What is Sanctity of Human life anyways? Sanctity means the quality of being holy, sacred, or set apart. Believing in the sanctity of life means believing that human life is somehow holy, set apart, or different from other life forms.
“Sanctity of Human Life Day” actually affirms human life in many areas, not just in the area of abortion. It is a day to reflect on the sacredness of human life not only in relation to the child in the womb, but also as regards to the elderly, the weak and sickly, the mentally challenged, and those with physical limitations. All of human life is sacred, and all human life should be equally valued and protected under the law of man as it is under the law of God.
The question is "Why do Christians believe that human life is set apart?"
I) All Human Life is Formed by God
A) Made in His Image
The phrase "made in the image of God" refers not to the physical, but to the immaterial part of man. In the likeness of God, man has a soul/spirit that sets us apart from animals and makes us just a little lower than God's other glorious creation, the angels.
B) Filled with His Breath
We are also told that God literally breathed life into man, something He did not do with other life forms. God breathed His own breath of life into man.
Something in the way God created humans reflects His attributes. In other words, we bear God's image. So, anything that harms or mars a human life also therefore mars that reflection of God Himself.
II) All Human Life is Owned by God
A) All Life belongs to God
Another reason Christians should have reverence for human life is because we believe all human life is owned by God. Psalm 139:16 shows that the days of each person's life were written in God's book before any of them came to be.
B) All Life is Sacred to God
It seems possible that because God is the holy, eternal creator and human life is only temporary and marred by a sinful nature, that God may not place a very high value on human life. However, the Bible teaches the opposite. In Leviticus 24:21 God instructed the nation of Israel that "Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death."
It's also interesting to note that this value in human life is not just to be a rule for the Jews, but that "you shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native." Every human life is valued by God.
III) All Human Life is Started by God
The next question becomes, "When does human life begin?" In Jeremiah 1:5, Here we see God forming Jeremiah in his mother's womb. The Psalmist echoes this sentiment in Psalm 139:13.
An unborn child is the blueprint for a fully-formed human being.
The 20th Day after conception - By the 20th day the foundations of the brain, spinal cord, and entire nervous system have been established. The heart begins to beat in irregular patterns by 21 days and in smooth rhythmic contractions a week later.
The end of the first month – through the 8th week - Lines in the hands and fingerprints begin to be etched by the 8th week, and these will remain a distinctive feature of the individual throughout his or her life.
After eight weeks, the child bears all the external features and internal organs of a full-term baby.
In the third month - The child becomes very active. If the womb had windows, we would see graceful and fluid motions as the child sleeps and wakes, makes fists, sucks his thumb, fans her toes, and seeks positions of comfort.
These truths point to the fact that people matter to God from the womb to old age. He commands mankind to value people the same way He does.
In Closing:
Don’t let this sermon just be a lesson in theology but motivation to go out and serve the unborn, the poor, the widow, the sick, and the orphan in the world to make a difference for God our Savior.
