Does Every Life Matter - No

So, this brings us to the “No” answer. When is that that a life does not matter? We have already discussed that even the lives of those being executed and the lives of enemy combatants matter. These lives matter for all of the reason listed above. So, when would the answer be “no”?

The instance when a life does not matter is in sacrifice. When the possessor of the life determines that his life is not more valuable than the sacrifice he deems necessary. For instance, when a soldier throws himself on a grenade because he deems his life less important than his fellow soldiers. This is an example we can relate to, but it is not the direction I want to go. The sacrifice I want to talk about is the sacrifice of life for Christ.

The life of the individual no longer matters when his/her commitment to their cause supersedes that of their commitment to themselves. For Christians, we would word this as the life of the individual no longer matters when their commitment to Christ supersedes their commitment to themselves. Still another way could be the life of the individual no longer matters when the individual completely surrenders his life to Christ. The point is, when we value something greater than ourselves, we will commit to that cause regard of the cost. The individual surrenders his life in living, and if need be to the point of death.

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

(I Corinthians 6:19-20)

In order for this to happen, Christians must come to grips with what Paul said in the preceding verses. Our life is not our own. We have been bought with a price. That price was the life of Jesus Christ. He died so that we could live. Not only live here on earth, but to live in heaven with God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirt, and all the other people who have received Christ as their Savior.

Why? What would we need to set aside our life? Why would we need to sacrifice, even unto death? For the sake of the Gospel. A Christian who is following Christ realizes that this life is temporal. This is not as good as it gets. Things will get much better. So why try to live it up while we are here? Why try to make it all about ourselves? Those who live that way neglect others. In so doing, we neglect sharing the saving message of the Gospel. That message is the only way our friends, family, and neighbors will spend eternity with us.

Christians are called to sacrifice for their fellow man. Just as the soldier who throws himself on the grenade, risking life and limb, to save his fellow soldiers, we are called to throw ourselves on the grenades of public opinion, ridicule, judgment, and even physical attack to save the lives of those around us. We cannot save them, but they may see our willingness to sacrifice for the cause of Christ and thereby receive the message of the cross. In those moments, we determine that our life does not matter. Rather that the cause of Christ is more important than our lives.

The question we began with, “Does every life matter?”, is only answered “no” when the individual chooses to lay aside the value of his life for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not a decision that others can make for him/her. This also does not mean that there will not be those who mourn should the Christian’s life be taken. Because Christians operate within the church, there will be many who mourn the loss, but they will also rejoice in the Christian’s gain. That gain is Heaven. That gain is to be in the presence of the Lord who died for our sins. That gain is to receive the “martyrs crown”. That gain is to be removed from sin, suffering, pain, and loss. For the one who deems his life to no longer matter, he or she only has heave to gain.

This is not depression. It is not recklessness. It is faith in the one who died so that we ma live. It is to live out what we confess to believe at salvation. It is to have Jesus confess us before the father (Matthew 10:32 ). It is to indeed bear the name Christ, and to be a true Christian!

Does every life matter? Yes, every life matters to God. He cares about every man, woman, boy and girl, of every race, nation, and station of life. He sent his Son to die for all mankind. Our lives mattered so much that he paid the price himself to redeem us from our sins. Receiving that redemption is our choice. He also cares how we live our lives. When we receive Christ as our Savior, we should be so devoted to him that we decide that our lives do not matter. We will serve him, no matter the cost. For this reason, the answer is yes, and no.