VIDEO: What The Heck Is That Sound!?!
Why? Because the issue of the sanctity of life is that important to us -- especially as self-professing Christians (or it should be).
"What the heck is that sound!?!"
I can only pray that that's the type of response you'll get should you choose to play this brief video while certain family members, friends, and/or co-workers are around and not playing close attention, because it will open the door to one of the most important conversations you're likely to ever have with them (2 Timothy 4:2). Praise the Lord if and when that happens!
How tragic. God help us indeed!
This video by Peter Heck is absolutely stunning in it's simplicity with which it was created, and yet, simply profound given the impact it has upon the human senses.
But remember, dear Christian, it's the conscience that we're after with our witnessing efforts. Paul stressed that whoever we are, we are without excuse (Romans 1:20; Romans 2:1). All men have a conscience which is dynamically equivalent to the specific knowledge of God’s law; in this sense they are a "law unto themselves" (Romans 2:14 -- although this phrase is used in a different sense in modern English).
"By nature" (Strong: "native disposition, constitution") they have the same moral sense that God’s law teaches, but also need us to share the Gospel by preaching the Word to them (2 Corinthians 5:20; Galatians 1:10; Galatians 3:24-25).
This is why human beings have an innate sense of right and wrong -- it’s why, for example, there is protest at ethnic cleansing. Then why not the same outcry against abortion?
Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV) 9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Personally, I like how Pastor Adam Lehman summed things up in a recent commentary published at Steadfast Lutherans on this subject.
Abortion: The Ancient/Modern Issue
I have heard it argued that Holy Scripture never directly declares abortion to be murder. Folks who argue this way may say something along these lines: “God’s Word only hints at, and implies that abortion is sinful.” And this claim is intended to suggest that the raging abortion debate of today is of modern origins. Yet a closer look at the writings of the early church not only reveals that the subject of abortion is not a new topic, but it also reveals that the church throughout her entire history has been both clear and consistent in her stance.
Here is what the Church Fathers have to say regarding abortion:
The Didache (ca. AD 100)
“You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not corrupt children; you shall not be sexually immoral; you shall not steal; you shall not practice magic; you shall not engage in sorcery, you shall not abort a child or commit infanticide…” (2:2)The Epistle of Barnabas (ca. AD 120)
“…You shall not abort a child nor, again, commit infanticide…” (19:5)Athenagoras (ca. AD 177)
“…we say that those women who use drugs to bring on abortion commit murder, and will have to give an account to God for the abortion, on what principle should we commit murder? For it does not belong to the same person to regard the very fetus in the womb as a created being, and therefore an object of God’s care, and when it has passed into life, to kill it; and not to expose an infant, because those who expose them are chargeable with child-murder, and on the other hand, when it has been reared to destroy it. But we are in all things always alike and the same, submitting ourselves to reason, and not ruling over it.” (A Plea for the Christians, Chapter 35)Basil the Great (ca. AD 374)
“The woman who purposely destroys her unborn child is guilty of murder…” (To Amphilochius, concerning the Canons, sec.2)And Basil goes on to write:
“…Women also who administer drugs to cause abortion, as well as those who take poisons to destroy unborn children, are murderesses. So much on this subject.” (To Amphilochius, concerning the Canons, sec. 8)There are certainly more examples of the church’s consistent teaching of the sinfulness of abortion. These are simply given in order that it would be clear that the church has never wavered on this teaching. These are given in order that we might be unwavering in our defense of the lives of unborn children.
And so, to those who have been fighting the good fight. To those who have been courageous in the defense of the unborn. Straighten your spines! Know that you are standing in a very long line of brothers and sisters in Christ who have fought the same fight! Continue to be the voice for those who have none of their own.
You are doing the right thing. You are being faithful to Christ in your endeavor. You are loving your unborn neighbor as Christ has first loved you.
With all of that in mind, I pray that this video is used as a springboard for evangelizing the lost in this late hour of humanity.
Yes, abortion is a vile act of murder that we must speak out against (and speak out against often), but let's also make sure we learn how to do so in a way that is God-honoring.
Why? So that we can properly transition from speaking on matters of life-and-death as they pertain to the Here-and-Now to speaking on matters of life-and-death as they pertain to the Hereafter, or the life to come, which is either eternally separated from the Lord or eternally in His presence.
Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and preach Christ crucified, because it's the only thing that can save lives and change lives on this side of the cross.
Grace and peace to you and yours!
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Thank you for visiting A Lutheran Layman! Please feel free to leave a comment or a question since we do not exercise censorship. We've seen a similar policy with other blogs and it's worth repeating: Please act as if you're a guest in my home, and we'll get along just fine. I think anyone would agree that the kind of back-and-forth that is characteristic of blogs/chat forums and social media is becoming tiresome for all of us. Still, we should confess, edify, and love (and contend and defend when needed). Bottom line? Search the Scriptures! Apply Acts 17:11 to anything and everything you find here and, if you do happen to disagree with something you find here (which is certainly ok), or think I'm "irresponsible" and "wrong" for writing it, then please refute my position by supporting yours with Scripture and/or the Confessions. I don't think that's an unreasonable request, especially for those who identify themselves as "Christians" here, right? Besides, Proverbs 27:17 tells us "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another" and 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." If you have an opinion that's great, I welcome it, but try to support it using God's Word. I mean, if the goal here is to help us all arrive at the truth of God's Word (myself included), then it should be easy to follow through on this one simple request (I'm talking to all you "Anonymous" visitors out there). Grace and peace to you and yours!