By Leonardo Blair
Christian Post
In a sometimes testy debate with controversial Christian abortionist Dr. Willie Parker on whether abortion is a moral wrong, conservative University of North Carolina professor Mike Adams says he believes the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide deserves to be overturned because it’s a “scientific and logical disaster.” Read the rest of this entry about the debate here
CAL Executive Director’s Comments:
There are two great mandates in Scripture for the people of God.
The first is what many scholars have called the Cultural Mandate found in Genesis 1:26-28:
“And God said; Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
This tremendous text of Scripture is about more than God authorizing man to have dominion over natural things. It’s more about God assigning humankind as his vice-regent on the earth. Humanity is to have dominion over the earth and build culture in a manner that reflects the character of the Creator-God. Interestingly, God has never revoked this mandate. It still stands today, except that mankind has forfeited his right standing with God by way of sin. He not only possesses a character far removed from his Maker’s, but he also seeks to build a world that defies God.
This brings us to the second great mandate. The first was given at the dawn of creation. The second, which has often been referred to as The Great Commission, was given at the dawn of the new creation, at the start of the Christian era, soon after Christ had secured the redemption of mankind by his life, his death on the Cross, and his bodily resurrection from the dead. It’s found in Matthew 28:19-20 where Jesus said:
“Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.”
In his book, Earth Restored, John Barber beautifully describes the relationship between the Cultural Mandate and the Great Commission.
He writes:
“God intends the Cultural Mandate to serve as his directive to redeemed man to maintain the order God placed in his world, better enabling all men to seek the truth. It is in this sense of upholding and conserving the creation in its balance and design that the Cultural Mandate serves the Great Commission. For where there is a lack of order, men are pre-occupied with non-order. But where there is peace, men are free to discern the meaning behind their liberty. They are free to both hear and respond to the call of God upon their lives.”
In other words, evangelism – bringing people to Christ – is how redeemed persons are recruited to transform society – and the Cultural Mandate is the means of reshaping society to produce the most conducive environment for people to come to Christ.
Some Christians claim that cultural engagement by the church, such as addressing controversial social issues, only hinders efforts at evangelism. It’s just the opposite. Instead, it provides a springboard for presenting Christ to the masses and advancing the kingdom of God.
Dr. Mike Adams, who is a fervent follower of Christ, did a stupendous job debating abortion advocate, Dr. Willie Parker. Adams, in my estimation, excoriated the false arguments of Dr. Parker. But it was from the feedback provided to Dr. Adams after the debate where one can see the beauty of God’s plan – the complementary nature of the Cultural Mandate and the Great Commission.
Adams posted a response to the debate by one of the members of the audience on his Facebook page. The post read:
“I want to thank you for doing the debate on abortion. I want to say that I was a UNCW graduate in 2012. I was a pro-choice Democrat, I know stupid, until about six months ago. I began listening to Ben Shapiro and reading your columns on abortion and capitalism. You both have completely changed my mind through simple facts. I even had the audacity to say that I was a Christian with an abortion-friendly worldview. I have often debated whether I should email you to say thank you for educating me. Tonight, after listening to your debate versus a serial killer, I felt that I should let you know that all the seeds you have sowed for the pro-life movement is bearing fruit. Thank you so much for helping save my soul and leading me to Christ. God bless you.”
Adams faithfully used the gifts God gave him to be a voice for the unborn, and in turn, God also used him to help someone be born-again.
This is our mission as the people of God. Christian political activism and evangelism should not be seen as isolates. Instead, they work in tandem. We shouldn’t just be doing one or the other. We should be doing both.
-Rev. Mark Creech