God values each human life. The Bible makes that very clear.
But not all societies honor Jesus Christ and the Bible. And in those societies, many people suffer. When there is no regard for human life, evil people treat other people in terrible ways.
Jesus Christ changes people from the inside out. When Jesus is reigning as Lord in a person’s life, that person will see the value of each human life. That person will pray, speak and act in ways to protect each life, even the most vulnerable of a society.
In our own nation today, we must take a hard look at how our policies, laws and decisions affect human lives, both here in America and around the world.
Some of the major human-life issues that we face today:
- Crime — when a person values their own life over the life of another person, they commit crimes that hurt others, sometimes fatally.
- Abortion — why are people still murdering unborn children? And with advanced ultrasound technology, we must realize that people will be increasingly pressured to murder unborn babies who have known birth defects, those with suspected birth defects, or in extreme cases just because of the unborn baby’s gender.
- Human trafficking — do you realize that young people in many nations including the USA are being forced into prostitution & slavery? This is a growing epidemic that must be stopped.
- Women – in some nations, female babies are particularly targeted for abortions simply because they are unwanted baby girls. In some nations, women do not have any rights to education or any standing in society. They are looked upon as inferior.
- Poverty — many nations of the world ignore the starving people in their nation, while ample food is available but never gets to the people that need it the most. Sometimes this is because of religious reasons (for example, Hindus will not cows), sometimes because of political and governmental corruption, and sometimes because people simply have grown numb to the need.
- The Elderly — are the elderly of our society being properly cared for? How involved are family members in making decisions with and for their elderly parents? Are new healthcare laws preventing doctors and family members from properly caring for the elderly?
What the Bible Says about the Value of Each Human Life
1. Each person is made in the image of God.
Genesis 1:27-28 (HCSB)
27 So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”
2. God highly values each human life.
- He created us and formed us in our mother’s womb:
Psalm 139:13-16 (HCSB)
13 For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.
- God’s goodness can be displayed even through a person that the world has labeled as broken.
John 9:1-3 (HCSB)
1 As He was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples questioned Him: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him.
- He cares for the fatherless and the widows.
Psalm 68:5 (HCSB)
5 God in His holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows.
- Jesus welcomes all children to Himself.
Matthew 19:13-14 (HCSB)
13 Then children were brought to Him so He might put His hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them. 14 Then Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this.”
- Jesus cares for all people, not just people from one race or nation.
Mark 7:24-30 (HCSB)
24 He got up and departed from there to the region of Tyre and Sidon. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, but He could not escape notice. 25 Instead, immediately after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit came and fell at His feet. 26 Now the woman was Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Allow the children to be satisfied first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she replied to Him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then He told her, “Because of this reply, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 When she went back to her home, she found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.
- In Christ, we are all one. There is no place for prejudice or injustice in God’s family.
Galatians 3:28 (HCSB)
28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus
- God does not show favoritism.
Acts 10:34-35 (HCSB)
34 Then Peter began to speak: “Now I really understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, 35 but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him.
3. We must join God in His work to protect and care for every human life.
- Care for the elderly, starting with your aging parents and grandparents.
Exodus 20:12 (HCSB)
12 Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
- Speak up for those who have no voice.
Proverbs 31:8-9 (HCSB)
8 Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. 9 Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.
- Care for widows and orphans, and others who are the most vulnerable of society.
James 1:27 (HCSB)
27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
- Love your neighbor as yourself. Help those who are in need.
Luke 10:25-37 (HCSB)
25 Just then an expert in the law stood up to test Him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the law?” He asked him. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. 28 “You’ve answered correctly,” He told him. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus took up ⌊the question⌋ and said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw ⌊the man⌋, he had compassion. 34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said.
Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
And Jesus says to us…
“Go and do the same.”
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As our nation approaches election day in November, through these posts I want to explore what the Bible teaches about important issues that are facing our nation. This is post #2 of 5 on these topics.
PODCAST: Click HERE to listen to the podcast of this message.
Thank you for the timeliness of this series Pastor Derek. When I look at the human life issues you mentioned above I realize how close to home it hits, especially with poverty and the elderly. Please pray with me for wisdom, resources, connections and courage to “go and do the same” among my family and neighbors. He has burdened my heart and revealed a couple of human life issues to me the past couple of weeks. I’m not sure what I can do to improve the situations and help the “victims.” My heart aches for them. I am angry about the “injustice” and lack of mercy I see but do not know what I can do to help at this point. I am relying on the Lord to guide my feet, open my mouth and speak through me to the appropriate parties once He has prepared me. I am a wee bit nervous about this 🙂 Missing you here in the North Country!
Hi Pastor D, I too, mirror Lynn’s comments. I also have a question, The following has always baffled me…:
Instead, immediately after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit came and fell at His feet. 26 Now the woman was Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Allow the children to be satisfied first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she replied to Him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then He told her, “Because of this reply, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 When she went back to her home, she found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.
What does the dogs under the table thing and his exchange with her mean? I don’t understand it.
Thanks! Dulcie. =)
First-century Jews considered dogs unclean animals, like pigs. Spiritually, they would have considered non-Jews to be spiritually unclean “dogs.” Jesus’ miracle demonstrated that He highly valued all people, including this Syrophoenician woman and her family. His conversation with the woman I believe was a tongue-in-cheek conversation between them, where He was emphasizing that God loves ALL people!
Dulcie, if you listen to the podcast of this message, I explain the cultural context a little more completely. Great to hear from you. Keep living for Christ!