The Sanctity of Life
Pastor Dave Monreal, Lead Pastor
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:26-27
The Bible declares that all human life is valuable because it is created by God and that every human being is created in his image and likeness. This means that we are both intrinsically and extrinsically valuable. Because man is created in the image of God, any unauthorized taking of that life is murder. After the fall and flood, God instructs Noah, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” (Genesis 9:6)
When does life begin? This truly is the key question. Some argue that life doesn’t begin until the baby is out of the womb and able to survive on his own. The problem is, the baby cannot survive on his own for years (decades?) after birth. But universally people believe it is murder to kill a baby. Some tried to argue viability. This is a continuously moving target. Babies are living after being born months premature! I just saw a testimonial of a mother whose daughter was born at 23 weeks, 6 days. Viability is just a random subjective guess.
The Bible is clear that a preborn baby can respond to outside stimuli such as when John leapt in his mother’s womb at six months when Mary entered carrying the baby Jesus. (Luke 1:41) It also says that John was filled with the Spirit while still in the womb further revealing that God considers him a distinct human being. Likewise, the Bible tells us that Jeremiah had a prenatal calling from God. (Jeremiah 1:5) God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” God knew Jeremiah in the womb, he consecrated him, and appointed him as a prophet. Clearly God saw him as a distinct human being while he was in his mother’s womb.
Everything in Scripture leads one irresistibly to the logical conclusion that an unborn baby is a distinct human being from the moment of conception. Any other time would just be arbitrary subjective opinion. The unborn child is created in God’s image, and it is only a matter of growth from the time of conception to the time of birth. The image of God remains on the individual throughout life regardless of age or ability so that all of life is sacred and special.
There have been around 63,000,000 abortions in the United States since Roe v Wade made abortion legal. It is almost unheard of for a mother’s life to be in danger through pregnancy, but this is often used as a foil for arguing for all abortion. If it is not possible to save both mother and child, it is permissible to save the mother even if the unfortunate consequence is the death of the baby. However, the vast majority of abortions are elective abortions because the mother became pregnant and decided she didn’t want the child, or she was pushed into an abortion because the man or family did not want her to have a child. On average more children have been put to death through abortion EVERY YEAR than have died from COVID-19 in this country! We stop the world for COVID but don’t blink an eye at the travesty of abortion.
Some argue that a man shouldn’t comment on abortion because it is a woman’s body. First, everyone has a right to step in if a murder is taking place. If this is a distinct human being that the mother is carrying, then it is perfectly appropriate for anyone to stop it. Second, since this a distinct human being it is not the mother’s right to choose. She is choosing to end the life of another living soul created in God’s image. We are to be protectors of the weak and vulnerable. Who is more vulnerable than an unborn baby in his mother’s womb if she wants to end the pregnancy?
I have known women who previously had an abortion then later turned their lives over to Christ. Many life with the guilt and shame of this decision to terminate the pregnancy. Yes, abortion is a horrible choice that ended a human life. But the blood of Christ is able to save to the uttermost all who come to him. If you had an abortion and now realize it was wrong, confess your sin to God, ask for forgiveness, and know that God has forgiven you through the death and resurrection of his dear Son Jesus. There is grace at the foot of the cross to everyone who goes to him.
