“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and earth passed away… and there will no longer be any death…. Then He said to me… ‘He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son’” (Rev. 21:1a, 4a, 26:1a, 7). In His passion to give us life, Jesus did not “grow weary and lose heart” (Heb. 12:3b), but “…for the joy set before Him endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2). Like Jesus, we too have a glorious joy set before us such that we can endure affliction for the salvation of the souls of women and the lives of children for Him.
Women seriously considering abortion imagine a future fraught with “conflicts from without [and] fears within” (2 Cor. 7:5b). That frame of mind can be paralyzing, clouding sound judgment, leading to poor choices and an eternity of regret. And yet, unplanned pregnancy affords her the grace, and CompassCare the opportunity to give her a vision of hope—life for her child and abundant life for her. CompassCare does this with deeds of love and words of truth. She is encouraged to endure the pressure, knowing that a faithful God has already arrived at her future, permitting her to simply focus on taking the next step toward Him. We understand her temptation to try and figure out what feels like a thousand seemingly impossible, imaginary, and terrible tomorrows. And while perseverance presumes adverse conditions in the mountain range of life, the steeper and rockier the climb out of the valley, the more glorious the vista.
Why would God think His people throughout the ages would need encouragement to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1b)? Because we are called to obey the truth (Gal. 5:7) about God and about ourselves while this world demands we disobey. God’s self-disclosure to us in Jesus not only tells us who He is, our Creator, but who we are, made in His image. His sacrifice on the cross teaches us about the immeasurable value He places on humanity, taking our place so that He might free us from the punishment of our sin to save us from death. These basic truths about the nature of God and man are not welcome in an anti-Christian culture. But we bear up under the weight of the world on behalf of women who are told abortion is their only out.
How is it that we can endure what often feels like “a great conflict of sufferings…being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations…[accepting] the seizure of your property” (Heb. 10:32b-34a)? Because God says that you “[know] that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one” (Heb. 10:34b). And as children of God, “heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29), like Jesus, the joy which is set before us inspires our endurance through suffering too. “Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son then an heir through God” (Gal. 4:7). We stand firm in Him, holding a grudge against being enslaved all over again to the weak and worthless elemental principles and philosophies of this world (Gal. 4:9; Col. 2:8).
We have joined the ranks of royalty, being both enlightened and strengthened for this task in a world that rejects Him and demands the same from us, “but we are not of those who shrink back” (Heb. 10:39). Any rule or law that compels us to disobey the Truth can and must be resisted (Acts 4:18-20; 5:28-30). In fact, we are told in Hebrews to “not grow weary” by bearing in mind the context of Jesus’ sufferings: “For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself” (Heb. 12:3a). The hostility toward Jesus was enforced by the secular government of the day. Yet, the silence of the one true King speaks louder than words, refusing to explain Himself to any man in rebellion against Him: “Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?’ And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed” (Mt. 27:13-14).
May we take our own advice to women at-risk for abortion so that we can continue to help her save her child. For this we will need soft hearts and iron souls. For faith in Jesus has a “great reward” (Heb. 10:35b). But we have need of endurance “so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised” (Heb. 10:36). And what has God promised? “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). For if we are His children then “heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may be glorified with Him” (Rom. 8:17).
Erasing the need,
Rev. James R. Harden, M.Div.
President/CEO
P.S. “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord…but join with me in suffering for the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:8).
“I…I don’t know what to think…this is too much.”
Allie came to CompassCare alone, with a history of abortion, and overwhelmed at the thought of being pregnant again. Her boyfriend didn’t come with her and is “leaving the decision up to her.” Allie confessed to her nurse that she wants to be a mom someday…but not now and not until she is married. She dreams of traveling, moving down South, buying a house. All her friends have kids and she sees parenting as a loss of independence; death to her plans for the future. Read more.
2021 Walk Weekend – Save the Date!
Serve Women. Save Lives. Never Stop. The new Walk Weekend format is specifically designed to maximize church participation in any potential shutdown scenario. Join thousands of pro-life Christians on Friday, April 30 at the NEW online pre-Walk rally and then publicly express your passion in-person on Saturday, May 1 at Rochester’s Highland Park Bowl or Buffalo’s Delaware Park. Regardless of whether the cities cancel the in-person park event again this year, come what may the Church will find a way to persevere for women and their preborn babies. Read more.