Well-known pastor and author Francis Chan encouraged Christian leaders not to be afraid to speak out boldly against abortion in a lengthy new interview with Live Action.
Speaking with Lila Rose, the president and founder of Live Action, Chan said pastors who talk openly about controversial issues like abortion often get “shell shocked,” but they must remember that their mission is to preach the truth.
“We’ve got to stop playing this game of trying to please everyone and just say it like it is,” he said. Later, Chan promised, “I will not back down on declaring the truth even if it costs my life.”
The California pastor, who has seven children with his wife, said the fear of speaking out against evil is one of the biggest crises facing the church today.
“Certain topics like this, you bring it up and you’ll immediately be canceled by a large swath of people, no matter how sensitive you are,” Chan said.
He reminded Christian leaders of Jesus’ warning that they would be hated by the world because it hated him first. Chan emphasized that the Christian message is a message of love, even if the world claims otherwise.
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“Out of love, I’ve got to say, ‘Don’t do it [abortion]. There are other options and this is far bigger than maybe you realize and it’d be so unloving for me to not say that and just let you come before this God at the end of your life,’” he said.
Chan continued: “We are going to answer to a Holy Creator who is the author of life. We don’t have the right to take that [life] away.”
He challenged Christians – especially church leaders – to remember that they will stand before God’s throne someday and account for their actions.
“The most important second of our existence is when we stand before Him and it’s just us and Him,” he said. “And did we make our decisions and did we come up with our beliefs based upon that moment of going, ‘I’m before you, God’ and ‘Did I value You the way You thought and the way You taught? Did I really make my decisions based upon the things You said and did in history? Or was I swayed by my desires, by what’s popular, what the culture was saying?”
But God also has mercy on sinners who repent, including mothers and fathers who chose to abort their unborn babies, Chan said.
“His throne is a throne of grace, and we can approach Him and receive mercy and find grace in our time of need,” he said. “And so it’s not like if you have committed this act that it’s the impardonable sin, but you have to humble yourself and admit, ‘God, whether I didn’t know or I didn’t see… I see it now and I am so sorry.’ There is absolute forgiveness for you…”
Watch the full interview here.
