Francis Chan criticizes ‘my body my choice’ argument: ‘God says nothing is yours’
Pastor and bestselling author Francis Chan has criticized the popular pro-choice slogan "my body, my choice," declaring at a Christian festival last Friday that "God says nothing is yours."
The 54-year-old former pastor of California's Cornerstone Community Church took to the stage at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, last Saturday for THE SEND — a live 12-hour-long event.
In his sermon, Chan spoke about the Old Testament Book of Job, saying that Job was a man who was "blameless and upright" because he "fears God" and "turns away from evil."
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In the same way that God admired Job for his obedience, Chan said maybe God is admiring Christians today who are pro-life and are not afraid to share their stance with others.
"Could it be that God is saying, 'Look at this generation, ... look at these people, they're not going to back off from the Word of God, they actually believe in a judgment day, they're willing to preach that, they're actually willing to speak for the voices of the unborn, they're not backing off from that?'" Chan proclaimed.
"For any of us who think that we can come into the presence of God and say, 'God, why did you make me this way? Why did I go through this? This is my body, my choice.' God says: 'No, wait a second. No. Nothing is yours. I spoke this world into existence.' The world is the Lord's and everything in it. It's all made by Him. And He doesn't owe me an explanation."
Chan also referenced Isaiah 66:2, when God says: "This is the one to whom I will look, he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My Word."
"Do you tremble at the Word of God? Do you tremble? Because if you want God to choose you and see you, you need to tremble at His Word. Do you tremble at James 4:6, where it says, 'God opposes the proud'? If there's ever a verse to tremble at, that might be it," Chan said.
Chan warned the audience against becoming like those who say they are Christians, but "they are not close to God, not the God of the Bible." He added that they "can sing ... [and] cry, they can talk about their quiet time, but if they are proud, then they're not very close to that throne."
"Those who are closest to God are those who are most humble. … Do you understand this God that we pray to? When people were close to God, they were not proud. So whenever I see pride in my life, the answer to that is not 'OK, let me try to be more humble.' No. 'Let me try to get closer to God.' Because when I'm in the presence of God, there is not going to be pride there," he preached.
Chan said that in Job, Satan addresses God by saying that Job is only being obedient because He is "blessed" with many things and so God allows Satan to take away Job's riches and family.
Job's friends, who are introduced at the end of the second chapter, begin to question Job's integrity and obedience to God, which Job vehemently denies in his responses.
"Maybe the most offensive part is when God finally speaks in Chapter 38, and I want you to notice what God says. God sits silently for 35 chapters and just waits and [then] goes, 'Ok … Are you done?'" Chan said.
"[God] doesn't give an explanation. He just shows Job who He is. … And the first thing He does is … He goes, 'I ask the questions and you give the answers. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? … Where were you guys?'"
"And look at what Job says after God goes on for a couple of chapters," he added. "Job says something that we all need to say today. In Job 42, Job answers the Lord and says, 'I know that You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.'"
An annual Christian festival, THE SEND featured guest preachers and worship music by live bands with an aim to equip its participants "to feel like they can personally engage in a new way with the work of the gospel" and "be activated," its website states.
Chan's "my body, my choice" remark comes as a draft opinion leaked this month suggests the Supreme Court could likely overturn the landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade, which established that abortion was a constitutional right.
The high court will release an opinion in the coming weeks for the case of Dobbs v. Jackson, which centered on whether Mississippi can ban most abortions after 15 weeks into a pregnancy.
If the state law is upheld, it would contradict the standard set by Roe, which prohibits such restrictions before the unborn baby attains viability, which is generally after 20 weeks gestation.
Since Politico published a leaked draft opinion, which is not yet final, there have been numerous protests and several acts of vandalism against churches and pro-life pregnancy care centers.
