Thinking Biblically about: The Sanctity of Life
A Walk Through Scripture
This morning we are starting a new series called “Putting the pieces together.” As people who claim to be followers of Jesus, are we really allowing the Bible to form our beliefs and direct actions? Do we think Biblically? This series will help us know why we believe what we do and why. We need to know what our convictions are based upon, and we need to be able to give an answer to anyone who asks us questions about our beliefs. We will be looking at issues within our society, our church, our families and ourselves and how the Bible should direct our thinking, beliefs and actions.
This morning, we will be examining the most important issue of our day, and what our Biblical world view should be about life. The view that we have about life intertwines with virtually every other issue we face today. The world view that most people have been taught within our secular culture says that life occurred by chance. This teaching says that there is not a creator that ordered our world and hence, man is not accountable or answerable to a creator. In fact, our current government is actively working to replace our Judeo-Christian belief system with a Darwinist belief system that cheapens life and is void of any moral base. The only way to counter the flood of the politically correct and radical teachings is to know and stand up for truth – Biblical truth.
As we walk through scripture, our journey begins in Genesis Chapter one. “In the beginning,” God created everything that there is by speaking them into existence. As we look over this first chapter, notice with me that after each day of creation, God pronounced that what he had made was good. Then in verse 26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” After God formed man, in verse 31 He pronounced, “It is very good.” All of creation culminated with the making of man. Man was the reason for the creation from the beginning. Man is why God created the heavens and the earth. God had us in mind from the beginning. Only after man was created did God say that his creation was “very” good. You and I were not an accident, but we were planned! We are not objects of random chance, but people of destiny and purpose. Notice in Genesis 2:7 how man was made: “the LORD God formed the man [a] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” The very breath that you and I have is a gift from God. Life is a gift and it is precious. This is where a Biblical World View begins – God is the creator of all life and every life has purpose and meaning.
Within our culture and society today, this Biblical understanding is rejected more than any other in reference to the unborn. What is the scriptural teaching about the unborn? Follow with me as we go through the bible.
In Genesis 16 we read about a woman named Hagar and her unborn son. Hagar was the mistress to Sarah before she became the mother of Isaac. The promise had been given to Abraham that he would have a son but years went by and Sarah never became pregnant. One day, she went to Abraham and encouraged him to have a child by her servant Hagar as she was “part of the family.” Abraham agreed and Hagar became pregnant. Once Hagar was pregnant, Sarah became very jealous and made Hagar’s life miserable. In Genesis 16, Hagar runs away and falls under a bush and asks God to take her life, but God speaks to her about her son.
“ 11 The angel of the LORD also said to her:
"You are now with child
and you will have a son.
You shall name him Ishmael, [a]
for the LORD has heard of your misery.
12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward [b] all his brothers."
God knew everything about this child yet to be born. He also called him by name and knew the history of Ishmael before he was even born. God knows the unborn completely before they are born. Who they are and what they will do.
Turn to Genesis 25:23. Here, Rebekah, Isaac’s wife becomes pregnant. She is concerned because of the strong movement within her so she prays to the Lord and asks him what is happening. “23 The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger."
God knew everything about these two boys before they were born. They were named Jacob and Esau. The Lord knows the unborn and looks at them as people with purpose and futures.
Go with me to Exodus 21:22-25. In Exodus 20, God gives Moses the 10 Commandments. Then in Chapter 21, God gives case law. In these cases, the Lord is saying that the punishment must equal the crime. Not more harsh or too lenient, but equal. In this passage, we have the situation where two men are fighting and they hit a pregnant woman who as a result gives birth prematurely. 22 "If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely [a] but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” God does not distinguish by age. There is no difference in God’s mind between an adult and an unborn child. The punishment is the same – an eye for an eye or a life for life.
Turn with me to Judges 13:3-5 and the birth of Samson. God speaks to the wife of a man by the name of Manoah about a child she will conceive: 3 The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, "You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son. 4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, 5 because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Here again God knew all about Samson and what he would do. A child of purpose and promise.
Go with me now to 2 Samuel 12:23. David has had an affair with Bathsheba and a child was conceived. As Judgment, the child fell sick and was going to die. In response, David covered him in sackcloth and fasted while pleading with the Lord on behalf of his son. During this time, the child died and David’s attendants wondered how they would tell David. Upon hearing of the child’s death, David got up, washed his face and began to eat. David’s advisors were perplexed and asked how David could act this way given his previous behavior and pleading for the child’s life. David, in a response of hope and assurance replied, 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." What was David saying? He was saying that even though the child died, there will be a reunion in heaven. There are only two things in this life that are eternal – God’s Word and people. One of the truths that this message reveals is that God knows the unborn. He created them and they are eternal. God does not look at the unborn and those born as different. Therefore, children who die early will be reunited with parents in heaven. This truth is echoed in the book of JOB.
In the book of Job, we read that there was no one like this man in relation to material blessings. Alone with the many blessings, he also had been given seven sons and three daughters. As we read through the account of Job’s life, he lost everything he had. As he remained faithful, the Lord blessed him with twice as much as he had at the beginning of his life. It must be noted that at the end it is recorded that he had twice as many camels, goats, sheep etc., but only seven sons and three daughters were listed. Why? Because he had seven sons and three daughters waiting for him in heaven. Job did end with twice all he had before. People are eternal!
As we continue to walk through scripture, look with me at Psalm 139. There is probably no better place that speaks to our uniqueness and creation by God. As the Holy Spirit inspired David, he wrote in verses 13-16,
“ 13 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.
Our Heavenly Father crafted you just the way he wanted you to be. He knows your temperament, personality, and body structure – even how many hairs are on your head. He knows everything about you and he loves you! He loves you so much that he had his son Jesus die for you, and he has prepared a place for you so that you will be with him in heaven. God made you just the way he wanted you to be. You are a person of destiny. No one is an accident, unwanted or unplanned in God’s mind. Why? Because he is the only one who can create life – open a womb and cause conception to happen. Every child that is in the womb has purpose and is loved by their Heavenly Father. Therefore, we should never consider abortion as an option because a child would be inconvenient. The truth is that what we sometimes consider a crisis, God and make into a blessing if we will allow him.
Turn with me to Jeremiah 1:5. Here, God tells his prophet, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew [a] you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." It is clear – God knew Jeremiah before he was born.
Go with me know to the New Testament book of Luke chapter 1. A young virgin named Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel. She is told that she will conceive a child who she was to name Jesus. Mary asked how this would happen since she was a virgin. Gabriel told her that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her and her child would be the Son of God. She was then told that her cousin, Elizabeth who was said to be barren is 6 months pregnant. After the angel left, Mary hurried to see Elizabeth. When she reached Elizabeth’s house she went in and spoke to Elizabeth. As Mary greeted Elizabeth, the baby inside of Elizabeth leaped. Why? Because John the Baptist who was 6 months in utero knew whose presence he was in. Jesus, inside Mary might have only been about 2 weeks old but John, filled with the spirit leaped for joy!
This walk through scripture I hope has given you the understanding that God knows the unborn and calls them by Name, for He created them. They are people of purpose from the moment of conception. God is the God of life and He wants us to choose life rather than death. Our calling is to trust God with every stage of life - unborn to late in life and let Him be God. It is never our job to decide who should live and who should die. We did not create life and so we do not have the right to play God and say that a life does not have value or a life is no longer vital. We are to stand boldly for LIFE at every stage.
