Expose the Works of Darkness

Here is a link to an online booklet by John Piper on the issue of abortion.  Here is a section where he is talking about Ephesians 5:11 "Take no part in in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them".

God calls his people to be the conscience of the culture. Our individual conscience probes into our behavior and either approves or disapproves what we do. So the children of light are to probe into the life of their culture and approve or disapprove what it does.

I hope you hear the force of this. It is radically different from the passivity and moral withdrawal of many Christians. Many believers have a passive avoidance ethic and that is all. In other words they think: if I avoid the works of darkness, and don’t do them myself, then I am doing my Christian duty. I’m clean. I’m in the light. But that is not what verse 11 says. It says you are only doing half your duty. “Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness”— that’s an avoidance ethic. That’s half your duty. But it goes on, and in fact puts stress on the next phrase because it is easily overlooked and because it can be very costly: “Rather even expose them!” Don’t just avoid the works of darkness, expose them. This is not avoidance. This is action.(9)

 This is a call to us as Christians to not be passive. Stand up for the weak, for those unable to speak for themselves. Out of a love for God, let us love our unborn fellow human being so that we might love God and neighbor to the glory of God.