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October/November DevotionalThe Sanctitiy of Human LifeHuman life is not simply the most advanced form of animal life. If one adheres to the evolutionary theory regarding the origin of life, then human life is simply the most highly developed form of living things. If this is true then human life carries with it no fundamental or intrinsically higher value than any life forms which are lower on the developmental ladder. But human life is not merely highly developed and advanced animal life. The Scripture states that God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life and human beings are made in the image of God. Such is not the case for any of the animals which God created. In this article my intention is to focus on the Biblical teaching of the sanctity of human life and then to focus on various Scripture passages that address the issue of when human life begins. When one speaks of the sanctity of human life this means that human life is sacred in character and therefore it cannot be assaulted or violated with impunity. Human life is sacred because Genesis 2:7 states that God breathed into man's nostrils the "breath" of life. This "breath" of life was breathed into man alone and into no other living creature that God created. The same Hebrew word for breath (neshamah) is found in Job 33:4 where it says, "the breath of the almighty hath given me life." When God breathed into man this breath of life He also imparted two other things which clearly set man apart from animals:
So then, man is clearly distinguished from and elevated above the animal creation by his possession of spiritual comprehension and a conscience, both of which he has directly from God. A second reason why human life is sacred is because Genesis 1:27 states, "so God created man in his own image, in the image of god created he him..." The question needing to be addressed here is, "what is meant by the image of God?" The image of God at least refers to man as an intellectual being, an emotional being, a moral being, a spiritual being, and a being who will never cease to exist. All these attributes are a reflection of attributes possessed by God. It can only be said of man, homo sapiens, that he is in the image of God. The basis for God's stated penalty for murder is that murder is a direct attack at the image of God (Genesis 9:6) Now to address the matter of when human life begins. In Exodus 21:22-25, God gave instructions as part of Israel's criminal law code concerning what should be done if two men while fighting should strike a pregnant woman resulting in her giving birth prematurely. This passage states that if the unborn child's death results, then the penalty is life for life. God clearly views the unborn child as a living human being. Judges 13:5, 7 reveals that God regarded Sampson as a human being while he was growing in his mother's womb. Sampson was a Nazarite unto God all the while he was developing in the womb. To God prenatal and postpartum life are both part of an unbroken life process. In Luke 1:15, 41, 44 it is recorded that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit while he was in his mother's womb. It is also stated that John leaped for joy while in the womb. The filling of the Spirit and the experiencing of a strong human emotion both indicate that John was no less than a living human being about six months after conception. The human sperm cell and egg cell are living cells. From the time of fertilization the entire process of development is an unbroken living process. The zygote, embryo, fetus, and child status of an individual are all part of human development. At no point in this process is the living individual anything other than human. Since we are dealing with human life from fertilization forward, then the individual life from the same point forward is sacred. The sanctity of human life extends from fertilization until death. — Keith Habegger |
