Earlier this week, thanks to an unprecedented leaking of confidential information, it was revealed that the Supreme Court is poised to release a ruling (on either a 5-4 or 6-3 basis) to overturn Roe v. Wade, the monumental decision from 1973 that effectively legalized abortion. There are a lot of things that could be said about that ruling, and a lot has already been written by people with a greater mind for law that I have. That’s not what this devotional is about.

This is about what it means for us, as children of God.

We who live in this country are going to be caught up in the middle of what is already a brewing firestorm. Only a majority ruling has been leaked; the actual decision has not been made (and probably won’t come for another month or so). And yet, already there are protesters mobbing the crowd control barricades outside the Supreme Court building. Already Justices are having their lives and their families threatened. Already there is talk of burning, looting, and rioting all summer long.

Prayer is needed for this earthly land on which we live.

But, on the subject of Roe v. Wade being struck down, the question must be asked, “what does it mean for Christians?” To that end, I offer a few answers…

1. It means people are going to be talking about the issue of abortion in greater earnest than in recent years. On the one hand, that means a greater divide in our country, a deeper division between people on the left and right of this issue, and greater degree of hatred being spewed as a result. Let us remember to be a people who speak with all the compassion, patience, and openness that those who scream and rant lack. Let us be the people, unlike those who view this solely through a political lens, who see this in terms of how it relates to the Word of God. We must be a people who follow the Bible first and foremost. If the Bible commands something, the prohibitions of the law of the land have no bearing on our obedience: We must obey. If the Bible forbids something, the allowances of the law of the land have no bearing on our obedience: We must abstain. Being the people who abstain and, more so, the people who encourage others to abstain, from a sinful thing, sometimes (oftentimes) puts us in the crosshairs of the godless around us. Roe v Wade being struck down means people are going to be talking about abortion more casually than has been done in many years. Inevitably, someone is going to ask you “what do you think?” Your answer must come from God, not your opinion, not your political party’s position, but from the Word of God which governs your life.

2. It means an opportunity to talk about the Creator of life, the Origin of life, and the Sanctity of life. Those are not “political” topics, they are Biblical topics, and Bible believers should talk about them. We should always be talking about them, but now, under circumstances like these, there is a greater need than ever. I cringe every time I hear pundits on TV try to debate issues that are rooted in Bible truth. If 24/7 News Commentators want to rant about taxation and representation, 54-40 or fight!, and all that jazz, that’s on them. But when the debates turn philosophical, spiritual, and certainly when they turn specifically Biblical, it’s very hard to listen to non-believers try to summarize the position of a Bible they do not study or live by. We have the answers. We have the Truth. The talk is going to rage. Fires of debate are going to burn. Quench not the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

3. It means some angry/hurt/misled (take your pick) people are going to be fomenting in rage over this decision and they are going to direct their ire to many in the so-called “religious right.” Do you know how to answer the arguments that will surely come your way over this issue? We’ll cover them soon. Either way, prepare to have your faith attacked, and prepare to make a defense thereof (1 Peter 3:15). That said, and here is where I may get some pushback: I think it is very telling that Peter talks about giving a “defense” of one’s faith. He does not talk about going on the offensive. Yes, we must be evangelistic, but our mission is not to beat people into submission with the Bible, but rather to live righteously by serving, teaching, and inviting. That is how the Master carried out His ministry, that is how His Apostles carried out theirs, and that is how we must carry out ours. When you study the ministry of the Apostles, for example, you don’t see them seeking out hot button issues to attack. Instead, they just live the Christian life and that, invariably, leads to evil people seeking them out to attack. That’s when they rejoiced in the opportunity to “defend” their faith. If you want to lead people out of the “pro-abortion” side and to the “anti-abortion” side, start not by calling them disgusting murderers. Start by serving them, then teach them, then invite them to follow the same Master you follow. When I was a younger, less-experienced preacher, my inclination would have been to rant and rave, and get down on the same level of vitriol as those on the pro-abortion side. And while I might feel justified in doing that since, after all, we are talking about murder, I’ve learned over the years, preaching to a lot of different kinds of people, that preaching the truth is not barking the truth; it’s about revealing the truth in loving word and loving deed. Some people are going to very angry over a decision that I am very happy about. I’m prepared to talk about it, but not get in a screaming match with them over it. WWJD

Finally, on the subject of “what does overturning Roe v Wade mean for me, a Christian?” the answer is this:

4. It means nothing for you. Roe v Wade was always about protecting the means for someone to kill their unborn child. And since a Christian ought not be killing, Roe v Wade should never have affected what you did or didn’t do in life, nor should overturning it affect what you do or don’t do, either to your body or to the life of the child that may be growing inside you.

~ Matthew