This week marks the 42nd anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the court decision that legalized abortion in the U.S. In the years since that landmark decision, more than 57 million babies have died in the womb. And since that time, human life in general has become increasingly devalued. Those who aren't strong and capable are easily overlooked, mistreated, and simply discarded.
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I was honored to contribute to this book, along with many other gifted women. Each chapter in this book looks at ways we can honor life, looking at issues such as infertility, special needs, teen pregnancy, the elderly and more."Because all of life is important to God, we are compelled to talk about it. Whether it’s addressing purity and teaching our children about sex, teens and pregnancy, caring for the woman with a high-risk pregnancy, children with special needs, caring for the single mother, or getting involved in the pro-life movement, how we interact with God’s image-bearers matters. It’s our desire that this book will inspire you to care deeply about issues of life, equip you for prayerful action and begin a conversation in your churches and homes." (from the ERLC).
Here's an excerpt from my chapter, titled "Teens, Pregnancy, and the Family:
"After Adam and Eve fell into sin, God promised a Savior in Genesis 3:15. The rest of the Old Testament reveals the need for this Savior, foretells of who this Savior would be, and pushes forward the plan for his arrival. In the New Testament we meet the Savior, Jesus Christ. He came in the most surprising of ways, through the womb of an unwed teen. As the angel explained to Mary, “‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be borne will be called holy—the Son of God’” (Luke 1:35).
When he was 30 years old, Jesus began to teach about God’s kingdom. He gathered a ragtag group of disciples and traveled around the region teaching, healing and delivering people from their bondage. He revealed the heart and intent of God’s law, showing that sin isn’t only what someone does, but it is also what someone thinks. He taught that all sin, including sexual sin, begins in the heart, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28).
In John 4, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well. As Jesus spoke to her about a mysterious source of water, he revealed that he knew more about her than she knew about herself. He knew about her multiple husbands and the sinful life she led. But he offered her more. He offered her grace and water that could quench the thirst that no man could ever quench. She ran off to the village, telling everyone about the grace of Christ, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:29).
When he had completed his ministry, Jesus went like a lamb to the slaughter. Though he was perfect and had never sinned, he laid down his life to free us from all our sin. Through faith in Christ, we have been set free from the bondage of sin and are freed to live for him. This is the grace that our children and our teens need to know. Without this grace, we cannot hope to follow and obey Christ in a fallen world, especially in a world broken with sexual sin." (p.66-68).
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