The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, a younger preacher, about the work of the ministry. He wrote that a good preacher reminds Christians of what they already know, “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained” (1 Tim. 4:6). Much of the work of teaching and preaching is not introducing ideas that are new—that people don’t already know. Often preaching involves reminding people of what they have already been taught so that they continue to make application in their own lives. We can make mistakes in life because we neglect to keep the right priorities. We need to be challenged to continue to pursue the task of living out the principles of God’s word. Certainly, each time we come to the Bible, we have a fresh perspective that causes us to see something in a familiar text we hadn’t before seen that makes us think. However, preaching should not only make people think more deeply, but also should move people to act with reminders to live out what they already know about the Christian life.

In his second epistle, the apostle Peter gave his readers the challenge to add to their faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Pet. 1:5-7). Christians are to give diligence to abounding in these characteristics instead of blindly forgetting that they have been cleansed of their former sins (2 Peter 1:8-10). While Peter was still alive, he was committed to reminding them of these things: “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance” (2 Pet. 1:12-13). Peter wanted to always remember these things, even after his death (2 Pet. 1:15). This was the reason he gave for writing his letters, stating, “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour” (2 Pet. 3:1-2).

What is said from the pulpit might well be a portion of the Scriptures with which you are already familiar. But all of us need to be reminded. All of us must ask ourselves if we are living it out and in what ways we can improve.

Clearly, a baby in the womb is a human being (Psalm 139:14-15; Jeremiah 1:5; Hosea 9:11-12). God acknowledges many times in His word that a child in the womb is just as much a person as one outside the womb (Luke 1:41, 44; 2:12, 16). He hates the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17). Government functions to stop evildoers (Romans 13:1-4). When more powerful individuals murder the helpless, government’s role is to put a stop to it and enact justice (Genesis 9:6; 1 Peter 2:14).

However, establishing that abortion takes the life of a human being is not enough to stop some from promoting it. We are at a point in our culture where some can brazenly admit that a child in the womb is a human being, and still assert they have a right to terminate that life. Each one of us is here today because we survived in the womb and were nourished to the point where we could care for ourselves. This is self-evident, regardless of one’s religious beliefs. What do fairness and decency demand? A civilization cannot view human life as disposable and continue to flourish. 

God is the ontological basis for morals that uphold the sanctity of life. That foundation has been eroded for generations in the minds of a tremendously vocal portion of our nation. When one believes in God as Creator, then fair treatment of others made in His image logically follows, as Job asked, “Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?” (Job 31:15).

A nation is in trouble when it becomes bent on fulfilling lusts to the disregard of harming others. Romans 1:18-32 describes such a moral decline where instead of glorifying God, people unthankfully pursue their own evil desires while viewing themselves as wise and enlightened. A nation of people can become, “filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful” (Romans 1:29-31). Wouldn’t this be a fitting description of some today? Herod was willing to slaughter babies when they posed a perceived threat to his agenda (Matthew 2:16-18), but he did not prevent Christ from reigning (1 Timothy 6:15; 1 Corinthians 15:25). Abortion does not fix any of the ills of a nation, it only adds bloodshed (Hosea 4:1-2). God destroyed nations in Canaan because sexual promiscuity and perversion became endemic to these peoples (Leviticus 18). Bloodshed and sexual promiscuity cause nations to fall.

We have a choice today. We can choose to enjoy the sexual relationship only within the committed covenant of marriage where children are given the stability of a mother and father (Genesis 2:24). If some other path than that has been taken, we can choose not to extinguish the life and potential of a baby conceived out of wedlock, but instead give the child a chance to overcome whatever obstacles are before them. We can choose to come to Jesus for forgiveness for whatever we have done, for He died for the worst sinner (1 Timothy 1:15).