Over the years I’ve frequently been told that life issues are not what the church of Jesus Christ is to be about. A seminary student at my church once told me something I’ve often heard in one form or another: “Issues like abortion are just a distraction from the main thing.”
“What’s the main thing?” I asked.
“The Great Commission,” he said. “Winning people to Christ. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Everything else is a distraction.”
What that seminary student failed to understand is that nothing opens doors for evangelism like need-meeting ministries. Students who do a speech on abortion have follow-up conversations that can lead to sharing the gospel. Those who work at pregnancy centers have great opportunities to share Christ, as do those who pass out literature at abortion clinics and go on campuses to educate about abortion. People who open their homes to pregnant women demonstrate a love which leads to sharing the gospel. Whenever we meet people’s needs, evangelism becomes both natural and credible. (I develop these thoughts in Life Issues: Distraction from the Great Commission or Part of It?)
This topic was also the subject of a teaching session I recorded for the Global Prolife Congress put on by LIFE International, a wonderful ministry that has equipped over 15,000 international pastors to launch life-affirming ministries in their countries. The goal of this gathering was to advance the gospel and the message of life throughout the world.
A friend of our ministry, who lives in Eastern Europe and attended the conference in Malta, writes, “We met people from 108 countries with 47 more countries participating on-line. …the fellowship and the things we learned, the way God spoke to us as a part of that amazing gathering of His people, is what is most priceless.”
In this clip from my message, I explain that to be pro-life should certainly mean more than being concerned for unborn babies, but it should never mean less than that:
Here’s the full message, about how our efforts to protect the most vulnerable—the unborn—ARE part of fulfilling the Great Commission:
January 21 is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, a time for believers to remember and pray for prolife ministries and victimized mothers and babies. I encourage you to download (without cost) my short book Pro-Choice or Pro-Life: Examining 15 Pro-Choice Claims—What Do Facts & Common Sense Tell Us? It will equip you in your conversations and also is a great book to share with those who are pro-choice or are on the fence. The book is also available in print from our ministry for an affordable price.
Photo: Unsplash
