Tuesday, July 29, 2014
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There's no joy quite so joyful as that of an expectant mother. She talks all the time about this new life she's carrying, and she tells everyone about "my baby." That is unless she doesn't want to carry the child any more. If she happens to be considering an abortion, she and all those involved in the process suddenly demote "my baby" to "the fetus."
Yes, most of the abortion controversy swirls around one issue: is this a person or a thing growing inside the mother. In order for us to seriously consider ending that life, we pretty much have to make this "he" or "she" into an "it". Those who want the right to end a pregnancy have to convince themselves that it's not a person that they're doing this to. That's a hard thing to say, "I'm doing this to a person." But people with unwanted pregnancies? They're not the only ones who play that little mental game.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The It Game."
When we're making a wrong choice, a sinful choice, I think we'd rather sin against a "thing" than a person. That's true of people who were once spiritually excited but now they want to try some of what the world has to offer. I've had people say to me about their Christian faith, "I'm not into it any more." "I don't believe it like I used to." That's the "It Game."
But listen to what Jesus says the real issue comes down to. It's our word for today from the Word of God, Matthew 10:32-33, "Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before My Father in heaven." When you leave spiritually, you're not leaving an "it". You're not leaving a system, an organization. You're not leaving a church or a belief. You're leaving a person. You're leaving Jesus. Jesus makes Himself the issue. He says, "The choice is acknowledge Me or deny Me." What was His first invitation to people? "Follow Me." Not, "Follow My system." Not, "Follow Christianity."
Billy Graham, many years ago, encountered a demonstrator that was waving a sign. The sign said "Jesus Yes, Christianity No." In many ways Jesus would agree with that. He is the issue. Maybe you've left some of the Christian lifestyle that you used to pursue. Well, you need to know whom you have left. You can't say, "Well, I'm not into it any more." No, you have to look at Jesus and say, "Jesus, I'm not into You any more." "Jesus, I don't believe in You like I used to; I'm not getting as much out of You as I used to." See, this becomes a deeply personal issue between you and the very Son of God.
When it comes to abortion I know it's hard for people to kill a baby, so they try to convince themselves that they're killing something less personal-a fetus they'll say. Well, it's hard for someone to desert God's Son, so they call it something else. People say, "Christians? I'm tired of Christians." Or, "I'm giving up on the church; I don't go for the rules any more". Or, "It's my parent's religion." How about this one, "I don't believe in that person any more. I don't believe in that organization any more." This could be a game - the "it" game! It's a futile attempt to obscure the real issue. Let's make the person that this is all about into an "it".
When you walk away from the Christian life, you're turning your back on the man who died for you; on the Lord, Jesus Christ. I mean, Christianity...all it is, is a person. No more; no less. And once you've tasted the love and the power of Jesus Christ, what in the world could be worth leaving Him for?