Why We Partnered With Speak for the Unborn

A couple of months ago, at Knox Baptist Church, we officially announced our partnership with the pro-life organization Speak for the Unborn (S4U). We think it is crucial to help our members understand the basis for this partnership and, by extension, the necessity of Christians everywhere to be pro-life.

What does the Bible say about abortion?

To answer these questions properly, we must begin with the Word of God, which contains many passages that address this issue. For the purposes of this article, however, we will focus on two in particular,  Genesis 9:6 and Psalm 139:13, which read:

    [6] “Whoever sheds the blood of man,

by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. 

[13] For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 

The reason these verses are so important to understanding the Biblical pro-life position is that they collectively answer the two most important questions raised by the pro-life/pro-choice debate: What makes human life valuable? And when does life begin? 

Two Arguments

In these passages, the Bible clearly answers these questions by (1) grounding the value of human life in our Creator and (2) grounding the beginning of human life at conception. The Genesis 9 passage outlines for us a prohibition against murder, but it is important to note that the act is not punishable by death merely because a human being has been killed, but because the victim has been made in the image of God. Since abortion is the ending of a human life made in the image of God, it is therefore a violation of God’s perfect law. The pro-life argument in this regard is framed like this: 

Premise 1: “All people are made in the image of God.” 

Premise 2: “All people made in the image of God have an inherent right to life.”

Premise 3: “Unborn babies are people.”

Conclusion:  “Unborn babies have an inherent right to life.”

As we can see, for someone to disagree with the conclusion, they must reject at least one of the premises. More often than not, pro-choice advocates will agree that all people have an inherent right to life (though not necessarily the Biblical foundation), and so the disagreement usually takes place over the third premise. Abortion activists, in response, give their own argument:

Premise 1: “All people have an inherent right to life.” 

Premise 2: “Unborn babies are not people.”

Conclusion:  “Unborn babies do not have an inherent right to life.” 

Obviously, this is a simplification, but it highlights the fact that to justify killing babies in the womb, one must first deny their full humanity. This is commonly done by separating their "humanness" from "personhood." The former being treated as an inherent but ultimately insignificant trait, while moral value is assigned to the latter but only once the baby reaches a certain level of physical or mental development. 

The Bible never speaks about the value of children in terms of their individual abilities, and it certainly does not draw a distinction between being a human and being a person. Rather, we see in Psalm 139 that God knows and cares personally for these babies in the womb. God sees them as people, and, as His image bearers, we are obligated to do the same. 

As Christians, our pro-life obligation is not reserved exclusively to caring for the unborn; it extends to every person, young or old, male or female, pro-life or pro-choice, considering abortion or having had an abortion. To be truly pro-life, we not only desire to save the lives of our most vulnerable population, but to see sinners saved and reconciled to God. 

In order to be a faithful church that lives up to these two Biblical demands, we need to equip, prepare, and train the saints for good works. Which is why we at Knox, alongside our friends at First Baptist, Calvary Grace Church, and Redemption Calgary North, have partnered with Speak for the Unborn. 

What is Speak for the Unborn?

S4U is an organization dedicated to equipping churches for pro-life ministries. Started back in 2009 by just a handful of passionate church members, Speak for the Unborn has grown over the past 17 years into a ministry that stretches across the United States, where each and every week, the members of partnered churches intentionally spend time in meaningful pro-life conversation with the people in their cities.

There are countless incredible stories of these bold brothers and sisters in Christ who confront the culture and have helped open many people’s eyes not only to the evil of abortion, but also to the truth of the Gospel. 

Through this partnership, S4U has given us access to resources, training, connections, and much-needed wisdom from those who have greater experience serving in this ministry. This includes learning how to tactfully and gracefully encourage abortion minded women to turn to Christ and save their babies. To be effective in this, our mission and approach must stay grounded in the hope of the gospel found only in the Bible. 

How can I help the pro-life movement?

The mission of the Christian pro-life movement is to glorify God as we protect and love his image bearers. This is the same mission of the church. Therefore, this pro-life ministry needs everyone to be involved. We need evangelists, we need apologists, we need prayer, we need boldness, we need strong families, and we need support teams. There is a place for every member of our church and for every Christian to participate in this pro-life ministry because the only way that the evil of abortion is going to end in Canada is for hearts to change and lives to be transformed by the power of Christ upon the cross. 

If you feel called to serve alongside us in this ministry, please feel free to reach out, and we will get you connected. 

May God give us boldness to proclaim this wonderful message of life to the city of Calgary.

Cayman Bettig