Take a close look at your ministry in the face of these assaults on human dignity. What are we, as Christian leaders, doing right now to equip our people to respond biblically and persuasively? The question is crucial, because Christians who ignore current debates over abortion and embryo research may soon face even tougher challenges.

Nevertheless, I'll tell you how some churches I know respond: They give the local crisis pregnancy center (CPC) director five minute each year—on 'Sanctity of Human Life Sunday'—to briefly discuss his/her ministry to women in need, followed by a vague sermon that says little about abortion per se, but rather discusses our need to be 'pro-life' in all areas like caring for the poor, feeding the homeless, stopping spousal abuse, etc.

Now, there's nothing wrong with a discussion of these topics or with giving the CPC director time to highlight his/her work (indeed, we should give her much more time than that!), but is a tepid pro-life Sunday once each year going to equip lay people to persuasively respond to these assaults on human dignity? What's needed is pastoral leadership that preaches truth and equips lay-persons to engage the culture with a robust, but graciously communicated, biblical worldview.

Given current assaults on human dignity, the pro-life pastor must commit himself to four essential tasks:

• First, he preaches a biblical view of human value and applies that view to abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and cloning.
• Second, he equips his people to engage the culture with a persuasive defense of the pro-life view.
• Third, he restores lost passion for ministry with cross-centered preaching.
• Fourth, he communicates redemption to post-abortion individuals and points them toward healing resources.

Task #1: The pro-life pastor preaches a biblical view of human value.
We don't need Scripture to expressly say elective abortion is wrong before we can know that it's wrong. The Bible affirms that all humans have value because they bear God's image. (Gen. 1:26, 9:6, Ex. 23:7, Prov. 6:16-17, James 3: 9.)

The facts of science make clear that from the earliest stages of development, the unborn are unquestionably human. Hence, Biblical commands against the unjust taking of human life apply to the unborn as they do other human beings.

Moreover, if humans have value only because of some acquired property like self-awareness—as critics of the pro-life view assert—it follows that since this acquired property comes in varying degrees, basic human rights come in varying degrees.

Theologically, it's far more reasonable to argue that although humans differ immensely in their respective degrees of development, they are nonetheless equal because they share a common human nature made in the image of God. (For more on these points, go here.)

Task #2: The pro-life pastor equips his people to engage the culture with a persuasive defense of the pro-life view.
Scientifically, pro-lifers contend that from the earliest stages of development, the unborn are distinct, living, and whole human beings. True, they have yet to grow and mature, but they are whole human beings nonetheless. Leading embryology textbooks affirm this.

Philosophically, pro-lifers argue that there is no morally significant difference between the embryo you once were and the adult you are today. Differences of size, level of development, environment, and degree of dependency are not relevant in the way that abortion advocates need them to be.

For example, everyone agrees that embryos are small—perhaps smaller than the dot at the end of this sentence. But since when do rights depend on how large we are? Men are generally larger than women, but that hardly means they deserve more rights. Size does not equal value. Pro-lifers don't need Scripture to tell them these things. They are truths even atheists and secular libertarians can, and sometimes do, recognize.

Task #3: The pro-life pastor restores passion for ministry through cross-centered preaching.
Millions of Christians have given up on a passionate pursuit of God-glorifying ministry because they feel disqualified by past sexual sins which may include abortion, fornication, pornography, etc. Ignoring these sins does not spare people guilt; it spares them healing. And we wonder why there is little passion for missions, evangelism, pro-life advocacy, and worship in our churches?

John Piper deals with the problem of past sexual sin and how believers can be freed from its clutches, but for now, the starting point for human healing begins with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That gospel teaches how a holy God designed a good world where the humans He made to worship Him and enjoy communion with Him forever willfully against their creator. Although these rebel humans deserved God's almighty wrath, He held back His righteous judgment and sent Jesus to take the punishment they deserved. By God's design, Jesus—the sinless one—was killed on a cross by the very people he came to save.

Yet the story doesn't end there. Three days later, God affirmed Christ's sin-bearing sacrifice by raising Him from the dead. As a result of Christ's sin-bearing work on their behalf, God's people—all of them unworthy of anything but death if judged by their own merits—are declared justified by God the Father, who then adopts them as His own sons and daughters.

Who, then, can bring a charge against God's elect? Paul's answer is clear: No one can. For it is God who justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5; 8:33). It is His gift, completely undeserved, so that no one can boast.

Like all sinners, post-abortion men and women need this gospel. With it, they live each day assured God accepts them on the basis of Christ's righteousness not their own. They experience unspeakable joy knowing their past, present, and future sins are not counted against them. Instead of ignoring abortion and refusing to show Christians what's truly at stake, pastors should use this difficult topic to reiterate the great truth of the gospel, which alone frees people to pursue passionate ministry for the kingdom.

Task #4: The pro-life pastor communicates redemption to post-abortion individuals and points them toward healing resources.
We can't add to our salvation. It's already a finished work. Confusion about this leads to spiritual depression and, in some cases, years of emotional pain. I once had a Christian woman say to me, "What about people who commit grave moral sins like abortion? Even after repenting again and again, the guilty feelings linger. How can I ever be justified in God's sight?

Post abortion men and women desperately need redemption and the gospel of Jesus Christ provides it. However, the good news of redemption only makes sense against the backdrop of God's holiness and man's sinfulness. There really is nothing we can do to turn away the righteous wrath of almighty God. As Paul makes clear in Ephesians 2, people who are "dead" in their sins can't possibly help themselves before the bar of God's justice. Someone else has to take the rap for us and provide the righteousness we don't have.

Thankfully, someone did. The righteousness that God demands is the righteousness that He alone provides through Jesus Christ. Paul is clear: It is God who justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5; 8:30,33) and He both initiates and completes the salvation process for His people. The work is totally His. No wonder Paul excludes boasting—for it's by grace we've been saved through faith (Ephesians 2: 8-9).

Tragically, the pastor who ignores abortion for fear of "laying a guilt trip on people" distorts the redemptive gospel he's sworn to preach. His silence on the issue does not spare post-abortion men and women guilt; it spares them healing: unconfessed sin is keeping these wounded souls from full-fellowship with their Savior. As Gregg Cunningham points out, the kindest thing a spiritual leader can do is help bring people out of denial and into confession so they can experience healing. Refusing to preach, teach, and counsel that abortion is a sin—however laudable the pastor's reasons for remaining silent—only complicates the recovery process. Indeed, the Scriptures are clear that confessing our sins brings healing while covering them up only deepens our deception and guilt. (1 John 1: 8-9; Proverbs 28: 13.)

Wise pastors avoid the twin extremes of heavy-handed (and graceless) preaching on one hand, and ignoring sin on the other. Instead, they opt for a Biblical third alternative. They preach, teach, and show that abortion is sinful, then, point to remedy-—the cross of Christ.

Scott Klusendorf is the President of Life Training Institute and he persuasively defends pro-life views in the public arena, equipping pro-life students and adults to make their case persuasively in the marketplace of ideas. Want more information about communicating the Sanctity of Human Life persuasively, passionately and practically? Need some sample speaking outlines or 5-Minute Pro-Life talking points? Go to: www.prolifetraining.com or www.caseforlife.com.

Concluding this series: Confronting Fears Over Preaching Inconvenient Truth

Return to The Pro-Life Pastor in the 21st Century Overview