The Value of Life
These new devotionals are designed to be used as one lesson per week for family or private devotions.
Genesis 1 records that God created man in his own image and endowed him with an eternal soul. The Bible abounds with clear evidence that God, the Creator of all living things, values both physical and spiritual life. Both are his gifts for us to enjoy and esteem.
Any assault on life is an assault on God, an attempt to deify ourselves as givers and takers of life. When God rejected Cain’s inadequate offering, Cain murdered his brother, Abel, rather than repent. His action displayed direct rebellion against God, for he valued his own life more than Abel’s and deemed himself to be a more just judge than God.
Today, our fallen world actively rebels against God by disparaging life at every turn, enabled by humanistic, antibiblical philosophies rooted in evolution. Such rebellion reveals itself perhaps most clearly through the demand for abortion, the legalized mass murder of millions of babies.
Part of the demand for abortion stems from devaluing certain kinds of life. When parents learn that their unborn baby will be born with physical deformities, genetic mutations, or chromosomal differences such as Down syndrome, doctors often encourage something called fetal termination, arguing that the baby, once born, wouldn’t live a “normal” or “easy” life. In other words, it won’t be as valuable a life and could instead be a “burden” to society. This thinking extends to other groups of people, such as the elderly and handicapped.
Though rampant, abortion is by no means the only way that our culture devalues life. Euthanasia, racism, suicide, human trafficking, and many other issues in our culture assault the sanctity of life and our role as image-bearers of God.
Every person, at any stage of life or any capacity, is infinitely valuable because all humans are made in the image of God. In this series of devotionals, consider the various ways that the sanctity of life is under attack. Use the Scriptures provided and the surrounding context to understand God’s thoughts on the issues. Be sure to pray for godly discernment and action before and after each study.
In these devotionals, consider the authority of God’s Word in fundamental aspects of life. Read the Scripture references to understand God’s Word on the topics. Discuss what you’ve learned and how you can apply the truths to stand strong on the authority of Scripture in this confused world.
Devotionals
Week 1—Adoption
Deuteronomy 10:18; Psalm 68:5; Isaiah 1:17; Romans 8:15; James 1:27
Orphans are some of society’s most vulnerable citizens. God commands Christians to care for the fatherless. How has adoption played a role in your life as a child of God? How can you make adoption a part of your life?
Week 2—Racism
Acts 10:34; Acts 17:26; Galatians 3:28
Every human ever born descended from the same original parents, Adam and Eve. The only race is the human race, and we are all equally valuable to God, who shows no partiality. How does this knowledge change the way we view current racial issues?
Week 3—Abortion
Genesis 1:26–27; Psalm 139:13–16; Jeremiah 1:5
A fetus is a child formed by God with value as an image-bearer of the Creator. What arguments do people use for and against abortion? Why should Genesis be the foundation for our stand against abortion?
Week 4—Suicide
Genesis 9:6–7; Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17, 32:39; Romans 8:28–39
People often take their own lives when they see no hope for their situation. But God’s Word commands us not to kill—that includes ourselves. God has a purpose for each of us. What encouragement from God’s Word can you give someone considering suicide?
Week 5—Evolution
Genesis 1, 2:7; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16–17 The premise of evolution proposes that life arose by accident and through violent means such as “survival of the fittest.” Compared to the Genesis view of creation, how does evolution devalue life?
Week 6—Disability
Genesis 1:27; Leviticus 19:14; Psalm 139:1–24; Luke 14:12–14
Though a person’s body may be broken or dysfunctional, their life holds no less value. How did Jesus treat the disabled? How can you honor the Creator with your disability or how can you serve the disabled today?
Week 7—Animal Life
Genesis 2:19–20; Matthew 10:28–31, 12:11–13; Proverbs 12:10
Animals aren’t created in God’s image and do not have the same value as humans. But our care for animals shows our obedience to steward the earth and reflects the care of our Creator. In what practical ways can we steward God’s creation?
Week 8—Euthanasia
Genesis 9:6; Ecclesiastes 3:1–2, 7:17, 8:8; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20
Euthanasia, sometimes called “mercy killing,” is nothing more than murder. Only God has the right to take life. Think of ways we can help alleviate the suffering of others in God-honoring ways.
Week 9—Poverty
Leviticus 25:35; Proverbs 17:5, 20:13, 31:8–9; 1 John 3:17
Nearly every Bible verse regarding the poor calls for compassion and generosity. How does society view the poor? Why does God value the poor? How can you help those with less financial means than yours?
Week 10—Human Trafficking
Genesis 2:25; Exodus 21:16; Psalm 82:3–4; Ezekiel 34:16; 1 Timothy 1:8–11
Human trafficking is a heinous assault on human dignity and violates God’s holy institution of marital sex. Human trafficking takes place around us every day. How can you help rescue the helpless “from the hand of the wicked”?
Week 11—Physical Health
Proverbs 25:16; Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, 10:31; Ephesians 5:18
The Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Excessive and unhealthy eating, alcohol and drug abuse, and sloth devalue our bodies and weaken our usefulness for Christ. How can you honor your body as the temple of the Holy Spirit?
Week 12—Embryonic Research
Genesis 1:26–30; Exodus 20:13; Psalm 139:13–16; Ecclesiastes 11:5
Scientists desecrate the sanctity of life when they conduct embryonic research and then destroy the embryos. Since an embryo is a human life from the moment of fertilization, terminating embryos is murder. What does Scripture say about unborn life?
Week 13—Vengeance
Matthew 5:38–39; Romans 12:19–21; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:5–7; Hebrews 10:30
While God’s Word offers guidance for judicial and penal laws, in many modern countries those powers are bestowed by God to elected authorities in specific circumstances. Personal vengeance puts justice ahead of obedience. What has God promised about justice? Can you think of biblical characters who did not seek revenge?
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