IN THE IMAGE OF GOD (GEN 1:26-28)

SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE SUNDAY

GCEFC, JANUARY 17, 2010

INTRODUCTION

1. If we don’t think too hard about it, we might feel that our modern world is one of compassion and humane treatment of people.

2. We no longer sentence people to the arena to be eaten by lions. We don’t lock people up in cold, dark, damp dungeons to rot away like the Count of Monte Cristo.

3. We have rights for everything. There are civil rights, worker’s rights, gay rights, prisoner’s rights, children’s rights, property rights, gun rights, voter rights, reproductive rights, water rights, free speech rights, legal rights—even animals have rights.

4. In 1948, the United Nations adopted an internationally recognized document called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It supposedly guarantees basic human rights to every single human being on planet earth.

5. The Declaration lists 30 specific rights that every human being is entitled to.

6. It would seem that we’ve pretty much nailed this human rights thing. We finally understand the inherent dignity and worth of human beings, and that all men, women, and children everywhere are created equal.

7. But consider the atrocities of the 20th century—not that long ago.

a. In 2 world wars, 70 million people were killed, most of them civilians.

b. 6 million Jews were exterminated during Hitler's holocaust.

c. It’s estimated that 65 million Russians were killed by their own leaders since 1923.

d. The Khmer Rouge was responsible for the deaths of 3 million Cambodians.

8. When you add the ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, Congo, Rwanda, and Somalia—let's face it—we live in the most violent period in human history.

9. Cleary, many people do not believe in the sanctity of human life—or anything close to it.

10. So why is this?

a. Some people are just evil at core. They don’t see human life as sacred. The only lives that matter to them are their own and those that enhance their own. The rest are either unimportant or worthless.

b. And there are those who are not evil at core, but who don’t value human life in a general way or see it as sacred generally.

c. The value of a particular life depends on that particular life. But there’s no general belief in the sanctity of all human life.

d. So if you asked Hitler the value of Jews, you would get a certain answer. But if you asked Albert Einstein, Leonard Bernstein, Anne Frank, Paul Simon, or Jerry Seinfeld—you’d get a different answer.

e. So the value of human life to them is relative—it depends on the one you ask.

11. By and large the world has rejected the Bible's proclamation of the sanctity of human life. It’s been replaced with a humanistic philosophy that man's dignity and worth are not derived from God at all—but from man himself.

12. Which puts humanity in a precarious position. Because apart from the bestowing of sanctity upon human life by God—intrinsically it doesn't exist!

13. If human life is the result of random and impersonal events in a random and impersonal universe—then man's value and sanctity is—well…random and impersonal.

14. If the human race is just one small part of the cosmic machine, then what intrinsic value does human life have? To be consistent we would have to answer…none.

15. When we reject the basis of the sanctity of human life (as given by God ), then we open ourselves up to shifting definitions of that sanctity.

16. If there are no absolutes—then anything goes. And just about anything has gone! From abortion, to infanticide, to child abuse, to euthanasia, to genocide, to homicide.

17. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s take a moment to see what the Bible says about the sanctity of human life.

A. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE

1. GEN 1:26: Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

2. We see in this passage that human beings, male and female, are created in GOD'S IMAGE. Nothing else described in creation has that distinction—only humans have it.

3. Not light, water, stars, land, plants, flowers, fish, birds, or animals. Only human beings are made in God's image.

4. Put simply it means though imperfectly and finitely, we share in God’s nature. We have intelligence, emotions, will, and a capacity for love and fellowship with God.

5. God created us by himself and for himself, and bestowed on every human being value, dignity, and sanctity.

6. Some will argue against the transcendent value of human life by pointing out that in terms of our physical makeup, humans are roughly 95% identical to chimpanzees.

7. But humans are not physically or genetically superior to the rest of the created order. We’re spiritually superior. And there’s only one reason we are—God made us in his image—he didn’t make chimpanzees in his image.

8. The likeness is internal, relational, moral, and spiritual. We are not in the image of God physically. In fact—God isn’t even a physical being, so that can’t be the image likeness.

9. The Psalmist says in PSA 100: God has made us and we are his. Apart from what God has given us—we have nothing. Apart from what God has made us—we are nothing.

10. Or as it’s been said: My worth is what I am worth to God; and that is a marvelous great deal, for Christ died for me. Thus, incidentally, what gives to each of us his highest worth gives the same worth to everyone; in all that matters most we are all equal.

11. Our value depends upon God's view of us and upon God's relationship to us. God has endowed human life with dignity and sanctity.

12. I can't give it to you and you can't give it to me. We can't give it to anyone—only God can grant sanctity to what he has created. All other assignments of value are relative.

13. I cannot make something intrinsically sacred just by assigning it sacredness.

a. For example, there will be thousands of deer shot and killed this year. A big deal for some—but not for most. Shooting a deer during hunting season is not a crime.

b. But what if you accidentally shot my pet deer? Big difference. But mostly it's just different to me. I’ve assigned sanctity to my pet deer—but no one else has.

c. Even if someone deliberately and maliciously shoots my pet deer, it will not be regarded by most as a major immoral act deserving great punishment.

d. But killing another human being is quite a different matter.

e. Suppose your 9-year old son breaks his leg playing basketball. So you take him to the emergency room. The doctor comes in, takes a look at the boy, then leaves.

f. He returns with a shotgun. He explains to you that he’s going to have to shoot the boy because his leg is broken. You protest.

g. But the doctor says: But that’s the procedure we use for horses. You say—my son is not a horse—he’s a human being!

h. Suppose your grandmother is having some serious health issues and you take her to the doctor. The doctor does an examination and then takes you aside to talk privately.

i. The doctor says: I’m afraid we’re going to have to put your grandmother down. You protest. The doctor says: But that’s the procedure we use for dogs. You say—my grandmother is not a dog—she’s a human being!

14. There’s something about a human being that’s intrinsically different from every other created thing. That difference is sanctity.

15. And it’s not assigned by you or by me or by any other human being—it’s bestowed on us by God, our Creator.

16. If human beings are no longer regarded as unique and valuable in an intrinsic sense—then their value becomes relative. Their perceived value depends upon who you ask.

17. There must be some universal standard of human sanctity that transcends time, place, ethnicity, age, economics, gender, and national origin.

18. There is such a standard—it’s called sanctity. And it’s determined by God alone.

B. THE RESULTS OF THE REJECTION OF THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE

1. So what are the results of the rejection of the sanctity of human life? Let’s review:

a. Abortion—which devalues the sanctity of the unborn human being.

b. Infanticide—which devalues the sanctity of the recently born human being.

c. Child abuse—which devalues the sanctity of the developing human being.

d. Euthanasia—which devalues the sanctity of the sick or elderly human being.

e. Genocide—which devalues the sanctity of a race of human beings.

f. Homicide—which devalues the sanctity of any human being.

2. The late Francis Schaeffer said this: Cultures can be judged in many ways, but eventually every nation in every age must be judged by this test: How did it treat people?

3. Abortion advocates refer to the unborn as potential human life. Those who oppose abortion refer to the unborn as human life with potential.

4. When we reject the intrinsic value of human life as given by God—then the opinion of one person is no better or worse than the opinion of another.

C. THE CRUX OF THE DEBATE

1. Many people reject the sanctity of human life for their own reasons. It may be a rejection of God’s declaration in his Word.

2. Or they may not even know that it’s God who gives human beings their sanctity. For whatever reason, the sanctity of human life is of no concern to them.

3. Such people have been responsible for the massive atrocities in human history.

4. But there’s another group. Though they reject the sanctity of human life from a biblical standpoint—they still believe that human beings are special and worthy of dignity and protection above all other living beings.

5. This is the philosophy behind the International Declaration of Human Rights. It’s a purely humanistic philosophy, but the result is very similar.

6. Sometimes people honor biblical principles in spite of themselves. Most people believe that lying, stealing, murder, and adultery are morally wrong.

7. But they don’t believe it because the Bible declares it. These things just seem wrong to them. We should be glad they think they’re wrong—even if for the wrong reason.

8. Many are offering assistance to the people of Haiti because they believe it’s a biblical principle to help those in need. But not everyone is doing it for that reason.

9. But help is help, regardless of why it’s provided. Most Haitians in dire need are grateful for the assistance they receive—whether from a Bible believing Christian or not.

10. Then there’s the group comprised of proponents or seekers of abortion on demand.

11. Their arguments are pretty tired now, but they keep using them anyway. The only real question in the abortion issue is whether or not the unborn child is a human being or not.

12. Almost no one anymore doubts that human life begins at conception. Although the Supreme Court seemed to be confused about it back in 1973.

13. Most abortions don’t occur because people are convinced that the unborn life is not actually human. Most occur for other reasons:

a. It’s inconvenient to have a child just now.

b. There are economic conditions that make parenthood a difficult option.

c. There’s not a healthy relationship between the mother and father.

d. The mother is too young to adequately care for a child.

e. There’s shame in the social implications of a pregnancy.

18. These may be practical reasons to terminate a pregnancy—but they aren’t good reasons.

D. THE UNBORN CHILD IS A HUMAN BEING

1. So is an unborn child human or not? That’s really the issue. The abortion argument, whether prolife or prochoice rests on this question. So let’s consider this question.

2. Science has demonstrated that human life begins at conception. All the genetic characteristics of a fully developed human being are present from the moment of conception. The entire blueprint for human life is all there at the very beginning.

3. Conception results in the creation of a brand new and distinct human being, distinct from either parent, and a completely unique person.

4. We have an obligation to presume the humanity of the unborn. If not, then we’re faced with the logical result of excluding many others in our society.

5. If we define the humanity of the unborn in terms of its age (so many weeks since conception)—could we not exclude others from human society because of their age?

6. What if humanness is defined by size? At conception the child is too small to even see. So should small people be considered non-human because of their size?

7. What about children? They’re small compared to an adult. Does this make them less human or non-human because they’re small?

8. What if it’s suggested that humanness be defined in terms of location—whether inside or outside the womb. It’s only a few inches between in utero and ex utero.

9. So why not discriminate on the basis of where a person is located? People in Detroit are human. People in Philadelphia are not.

10. What about viability? Those who favor abortion define humanness of the unborn in terms of viability. But how viable is a 2-year old? Or a person with severe arthritis?

11. Or a 30-year old with muscular dystrophy? Or a person deaf, mute, and blind like Helen Keller was? Does lack of viability mean sub-human?

12. What about defining humanness by rational thought? But then we’d have to exclude nearly all young children, and those under great emotional distress, and the mentally ill.

13. And one of the arguments for abortion is that it prevents the bringing of an unwanted child into the world. But what about the other unwanted people that are already here?

14. The undesirable of our society. Are these people non-human because they’re undesirable?

15. One theologian put it this way: If it’s right to kill unborn children because tests show that they may be deformed, then surely it’s equally justified to kill them after they’re born when we know they’re deformed!

16. Here’s still another way it’s been put: Even if there was doubt about its humanity, we should give the benefit of the doubt to the unborn. If we aren’t sure whether a body is dead, then we shouldn’t bury it. And if we aren’t sure whether what is moving in the bushes is a hunter or a deer, then we shouldn’t shoot it.

17. Abortion doesn’t just affect the life of the unborn child—it affects all of us. Because in the final analysis it cheapens life. It compromises the sanctity of human life.

18. So what do we do about this? Well, there are any number of things we can do if we want to do something.

a. We can pray that people would recognize and respect the sanctity of human life.

b. We can respect human life wherever we find it.

c. We can take a position or even a stand.

d. We can volunteer at a pregnancy support center.

e. We can choose not to have an abortion. Studies show that half of all abortions are by women who claim to be Christians.

f. We can support women who have to make hard choices about their pregnancy.

g. If we know someone who’s had an abortion—we can forgive them. If you’ve had one yourself, you can forgiven yourself, and allow God to heal you.

h. We can encourage those over whom we have influence to consider the potential cost of being sexually active when they should not be.

19. Human life is sacred because we’re all created in God’s image. He has made us and we are his. We don’t endow human beings with their sanctity—but we’re commanded to recognize and respect the sanctity of human life. I trust we will.