One Person
Today is 'National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday'. It was first established in 1984 by Ronald Reagan. His proclamation was issued on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, about which President Reagan said - the Supreme Court, "Struck down our laws protecting the lives of unborn children." Now it is up to each state as to how they will protect the unborn. I'm not here to make a political statement. I'm not here to condemn anyone but to look at what the Bible says about life.
And when we talk of protecting the unborn - it's intertwined with the matter of abortion. It's a difficult subject because of the emotion involved. And those who have had to personally deal with abortion in their own lives or families may still feel a lot of pain, or even guilt. As controversial as this subject may be - I cannot remain silent.
In our culture, the value of human life has been debased. It's been turned into an issue of 'rights' - the right to choose - a woman's right to 'healthcare'. But when I talk about the 'sanctity of human life', I want to remind us of the reality of what we're discussing - a real, living, unborn baby - a child, a human life.
We now have generations of people who honestly don't see human life as anything special. And that's partially the case because many preachers have chosen less controversial topics rather than run the risk of offending. If any Church does not intentionally and regularly reinforce its core beliefs and values - it will take the easy path, it will water down its message and it will lose its influence and relevance.
And because our core values come directly from God's Word - we cannot run that risk. We are called to challenge the world's values and to influence them, to lead them to God's better ways. We need to graciously and lovingly share the truth that...
I. Life is sacred
That is something I stress every single time on this subject, and I will continue to sound like a 'broken record' because this is such a vital truth. It's the core truth of this discussion because without it, we're simply arguing opinion. But it's a truth simply rejected by those who reject God and His authority, and a truth that many overlook when they find themselves in a difficult situation. But it's true nonetheless.
Human life is sacred, set apart for holy purposes because man is created by God. You - and every human being - are God's intentional, purposeful creation. King David understood his relationship with God when he wrote this passage we read each year from Psalms 139:13-16 (NIV)...
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. (14) I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (15) My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, (16) your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Human life is sacred not because of a majority vote, but because man is made...
A. In God's image
Our lives are not sacred because we say so - human life is sacred, special, and it is to be protected because God says so and He created us in His image. Let's look at this account in Genesis 1:26-28 (NIV)...
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
(28) God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
God placed a special value, worth and dignity on human life. God created man with a spiritual and moral nature. God created us with the ability of language and communication - with others and most importantly with Him. God created us for a relationship with Him, and with a special purpose in His creation. God made mankind unique, above everything else in creation.
For many, this argument on the 'sanctity of life' has been boiled down to a matter of 'freedom of choice' and 'reproductive rights'. But - from where do those rights come? Who grants the rights that men and women have? Any rights that any human has have their origins in their Creator. If you don't acknowledge the Creator - no one has any special claim to any inalienable rights. But because God is the author of life, the creator of life - He is the One who has authority and He says that mankind is special, unique - sacred as created in His image.
Now as I mention the ideas about 'rights' and the subject of 'freedom to choose', some would strongly insist that the pulpit is no place to talk politics. - But I'm not talking politics, I'm talking about...
B. Truth not an issue
In today's world, truth has taken a beating. People use honorable sounding phrases like, 'reproductive rights'. - Is there any concern for the child's right to live? People righteously decry they are against 'government mandated pregnancy' in support of abortion. - There is no such thing - no one is forced to have sex and get pregnant. But people use words to hide truth. Words can be manipulated to obscure truth.
Last March, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released their "Guide to Language and Abortion" to coach the medical community on how to hide the true brutality of abortion. The introduction begins, "The language we use when discussing reproductive health has a profound impact on what people hear and learn." They recommended replacing the words "unborn baby" with "embryo" or "fetus"; the words "heartbeat" with "cardiac activity"; the word "dismemberment" with "disarticulation"; "partial-birth abortion" with "intact dilation and evacuation".
They're trying to cover up scientific facts about a unique, sacred human life and manipulating the language to dehumanize that life in the womb. They're trying to counter the profound impact of the truth about the value and sacred nature of unborn babies. They change the words - but the truth is, it is still a baby having it's heartbeat stopped by killing it.
The truth is - as long as "my body, my choice" is politicized and promoted - millions of unborn children and women become its victims. Women have been told 'it's simply a blob of cells', that 'ending the pregnancy' is a quick and easy fix to an unwanted problem. But those who encourage and perform the procedures don't have to deal with the pain, the guilt and the regret that comes from choosing to end the life of your own unborn child.
The pulpit is not a place for politics, but I think because many Christians have been 'cautiously silent', the truth has been stolen by politics. I'm not telling anyone how they should vote - but I am telling you what God says and what He values.
The question of whether or not to end the life of an unborn child has become a question of 'should it be legal' - rather than the question being, 'is it moral'? And because it has become an issue on which to debate, an issue on which to vote - the truth has been ignored and rejected.
The larger issues of morality are not ours to decide. In 1857, with a vote of 7 to 2 in the Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court declared that African Americans were property, that they could be owned and had no rights as human beings. Just because the majority said it was so did not make it right.
And no matter what our society may think - protecting the lives of unborn children does not mean that you're disrespecting the rights of women. I'm not here to condemn anyone, but to bring this discussion back to its rightful place - as a matter of spiritual truth. God is the author of life - and when He chooses to create a new life - we must respect that life.
I understand that many people today don't accept God as the Creator - but that doesn't change the facts. Human life was God's idea and God is the Authority on life. - Even for those outside of the Church, the accidental loss of a human life is heartbreaking. That's because people innately understand how special human life is. But the intentional destruction of an innocent human life, when we ignore what we know to be true - that's a tragedy.
***Video: "God Loves Life"
For many in our nation, it's time for us to...
II. Rethink our values
We look back on civilizations who sacrificed their children for rain or good crops as barbaric. Societies who performed human sacrifices to 'appease their gods' are viewed as superstitious and evil.
Are we sacrificing our children to the 'gods of convenience and material prosperity'? The main reasons given for ending the life of an unborn child are financial reasons or timing. Many financially successful people today have publicly credited their success to the 'freedom to choose'. But as a parent - is there any amount of money that you could offer me to give up one of my kids...? Is there anything you could offer me that would make me end the life of one of my children?
But - our society has definitely changed our views on the value of children. And admittedly - speaking from personal experience - children are expensive and having children does force you to give up a lot of your personal plans and freedoms. And many of you have willingly experienced just that. But our purpose in this life is not to solely cater to our personal plans and freedoms. That's another Biblical truth that has been rejected, to our own loss. We live in a society, where now...
A. Right has become wrong
Those who simply believe God's Word and stand to protect life are now called evil and hateful and authoritarian. Some people have been attacked for nothing more than praying in front of an abortion clinic or holding signs proclaiming the sanctity of human life. How is it that standing for truth has become equated as evil - and promoting ending the life of a baby is seen as somehow righteous?
Since the Dobbs ruling overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked before its official release last June, vandals and arsonists have attacked more than 104 Catholic churches and 78 crisis pregnancy centers. But it's nothing new and we shouldn't be surprised. The prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 5:20-21 (NIV)...
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. (21) Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
We don't use the word 'woe' much today. It's a word associated with grief, regret, or distress that feels hopeless. It's a word that means to 'cry out' - it's almost a warning to not go down this path because of the pain and sadness it will bring. I'm not sharing this message in anger or condemnation - but out of compassion, and a bit of sadness.
I'm sad because of the hurt and pain and loss caused by rejecting life created in God's image. And even though Biblical values are now called hateful, we can't respond in anger. We must...
B. Respond in love
What does that look like? The 'Women's Care Center' on Broadway in Merrillville serves on average 6 women a day who've found themselves in a difficult situation. They perform roughly 600 free ultrasounds annually, and their efforts saved 375 babies last year. In their 34 centers in 12 states they saved a combined total of 17,738 babies last year. You can check out their information on the bulletin board in the foyer that Becky Medrano put together. - Thanks, Becky!
This past year we collected diapers, and wipes and baby supplies for them and our 'blessing cup' offering on their behalf collected $400.40. That's what love looks like. Thank you! I can say I believe in the sanctity of life; I can even say I am 'pro-life' - it's another thing to do something about it. Love is an action. We find this challenge in Proverbs 24:11-12 (NIV)...
Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. (12) If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?
I'm not here to persuade you about a political issue. But I am here to challenge you to carefully weigh your beliefs and your values - and your influence on the next generation. God sees human life as sacred and places an extremely high value on life. Do your attitudes and actions communicate that you value human life as sacred?
So What?
I can't really expect those who do not believe in God to value human life as His creation. I can't really expect them to take a stand for the 'sanctity of human life' and to protect the lives of unborn children. I do hope that those who follow Jesus value human life as He does.
Back when I was in college, there was a young woman who was a few years older than me and in a different city. At that time she already had one child but then became unexpectedly pregnant and felt she couldn't afford another. She chose the only option she felt she had - she had an abortion.
A few years later, she was invited to Church by a friend. She started attending and decided to accept Jesus. It was at that point that she then fully understood the loss and the guilt that she had been feeling for years. In Christ, she found healing and forgiveness for her grief and loss.
Years passed and she had a daughter who grew up and found herself in a similar situation - she became pregnant and couldn't see any way to keep the child; she was considering 'terminating the pregnancy'. Her mother, who had gone down that same path years ago was determined not to let her daughter follow in her foot steps; she didn't want her to feel the same pain and regret she had felt all those years. She asked her to turn this difficult situation into a blessing. And as emotionally difficult as it was, this woman convinced her daughter to carry the child and then place the baby up for adoption.
And because of the conviction of this one Christian woman - one woman who took a stand, my son Winston had a chance at life.
One person can make a difference. One person can protect an unborn child made in the image of God. As parents and grandparents - value human life as sacred - and teach your children, your grandchildren those same values. And don't just teach with words - act.
And sometimes those actions might be praying for a young woman struggling with a difficult decision; it might be as easy as donating money to a Women's center. Sometimes those actions might require more of you - volunteering time with an organization that values life and helping young woman. And some times, your decision to value life might require a lot of time and a lot of money; it might require you to completely change your plans for your life.
And if it does - living out God's values, because God's plans are always so much better than ours - if it costs you greatly - I promise you, you will be extremely blessed in the end. Choose today to stand for life, to teach the next generation, and to follow Jesus wherever He leads you, no matter the cost! One person can change a life for eternity!