SUBMITTED RESOLUTION On upholding a Biblical, Pro-Children stance
Pray for favor with the Resolution Committee,
I did not anticipate being able to submit this this year, because of the combination of disappointment and changing plans. But last minute, in prayer I believe the Lord has led me to.. Why did I hesitate? A brother, that was going to travel to the New Orleans meeting with me canceled, and then a very special person's friendship who is was in support ended for the time being. With the combination of physical health problems and the mixed bag of emotions and motives (which can take time to sort through and discern—But this Resolution has been unfolding since October when an officer of my state convention suggested that I write a Resolution on abortion due to my public comments of a narrowly failed resolution in the Missouri, and then during sabbatical last year and time of prayer in a cabin in November of 2022 the Lord led me to set aside another ministry I was more interested in getting involved in Church Revitalization Consulting and had opportunity for, and instead to spend my time drafting this document) and the Lord exposed in me some ambitious motives that were under surface alongside what I believe He's called me to do. I have taken to time to repent of that. I am still being cautious about my level of denominational involvement for the time being as I wait upon the Lord. So while I may be standing alone, and in the midst of this season was anticipating finally starting a home of my own by God's favor and leading right before and amidst taking this stand locally and presenting it to my own congregation. I still do not see how I will be there in New Orleans in person; however, on April 2, 2023 I received the full support of my church family to take this stand, and not a single person has ever voiced concern or disagreement with the Resolution among my church family. Rather, my church family has encouraged me to stand for what is right. Unless I can be shown from scripture that I am wrong, I must stand by my conviction and express my concern for the drift at the heart and core of my denomination, the drift from the word of God and simple faith in His Word. A few years of prayer on the correlation of these foundational issues upon other doctrinal matters has been underway, especially the last year. This was NOT rushed into. By God's grace, I must remain faithful to what the Lord has asked me to do. Waiting upon God. Lord, help me to be obedient and faithful to You, root pride out of my heart and life, keep me humble and keep me confident in Faith and faithful in Your Will however long it takes in Your will for my life. Give me the strength to continue...for I desperately need it, O Father! I must stand up for the life of the unborn who are being murdered lest I have blood on my hands (Ezekiel 3:18). Innocent children MUST be defended!
------ Resolution text:
On upholding a Biblical, Pro-Children Stance
Whereas, as Christians, believing in the authority and sufficiency of God's Word that Lord is the Author and
Sustainer of every life from the moment of conception to natural death, we do clearly state that: all abortion is the
premeditated taking of a life and is sinful. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Genesis 1:27, 9:6, Job 14:5, Psalm 39:4,
139:13–16, Jeremiah 1:5, Luke 1:44)
Whereas, while we are thankful and support the progressive work of saving more lives over the decades through
the incrementally increasing legislation that is necessary in many states across the Nation, thus saving more pre-born lives,
we nonetheless recognize that the work is not done nor our involvement in pro-life work. (Deuteronomy 7:21-22, 1
Corinthians 5:9-13)
Whereas, the reversal of Roe V. Wade has in many respects only begun the true battle for Life in our Nation.
Whereas, we have adopted as Christians into our own homes and churches a worldly view of sexuality as an act
of personal pleasure primarily and not as a beautiful gift of fruitful responsibility as the means of sharing in God's
procreation of the human race. Of having adopted a worldly view of family planning based upon socio-economic, health,
age, or material readiness—many of us have sought to control our family planning rather than receive children as gifts
from God. (Genesis 1:26-28, 38:6-10, Psalms 127:1-5, 128:1-6, Song of Solomon 2:7; 3:5; 8:4; Jeremiah 16:2, Matthew
19:11-12, Romans 1:18-32, 12:1-3, 1 Corinthians 7:1-9, 2 Corinthians 10:1-18)
Whereas, the Lord is the one who Sovereignly opens and closes the womb; mankind has not been given the
command to do so nor to control the multiplication of lives and that all such views of population control are based upon
fear and lies rather than faith in our Creator and Sustainer who is a God of abundance and not of scarcity in providing for
His creation. We are not called to an evolved competition for survival as humanity but are to live an abundant life in Christ
as God's prime creation, humanity, even in our fallen world provided for by our Creator. (Genesis 1:26-30, 9:1-7, 20:18,
25:21, 30:2, Deuteronomy 7:13, Psalm 113:9, 127:3, Jeremiah 16:2, 29:6, Matthew 6:25-34, 18:2-6, Genesis 15:6, 2
Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 10:38, Romans 1:17-32)
Whereas, the historic position of Christians knows no such confusion in regards to birth control and abortion that
is debated in Western churches today, we stand in solidarity with the biblical stand of Christians from the Early Church till
the present day.
Resolved, therefore, we clearly state, based upon Scripture, that all abortion is the intentional elimination of or
preventing of a human life, an unborn child, and is therefore sinful and wrong with no exceptions. (1 Timothy 1:8-11,
Galatians 3:24, Genesis 1:28, 9:1,5-7; 38:6-10, Exodus 21:22-25, Numbers 35:9-34, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 6:9-20)
Resolved, therefore, that in light of the compromise of many prolife organizations that have opposed legislation
that would criminalize abortion, if prolife in today's America has come to mean always upholding certain exceptions to
abortions and not laboring progressively where necessary hill by hill in this fight for human lives toward the goal of
abolition, then we shall reject prolife and shall be abolitionists.
Resolved, therefore, that because the Lord is the Creator and Sustainer of life from conception to natural death,
and that many of us as Christians have adopted the same core worldview of "determining readiness" of a couple for having
children rather than entrusting ourselves to the Creator who gives life to not only give life but to take it at His appointed
time, we confess that many of us have participated in the sexual rebellion of idolatry in regard to sacrificing the gift of
children in the same manner, in principle, as those who have chosen abortion by procedure and substance. As the Israelites
did to Molech, we have sacrificed the possibility of children in favor of our own idols. Choosing comfort and selfishness
over receiving God's gift of little ones according to His will; we ask for the Lord's forgiveness and repent for skewing His
fruitful gift of sexuality, for having rejected His gift of procreation in favor of our own material comforts, and for having
viewed children as a liability rather than a precious gift. The Lord is to be family planner. (Leviticus 20:1-5, Deuteronomy
28:18,3-57; Jeremiah 32:30-35, Psalm 127:1-5, 128:1-6, 139:13-16, Romans 1:17-32, 6:23, 1 Corinthians 6:9-20)
Resolved, that both spiritual and literal prostitution is described as sex for pleasure without blessing, wickedly
desiring no consequences, or freedom from the bounds of marital covenant between one biological man and one
biological woman. (Romans 1:17-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-20, Genesis 2:24)
Resolved therefore, by God's Grace and the Spirit's ministry that we will view our sexuality as God designed it. Recognizing that expressed sexuality always results in either consequences or blessings and that as the people of God we
humbly ask the Lord for the grace to choose life rather than death, the same choice spiritually and physically that was
placed before ancient Israel (Deuteronomy 30:11-20).
Resolved therefore, that because the natural result of sexual intimacy within marriage, between one man and one
woman, is to be the procreation of children, we will welcome and value the children that the Lord would bestow upon us
as Christian couples whether that be through biological, adopted, or fostering means. (Genesis 1:28, 9:1,5-7; Psalm 127:1-
5, 128:1-6, 139:13-16, Romans 8:1-16)
Resolved, therefore, that we will uphold and support Christ-centered pregnancy efforts to minister to women and
families in need on this issue. (Deuteronomy 30:15-16,19)
Resolved therefore, some of us, as called by the Lord, shall pursue vocations in counselling and caring for women
and families healing from the crime and choice of abortion. (Romans 12:3-8, Ephesians 2:8-10)
Resolved therefore, we as Christians shall re-commit ourselves to the setting aside of sexual unfaithfulness in the use of pornography for it is a false sexuality based upon lifeless pleasure and not fruitful procreation of intimacy with a spouse that results, under God, in the multiplication of a home. (1 Corinthians 6:9-20)
Resolved, that the worldly lie of "economic impact" shall not govern any longer the welcoming of the family that the Lord creates through the intimacy of marriage in our Christian homes. (Matthew 6:25-34, Ephesians 5:21-33, 6:4, Colossians 3:18-21, Genesis 1:27-28, 2:24, Psalm 127:3)
Resolved, we shall continue to battle for, where it still is necessary to save the lives of the unborn in states and nations embracing wholeheartedly infanticide, with the same vigor of Wilberforce against slavery. Praying for the day when the Lord's Kingdom shall come on earth as it is in Heaven and the murderous ending of lives shall cease. However, by God's grace, while laboring progressively for victory through legislation, we refuse to speak of the matter of pro-life as an evolving issue. Taking or preventing a life is wrong, period. (Genesis 9:5-7, 38:6-10, Exodus 21:22-25, Matthew 6:10,
Romans 12:21, Revelation 21:4-8, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Romans 6:23)
Resolved, furthermore, as Christians and ministers of the Gospel, it is unbecoming and unfaithful to state that there are acceptable exceptions for abortion. We stand before the Judge and Creator of Heaven and Earth not any human court of opinion on these matters (1 Corinthians 4:1-5, Matthew 7:1-5, 1 Corinthians 5:3-5,9-13; Exodus 20:13).
Resolved, therefore, we state clearly that those among us who have taken the position of having adopted the same beliefs of the world about the liabilities of welcoming a child into our homes and having chosen contraceptive means are as guilty as those who have chosen the most horrific forms of chemical and surgical abortions, and repent before God for we stand in need before Christ just as much as anyone else. God be merciful to me, for I am a sinner (Luke 18:9-14).
Date: 05/29/2023
Ryan M Marks, pastor
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