Today, our church celebrated Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, which falls on the third Sunday of January. We had a guest speaker from A Women's Pregnancy Center here in town, and then Jim Fenderson preached a wonderful sermon entitled "Two Questions for Life."

The two questions that Jim spoke about were:

  1. Who am I?
  2. Does my life matter?

Jim's sermon then contrasted the secular answers to these questions versus the answers that God gives us to these questions. I took notes during the sermon, and what I am writing here is based on my notes, which is a synthesis of what Jim was saying and what my brain was thinking.

The secular answer to the first question is that we are an animal, who has evolved from the primordial ooze. I am no different than the animals that inhabit my back yard or any other place on the planet. Truth is what I say it is because I can think and reason, and I have evolved above every other creature on the planet. My life is like a grain of sand on the beach, and in the sea of six billion people that inhabit this planet, my life only matters if it stands out: if I am more beautiful, stronger, smarter, or better than other people.

However, God's answer to these questions is completely different. When we look at who we are from God's point of view, the answer is: I am created by God, the Creator of the entire universe, in His image. Despite the beauty of this world, humans are the only ones created in God's image. David reflected upon God's opinion of whether our life matters or not: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty!" (Psalm 8:3-5). Our life obviously matters to God because He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross and take the punishment for our sins.

The secular views of our lives here on earth has cheapened life for us. Roe v. Wade made abortion legal under the laws of the United States in 1973, but the commandment to not murder (Exodus 20:13, and the related example of Cain in Genesis 4:1-15) predates that by thousands of years. Furthermore that commandment is based on the holiness and righteousness of God, who created the universe, rather than the error-prone ways of men, which were created by God. To destroy that innocent life in a mother's womb disappoints God and breaks His commandments and teachings. Furthermore, since God sets the beginnings and ends of our lives (I Chronicles 29:11-12, John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 9:27), it's not our place to decide when a life should end: it's God's place.

Jim closed by speaking to those who have had an abortion. He said he did not know if anyone in our congregation had done so, but he did know that there was redemption in Jesus Christ. I John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Dear God, we have sinned. Please renew our minds and cleanse our hearts and help us to glorify You. It's in the name of Jesus we pray.

Tags: , , ,