The Biblical Case For Life

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Theology/Spirtuality

I’m a libertarian at heart. I believe innocent individuals should never have their rights infringed upon. That includes the unborn. They are humans who have the same rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that we all do.

But before I’m a libertarian, a paleo-conservative, or whatever else label can be used to describe my political leanings, I am a Christian. And because I’m a Christian I believe the Bible is 100% accurate, infallible, and wholly God’s Word. And God has something to say about the issue of life, and an individual’s rights. In future articles I hope to address the Constitutional case against abortion. However, this article is going to start where we need to start: God’s Word.

The Creation account in the first few chapters of Genesis contains so many important revelations. But one that is immediately clear is that there’s something different about human beings. There is something that sets us apart from the rest of Creation. Genesis 1:26 (NLT) states:

“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground’.”

Verse 27 goes on to reiterate that man is created in God’s image. I know the Fall occurred, and every human being is born sinful and separated from God, but that has not negated the fact that we all possess some characteristics of our Creator. Each person, while sinful, still has the ability to laugh, cry, think, love, hate, reason, plan, get angry, and express themselves. These are all characteristics we see in God, and see in Jesus upon reading the Gospels. Human beings are sacred to God partly because they bear, to some degree, His image. Of all Creation, humanity alone has the “breath of life” from God Himself (Gen. 2:7).

But there are plenty of other passages in Scripture that can be studied to see God’s respect for life. Let’s look at Exodus 21:22-25:

“Now suppose two men are fighting, and in the process they accidentally strike a pregnant woman so she gives birth prematurely. If no further injury results, the man who struck the woman must pay the amount of compensation the woman’s husband demands and the judges approve. But if there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.”

Ironically, some abortion advocates have tried to use this verse in support of their view, due to the fact that the New American Standard Version translated “give birth prematurely” to read “miscarries.” However, the original Hebrew indicates premature birth with no long term injuries, not what we call a miscarriage today. (The majority of translations are similar to the above quoted New Living Translation.) In reality, this verse is very damaging to any Christian’s position who believes abortion to be acceptable. The verse is stating that if a man kills an unborn child, they are to be treated as a murderer.

Much could be said about this passage, and indeed a great deal has been. But, quickly, let’s look at a few more verses that reveal that God has a plan for humans, long before birth.

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” Psalm 139:13-16.

“The Lord gave me this message: I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4-5.

The above verse is very telling. Did you notice how God says “I formed you?” Each individual is formed by God. It doesn’t matter the circumstances the baby is conceived or born under, God is ultimately the creator of each human life. And God has a plan for each life. The individual can either reject or accept His purpose and plan, but the free agency possessed by humans doesn’t negate the fact that God has a desire for each person’s life.

In Isaiah 49:1 the Prophet states: “The Lord called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name.”

But to me, the most telling argument against abortion is the fact that God has such a love for human beings. Let’s look at a very familiar verse.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

I’m not sure why, but God loves people. He loves human beings, and they are the crown jewel of His magnificent Creation. In fact, people are so important to Him that He was willing to give His own life so that we may have eternal life. That’s a big deal! The great lengths God has gone to save and rescue a sinful, fallen world show us that human beings are sacred to Him. Jesus was willing to lay down His life for every single person (I John 2:1-2) showing us that everyone means something to God! Every individual has is worth something to Heaven! So, if God has such a high view of humanity, shouldn’t we? If each life is precious to God, shouldn’t each life be precious to us?

Obviously this goes far beyond the abortion issue. Scripture is clear in its condemnation against senseless violence and the taking of innocent life. In fact, in Genesis 6, one of the reasons the Lord decides to destroy the majority of humanity is because “they have filled the earth with violence.” As Christians, we must stand up for the innocent. We must stand opposed to the rampant violence of our day.

God has made His intention clear: life! In fact, Jesus came to give us “a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10). The way of the world is death, destruction, and violence. The way of God is life! As Christians, let’s stand up for all of God’s Creation, and protect the lives of those that are so sacred to Him.