Compromised Christianity Part 2 Series

Compromised Christianity Part 2

Scriptures: John 17:17; Matthew 24:3-14; 1Timothy 4:1-3; 5:19-20

Last week in Part One of this series I shared with you that when Jesus prayed for His disciples (and subsequently also for us) in John 17:17 He asked His Father to “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” I told you that in this reference the word “sanctify” means to separate from a profane to a sacred use; to consecrate wholly to God and His service. Jesus asked God to sanctify His disciples through His truth which was His word. It’s the truth of God’s word once we have it internally that will give us the strength to be separated from the world in which we live in. This is part two of this series titled “Compromised Christianity.”

As a reminder, the word compromise is defined as (1) to undermine or devalue somebody or something by making concessions; (2) to settle a dispute by agreeing to accept less than what was originally wanted; (3) to expose somebody or something to danger or disgrace.” I told you last week that in our compromising of Christianity we are seeing all three of these in the Church today. Many are undermining and devaluing the Bible when they make decisions that goes against its teaching and teaching others to do the same. Many Christians are acting as Adam did in the Garden (Genesis 3:6) and are standing by and watching as their brothers and sisters get led away by wrong doctrine. Let me give you an example of how far Christianity has been compromised.

In 1973 abortion became legal in the United States. Since the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Roe vs. Wade approximately 54 million abortions have taken place in the United States. 54 million beating hearts terminated for various reasons. Now I want you to listen closely to me. In the 46 years since abortions became legal, we have witnessed a shift in the laws pertaining to “when” an abortion could be done. I want to share a few key rulings before I share with you what is happening today.

• In 1973 the ruling stated that states could no longer prohibit abortions except late in pregnancy after the fetus reaches viability (24-28 weeks) and can live outside the womb unless the mother’s health was at risk.

• In 1992 the Supreme Court reverses its previous ruling preventing any state involvement in abortions before the end of the first trimester. The ruling allows states to enact laws such as requirements for pre-abortion counseling and waiting periods affecting any stage of a pregnancy as long as the laws does not create an undue burden for a woman.

• In 2000 the Supreme Court strikes down a Nebraska ban on partial-birth abortion. Laws in 30 other states are invalidated. How many of you know what a partial birth abortion is? In a partial birth abortion, the baby’s body is breached and then removed from the mother legs first leaving only the head of the bay within the womb. A hole is made at the base of the baby’s skull killing the baby. The brain is then vacuumed from the baby’s head deflating the baby’s head to allow it to be removed from the womb.

• In 2003 President Bush signs the Partial-Birth Abortion Act prohibiting certain abortion procedures.

• In 2007 the U.S. Supreme Court upholds the law which was a departure from past high court decisions.

• Nine states, with Kansas being one of them, have enacted laws that prohibit abortions at 20 weeks or even earlier. These laws are based in part on a theory that a fetus, from 20 weeks onward, can experience pain from an abortion procedure.

That’s a quick summary of some of the key abortion laws pertaining to when abortions can be done. Now let me tell you why I shared this history with you and where we might continue to progress if we continue to compromise the Word of God. In January of this year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the “Reproductive Health Act” which authorizes the murder of unborn babies up to the point of birth for any “health” reason and revokes medical care for babies who are born alive after a failed abortion. This new law which also applies to nonresidents coming to New York for an abortion denies any legal protection or rights for an unborn child. This new law seeks to deny any recognition or protection for human beings before birth under any circumstances. Until now, New York had been one of 38 states whose homicide statutes could apply before birth. The law defined homicide as including “conduct which causes the death of..…an unborn child” after 24 weeks “under circumstances constituting” existing categories of homicides. This is no longer the law as proven in the case of Anthony Hobson.