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This weekend, we acknowledge National Sanctity of Human Life Day. In Ronald Reagan’s original proclamation, he called upon all people to reaffirm our “…commitment to the dignity of every human being and the sanctity of each human life.” This should not be a controversial belief to affirm and share. Yet, so many create exceptions and allowances that permit the murder of human beings of all kinds, especially helpless babies.
As followers of Messiah Yeshua, we must stand for God’s truth in every situation. It is wrong, even sinful, to turn away from the problems we encounter. If we ignore someone hurting another person, refusing to do anything within our power to help them, we have sinned. But how much more serious is it if we ignore murder, extermination, and the dehumanization of others? God’s Word makes it clear how we are to think and act in the face of such suffering, but I would like to highlight one passage in detail this morning, found in Proverbs 24:10-12:
If you fail under pressure,
your strength is too small.
Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die;
save them as they stagger to their death.
Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.”
For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.
He who guards your soul knows you knew.
He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
We are called to rescue, to save those wrongly sentenced to death. It is for this reason that many who campaigned against slavery in this country were true followers of the Lord. It is why men like Dietrich Bonhoeffer wanted to see Hitler and the Nazi party overthrown. It is why so many Believers around the world have, for centuries, reached out to help people in need. They have advocated for the oppressed and affirmed the dignity and sanctity of all human beings.
Each of us, if we claim to belong to Messiah Yeshua, has been commanded to stand up for those who are being oppressed and murdered. This means we cannot pretend we do not see the murder of abortion taking place in our country and the dehumanization of people who have infinite worth, being made in God’s image. The blood of helpless babies and others cry out from the Earth. According to the Guttmacher Institute in 2020, there were an estimated 930,000 Abortions in the US alone. That is more than an abortion every single minute. On average that means before our service today over 100 babies will have died.
What we are called to do is different for everyone; we all have different abilities and purposes from the Lord. But the starting point for everyone is the same: truly acknowledging the suffering and asking the Lord to give us the strength and knowledge to do what He wants. Once we acknowledge the reality of this crisis we must vote, educate, pray, and act as the Lord leads us to participate in ending this slaughter.
If the command of the Lord is not sufficient to motivate us, we have the warning found in verses 11 and 12. We cannot use ignorance as an excuse with the Lord. He knows us better than we know ourselves and knows that we have seen this devastation. The one who saves us is also the one who judges. For those who stand for His truth, He will bring rewards beyond comprehension. But He will judge and bring His righteous anger upon those who reject His truth and are complicit in murder.
This can seem like an insurmountable crisis. That there is little we can do to help. But slavery ended in our country and Nazi Germany is no more. With God all things are possible, and this horrible sin can be diminished and ended. Our strength is too small for such a large task, but the strength of the Lord, the power of the Holy Spirit, is more than able to meet our needs. So on this day, let us recommit ourselves to rescuing hose who are being led to death and bringing the tragic murder of abortion to an end.
May the Lord give each of us the strength and wisdom necessary for His work. May we see the legalized slaughter of the innocent come to an end in this country and around the world speedily and soon.