The Law of God and the Gospel of God are the necessary means to protect innocent human life and restore souls in bondage to sins.
Today I want to highlight early intervention: what motivations precede an elective abortion, what decisions are made by those involved, and what the Word of the Lord says about rescuing not just the child but all who are involved.
Early Intervention #1: The Gospel for the Woman Folly
John 4:7-42
… The Word of God speaks to this deceitful attitude:
This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, “I have done no wrong.”— Proverbs 30:20
… Even Oprah Winfrey would have been wide-eyed and leaning in to hear what Jesus would say next. Then Jesus appears to get off topic.
He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” — John 4:16-18
…He spoke to the fruit – her relationships with many men to get to the root – her understanding that she was wrong. And the grace of God radically changed her.
So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” — John 4:28-29
…The Holy Spirit opened her eyes and helped her understand why following Jesus will at times require godly confrontation in our increasingly hostile culture.
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.— 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
Application:
So, think about early intervention preparedness: if you started a conversation with a co-worker, fellow student, friend, or family member, then what would prevent you from engaging in godly confrontation? Write it down, then ask the Lord to help you overcome that temptation.
Early Intervention #2: The Gospel for Civil and Church Authorities
…In John 8, we read one instance of how the authorities dealt with sexual sin that led to a legal question asked of Jesus.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” — John 8:3-11
… In the previous chapter the chief priests and Pharisees responded to the officers sent to arrest Jesus,
“Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” — John 7:48-49
…Regarding the woman accused of the crime of adultery what did the Law of the Lord say in such cases?
‘If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.— Leviticus 20:10
When Jesus stated, “he who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her,” He wasn’t pointing to their sinfulness in general. This was pointing out specific sin:
they were so envious of Him,
so willing to accuse the Son of God of wrongdoing,
so willing to prove that they were more righteous than Him,
so willing to protect their power and authority
that they were ready to unjustly condemn a woman to death!
…And Jesus knew that the Law commanded that in execution by stoning the witnesses of the crime were to start the stoning.
The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.— Deuteronomy 17:7
…None of the adulteress’ accusers dared to throw the first stone, for by doing so they would be in danger of suffering the same punishment.
The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.— Deuteronomy 19:18-19
Application:
We are entering a major election year. You will be bombarded with messages asking for your vote of support. So here’s another early intervention to prepare: if a candidate here in Georgia told you that they were 100% pro-life and they supported a national 15-week ban on elective abortion, then what questions would you ask to determine why a 15-week-old child in the womb can be legally protected but the child can be killed a week earlier? What answers would you give when the candidate when asks you what you think? Again, write them down, pray, and search the Scriptures. Then make opportunities to ask your questions of the candidates.