Our Refuge

The idea of having security in the Lord can be extremely powerful and assuring for us.  He is the One who has provided us refuge in Jesus and calls us to protect the most vulnerable among us - those who are yet to be born.  Psalm 27 states:
3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise against me, In this I will be confident.
4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.
5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

We are engaged in all sorts of battles these days, involving foundational principles that are important for our nation and for each of us.  There is a war on the unborn that has become more pronounced, and I believe that God, in His mercy, is opening eyes to the truth of life whom He has created.  There is a battle for religious freedom in our land, and we have to be so careful to place our trust in the Lord, who enables us to speak truth with boldness and who is our refuge, our hiding place, in whom we can gain strength.

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The Bible speaks of the concept of a sanctuary, a place where God dwells. A sanctuary can also be a place of security. We read in Exodus 15:
17 You will bring them in and plant them In the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O Lord, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

While I do not believe the Bible teaches that those who break laws should be given sanctuary in certain locations, there has been a concept that is being established where certain people who are in danger can have refuge - the concept of a "sanctuary city" for the unborn.

Waskom, Texas is a small city with a big heart for unborn children, it seems, and its city council just last week passed an ordinance declaring that the city is such a sanctuary.  According to ChristianHeadlines.com:

The city council for Waskom, Texas, unanimously passed the ordinance over the warnings of the mayor, who said the town may be sued.

The ordinance passed to cheers from the crowd, KTAL reported. It prohibits abortion clinics from opening and declares the town a “sanctuary city” for the unborn.

Waskom joins at least two other American cities in making this sort of declaration: the article says, "Roswell, N.M., and Riverton, Utah – voted this year to become 'sanctuary cities' for the unborn."

The article links to a Washington Examiner piece by Katie Anderson on Roswell's new law; that op-ed says:

In the city’s reasoning, Roswell council members cited the Declaration of Independence, saying that life is “... the first of these declared rights,” after quoting the preamble.

Indeed, America was created to value our rights to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” And although abortion advocates are likely to question the legality of Roswell’s pro-life sanctuary, this is precisely the sort of legislation pro-lifers should advocate for. Local governments are slowly starting to take back control when it comes to constitutional issues, and if other states followed in New Mexico’s footsteps, we could see real and substantial change in ending abortion as we know it.

Christian Headlines also links to a Salt Lake Tribune article about the Riverton action. It quotes councilwoman Tawnee McCay, who "sponsored the Riverton resolution."  The Christian Headlines article states, quoting McCay:

“Some have asked why we should do this at a city level,” she said, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. “Some people say a resolution has no teeth – it’s not a state law or city ordinance. I say that we each need to stand up for our values. We need to speak up for the repressed or those that are never given the chance to have a voice.”

You may have caught my conversation with commentator and attorney Jenna Ellis Rives from NRB this year - she referred to the worldview statement in the Declaration of Independence, citing "life" as one of the "inalienable rights."   We hear a lot about rights these days.  Roe v. Wade created a right out of thin air - a so-called woman's right to terminate the life of her unborn child.  That is in direct conflict with the Biblical, inalienable right to life.  There are those who would say there is a so-called "right" to marry a person of the same gender; that conflicts with the Biblical viewpoint that we find in Genesis, in the teachings of Jesus, and the writings of Paul.  There are those that say everyone has a right to health care, or for a so-called "living wage," or a free college education.  These are human ideas of "rights."

So, where do these "rights" come from?  Do they come from human wisdom or God's wisdom, Biblical wisdom?  Well, we know the answer.  And, it's to the Scriptures that we should go to get God's viewpoint.  And, we find that as humans, what are commonly called "rights" are actually inferior, ill-informed opinions.

But, we should all be able to agree upon the identity of the author of life.  Most do not believe we should take the life of another, and by doing so we violate that Biblical right to life.  Our actions and recognitions should line up with Biblical teaching.  The idea of a "sanctuary city" where people intent on breaking the laws of our nation can go to avoid punishment stands in direct contrast with the mandate for government we find in Scripture.  By contrast, the idea of a "sanctuary city" for the unborn is consistent with Biblical truth and the right to life.

Remember, those who have broken God's law can go to Him and find refuge and security in Him, if they are willing to repent of their sin; that doesn't spare the punishment, but it does provide the offer of a second chance.  We can look to Christ as the One who has gone before us and in Whom we can hide ourselves, so that we might be protected from God's wrath and eternal punishment - He promises eternal life to those who are willing to enter into a relationship with Christ, to enter into His sanctuary, into His presence, so that we might know Him as our Savior.