WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HOLD TO THE 'SANCTITY OF LIFE?' (2 OF 2)
Scripture: Exodus 20:13
This content is part of a series.
What Does It Mean to Hold to the 'Sanctity of Life?' (2 of 2)
Series: Sanctity of Life
Patrick Edwards
Exodus 20:13
Introduction
Last week we took a break from our series through John's Gospel to consider the timely question of what is the sanctity of life and what should it mean for our beliefs and practices. Just to briefly recap we began last week simply by defining the sacredness of human life. You see, while there is a special value shared by all of creation, human beings are unique because God endowed them with the special privilege of bearing His image. On this point the biblical account of creation is clear. Human life is sacred, special and set apart to God. Indeed, the Psalmist captures this sentiment when he proclaims: ''For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.''
In other words, not only is there a physical, genetic distinction between humans and all other elements of creation, but there is also an important spiritual component present at the earliest stages of life. Sacredness of life is not dependent upon an ability to function but upon the human being's status as an image bearer. And so contra any argument that says a fetus or embryo may be alive but not a person, the Bible clearly affirms that what life exists in the womb is made in the image of God and thus is sacred. Now, you may (and many people in our world today do) think that the Bible is wrong. But Christians, those who claim to be born-again followers of Jesus, must accept what the Bible teaches. Human life is sacred and it begins at conception.
Thus, last week we explored what this biblical teaching means for our beliefs and practices concerning three areas: abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment. This morning, we continue to flesh out the implications of the sacredness of life by looking at three more issues: war, social just ...
Series: Sanctity of Life
Patrick Edwards
Exodus 20:13
Introduction
Last week we took a break from our series through John's Gospel to consider the timely question of what is the sanctity of life and what should it mean for our beliefs and practices. Just to briefly recap we began last week simply by defining the sacredness of human life. You see, while there is a special value shared by all of creation, human beings are unique because God endowed them with the special privilege of bearing His image. On this point the biblical account of creation is clear. Human life is sacred, special and set apart to God. Indeed, the Psalmist captures this sentiment when he proclaims: ''For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.''
In other words, not only is there a physical, genetic distinction between humans and all other elements of creation, but there is also an important spiritual component present at the earliest stages of life. Sacredness of life is not dependent upon an ability to function but upon the human being's status as an image bearer. And so contra any argument that says a fetus or embryo may be alive but not a person, the Bible clearly affirms that what life exists in the womb is made in the image of God and thus is sacred. Now, you may (and many people in our world today do) think that the Bible is wrong. But Christians, those who claim to be born-again followers of Jesus, must accept what the Bible teaches. Human life is sacred and it begins at conception.
Thus, last week we explored what this biblical teaching means for our beliefs and practices concerning three areas: abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment. This morning, we continue to flesh out the implications of the sacredness of life by looking at three more issues: war, social just ...
There are 21307 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
