The Ultimate Pro-life Choice

Allard of St. Olaves in the U.K. was presented with a choice few have to make or ever should. Her wrenching decision came when she learned, while 4 months pregnant, that she was in the advanced stages of liver cancer.

The choice was clear but beyond sobering for her and the rest of her family. After considering her limited options, the mother sacrificed her life by refusing cancer treatment so her unborn baby would live.

She told her husband and the media, "If I am going to die, my baby is going to live."Lorraine Allard lost her cancer battle three weeks after giving birth to her fourth child and only son. Her choice had allowed her baby to live and gave her some precious short time to say goodbye to Liam, the child she saved.

Life is filled with choices and this woman's courageous actions gives another whole meaning to the term 'choice' in relationship to the whole Pro-life versus Pro-choice debate. This time 'choice' led to life for her child via her own sacrificial death.

In eternity past, another choice was faced by the Creator of the universe. but one with far greater and lasting implications. He, too, decided to opt for life, even though He could have done otherwise, and been perfectly justified in doing so considering man's constant rebellion against Him. So why choose to rescue those who had voluntarily turned their backs on Him?

God's decision to offer eternal life to a race condemned to eternal death is simple, although costly. His willingness to do the unthinkable and undeserved is explained concisely in Ephesians 2 and beginning at verse 4. "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." It was His love that led to His choice!

That same passage then goes on to reveal how men and women can take advantage of Christ's amazing choice of sacrificing Himself. Verse 8 declares "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Saving faith is our choice to his gracious offer.

Then lastly, verse 10 states the purpose of salvation for those who choose to respond appropriately to God's free offer. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." When we choose Him, we are also choosing to serve Him.

If the human love displayed by a mother toward her unborn child can lead to the choice of a Lorraine Allard, just try and imagine the unfathomable love of a God who Himself birthed mankind and then chose to sacrifice His only Son to offer a spiritual rebirth.

That is the ultimate Pro-life choice!

Bill Breckenridge