SOHL: Who Are You?
Do you see yourself as a striking reflection of God’s glory?
Articles within this series
Any attempt to re-establish a cultural ethic recognizing the sanctity of human life is incomplete without challenging individual image-bearers to assess their own personal value: Do you know who you are? Do you see yourself as a striking reflection of God’s glory, beauty and majesty on the earth? Do you value your own life as sacred, even in light of the limitations of your humanity?
Our society teaches that our “self-worth” comes from a variety of sources: productivity, attractiveness, social status and even from within ourselves. Human beings who base their personal value on such transient measures will be disappointed, at best. Self-destructive behaviors, ranging from alcohol and drug abuse to non-biblical sexual relationships, often find fertile soil in the lives of people searching for a God-centered identity. Comprehending who we are as image-bearers of God is the first step in sharing the sanctity of human life ethic in our world.
Why Has the Sanctity of Life Ethic Eroded in Our Culture?
First, we need to recognize the spiritual source of this disrespect for human life. In John 10:10, Jesus exposes Satan’s modus operandi: to steal, kill and destroy those made in the image of God. He is motivated by hatred for those who reflect the image of the Holy God — the same God who threw him out of heaven because he wanted to be like God (“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High” — Isaiah 14:14, NIV). The enemy of our souls will always attack and seek to destroy human beings created in God’s image. Thankfully, the second part of this verse reveals the good news that Jesus Christ came to give all human beings abundant life.
It is within this spiritual context that we can more clearly see the examples in our society where Satan temporarily succeeds in destroying God’s creation: legalized abortion, destructive research on human embryos, increased violence and a move toward legalizing physician-assisted suicide, among others. Satan is a ruthless adversary, yet not a particularly creative one. His mission — to “seek, kill and destroy” those created in the image of God — will be with us until the end of the age. Our challenge is to re-establish the sanctity of human life ethic in our generation, restoring the value and worth of all human life from fertilization to natural death.
What Can You Do?
There is mounting evidence that our secular society’s disregard for the value of human life has wrought unspeakable tragedy. One only needs to mention the cities of Jonesboro, Paducah and Littleton — the sites of recent fatal school shootings — to be vividly reminded that the absence of a sanctity ethic results in the destruction of human life.
Restoration of this life ethic must begin with the church. Even as Christians, we fail to comprehend the value of every human life because we cease to look at each other with awe. We fail to recognize that each person we encounter bears the image of God. We no longer view one another as breathtaking creatures, embodying a touch of the Creator Himself.
Since respect for human life is based on recognizing God as the Creator and humankind as created in His likeness, any nation that abandons God will abandon respect for His creation. A culture without God cannot recognize the innate value of each human being created in His image. The sacredness of human life becomes virtually impossible to grasp and irrelevant without God in the equation. Unfortunately, confusion regarding the origin of humanity is not confined to the secular culture. Churches must teach the truth about the value of life from a biblical worldview.
So, what can you do to help restore the sanctity of human life ethic? First, restoration can begin with your own heart. It is safe to say that most Christians are not murdering their neighbors with handguns. However, we should examine our hearts for attitudes toward our fellow humans that violate the spirit of the sanctity of human life ethic. We must struggle against the subtle ways we dishonor or fail to acknowledge the intrinsic worth of each individual.
This disrespect may be evidenced through our disdain for someone based on his or her appearance, a negative comment we make or our impatience with a slow driver in the car ahead of us. The spiritual sins of superiority, contempt and slander are more frequent and easier to hide than the physical crimes of assault, rape or murder. These seemingly minor and unimportant sins of the heart are, in fact, expressions of disrespect for God’s human image in our world. These heart sins represent the core of our fallen nature — the very nature that motivates man to violate man, thereby violating God.
Second, we need to teach the next generation a respect for all human life: parents teaching children through word and deed, and churches instructing children through explicitly pro-life curriculum and Bible study. Children who are respected and cherished will better comprehend the concept of sacred human life. Spiritual leaders should make the subject of life a prominent part of church activities and teaching. The affirmation of life can also be modeled through church support of pro-life pregnancy resource centers and hospices.
Finally, we must continue to support public policy that protects human life and oppose legislation that threatens it. Examples include supporting legislation requiring that mothers receive factual information about their preborn child before an abortion and opposing efforts to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Active efforts to defend life must continue while the church works to reiterate the value of each life through its teachings. The law is a teacher, and Christians must remain active to advocate for the passage of life-affirming laws that restore the sanctity of human life ethic in our society.