There was a man in history who was a wretch and a slave trader. He did all the unspeakable things a man can do and he kidnapped men and women and sold them like pieces of cattle. This was a man who had no regard for the sanctity of life. All he cared about was what other people could do for him. He saw people as capital. He truly was a wretch.
Some time after his career in slave trading began he was taken as a slave. He was taken as a slave because he was so miserable of a shipmate that his former crew left him behind with another slave trader who then sold this wretch of a man into slavery. Eventually he was reclaimed by a ship his father sent. He would certainly cease being a slave trader after being a slave, right? Nope! He stayed in the business! He's a lost cause. There's no hope for this man.
Do you know who I'm talking about? Do you realize that if it were up to me, based on that story, we wouldn't have the song Amazing Grace? John Newton, the man in the story, wrote one of the most beautiful songs ever written. He eventually became an abolitionist but if it had been up to me, he'd not have made it that far!
Here's the question I have to ask myself:
Would I have prayed for John Newton's salvation?
I would now, of course, since I know who he turned out to be. But would I have then?
When it comes to Planned Parenthood I'm more like Jonah refusing to go to Nineveh. Not because I'm scared but because I know God can save the worst sinners working for Planned Parenthood. Don't get me wrong - I'm actively praying for Planned Parenthood to be shut down, but am I praying for lives to be saved from hell? Am I praying that Cecile Richards' life is regenerated and she's reconciled to God? Do I even want to pray that? I'll be honest with you, I have not once prayed for the salvation of anyone working for Planned Parenthood.
This is where the Christian life gets messy. This is where I'm tested and stretched in unimaginable ways. Were any of the 1st century believers praying for Saul to be saved? Would you have been?
God works in ways that are so beyond us and so unpredictable that we have no excuse not to pray for the salvation of every wretched soul. God brought glory to Himself through Saul of Tarsus. A man who persecuted the church! God brought glory to Himself through John Newton! A slave trader!
Praying for Planned Parenthood to be shut down is the right thing to pray for. I don't care how God does it. It just needs to get done. This doesn't give any of us license to go outside the law (violence against abortion doctors) or to go beyond civil disobedience (riots). This means we pray. We need to be active protesters. We need to do our part in making sure our nation gets rid of such a despicable act. Yet we also need to remember that Planned Parenthood is full of lost people who will spend an eternity in hell being punished according to their deeds, if they are not brought to saving faith by the grace of God. And faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.
I have much to say about this issue. I'll hopefully write more. I just had to first spill this out before I get lost in anger and forget that these people will be on the wrong side of eternity.
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