You Shall Not Murder3 min read

In the vision that the Lord shows the prophet Ezekiel, God speaks to Ezekiel and says this regarding the house of Israel and their idolatry: “They have defiled My holy name by their abominations that they have committed, so I have consumed them in My anger” (Ezekiel 43:8).

As we solemnly mark the 47th year since the Supreme Court legalized the murder of unborn children, there is no other way to describe what has taken place in this nation other than an abomination. There is no justification for the outright destruction of babies in the womb. We become numb to the statistics, we become distracted by other issues, we can be lulled into thinking that the issue of abortion really does not affect us on a personal level—yet there is no way around it. Abortion kills babies. Abortion is an abomination. It defiles God’s holy name and arouses God’s righteous anger.

Of course, all sin separates us from a holy God, and we all sin. We confess, indeed, that we are poor, miserable sinners and cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. But God, rich in mercy, has sent us His Son Jesus—the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In and through His holy and precious blood, we have the covering, the atonement, the forgiveness of all of our sins. Here is the Good News for all sinners—including one who has had an abortion or one who has not been bold to stand against abortion—Repent and believe the Gospel! Jesus saves!  The blood of Christ covers our guilt, washes away our filth, restores us to a proper relationship with our God. God so loved us—yes, us sinners!—that He sent us His only Son, Jesus, to give us new life and to give it to us abundantly.

But let us remember that rejecting or neglecting God’s Word of Truth is dangerous. That certainly includes the Fifth Commandment, “You shall not murder.” This is not just some average political issue that we can compromise on. Abortion is genocide. Period. We must be bold. We must stand for Life. We cannot shirk our calling as God’s people who have been given the truth of His Word. We must speak and defend the innocent—the unborn, the aged, the dying.

God help us to continue to repent of our apathy, and to speak to truth in love. This is no time to sit on a fence of our own making. The issues are clear. This is about life and death. This is about God’s “little ones,” that they may be brought to Jesus in Holy baptism. These are our fellow human beings, who have a right to life, who have a right to be born. God give us courage to speak and act. God grant forgiveness where we have failed to do so, and give us compassion to reach out to those who have been burdened or scarred by abortion in the past. O Lord, restore us! Restore our nation! Hear our prayer, for the sake of Christ Jesus! Amen.

Editor’s note: There are at least four Life events happening in Michigan this week (Lansing, Bridgman, West Branch, and Wyandotte). Click here for more information.

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