The excerpt below was taken from a six part series that Dr. Mohler is doing on the issue of abortion. But as only he can so powerfully state, the burden that we as Christians might rightly have for any social issue facing us in our culture coupled with the sincere desire to see society reform and change on those same issues, must begin from the context of God's Word and not the context of the passion for the social issue itself in fighting the cultural wars.
This is where the Red-Letter Christian liberals of our day have erred. Truth must always remain central and the nexus of all causes that pull at our hearts and souls. I invite you to drink deeply from the well that Dr. Mohler has offered for us this day. Given President Obama's liberal views on abortion and his desire for FOCA to become the governing norm on this issue, this series is a must read.
Please visit Dr. Mohler's website to read the entire article and to follow this important six part series on the crucial issue of abortion vs. life for all unborn children.
Choose Life,
Steve
Matt. 5-7
The excerpt featured below is taken from the introduction to the article: What Makes Abortion Plausible? What Makes Abortion Unthinkable?, Part One
By Dr. R. Al Mohler
I invite you to turn to the first chapter of the book of Jeremiah, and to look with me at these introductory words to Jeremiah’s prophecy.
We need to turn to Scripture even before we turn to the issue of abortion. We must not attempt to think about urgent moral issues of our day without first turning to Scripture. We want to think clearly so that we are prepared to convince, to speak, to intervene, and to articulate - for we are responsible to have an answer. But there is a grave danger if we begin without first going into the world of the Bible to get our bearings. When we turn to the Scripture we come to understand that every single issue we confront is connected to every other issue and every truth is connected to every other truth. Therefore, we actually do injury and harm to our argument if we just take one thread of the garment and try to talk about it without understanding the whole.
When we reenter the world of the Bible and gain our bearings, we find both the explicit statements of Scripture and also the grand narrative of the Bible. This narrative begins with creation and ends with consummation. All of human experience, all of human history, and everything we know now makes sense. We understand that after creation came the fall, and so we come to understand that we live in a sinful world. We understand that creation represents God’s perfect purpose, but that human beings brought sin into the world. Thus, everything we experience about the world now is what we know about a fallen world. And in a fallen world, it is not just that people do bad things. In a fallen world, every single atom and molecule of the entire cosmos is crying out for redemption. Things are not now as they are to be, as God would have them to be, and as He will make them to be.
In entering the world of the Bible, we come to know God’s plan in a way that makes all of human history understandable, putting everything in a larger frame of reference. The story is not just about the creation of a universe that was declared good by its creator, nor is it just about the fall and the catastrophe that took place so that nothing is right or exactly as it should be. We ourselves understand falleness to be our own experience. We look in the mirror and see the evidence of the fall.
We come to understand that the purpose of God was to bring glory to His name through the redemption of a people who would be known by His own name, saved by the blood of His own Son. We come to understand that redemption is the great theme of the Bible. From beginning to end, all things point toward a Cross and resurrection, and the Gospel becomes the magnificent display of God’s glory. In the Gospel, God shows Himself to be even more glorious than had he merely been Creator, because He is now Creator and Redeemer.
We also understand that history has purpose – history is headed toward something. God was its beginning as the Creator, and God will bring all things to His perfect end. And because Jesus Christ Himself is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, history is headed towards someone.
Therefore, as we reenter the world of the Bible, we find not only that the Bible reveals to us very clear precepts and teachings, but it also reveals a set of theological assumptions that are a part of God’s merciful revelation to us.
9 comments:
Amen. May we turn to the Scriptures first. That should be the heart of the Church on every single issue from the greatest theological debates to social issues, we must turn to the Word of God before we hear the words of men (Mark 7:1-13). May God encourage us through His Word (Romans 15:4) and show us how competent we are through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The Seeking Disciple
Passion on culture wars issues is a good thing; but it must be tempered and guarded by the truth of God's Word.
As Dr. Mohler has said in this post that we need to be able to respond with answers to the tough moral and social issues of our day. But the well from which we draw those answers must come from Scripture.
Thanks for your comment here brother.
Campi
The political chant last year was "change". Only the gospel can bring genuine and authentic and eternal change, everything else is like straightening the tie on a corpse. If the moral issue being promoted is changed through legislation or referendum without a change in heart first, it is in fact a form of humanism, legalism, and a social gospel.
I personally see a shift within some evangelical perspectives that continue to view political power as less and less important. If the Lord should tarry, it is possible that we will see much of the political involvement as counter-productive to the message of the gospel which is by faith alone.
(which you know is my view since 2000)
Rick
I couldn't agree more! Tremendous comment.
Steve
I came across this Pro-Life video on TV. It's a 41 second video that should make people think, especially our new President. It's called Imagine.
Hello! :)
In Jeremiah 1, the LORD tells Jeremiah, "Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you..." (v. 8,9). In verse 17, the LORD says, "Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them."
We can't expect earthly commendation for a pro-life stand. We can't be afraid or offended by name calling and wrong accusations. We can, however, pray for each other, and abide in loving obedience with our Father, as we intercede for both victims, the mother and the child.
Beethovensings
"Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them."
Jeremiah is one of my heroes among all the prophets. Broken, yet courageous; weeping, yet unyielding; faced with their terrors, but not dismayed.
Consider again all of Jeremiah 1:17, "Now, gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them."
Notice five things here:
Jeremiah must:
1. "gird up" - prepare himself for battle.
2. "rise up" - action had to be taken
3. "speak up" - confront their rebellion
4. "stand up" - do not be dismayed
5. "look up" - do not forget the Lord is the One who has fitted you to do battle; and if you fail to trust in His strength and His Word, He will dismay you before them.
Amazing truth!
The battle is the Lord's beloved- but yet we must obey and honor Him with courage and faith while in the midst of the battle, and not run or cower or become over wrought with fear.
As Paul said to a young timid Timothy: "Be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Tim. 2:1)
Amen?
Amen.
"Be strong in the grace."
Grace is not wimpy.
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