Sanctity of Life
Notes
Transcript
The word “sanctity” means holy or sacred. Something that should be treated with respect and dignity. On January 22nd, 1973 the sanctity of life came under attack with the passage of Roe v. Wade. This SCOTUS decision struck down Texas’ ban on abortion and paved the way for this evil procedure to become legal across all fifty states.
Today is Sanctity of Human Life day, and has been designated so since 1984 when President Reagan made the declaration. I have always been pro-life. As soon as Roe was overturned I rejoiced in what it did mean and what it could mean for the future of this country. I’ve shared this story on Facebook, but I would like to share it again to demonstrate why I am pro-life:
Many years ago, the year was around 1981, a woman in her late twenties, and in relatively poor physical health, found herself pregnant. At a meeting with her doctor, in his office with the door closed he asked if he could have a candid conversation with her, to which she agreed. The doctor explained that given her age (29 doesn't seem very old to give birth today, but remember the year) her health ( diabetes, early stages of heart disease), she needed to consider all of her "available options".
"What options" she asked her physician. He went on to explain this was a high risk pregnancy for her and the child, and the chances of carrying full-term were low and the chances for serious complications for her were very high. From across his desk he asked if she had ever considered having an abortion.
The woman was in shock. She, being, a Christian, had never considered ending the life of her child. She sat for a moment before responding, when she did, here is what she said: "If God doesn't want this baby to be born, then He will take it. I'm having this baby."
With these words, she accepted the risk and left the office. Nine months later she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
Her name was Ellen Nance and the name of her son? Todd Nance. Me. I am forty years old today and eternally grateful she chose life. Because of her choice, everyday I get to wake up and serve God. Because of her choice, her granddaughters get to wake up every day and live their lives!
Life is sacred, not because I say so, but because God says so. You’re in Psalm 139, i want us to look at a few verses in the Psalm as a starting point. This Psalm is known as the “omni” chapter. Verses 1-6 deal with the “omniscience” of God - He is all knowing. Verses 7-12 deal with His “omnipresence” - He is ever present. And then we come to verses 13-16 which deals with the “omnipotence” of God, He is all-powerful.
Now if I was in charge of writing this Psalm and was told to write about the omnipotence of God, I would choose to write about His work of creation - how He took nothing and made the world from it. I would write about the Exodus of Israel, how God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians, how He led them across the Red Sea. I would write about Daniel and the den of lions, the three Hebrew boys and the fiery furnace, of Elijah’s contest with the prophet’s of on Mt. Carmel.
Do you know what the Holy Spirit, who was in charge of the writing of Scripture chose to write about to demonstrate the omnipotence of God? The creation of life in the womb. Read Psalm 139:13-16
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Human life is not something that we get to debate. The same crowd that protests against capital punishment to spare the life of a murderer, is the same crowd that protests for the right of a woman to choose to end the life of her child. Let the record show that the same crowd that stands up and argues for a woman's right to choose is the same crowd that cannot even define what a woman is!
Church the time has come for us to stand up, to speak up for the pre-born.
Let me ask, if we don’t do it, who will?
Here are some reasons why we, the church, should be the voice of the pre-born, notice first:
All Human Life is Created by Him
All Human Life is Created by Him
From the moment that God breathed into clay the breath of life (literally = lives), and took a rib from Adam creating for him his wife, God has been responsible for the existence and creation of human life!
David, when he wrote this psalm did not understand as much about the formation of human life as we do, but he understood enough to know that it was miraculous! Take a look at what David ascribes to God’s creative work of life:
For thou has possessed my reins - v. 13
The word “possessed” refers to “create” or “to own”
The word “reins” refers to the internal organs
In OT times the internal organs referred to the very core of our being
David was saying that before I was born, before I drew my first breath, God didn’t just know, me He created me!
Human life is sacred because God created it!
God is worthy of praise because we are “fearfully” - “awesome” and wonderfully made v. 14
David acknowledges again that life is something made by God
This is reinforced by the following phrase “Marvelous are thy works”
In light of God’s creative power David determined to praise Him
It is a shame today when we look at the miracle of human life as “an accident”, “an inconvenience”, something to be discarded as garbage.
I want to take a moment at this point and say something that too often gets over looked on this subject
Our fight is not with those who are getting or considering an abortion.
Our fight is not even with those who are performing the abortion
Our fight is with the institution of abortion.
David says I was “curiously wrought” v. 15a
The idea of this phrase is that of something being embroidered
The thought is not simply the finished product, but the skill and intricacy of the work being done.
The finished product is beautiful, but the work in progress is just that, work.
It takes patience…aren’t you glad God is patient?
David says “life begins at conception” v. 15b
Scholars agree, David’s reference to the “lowest parts of the earth” is to the act of conception
His message couldn’t be more clear, life begins at conception!
David says during the process of development, he was never out of the sight of God
15 My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Long before ultrasound or even x-rays, God saw what we could not!
Even before a child is fully developed,God sees it in its completion
The word “unpefect” is a direct reference to an embryo
The point? David is arguing the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception!
Human life if sacred, because it is created by God. This alone should be enough reason for us to stand up for the pre-born, but I’ll share one more...
All Human Life is Considered by Him
All Human Life is Considered by Him
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee.
That little baby growing in its mother’s womb is known by God. That little baby is precious in the eyes of God. That little baby has a purpose in the plan of God. Human life is sacred, it is precious, and it deserves to be protected.
Conclusion:
This is message is part one of two, the next message will be preached here on February 12th as we kick off our Love Life adoption week. Church I want to challenge you to begin praying for this event before it takes place. I want to challenge you to pray for the mothers that will be making their way there this week. Pray for the fathers that will be going with them. Pray for the lives of the children. Pray for the doctors and the staff that they will see the evil behind what is going on. Pray that America will see the evil behind what is going on!
God is moving. I was told this week that the clinic in Greensboro is struggling to keep its doors open. They are having difficulty finding doctors to work. Why? Becasue the church has been mobilized, because God’s people have decided that we have been silent for too long and now they are letting their voices be heard.
Will you pray? Will you pray for those mothers and fathers? Will you pray for the children? Will you pray for this country?
Let’s bow our heads today:
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
God cares about the pre born, and do you know what is better than that? God cares about you. God cares so much about your eternal life that He sent Jesus to die in your place. Right now, right here, you can enter into an eternal relationship with Him simply by putting your faith in His finished work. You say, “How can I be saved?”
By realizing that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness. That we all are born sinners and as such cannot go to God who is holy. Since we could not go to God, He came to us in the person of His Son Jesus and by dying on the cross He paid the price for our sins. By rising from the grave He conquered death and provided a way for us to have eternal life. All you have to is ask.