A doctrine that has come to define Protestant theology is Sola Scriptura. It states that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the sole, infallible rule of faith for the church. They function to equip the believer with the truth of salvation for all matters of life.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 3:16
For Christians, the Word of God is the standard. It is given by the Holy Spirit of God, making it the most potent weapon in the arsenal of the church (Ephesians 6:18).
However, the Bible is not merely a “church book,” authoritative for personal piety or the affairs of the gathered congregation. It is divine revelation to which all men in every sphere of life are accountable to obey in word, thought and deed. Our Lord Jesus reminds us in Matthew 4:10:
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God.”
All men are under the rule of God’s Word. Christians are those that have been brought by divine power to a glad reception of this rule, and are empowered by their Master to preach the Good News of His salvation to all men in the hope that they would be brought to a willing recognition of his lordship.
Therefore, the task of the church is to apply God’s revelation to the hearts of men and teach them the obedience that comes from faith (Romans 1:5). History has shown that as Christians have done this, not only are sinners redeemed, but nations are restored and great cultural evils are vanquished.
The care of the deprived, unwanted and defenseless is a distinctively Biblical virtue.
It is the Christian worldview, with its understanding of the “image of God,” that has elevated the dignity of all persons, particularly the weak who are often made subjects of the strong. The care of the deprived, unwanted and defenseless is a distinctively Biblical virtue.
“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” — Proverbs 31:8-9
This is why the Pro-Life movement is not a historical novelty. It was inaugurated on a Roman cross two thousand years ago. Otherwise known as Christianity, the Pro-Life position has always meant protecting the helpless and the innocent. Indeed, wherever the Holy Scriptures have been prized so have the value of human life and the rights of the needy.
Followers of Jesus Christ have successfully fought past injustices by bringing the Word of God to bear upon the governments of their day, pressing the claims of the King of kings in the legal realm as well as ministering the Gospel of grace.
They do this because they know that the murder of the unborn is a symptom of religious apostasy in our land. It is fundamentally a problem of sin for which the only cure is the redemption accomplished by Christ in reconciling guilty rebels to their Creator as he brings his reign over all the earth.
Herein lies the only hope for the end of abortion: the proclamation of the Gospel as entrusted to the Christian Church.
This message of unfathomable love is what causes men to desire God’s law with all their hearts and guard the sanctity of life. Herein lies the only hope for the end of abortion: the proclamation of the Gospel as entrusted to the Christian Church.
In this spirit, a grassroots movement of believers is rising up to drive back the darkness at the state level. End Abortion Now and Action for Life are spearheading the activism, focusing on equipping local churches and drafting bills of equal protection to instruct the public sphere in righteousness concerning the protection of the unborn.
Arizona, Louisiana, Colorado, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Oklahoma and others have already filed bills, with more states coming in 2023.
The bills, if passed, protect all human beings from conception and make the act of abortion illegal for everyone involved in committing the crime. This approach is set apart from other modern Pro-Life laws that have focused on limiting abortion, rather than outlawing the practice altogether.
Why equal protection? God’s law demands that we treat everyone the same (Leviticus 19:15). Not only this, but the greatest commandment is that we love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31).
Practically, this means ensuring preborn lives are guarded the same way as born lives (Matthew 7:12). It is an imperative command to protect all image bearers of God equally and give them justice, especially the fatherless.
“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” — James 2:8-9
God’s law demands that we treat everyone the same. Practically, this means ensuring preborn lives are guarded the same way as born lives.
Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the Church to call upon their earthly rulers to establish justice (Psalm 82:2-4). Scripture has made us sufficient for this task. We were saved in the Lord Jesus to live faithfully and rescue those that are perishing.
“If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?” — Proverbs 24:10-12
Believers must remind those in authority of whom they serve and apply the Word to the hearts of men for the cause of life (Psalm 149:6-9). It is our heritage, calling, and glory to employ the Sword of the Spirit in defense of the innocent.
Abortion is too great of an adversary for us to use any other standard.
“Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” — Psalm 2:10-12
