. We have freedom of religion. We have freedom of travel. We have freedom to vote for our leaders. Regarding the issue of abortion, I encourage you to use your freedom to fight against abortion.
On the first front, I would encourage you to vote pro-life. Don't vote for those who will continue to support unrighteous laws in our land. But, don't place your hope in pro-life politicians. For the past 35 years, many resources have been invested into the legislative process in our land. We have had Democrats in power and we have had Republicans in power. And how much has changed about our abortion laws? For all practical purposes, nothing has changed. Abortion is still legal in all fifty states. When a abortion-related cases have reached the Supreme Court on a few occasions these past 35 years, Roe vs. Wade has been affirmed. Women have continued to receive a "right to privacy" in this area, which supercedes the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for the child in the womb.
And so, I think that it is our responsibility to vote, and to vote pro-life. But, I don't think that we ought to place much hope there. For 35 years, not much has worked.
One man wrote this, ...
With all of the lobbying, all of the rallying, and all of the petitioning, why do legislative efforts continue to fail? The fact is, most people just don't care about abortion. Until a much greater number of people do care, legislative efforts will continue to fail. The real question is, why don't people care about abortion? That's an easy one. They don't care because they don't know. People have a sense that abortion is 'bad,' but they have no idea how bad.
For too long we've put the cart before the horse. Widespread education must precede widespread legislation. ...
Most Americans already believe that child-killing is wretched and immoral. They just haven't been sufficiently convinced that abortion is child killing. The primary obstacle keeping people on the wrong side of this issue is not so much moral as educational. [3]
There is much truth in these words. And so, I encourage you to use your freedom by spreading to word and speaking about it. That's what I'm doing this morning. I'm trumpeting a call for the unborn. That's what I'd love to see all of you do. Now, I know that many of you aren't standing in pulpits week after week with a platform to make this issue known. And so, I'll direct you into a few ways to make this issue known.
I want to highlight a website for you: Abort73.com. This website is very well done. It has a ton of information on it about abortion. It presents a well-reasoned case against abortion (from a biological, political, philosophical, financial, and theological perspective). It presents the raw facts about abortion (from statistics to the state laws; from birth control to stem cells). It also presents an approach to bringing an end to abortion. The heart of this website is simply to make the issue known. And all of us can work to make the issue known.
One of the greatest ways that we can use our freedom is in our speech. Ingrained into the very fabric of our society is the freedom of speech. You can speak your mind on just about anything in this country. And if you are courteous and respectable and knowledgeable, you will not be in trouble for your words. Regarding abortion, if you are anything like me, you don't have all of the facts about abortion in your head ready to share with anybody. But, you can make known a website like Abort73.com, which has many of the answers to the questions about abortion.
At the website, they have a bunch of shirts and sweatshirts that you can purchase. They encourage you to be a walking billboard with what you wear. Some of these shirts simply have the name, "Abort73.com" in clear letters. Some of these shirts have pretty simple, non-offensive messages, like ... "Abort73.com. The case is clear." or "Abort73.com. See for yourself." or "Abort73.com. Fix the future." Other shirts are a bit more provocative. "Would it bother us more if they used guns? Abort73.com." and "ABORTION UNFILTERED. Don't think about me. Don't talk about me. Just pretend I don't exist. Sincerely, ... Abortion."
In the past, I have purchased some T-shirts that contain messages about the gospel. But, I'm going to purchase some of these in an effort to use my freedom of speech to spread the message of the evils of abortion. If you are around at all, you'll see my T-shirts. This site also has stickers and pens and business cards and booklets for you to hand out. There is one booklet entitled, "A Biblical Mandate To Do Something About Abortion," that is available to everyone here at church. [4]
And so, use your freedom to make this issue known. Perhaps it means that you need to be creative. A few weeks ago, our family took a little trip down to Kentucky. While driving through Indiana, I noticed some billboard along side of the road that was using freedom of speech. One of them said, "Abortion is forever -- choose life." Another one said, "Abortion stops a beating heart." Perhaps one of you will purchase a billboard advertisement. Perhaps you can purchase an advertisement in your local yearbook or program or student newspaper, advertising Abort73.com. Perhaps you can write a letter to the editor of Rockford Register Star about the truth of abortion, even mentioning Abort73.com.
Make the issue known. Now, I don't want to overwhelm you this morning with so many things that you end up doing nothing. But, my challenge to you is this. Resolve in your heart this day to do one thing to make this issue known. You all have friends. Perhaps you can begin by simply telling one friend about the website. Many of you have email. Perhaps you wnat to email this site to some of those in your address book.
Peter tells us to (1) Use your freedom (verse 16a). My second sub-point is this. ...
2. Do good to others (verse 16b)
In verse 16, Peter warns his readers, "and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God." In other words, as we perform our civic duties, we aren't to use our freedom in Christ to be rebellious toward our authorities. Rather, we are to be those who carry ourselves always with upright conduct.
Regarding the issue of abortion in America, there are some who have responded to the laws of our land in anger and resentment and hate! Some have gone so far as to bomb abortion clinics. Some have gone so far as to take justice into their own hands and have killed abortion doctors, justifying themselves in the process. A former classmate of mine in high school once drove his car into an abortion clinic here in Rockford. And then, he got out of his car with an ax in hand and began to chop away at the building. (The owner of the building just happened to be there when the attack took place. He fired two blasts from his shotgun, and my classmate was driven away).
Now, I appreciate the zeal with which these types of people are seeking to right the wrongs of abortion in our land. However, I believe that these things are exactly what Peter warns against. "Do not use your freedom as a covering for evil" he says. Our approach ought to be different. Peter encourages us to "overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:21) (to use Paul's words). They path to overcoming abortion in America won't be by raising the level of violence directed toward others. It will be through our kindness and mercy displayed to others.
And I am so encouraged how the church of Christ has arisen over the years to deal with the abortion issue. Thirty-five years ago, there was not one Crisis Pregnancy Care Center in the land. Today, there are some 2,200 such centers across our land. All across the nation, these pregnancy care centers are serving hurting women. They provide pregnancy tests. They provide education about pregnancy and abortion. They give away maternity clothing. They refer people for adoption and foster care. They give financial help to those needing it to care for their child. They provide counseling for those dealing with the emotional trauma after an abortion. Many of them provide ultrasounds for the women, that they might see the child that is in their womb. Provide abstinence counseling for singles. Promote purity conferences. I believe that most of you are familiar with these centers. The Rockford Area Pregnancy Care Center has three branches. One is on east State Street. One is on West State Street. Another one is in Belvidere.
These pregnancy care centers been funded primarily through pro-life people in the church, who have believed in the cause of helping abortion-minded women to stop and think about what they are about to do! They are a testimony to the good that those in the church have demonstrated even when the government has been evil. This is the way that the church of Jesus Christ will overcome the evils in the world.
For not with swords' loud clashing,
Nor roll of stirring drums,
With deeds of love and mercy,
The heav'nly kingdom comes. [5]
And so, this morning, I want to encourage you to put some shoe-leather to your life regarding this issue. It's good to talk and to make the issue known. But, at some point, you also need to do something with your life about these things. How are you doing good regarding the issue of abortion in our land? Great opportunities are there for you to involve yourself with the Pregnancy Care Centers here in Rockford. One in our church has been involved in purity retreats for teen girls. Another has been involved in counseling future fathers. Talk to these people about ways to get involved. Or, call the center yourself.
Now, it may be that your life is just plain too busy to be involved in these things. There are other Christian causes that are consuming your time at the moment. That's fine. Perhaps you want to do good by giving to the center. You can support the work that they do financially. Each year they put on two fund-raising events. In the spring, they have a banquet. In the fall, they have a Hike-For-Life. Over the years we have promoted these things as a church. We would encourage you to give in this way.
Another way that you can overcome evil with good is through adoption. What a great thing it would be if some families in this church adopted children from an abortion-minded mother. It's a life-time commitment to doing good for the cause. But, this is what Peter's calling us to do. "Overcome evil with good."
Finally, let's turn our attention to Peter's last counsel, which comes in verse 17.
3. Honor all in the process (verse 17)
This comes from verse 17, "Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king." Peter here gives us a code of conduct in dealing with our governmental authorities. Here, we see four, quick, simple commands that ought to govern all of our behavior toward others.
We are to "honor all people." That is, we need to treat everyone with respect. We are to "love the brotherhood." This means that we need to place a priority on giving ourselves sacrificially to those in within the church. We need to "fear God." This speaks of the attitude with which we ought to carry ourselves. Finally, we are to "honor the king." This is especially challenging for us when we face those in authority over us, who disagree with us as Christians. But still, we are called to give honor where honor is due.
Now, when people become Christians, it makes them better citizens. The government ought to love Christians because of our attitudes and actions toward the government. Of all men, we are to be model citizens.
Think about the impact that such a course of action would make on our society if Christians would obey these things given in 1 Peter. Suppose that Christians across our nation were to be entirely submissive to the government, being model citizens in every way, doing everything that they request:
- reporting all income for tax purposes.
- doing the speed limit.
- showing up for community meetings.
- never being late on a property tax bill.
- supporting our mayor.
- supporting our sheriff.
- supporting our police staff.
- expressing our appreciation for those who lead us.
- assembling in mass to Poplar Grove to clean up from the tornado that touched down a week ago.
- giving ourselves to better our community.
- praying constantly in our church services "for kings and all who are in authority" (1 Tim. 2:2).
- "leading tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity" (1 Tim. 2:2).
And then suppose that when disagreements arose on non-moral issues, we dealt with them with charity and love, giving honor to all people, especially respecting those in authority over us. When disagreements arose on moral issues, we continued our respect, but let our voice be known.
Now, imagine that the government imposes something that would clearly violate our consciences. Something comes our way, which we clearly think is wrong (like abortion). And the entire Christian community communicates with our governmental officials in a very respectful way. I can imagine that this is done with strong words, peaceful protests, constant reminders of the evil taking place. But, suppose that this never stops! Those who are exemplary and encouraging to leaders in every other ara but this one area. When it comes to this area, they never stop speaking.
Now, what sort of effect do you think that it would have on our government? When the best citizens are all vocally against the evils of abortion, the legislature surely must perk up and listen. Especially, if in the process, we are treating others with great honor, as we represent our God. Don't you think that this would make an impact?
Too often, however, the religious right behaves in the same way that the liberal left behaves. They will do anything it takes to get my agenda across! But, Peter calls us to be above this. He calls us to honor all people. These admonitions are particularly applicable for us who are in situations where we aren't in agreement with our government. With an issue like abortion, we can easily blow our top. But, God calls us to honor all in the process, even when we disagree.
The key here is this: in our disagreements with our authorities, we don't rely upon political power to persuade the government to rule more effectively. Rather, we rely upon Christian graces. We rely upon our God to work when we follow His ways.
A great Biblical example of this took place in the days of the Babylonian captivity. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, were Jewish boys that were ripped from their families and brought into Babylon, to be trained in the service of the king. Much injustice was done to these young men. Early on, they were presented with the king's choice food to eat and his wine to drink. To us, this might not seem to be too much of a problem. But, remember, these men were Jewish to the core. They had maintained a Kosher diet their entire lives. And then, against their will, they were brought into Babylon, and given the food of the Babylonians to eat. They could have resisted and rebelled. They could have complained and argued about the food that was set before them. Just like we can complain about the laws and regulations that we don't like. But, what did they do? I believe that they honored all people, loved the brotherhood, feared God, and honored the king (per 1 Peter 2:16-17).
Along with Daniel, they "sought permission from the commander of the officials that [they] might not defiled themselves" with the Babylonian food and drink (Dan. 1:8). The commander of the officials told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king" (Dan. 1:10). And so, Daniel made a deal with him. He said, "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see" (Dan. 1:12-13).
The officer listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days (Dan. 1:14). "At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food. So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables" (Dan. 1:15-16). God prospered these youths.
But, please notice how it was that they went about their disagreement. They were polite. They were courteous. They were sensitive to the concerns of the authorities in their lives. And the end result was marvelous. Do you know why? Because God was at work in the situation. "God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials" (Dan. 1:9). They followed Peter's injunction: "Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king." God was faithful to come to their aid.
And I believe that in our dealings with our authorities, we must act the same way. If we do, God will be faithful to help us. "My help comes from the Lord" (Ps. 121:2). If abortion is ever to be ended in America, it will only be through the Lord's doing. May we follow Peter's counsel in these matters: "Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."
As we close, I want to give you tell you a bit about William Wilberforce. He too faced an unrighteous nation in England. He labored long and hard for the abolition of slavery. He labored against tremendous foes. He labored against the richest people in Brittan. Slavery was a huge sector of the British economy, far more than the abortion industry is today. Businessmen, ship owners, and the crown opposed his actions. Many feared financial ruin and nationwide recession if the slave trade ceased. [6]
He worked hard to raise the awareness of the degrading nature of slavery. He spoke on the evils of slavery. He wrote about the evils of slavery. He used pictures to show how inhumanely they were treated. Had the internet been available to him, I'm sure that he would have used it too to propagate the evils that were taking place through the slavery in Brittan and beyond.
It wasn't easy for him. His life was threatened on a number of occasions. He lost many friends. He endured the intense political pressure of many who anticipated the international political ramifications. But, Wilberforce continued on fighting for the abolition of slavery. And everything that I know of the character of William Wilberforce is that he indeed "honored all people, loved the brotherhood, feared God, and honored the king in the process." (1 Peter 2:17). He was known in England as an upright citizen. He gave a fourt of his annual income to the poor and fought for the poor to have a better life. "His homes were havens for the marginalized and dispossessed." [7]
Finally, after 20 years of labor, Parliament passed his motion to abolish the slave trade. So much was Wilberforce the face of this battle that when the law as passed, "the House rose almost to a man and turned towards Wilberforce in a burst of Parliamentary cheers. ... [Wilberforce] sat, head bowed, tears streaming down his face." [8]
But, his work was not yet done. Wilberforce continued to fight on for the next 26 years until his death. Because, his bill only outlawed the slave trade. It didn't outlaw slavery itself. There were two fronts to fight. The first was the implementation of the abolition law, which was no easy task. The second was the abolition of slavery itself.
Three months before his death, Wilberforce was persuaded to propose a last petition against slavery. He said, "I had never thought to appear in public again, but it shall never be said that William Wilberforce is silent while the slaves require his help." [9] The decisive vote to end slavery came a mere three days before Wilberforce died. He left a legacy upon this world: a righteous fight for a righteous cause.
Church family, we have here in this nation an issue before us of the magnitude of slavery. It will take work. It will take prayers. It will take the Lord's intervention. Oh, how wonderful it would be for our land if abortion were abolished! God may be gracious and allow this. If we fear Him, we will fervently pray for this to take place. But, until that day, "may it never be said that Rock Valley Bible Church is silent while babies require our help!"
This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on
January 20, 2008 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rvbc.cc.
[1] This testimony was found on http://www.abort73.com. There are about a hundred such testimonies on this website.
[2] This letter was originally written to Bill Hybels, which he shared in a booklet entitled, "One Church's Answer to Abortion." Charles Swindol quotes this in his book, Sanctity of Life, p. 35.
[3] Michael Spielman, "A Biblical Mandate To Do Something About Abortion," pp. 20-21.
[4] This article can be found on Abort73.com.
[5] Ernest W. Shurtleff wrote these words which are found in the hymn, "Lead On, O King Eternal."
[6] Christian History, Issue 53, p. 16.
[8] Robert Isaac Wilberforce and Samuel Wilberforce, The Life of William Wilberforce, Vol. 1, 211, as quoted by John Piper in his book on William Wilberforce, entitled, "Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce," p. 38.
[9] John Pollock, "A Man Who Changed His Times," p. 90, as quoted by John Piper in his book on William Wilberforce, entitled, "Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce," p. 39.