In the month of January, churches worldwide are called on to reflect upon the sanctity of human life during Sanctity of Human Life week (January 21-28). On January 21st, we took the day at FBC to reflect upon the significance of this day. Ironically, this day was also my 32nd birthday. Because it was the day that I celebrated my birth, this year's Sanctity of Human Life Sunday held special significance for me. I reflected upon the tragedy of legalized abortion in our country and I thought about the entire generation that has been lost since the legalization of abortion on January 22, 1973. I thought about the thousands each day that die in the US because of legalized abortion and it troubled me. It also made me very thankful that my mother decided to bring me into this world!



But there are many other issues that Christians must be aware of today concerning the sanctity of human life. Today, the church must be informed about issues such as Euthanasia, health-care for the poor and elderly, Embryonic Stem-cell research, genetic-engineering, starvation, Genocide, and many other issues. For the most part, many Christians are content to remain silent while allowing government institutions to decide the morality and legality of such issues.



The church must begin to be informed about these issues and speak out from a Biblical perspective. We must remain silent no longer.



We live in a culture of death where life is no longer held to be sacred by many. The term "sanctity" means "of a sacred or hallowed character." To say that Christians believe in the sanctity of life is to say that we still believe that all human life is special, sacred, and deserving of protection. It is to say that we believe in the dignity and special-nature of all human life because life comes from our Creator and from the moment of conception until natural life, every individual deserves to be cared for and treated humanely. This worldview is admittedly built upon a few Biblical presuppositions.



First, we believe that life is a gift from our Creator, God. We are not the accident of evolutionary processes as so many would have us believe today. Evolutionary humanists would have us believe that human beings are merely the most advanced of animals, here by accident and with no real eternal purpose. This is completely anti-biblical and goes against the very flow of scripture which proclaims that God created human life in the beginning "in His image" (Genesis 1:26-27) and that every life is formed by God in the womb with special purpose (Psalm 139:13-16). When we forget this, or begin to view human beings as mere accidents of evolution, we will forget the special nature of human beings. This is evident in the culture of death in which we live, where horror films regularly portray horrific murders and acts of violence as if they are ordinary occurances and even dramas to be celebrated. It is evident by the fact that every day an estimated 4000 babies are aborted in the womb. It is evident when there are discussions at the highest levels of legalizing the euthanasia of our elderly and sick.



We also believe that life is sacred because God ordained that human beings alone, among all the created order, would be His "image-bearers." Though humanity has been marred by the fall, we still bear the image of God. This is true for all human beings, whether they be sick, physically handicapped or terminally-ill. Because man is made in God‚s image, we should have the utmost concern for the well-being of our fellow man.



Finally, the belief that life is sacred is borne out by the fact that God loved human beings so much that He sent his only-begotten son to die for humanity and provide a way of redemption and reconciliation (John 3:16). In the incarnation, Jesus Christ came to mankind as one of us. He took on human flesh, lived among men demonstrating mercy and compassion to all, and ultimately died so that fallen man could be reconciled to a Holy God. If human beings are that important to God, why should they be any less-important to us today?



God is still concerned about human life and I believe that He weeps when he sees the way that human life is so devalued in our present culture. It is high time that Christians stand up and let their voices be heard. We believe that life is important and that it should be protected, nurtured, and valued from conception until natural death.



This is not a political issue. No political party has a right to claim this issue as theirs exclusively. For Christians, it is a Biblical issue. We must return to a Biblical view of the sanctity of human life and not be afraid to stand firm upon life-issues.



Today, pray for an end to abortion. But also pray for (and be informed about) the many other issues that our society must confront daily concerning the sanctity of human life. Call your representatives, make your voice heard, support pro-life groups and be informed about sanctity of life issues. Above all, begin practicing what you believe about the sanctity of human life by reaching out to your fellow man today and seeking to improve their quality of life. If God values us and considers us special, should not we value one another? Reflect upon John‚s words in I John 3:15-18 and ask God what you can do today to show your fellow human being that he or she is special in your sight.



Soli Deo Gloria!



Pastor Terry Leap



FBC Grayson



Pastorleap@yahoo.com