Be doers of the word, and not hearers only…the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:22–27
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, rejoice with us for the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion in the Dobbs case, which has essentially overturned the court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade! God is faithful and always provides. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
As a church, we would like to share some thoughts regarding our response, which is adapted from a response written by our sister CREC church, Reformation Covenant.
Here are some things to think about in that context:
- Give glory to God and offer prayers of thanksgiving. Our Christian brothers and sisters have been praying for and working towards this result for 50 years, and our Lord has answered these prayers! He has heard the cries of the oppressed.
- Recognize that the work is not done; in fact, it will intensify.
- In states that ban abortion, the church must reach out to women facing unplanned pregnancies even more than before. We must be prepared to sacrificially love these women with our time, our treasure, and our emotional support—all of which belong toGod and over which we are merely stewards.
- In states like Washington, abortion will not become less available; in fact, our current crop of elected officials will seek to provide abortion services to as many women as possible from other states that are more restrictive. We must continue to pray and to work to change the hearts and minds of our fellow neighbors so that unjust laws in our state are repealed.
- Recognize that a change in law does not equate to an immediate change in heart or belief. The law is a teacher. For 50 years, people have been taught that abortion is not murder, that unborn children are not people. It is a good thing for the law to change, but it will take years for minds to change, and in states like Washington, the law will continue to teach evil for a time. Surveys show that most Americans favor abortion restrictions, but those same surveys indicate that the majority opposes a ban, particularly during the first trimester. It seems that the personhood of unborn children is not grasped by many of our fellow citizens. We must redouble our prayers and our efforts to change hearts and minds.
- Recognize that there are many people in our country, particularly women, who are afraid of what will happen to women if abortion is banned and believe that such a ban would represent an assault on women by men who do not suffer in the same way as a woman who is facing an unplanned pregnancy does. This is not an illegitimate fear. Instances abound of men who abandon their responsibilities toward the women and children in their lives. This is egregious and we must hold men accountable for their actions, as modeled for us in God’s Law. At the same time we must protect their rights as father’s made in the image of the Father as it relates to their access to and decisions regarding the children they have fathered.
- Recognize that those who work in pro-life organizations, including pregnancy centers, are at an increased risk of danger from evil men and evil women who may lash out in rage because of the Supreme Court’s opinion. Pray for these people and offer material support as you are able.
- Recognize that Christian families may have increased opportunity to adopt the most vulnerable among us, something that set apart the early church. We will need to prayerfully consider whether we ought to adopt these children into our own families, and if not, how we can support those who do.
- Be cautious and circumspect on social media. This ought to be a time of great joy and thanksgiving to God for his mercy and you should not withhold your public thanksgiving for the Providence of God, yet it coincides with a time of ungodly grief and worry for many others in our society including in some cases, family and friends, many of whom are simply deceived. Resist the temptation of proud chest-thumping or mockery, and instead rejoice with personal humility, proudly giving all glory to God for casting down His enemies, praying for Him to use this victory to bring about true reformation to His Church and this nation.
Thank you Joe for this wonderful sharing about this Supreme Court Action. I really find this encouraging to hear from a leader in a church.