The contrast was stark.
The underlying message was startling.
Two newspaper headlines, one on either side of the fold, told two very different stories.
On the left page large bold letters shouted “Pro-Choice Makes Gains—A Woman’s Right Defended.” The accompanying article set forth the various platitudes typically used in our society to defend the murder of unborn children.
The opposite page headline read “In-Utero Surgery Success.” This article, including a picture, retold the story of an incredible in-the-womb surgery—well-nigh miraculous by virtue of its complexity and the size of the patient.
Imagine! Two stories—one extolling the virtues of child-killing, the other proclaiming the marvelous success of modern medicine in saving a child’s life.
Man’s unique creation and elevated position is what moved God to have compassion upon him when sin took up residence in the hearts of mankind.
Contradictory? Indeed!
Yet the world tends to little notice the sad contradiction.
If we extract the essence from these two articles (and thousands of others like them), we find that they all tell the same story: The valuation of human life in our society depends upon whether or not that life is wanted. If it is wanted, then it’s precious and worth saving at all costs. If that life is unwanted, it is not considered human life at all, and it is of no consequence to abort it.
How arrogant of sinful mankind—the creature!—to usurp the position of Creator and life-giver!
There are so many “life” questions—beginning with adoption vs. abortion. Questions which arise later may address the matter of purpose—does this life have purpose or not? In the activities of life, questions arise about service: for whom am I living, myself or the Lord? End-of-life questions pivot on whether or not a person awaits death with humble and submissive confidence, or whether one should “assist death” by suicide or euthanasia.
Such questions in each stage of life come with many attending circumstances and more questions, but ultimately it all comes down to a person’s estimation of what the value of human life is and what can or should be done with it.
For us Bible-believers, the answers in each of these circumstances come down to the simple truth: “God created man in His own image… male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27).
God created—man is but the creature. Life is given to us. Who does man think he is to suppose that he can set himself against the Creator? Life is not a plaything of sinful mankind—it is the gift of Almighty God!
God created man in His own image, and thereforeman is distinct from every other creature in the universe. Man’s unique creation and elevated position moved God to have compassion upon him when sin took up residence in the hearts of mankind. God so loved the unique life which He had created in His image that, even while it was still lost and rebellious, He sent His Son to redeem that life so that by His Spirit He might restore in it “the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:10).
An unbiased evaluation of attitudes within our society demonstrates that in large part the creature is worshiped rather than the Creator (cf. Romans 1). When this happens—whether in society or in our own hearts—the Creator is devalued along with the life He gives. The gifts of a devalued Creator will not be treasured unless they serve sinful, selfish ends.
O that our citizenry would be led to widespread repentance for its devaluation of the Lord of life, of the life He gives, and of the Savior He sent! Let each of us repent of any such devaluation—whatever form it takes in our own hearts—and return to Scripture to be reinvigorated with a true understanding of the value of life, of the purpose of our life, and of the Savior who holds the times of our life in His hands.