What gives life value?

What gives your life value? Do you find value in your school? Your job? Your hobbies? There are so many things that we can look towards to give our lives value: success, fame, money, happiness, love. All of these things promise value, but do they actually bring satisfaction?

As we look around it becomes clear that everyone believes that there is value to life. Whether it be black lives, blue lives, or Vegas lives; all lives have some level of value. But what actually gives life value? That is a question that we all answer differently. For some, value comes from what can be accomplished by that life. For others, whatever brings someone happiness gives life value. However, not everyone has the same skills, and happiness is a fragile emotion. If we view value based on success or happiness, then we can never be fully satisfied.

However, there is another worldview that gives true value to life. The Bible says that God created man in His image (Gen 1:26). God, from creation, has emphasized the value of human life through His laws, His justice, and ultimately through His redemption. The taking of human life is a serious crime. So serious that when human life is taken the only suitable punishment is the payment of a human life (Hebrews 9:22).

God ultimately shows His love for human life through redemption. God humbled Himself and became a man to save the very creation that rebelled against Him, all because of His love for mankind. Christ was willing to give of His own life, to save the world because of the value that He places on human life.

It is so clear throughout scripture that God values human life. And if God values human life, then we should value human life. All around the world there are movements to defend human life, whether it be humanitarian efforts abroad or the Black Lives Matter movement here in America. It is clear that people all over the world value human life. But do we actually value all human life? Someone may agree that life is valuable, but then we put restrictions on what life is valuable. We will say things like, “Before the heart starts to beat that life does not have value”, or “it is a woman’s right over her own body.”  Just because we attempt to redefine life does not mean that all life does not have value.

So when does life begin? One natural way to define the beginning of life is a heartbeat. We are able to audibly hear a heartbeat anywhere from 4-6 weeks after conception. But the more we study life, the more we recognize DNA as the building blocks of life. So, scientifically, at the moment of conception (when the sperm enters into the egg), all of the DNA necessary for life is present. But does that mean life? Depending on your worldview you can scientifically argue for the start of life anywhere from conception to birth.

But what does the Bible say about the start of life? We already know that God takes life seriously, but when does life begin? Psalms 139:13-16 says:

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

David, the author, recognized that what God was doing at conception was miraculous. He understood that God, as the Creator, already knew the days of David even before he was born. Even before David was “formed” he still had value in the eyes of God. From conception David’s life had value!

There are many reasons given by the world around us why it is considered “okay” for us to take a human life: the fear of a low quality of life, the mother doesn’t feel ready, or the child was conceived from rape. Regardless of the reason, that child was “fearfully and wonderfully made” in the image of God Himself. That child’s days are known by God.

That child is a human life, and God says in His word that taking life is a sin, making abortion a sin. Abortion is murder. We can try to have our own definition of life and justify our desires in whatever way we choose, but murder is still murder regardless of what we define that life as. Nazi Germany redefined the life of Jews to make them less than people to justify their ethnic cleansing, but that did not make it right. Slave owners in America tried to redefine life of Africans to justify their acts against them both during slavery and after. ISIS declares that someone’s life is less valuable because they believe in something different, and we declare that we will not stand for that. Yet, we redefine life to meet our needs for our own desires, and we are no better than anyone in history who has done the same.

To put things in perspective, if Hitler had been in power in Germany for the same amount of time that abortion has been legal in the United States, there would have been nearly as many murdered Jews as aborted children in America! Yes, we are killing babies at almost same rate that Hitler killed Jews. Many cultures have degraded human life for various reasons, and never does history look kindly on the atrocities that take place during that time. Whether it be the Crusaders, Japanese, or Nazis, history looks back and recognizes murder for murder. And one day, history will look at the murder that is taking place in the world through abortion and tremble at what people allowed other people to do.

Does that mean that America is without hope? Absolutely not. When Jesus died on the cross He not only defeated sin and death, but he redeemed all things and made them new. That means regardless of our current condition, from liar, to rapist, to abortionist, Jesus is able to redeem us. He is able to take the old you and make something that is more like Him. Yes, I believe that abortion is wrong, but it is never too late to stop it. If everyone who was once a fetus would stand for the truth that life matters, then we could protect the rights of the next 60 million children that could be aborted.

Change does not come overnight, and cultural change takes everyone. But by standing for life together we can stop abortion before we reach a death count of 60 million babies. The Stop at 60 pledge was created to unite us in that goal. Our desire is that together we can change the course of America to value all human life. To sign the pledge click here.

Life has value. From the child with Down syndrome, to the child in poverty, to the child in the womb, all life is valuable. Redefining life does not change the reality that we are destroying life. Remember, your life also matters. Whether you feel it or not, Jesus loves you and has died for your sins to bring you new life. God gave you life at conception, and if you have questions as to how you can receive new life by belief in Jesus Christ, please contact us. In all conditions, I choose life!

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