Jesus said that he came to bring Good News for the poor (see Luke 4:18). The word Evangelical signifies a bringer of Good News (evangelicalbaptist.uk/2023/09/29/). God summons Evangelical Baptists to proclaim the Good News of the new heavens and the new earth with no unbiblical divide between social good news and spiritual good news.
The Risen Christ has sent us his Holy Spirit to dynamically reorient our mission priorities. In pledging our allegiance, ‘Jesus is LORD’, we follow God’s mission in prioritising the poor—the Word of God changes the world from the bottom up as opposed to the top down!
Jesus’ Kingdom is the direct opposite to the world’s supposed empires. The values of this ‘new creation’(2 Cor 5:17) come from God’s position of weakness and rejection on the cross. There, all the virulent hostility that the lost world and its powers could muster was defeated. God’s power was unleashed by means of utter weakness!
Jesus did not win by retaliating or summoning legions of angels to his cause. The hosts of evil could do their worst but the victory remained with his ultimate power: self-sacrifice—which was vindicated in the public manifestation of God’s reign on earth through the glorious resurrection. This demonstrates how God’s ways are manifestly the opposite to ours.
The instinct of alienated humanity is self-preservation (Gen 3:7 cf. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament entry 604; see also sternadventures.wordpress.com/ 2021/06/28/do-you-like-figs/). But when God reigns our instincts of self-protection are redirected towards the protection of the weakest and poorest around us; when God reigns, might is not right; when God reigns, the mighty are the weak.
So… what has happened? Is that mission our priority today? Often the life of God’s people follows ever narrowing circles—that is: the idea that we are here to sign up to salvation…to join the church…to get baptised…to tell others who will then do the same…ad infinitum!
…But neither is the church to be the agent for a mundane social gospel, complementing and serving the state. When Christians succumb to the pressures of the world’s mould and when denominations simply become parallel actors to the government, we are no longer the ‘salt of the earth’ or ‘the city on the hill’. No!—rather than capitulating, we are to be agitators, with Good News for the poorest at the top of the agenda. Our actions and words must discomfort those who are more fortunate—those who use their position to maintain pleasure-serving goals in a low-tax society privileging them at the expense of the poor. (cf. Mary’s song in Luke 1:51-53). … But who are ‘the poor’? … Who are the very poorest?
Good News for the Poorest
When Jesus’ church lives intentionally, the world sits up and notices; it might not feel comforted, but it is confronted by reality. Surely, this is seen most clearly in our defence of the weakest and most vulnerable in society—viz: the elderly, the disabled, and the unborn? … And so, where are we? Is there still that clarion call of true justice for the weakest? Where is our evangelical voice joining with God to lament ‘the massacre of the innocents’?—we must ask whether the relevant providers of resources consider their survival a drain on our welfare state.
When the 1967 Abortion Act became UK law, I had recently become a follower of Jesus, and yet, even then, to my seventeen-year-old mindset, the Holy Spirit reinforced the innate belief that all human life has an equal status—if anything it is the role of the stronger and older to defend the weaker and most vulnerable. And indeed, the prophetic scriptures speak emphatically of this (e.g. Isa 58:6-8).
As Christians, scripturally based, we can see that the purpose of Genesis 1-2 is to promote the ideal for humans in the divine creation: ‘God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature…”’ Likewise Psalm 39:13-16 speaks of us being knit together and formed in our mother’s womb. (cf. Job:10:10f; Isa 44:2,24). Repeated elsewhere, this approach is taken by the Bible to be the godly worldview.
Contraindications?
But some would attempt to argue that two case-law examples in Exodus 21:22-25 and Numbers 5:11-29 at least imply the possibility of a lesser status for the unborn. Translation of those passages is highly contentious. Rather than take space here to repeat why these arguments do not endorse abortion, please refer to relevant detailed commentaries, or websites (e.g. https://answersingenesis.org/sanctity-of-life/abortion/does-the-bible-condone-abortion). Indeed, those seeking to undermine the equality gifted to the human image (which reflects God’s triune essence) will have to look outside the scriptures.
Are There Special Cases for Abortion?
According to Genesis, humans were made in God’s image, female and male, and they reproduce in the divine image. God breathed unique life into humankind—no exceptions! Every individual is conceived as a gift. It is not for us to decide who shall live or die. Yes, every new life in this fallen world carries defects—some more apparent than others—but scriptural revelation lifts us above the visceral urge to dispose of that which doesn’t conform with our models of the good life.
We are called to demonstrate God’s holy identification with the despised and rejected—resourcing people who can live and even flourish in the right conditions. I confess that I find the Paralympics more inspirational than any other sports event, as the image of God is honoured in overcoming adversity. In his opening speech for the 2024 Games, its president, Andrew Parsons, said: ‘Every person with a disability deserves the opportunity to thrive and live life free from barriers, free from discrimination and free from marginalisation. ’
Whatever ‘disability’ label is imposed by society—mental, emotional or physical— those who follow Jesus can work to reverence God’s image wherever it is diffused in our broken world.
Of course, we can think of the extreme circumstance—where few would oppose medical intervention to remove the baby from the womb (whilst pursuing every avenue to support its viability). But this is far removed from the rejection of the unborn because of the cost to family or society.
Pastoral Care
Recognising that our nation is now far removed from the scriptural value placed on all human life, followers of Jesus carry divine responsibility. At the same time as speaking up for their needs, we have a yoke of care that we are to model to any mother-with-child conflicted by an approaching birth. Our gracious response may be on a personal or local level, but, insofar that we support God’s mission in this darkened world, one avenue is to support initiatives that offer a refuge for those who can see no way out. To support mums, could more of our churches work with organisations offering counselling and accommodation?1
Some statistics:
- In total, there have been over 8 million abortions in Great Britain since the 1967 Act was passed.2
- In Great Britain 199,314 abortions (98.4% of all legal abortions) were carried out in 2013 for social reasons [statutory grounds C and D].3
- A further 3,063 abortions were performed because the child was likely to be born handicapped [statutory ground E].4
- Only 193 abortions (0.1% of all legal abortions) in England and Wales in 2013 were carried out because of a risk to the mother’s life or because of the risk of grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the mother [statutory grounds A, B, F or G].5
How Can My Church Respond?
- Remember with prayers of lamentation the deaths caused by abortion in the UK.
- Develop a non-blaming culture—all of us utterly depend on grace and mercy.
- Offer hospitality and help to those damaged by the permissive society.
- Declare the truth.
To all the broken souls in our churches, we need to encourage them that, whatever their or our past, ‘Nothing can separate us from God’s love’ (Rom 8:38).
- E.g. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, https://www.spuc.org.uk/
* Right to Life, https://righttolife.org.uk/
* Care, https://care.org.uk/cause/abortion
* Life Charity, https://lifecharity.org.uk/
* Pro-Life Action Ministries, https://plam.org/
↩︎ - Between 1968 (when the Abortion Act came into force) and 2013, 7,661,051 abortions were carried out in England and Wales (Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2013, Department of Health, June 2014, Table 1) and 459,767 in Scotland (Abortion Statistics – Year ending 31 December 2013, ISD Scotland, May 2014, Table 6).
↩︎ - Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2013, Department of Health, June 2014, Table 13, page 55. ↩︎
- Idem. ↩︎
- Idem. ↩︎
From an acting family, Mark studied at London Academy of Music and Dramatic
Art in 1968, and still maintains links with broadcast media. He went on to become
a teacher and then trained at Spurgeon’s College, serving churches in the UK and
France. His final employment was for an international Christian maritime
organisation. On ‘retirement’ he benefitted from gaining an MA in Anabaptist
Studies at Bristol Baptist College, which he feels has enhanced his continuing
preaching and writing ministry. He and his wife, Ruth, hope to celebrate their
golden wedding in 2025.