▶ Key Takeaways
- Truth is presented as being under attack, including within some Christian churches by liberal and progressive pastors.
- The article identifies the sanctity of pre-born life and the virgin birth of Jesus as biblical doctrines it says are denied by some pastors.
- Psalm 139:16 is cited as teaching that God knows and identifies human life in the womb.
- The article argues that freedom of choice does not eliminate the consequences of choices involving abortion.
- The Gospel of Matthew records Jesus’ virgin birth and traces His genealogy through Abraham and David rather than through Joseph as His biological father.
- The article argues that the virgin birth is necessary to its understanding of Jesus’ sinlessness and substitutionary atonement.
- It concludes that rejecting the virgin birth is incompatible with the article’s understanding of salvation through substitutionary atonement.
Deception… from the pulpit.
You may expect it in the media, by “Christian leaders” and “influencers,” or by the politicians who love quoting – and misquoting – Scripture.
But deception by denying God’s truth by ministers?
Denying God’s truth is nothing new.
It’s been happening ever since the Serpent denied God’s Word in his conversation with Eve in the Garden of Eden.
We should expect Satan to distort and deny Scripture…
We expect the same from atheists and from those who hate God… who believe He exists, but that He is not good, but rather evil and vindictive.
But not from ordained ministers and pastors.
When they distort and deny God’s Word – rejecting its original meaning and replacing it with their own ideas – it’s especially deceitful and harmful.
Why?
Because many churchgoers today are not familiar with the Bible they claim to believe.
A. W. Tozer has said, “Satan’s greatest weapon is man’s ignorance of God’s word.”
Also, churchgoers today tend to trust their pastors.
They believe their pastors know the truth and teach the truth accurately.
Two biblical truths that are often denied by liberal pastors today are the sanctity of pre-born life in the womb, and the virgin birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
Let’s compare what the Bible says versus what liberal pastors say:
1. The sanctity of pre-born life.
The Bible is very clear that pre-born life is created by God… and is therefore important to God.
The psalmist says, “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb… My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance…” (Psalms 139:13, 15-16a)
Notice that God sees the unformed substance of every conception – and that each unformed conception is immediately personal… “You (God) have seen my unformed substance…”
Even before scientists confirmed that life begins at conception – even before there is a heartbeat – the Bible stated the same truth.
The prophet Jeremiah confirmed what the psalmist wrote:
“Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you…’” (Jeremiah 1:4-5a)
God isn’t just claiming omniscience and foreknowledge here …
He is clearly stating again that He creates and forms babies in the womb – and that they are human persons while He is forming them.
The sixth commandment prohibits murder: the deliberate taking of an innocent life.
What Pastors Say:
Despite the clear statements in God’s word regarding the quality of pre-born life in the womb, some pastors believe pregnant women have a moral right to end that life.
Rev. Al Sharpton recently said that “the Bible is about choice… If you are a minister, as I am, you can preach to people to convert them; you do not make laws to compel them.”[1]
It’s true that the Bible is about choice, but not the kind of choice Al Sharpton is talking about.
God did create mankind with free will.
This means we all have the freedom to choose our behavior – and the beliefs we follow in life.
But choice always produces consequences in the eyes of God – even if not in the eyes of mankind.
Joshua commanded the Israelites to “choose for yourselves today whom you will serve” – whether the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or the gods of the Canaanite people around them (Joshua 24:15).
Their choice would have consequences that would affect their safety and security, their prosperity or poverty… and every aspect of their lives.
Jesus talked about a choice between two gates – the wide gate leading to destruction, and the narrow gate leading to life. (Matthew 7:13-14)
Choice always results in consequences.
Not all choices produce the same outcome.
But apparently, Al Sharpton believes that “choice” – as it applies to pregnancy – produces the same reaction from God whether a pregnant woman aborts and murders her unborn baby, or decides to carry her baby to birth and then give the child up for adoption.
In the second part of Sharpton’s statement, he says, “… you do not make laws to compel them.”
He is mistaken again. Laws do not compel obedience.
But they are statements of a moral standard of right and wrong which bring consequences for the choice of either complying or not complying.
Laws can be statements of government’s morality or of God’s morality.
Many of our laws in the U.S. are based on the morality expressed in the Ten Commandments.
People can choose to obey or disobey any law.
But disobedience always brings negative consequence… and disobedience to God’s laws brings consequences imposed by God.
For this reason, pastors should be concerned about knowing and communicating the essence of God’s moral law for all – including His moral laws regarding pregnancy and life.
But apparently Sharpton doesn’t care about what God thinks.
Another pastor who doesn’t seem to care about God’s opinion regarding pre-born life is Daniel Kanter, senior minister of the First Unitarian Church of Dallas.
He organizes day trips on airplanes for pregnant women every two weeks from Dallas to Albuquerque, New Mexico to help them get abortions.
He, along with many other pastors and clergy persons from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), believes that it’s a “fundamental right” for a woman to terminate her pregnancy and control her own body.[2]
Neither Kanter nor the RCRC quote any scripture in support of this so-called “fundamental right.”
Scripture actually teaches that because God has created each one of us, He owns us…
We don’t own ourselves.
Consider Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.” [Emphasis added]
Christian pastors should be familiar with this principle of God’s sovereignty and ownership of our lives, just as they should be familiar with the following scripture:
“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Just as it is not God’s will for us to kill ourselves, so it is not God’s will for us to kill the life that God has placed inside the body of a woman.
Instead of having the attitude of Jesus, who prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “not as I will but as You will” (Matthew 26:39), Christian pastors who support killing the unborn are saying in effect, “Not as God wills but as I will.”
Rev. Katey Zeh, a pro-abortion pastor who lives in North Carolina and who is the CEO of the RCRC, says that fighting for abortion rights – euphemistically called “reproductive freedom and dignity” – is central to her faith.[3]
Her reasons are not based on Scripture, but only on the general principle of showing love and compassion for people during their most difficult times in life.
She characterized her visit to an abortion clinic when she was a seminary student, and holding the hands of women having abortions, as a transformative experience.
She said that “it was just so sacred to accompany people through this very vulnerable moment—which for me, as someone who follows the model of Jesus, that is what I see him doing. He was someone who showed up for people during their most difficult moments, offered them care and compassion and love, and spoke up against unjust laws.”[4]
She is making things up.
Jesus never spoke out against the Roman law that the Jews lived under during his lifetime on earth. Nor did he oppose the Law of Moses.
What he DID speak out against was the hypocrisy of the Jewish religious leaders – and their misunderstanding and misapplication of Jewish law.
Ms. Zeh also doesn’t see the connection between the commandment, “You shall not murder,” and abortion.
She said in a recent interview, “In reality, if you look at the sacred texts, there’s actually very little speaking to this issue of abortion. If anything, there are pro-abortion texts in the Hebrew bible specifically, and really nothing in the Christian texts.”[5]
She doesn’t give any examples of pro-abortion texts in the Hebrew Bible. Nor does she explain what she believes are the differences between the Hebrew Bible and the so-called “Christian texts.”
Instead, she believes that being against abortion is a “fringe belief” that is part of a “white Christian nationalist agenda.”[6]
“In reality,” she says, “there is no one understanding of, ‘Is abortion right or wrong?’”[7]
There may indeed be multiple “understandings” of whether or not abortion is wrong, but they are not based on Scripture.
The apostle Paul accurately describes those who invent their own beliefs apart from God’s Word:
Galatians 1:8?
“For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” (Romans 10:2-3)
Yet some pastors dismiss the Bible altogether by claiming that it was created by men independently of God…
Therefore, the scriptures are just man’s thoughts about God according to the prevailing cultural beliefs of the times in which the writers lived.
Any truths the scriptures may contain are completely subjective – and therefore up to each reader to decide for himself or herself.
2. The virgin birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
The Bible clearly teaches that the conception of Jesus was miraculous.
Matthew – who was a Jew named Levi – wrote this after he had traced the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham through King David to Joseph “the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.”
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed [engaged] to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18, Emphasis added)
Betrothal in ancient Jewish culture was much more binding than engagement is in European and American culture.
A marriage contract was created at the betrothal celebration… and could only be broken by a formal divorce.
The couple lived apart until the wedding ceremony… so the phrase “before they came together” clearly means they hadn’t had sexual relations when Mary became pregnant.
Joseph assumed Mary had been unfaithful and had slept with another man.
He was planning to divorce her (Matthew 1:19).
But an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him, “…do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20)
The angel then tells Joseph to name the baby Jesus (Yeshua), “for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
Miraculous births are certainly not difficult for God:
- Abraham’s wife Sarah was well-past child-bearing age when she became pregnant and gave birth to Isaac.
- Elisabeth was well-past child-bearing age when she became pregnant and gave birth to John the Baptist.
Why is it important – in fact, necessary – that Jesus had to be born of a virgin and not conceived with the sperm of Joseph?
It’s because according to Scripture, sin is transferred from generation to generation through the man.
The apostle Paul makes this clear in Romans 5:12 — “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned…”
The first two humans – Adam and Eve – were not created with an innate tendency to rebel against God.
But when they sinned, their inner spirit – the part of their being that allowed them to commune with God – died just as God had warned Adam in Genesis 2:17.
Their dead spirit produced in them the following:
- Guilt toward God – that’s why they covered themselves with fig leaves
- Fear of being in the presence of God – that’s why they hid themselves
- Selfishness – an attitude of rebelliousness toward God… a propensity toward disobedience and sin
These results of disobeying God’s one command are described in Genesis 3:7-19.
The sin nature – the propensity to rebel against God and to disobey His moral commands – was passed on to Adam’s and Eve’s children… and to all of mankind.
Genesis 5:3 and Romans 5:12 above both teach that the sin nature is passed from generation to generation through the husband – the man.
If Mary had been impregnated with Jesus by a human, Jesus would have been born with a sin nature just like every other child who has ever been born.
He therefore could not have paid the just death penalty for the sins of all mankind; His death on the cross would have only paid the penalty for his own sin.
Note how carefully Matthew describes the birth of Jesus compared with all of the other births recorded in the genealogy of Jesus.
After listing all of Jesus’ ancestors beginning with Abraham being the father of Isaac, et cetera… he concludes by saying:
“Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born…” (Matthew 1:16)
Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus.
The distinction is deliberate, signifying the virgin birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
What Pastors Say:
Babs Miller, one of the pastors at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX, rejects the Bible passages describing the virgin birth of Jesus.
When asked in a video interview if she believes that a virgin gave birth to a baby, she said “No.”
“Part of what we encourage here is for people to think for themselves, and take what makes sense… Mary and the virgin birth comes out of the pagan belief.”[8]
She is even skeptical about whether Jesus ever existed… and said that whether or not he existed didn’t matter to her.
Ms. Miller apparently doesn’t believe miracles are possible, since she encourages people to only believe “what makes sense.”
St. Andrews Presbyterian in Austin is the home church of James Talarico, Democrat candidate for the U.S. Senate in Texas.
James A. Pike – Episcopal Bishop of California from 1958 – 1966 – and other liberal and progressive Christian pastors interpret the virgin birth of Jesus and other biblical miracles metaphorically.
They believe the gospel writers used ancient literary expressions and borrowed from contemporary cultural myths.
They argue that the spiritual message of Jesus matters more than physical miracles.
Do these “progressive” pastors not realize that much of the spiritual message of Jesus is tied to his miracles… and strongly tied to his identity as the Messiah and as God in human form?
His spiritual message includes some very unusual statements:
- “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6)
- “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.” (John 8:58)
- “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)
- “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
The spiritual message of Jesus was that good behavior and good works will not earn God’s favor, or guarantee a future life in heaven after physical death.
There is no religion that will save us.
Only Jesus can save us… and did save us by voluntarily dying in our place on a Roman cross and rising from the dead three days later.
Conclusion:
As Bible believers, we must show compassion and empathy toward those who reject Scripture or who have been misled by pastors who reject Scripture.
Those who believe more must not be hard on those who believe less.
Why?
Because ultimately, faith isn’t a virtue, it’s a gift.
Action Items:
- Thank God for the faith He has given you… and pray that He will give the gift of faith in Christ to those who reject parts of the gospel accounts.
- Pray for pregnant women who are in crisis and who feel there is no way out of their crisis other than abortion.
Don’t condemn them or judge them because they want to terminate their pregnancies on their own terms rather than on God’s terms – which would be through miscarriage.
What do you think? Email me at [email protected].
FAQs:
Q: Why is it harmful when pastors deny portions of the Bible?
A: Because most Christians today are not familiar with the Bible, so they may not even be aware that what their pastor is teaching them is contrary to the Bible.
Q: How does the Bible teach the sanctity of pre-born life in the womb?
A: God told the prophet Jeremiah that He knew Jeremiah and appointed him to become a prophet before he was even born. Also, God told David that He formed David in the womb, and that He saw David’s unformed substance. (Psalm 139:13-16)
Q: Why do some pastors support abortion?
A: They ignore or reject the pro-life statements in the Old Testament and believe that women should have the right and the choice to do whatever they want with their unborn baby.
Q: What does “pro-choice” mean according to the Bible?
A: Pro-choice is really no different from pro-free will. The abortion lobby has hijacked a biblical term and redefined it to mean “pro-disobedience” or “pro-murder.” Every person is free to choose their own behavior and their own actions – even if they violate God’s commandments in the process. But choices always bring consequences from God, even if there are no consequences from mankind.
Q: Why is the virgin birth of Jesus an important biblical doctrine?
A: If Jesus had been conceived through Joseph, he would have inherited Joseph’s sin nature, and could not have been the Savior of mankind. One can only pay the just penalty for the sins of others if he has no sin of his own to pay for.
About Craig Huey:
Craig Huey is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and publisher of The Huey Alert and Direct Marketing Update. Craig appears on national media such as FOX, FOX Business, Newsmax and more. He also co-hosts The Huey Alert Podcast with his wife Shelly and helps business leaders, Christians, conservatives, libertarians, young people and more understand the intersection of faith, politics, and freedom.
[1] https://www.christianpost.com/news/al-sharpton-says-the-bible-is-about-choice-when-it-comes-to-abortion.html
[2] https://www.businessinsider.com/network-religious-leaders-abortions-roe-v-wade-clergy-consultation-service-2022-5
[3] https://vadogwood.com/2022/06/06/a-pro-choice-pastor-on-why-fighting-for-abortion-rights-is-central-to-her-faith/
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] https://cbn.com/news/politics/james-talaricos-pastor-makes-shocking-statements-no-way-knowing-if-jesus-really