Practicing What We Profess

According to multiple news outlets, Vice President Kamala Harris has received criticism and “sparked pushback” regarding people of faith supporting abortion.

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court striking down the constitutionality of Roe v Wade, our elected leaders, as well as the liberal news media are trying to garner support for abortion.

Speaking to the NAACP national convention in Atlantic City, N. J. Harris opined again on this issue saying people don’t have to “abandon” their faith in order to support legalized abortion. Later in the day, she made similar remarks regarding “reproductive rights” at a roundtable discussion with New Jersey State legislators.

“I think it’s important to note that you don’t have to abandon your faith or your beliefs to agree that the government should not be interfering with her decision, that woman’s decision, over her body and her life,” Harris told state legislators. “The government should not be interfering, and no one has to abandon their faith or their belief to agree that certain decisions are not the government’s to make, and that is one of them.”

Pro-life activist Abby Johnson succinctly criticized Harris with this tweet. “God doesn’t support the slaughter of His innocent children, even if politicians do.”

The Bible and those who believe its Divine Revelation does not sanction abortion. God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” (Jer. 1:5). In a similar way, the Psalmist affirmed, “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works…. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret”(Ps. 139:13-15).

The Bible recognized the unborn baby in the mother’s womb as a human being.

My faith does not allow me to sanction, support or practice something contrary to my profession.

While pro-life Believers can readily agree on this point, it might be well for us to ask in other areas of our life, “Are we consistently practicing what we profess to be Truth?”

Some folks are like the little girl who was asked by her Bible class teacher,
“What does it mean to practice what you preach?” “Oh,” said the youngster, “that means writing your talk and saying it over and over again before you give it in church.”

Practicing what we profess, means…

…Really loving Jesus, not just singing, “Oh, how I love Jesus” (Jn. 14:15).

…Forgiving others, just like the Lord has forgiven us (Eph. 4:32).

…Husbands sacrificially loving their wives just as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:25-30).

…Wives respecting their husbands and their God-given leadership role (Eph. 5:23-24,33).

…Worshiping on the Lord’s Day, and not just attending church (Jn. 4:23-24).

…Applying the “Golden Rule” in all our relationships (Matt. 7:12).

…Faithfully persisting in prayer (1 Thess. 5:17; Eph. 6:18).

…Resisting conformity to the world through spiritual transformation (Rom. 12:1-2).

…Actually confessing our sins, instead of saying, “IF I have sinned” (I Jn. 1:8-10).

…Not just talking about “the light,” but “walking in the Light” (I Jn. 1:7)

…Knowing God, not just knowing about God (Jer. 24:7; I Jn. 4:8)

…Being “doers of the Word, and not hearers only” (Jas. 1:22).

We could add more illustrations. But you get the point. Profession of faith apart from faithful practice is mere pretense.

Cameron Conway was right, “We have to get over the trap of thinking that collecting popular scriptures, Christian catchphrases, dank-Christian memes, or simple pleasantries is enough to sustain our faith and life. We can squirrel away all of the quotes and verses that we can, but it is irrelevant if we don’t do something with them.

Kamala Harris may believe we can conscientiously support something contrary to our faith, but she’s mistaken. Likewise, we are also mistaken to think we can be pleasing to God by a mere profession of faith without its practice.

Faith leads me to embrace, exercise and employ God’s Word, not abandon it.

–Ken Weliever, the Preacherman