The Sanctity of Life

Read This: “When God created humankind, he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female; when they were created, he blessed them and named them “humankind.” (Genesis 5: 1-2)

Think: In Genesis one God speaks the universe into existence. In just a few brief verses the world as we know it came to be. The variety and beauty of plant life and countless species of animals that roam the earth and swim in the rivers, lakes, and oceans all bear testimony to a mighty and awesome God. But in the midst of all the wonders of the world, God only created one to be like him: us.

As bearers of God’s image we are so much more than just a higher form of animal. God created us to reflect who he is and what he is about. The artist, the scientist, the philosopher, and the comedian mirror different aspects of who God is. Unlike the rest of creation, we have ability to reason, think abstractly, make moral decisions, and pursue deep, meaningful relationships with one another and with God. While the image of God is certainly stained by sin, we also have the capacity to reflect him more and more through Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

The fact that every human being regardless of age, race, illness, mental capacity, or anything else is a reflection of God and bears his image has huge implications. God is the author and creator of all life; he does not make mistakes. He has a plan for the unplanned, a use for those considered useless, and freedom for the enslaved. The way we treat each other matters to God. When we curse someone, neglect another’s needs, turn away when someone is hurting, or in other ways fail to respect and preserve God’s image, we are accountable to him.

The Church as a whole as well as individual believers have a responsibility to protect human life. Isaiah 1:17 is a call to action, “Learn to do what is right! Promote justice! Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! Take up the cause of the orphan! Defend the rights of the widow!” Before we can truly be the hands and feet of Christ, we first have to learn to see people through his eyes—as reflections of the image of God.

Ask: What does it mean to you that you were created to be like God? What, if anything, would change if you saw every person you interacted with as a bearer of God’s image? Who are the oppressed in our world? In our country? In your community?

Pray: Thank God for allowing us to be made like him, what a humbling and awesome concept to grasp. Ask for forgiveness for the ways you have been a poor reflection of him. Pray for mountains to move in defense of the unborn, the persecuted, the orphaned, the trafficked, and the abused. Ask God to show you how you can join the fight for the sanctity of life.