Sanctity of Human Life

This Sunday has been designated as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Most often, this day serves as a reminder for the church to be the voice for the almost 4000 pre-born humans that will be selectively aborted while in their mother’s womb over the course of just one day here in the United States.

I have just finished a chapter in John Piper’s book Brothers, We Are Not Professionals where he offers some arguments against selective abortions. Here they are:

1. God commanded, “Thou shalt not kill.” [kill is the word murder here]
2. The destruction of conceived human life--whether embryonic, fetal, or viable--is an assault on the unique person-forming work of God.
3. Aborting unborn humans falls under the repeated biblical ban against “shedding innocent blood.”
4. The bible frequently expresses the high priority God puts on the protection and provision and vindication of the weakest and most helpless and most victimized members of the community.
5. By judging difficult and even tragic human life as a worse evil than taking life, abortionists contradict the wide-spread biblical teaching that God loves to show His gracious power through suffering and not just by helping people avoid suffering.
6. It is a sin of presumption to justify abortion by taking comfort in the fact that all these little children will go to heaven or even be given full adult life in the resurrection.
7. The bible commands us to rescue our neighbor who is being unjustly led away to death.
8. Aborting unborn children falls under Jesus’ rebuke of those who spurned children as inconvenient and unworthy of the Savior’s attention.
9. It is the right of God the Maker to give and to take human life. It is not our individual right to make this choice.
10. Saving faith in Jesus Christ brings forgiveness of sins and cleansing of conscience and help through life and hope for eternity. Surrounded by such omnipotent love, every follower of Jesus is free from the greed and fear that might lure a person to forsake these truths in order to gain money or avoid reproach.

These are deep conclusions that are based upon scriptural truths. Spend some time thinking about these and meditating on them so we can speak for those without a voice.

May God give us the resolve we need...