Human Life Is Sacred

Every January, Sanctity of Life Sunday (the 3rd Sunday) calls the Church to pause. Not to argue. Not to posture. But to remember and recommit.

From the opening pages of Scripture, God makes His position unmistakably clear: human life is sacred because it is created by Him and for Him.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” — Genesis 1:27 (ESV)

This truth grounds everything we know about the value of human life.  It also distinguishes the dignity of people being separate from ability, age, independence, or productivity.
Humans contain the image of God in their very being.

Why Sanctity of Life Still Matters

Sanctity of Life Sunday is not merely about unborn children—though it certainly includes them.
It is about the value of every human life, at every stage, in every circumstance.

Scripture affirms that God’s care begins before birth:  “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” — Psalm 139:13

The Bible does not treat life as accidental or expendable. It treats life as intentional and valuable.

In a culture that often measures worth by convenience or contribution, we must bear witness to a better story—God’s story.

A Gospel-Shaped Response

At Grace Fellowship, Sanctity of Life Sunday is about compassion shaped by truth.

The gospel meets us all in our brokenness. Every one of us stands in need of grace.
And grace changes how we speak, how we act, and how we care for others.  While we have a responsibility to condemn and actively oppose abortion providers and those who promote it, we also recognize that these people have been deceived: “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will" (2 Timothy 2:24–26).

Jesus did not avoid hard truths, yet had compassion for the lost to move toward them, not away from them.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

The Church’s call is not only to affirm the value of life but to support life—practically, sacrificially, and consistently.

That necessarily means

• Walking alongside families in crisis.
• Supporting women facing unplanned pregnancies.
• Caring for children, the elderly, and disabled.
• Offering forgiveness and healing to those carrying regret or grief from having either had an abortion or promoted abortion in their past.

Life Worth Protecting. People Worth Rescuing.

Sanctity of Life is not so much a political slogan, but a theological conviction born out of necessity. Since God is the Creator of life, life has value, and because Christ redeems sinners, no one is beyond hope. Since the Spirit restores the broken, healing is possible. If you know of someone who is struggling in this area, God can use you to bring freedom from guilt and shame precisely because the Gospel is true. Jesus bore our sin and our shame so that our joy can be real and abiding.

Take time to consider and commit to not only what we believe to be true, but also how we live this truth out in our daily lives.  May we be known as followers of Christ who speak truth fueled by love and extend grace with compassion.