The grace crisis: ending abortion, or enabling it?

By Tim Palmquist

Every Christian knows what “grace” means, but does anybody fully comprehend it? I have studied “grace” in depth in recent weeks 1, but the more I study, the more I realize how little I understand the depths of God’s “manifold”2 (multi-colored) grace. I have long been grieved by witnessing so much destruction and pain springing from a weak, one-dimensional view of “grace,” but I am beginning to see that the true scriptural concept of “grace” itself contains the seeds which bear the potential to end abortion in the church.

It’s not unusual for pastors to focus on grace if they mention abortion. Typically, pastors are painfully aware of the fact that hearts of women 3 in their own congregation are experiencing raw pain because they have aborted their children. Being sensitive to the concerns of such hurting women, pastors focus on bringing healing and restoration to those in the congregation who have committed abortion, so pastors preach a message of “grace, not guilt.” But what does grace mean outside the context of guilt, or what does forgiveness mean without repentance?

Last year on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday I attended a local church (not our home church) with high expectations, fondly recalling the story that a sermon preached over 30 years ago on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday at that church led some congregation members to help start LifeSavers Ministries. I looked forward to hearing something about God’s love for innocent babies and their mothers, or how crisis pregnancies can provide an opportunity to experience the blessings of obedience to God. Instead, the message of “grace” could be summed up with the one-dimensional statement “we support post-abortion women” 4!

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