A PRO-LIFE GOD

Christianity--the word has defining characteristics. It is not just a word anyone can use to mean anything. Christianity has stood for a set of beliefs. We can read the doctrines of those who followed Jesus as Messiah by looking at the New Testament as well as historical documents. There we can discover just what being a Christian meant to Christians as well as what outsider thought of Christians--how outsiders defined them.

It is easy for a Christian to read the New Testament and see how the Jesus, Paul and the Apostles defined Christianity. Even though we may argue theology, there are some basics we all agree on. The first century Christians believed Jesus was the fulfillment of the Hebrew scripture Messiah, that Christians were to behave in a moral way and not eat meat sacrificed to idols and with the blood left in it. That is defining laws set forth by the first council of Christians in Jerusalem, recorded in the book of Acts.

The first century document, Didache also states clearly what the early Christians believe. This was written while the Apostles were still alive and was a recording of what they taught. The early Christians were defined by their love for each other, their morality, their Communion Service/The Lord’s Supper, their baptism and by their stand against abortion and infanticide. I encourage you to read the document. Here is the excerpt from the Didache:

Chapter 2. The Second Commandment: Grave Sin Forbidden. And the second commandment of the Teaching; You shall not commit murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit pederasty...you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is born.

For three hundred years the church would be debating the nature of Christ, the doctrine of the Trinity and what books were considered “holy” and should be read in church. It would be three hundred years before the books of the Old and New Testaments would be finally decided upon and put together to form the first Bible. But there was something that was never debated, no heresy sprung from people who thought it was acceptable. From the moment there was the first Christian group, they were vocally pro-life.

When Seventh-day Adventists do not take a stand against abortion, it is not I who stands in judgment of them, it two-thousand years of Christianity. It is they who take themselves away from the very defining doctrines of Christianity.

Seventh-day Adventists point their finger back to Genesis to try and prove a ubiquitous sabbath command for the entire world. Yet if you follow that finger back you will not find a Sabbath commandment but a statement from God that he rested the seventh day. But if you look you WILL find a commandment. The very first commandment recorded in scripture and the first commandment for ALL humanity. God very first commandments to mankind was, “be fruitful and multiply.” God is pronouncing that HE is PRO-LIFE.

There is nowhere in scripture that suggests God would want us to kill our offspring. If fact He tells us that children are our reward, our blessing.

When Adventists do no state that they are pro-life, yet claim to be Christian, it is not anyone else condemning them but the very defining characteristics of Christianity. They have excluded themselves from the very heart and doctrine of what it means to follow Christ.