What Is Human Life?

Life is a complex phenomenon defined by a set of biological processes, including organization, metabolism, homeostasis, growth, response to stimuli, reproduction, and adaptation. It is the condition that distinguishes living organisms from non-living entities and is characterized by the ability to sustain itself, grow, and evolve over time.

I then asked it, “What is human life?” It said,

Human life is the existence of a human being from birth to death, encompassing physical, emotional, and social experiences. Biologically, it is the period of development for the species Homo sapiens, beginning at conception with a fertilized egg and continuing to death. Philosophically and subjectively, it involves a life’s purpose and experiences, which are often defined by an individual’s growth, relationships, and contributions to society.

And then I asked, “What is human life from a biblical worldview perspective?” The AI answer was actually (and surprisingly) fairly good:

From a biblical perspective, human life is a sacred gift from God, with inherent value because humans are created in God’s image. This means life has a divine purpose: to glorify God, reflect His nature, and be stewards of creation. Human life is understood as a combination of both physical and spiritual existence, and though fallen by sin, it has the potential for redemption through Christ.

Man, consisting of only two genders, is made in God’s image right from fertilization.

Then I asked a human being, myself, to define human life. My answer is that as a Christian, I build my worldview on God’s Word beginning with Genesis 1–11. Man, consisting of only two genders—male and female, is made in God’s image right from fertilization.

And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27 LSB)

While our bodies are being formed in our mothers’ wombs, we are already human beings, people made in God’s image.

For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And intricately woven in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unshaped substance;
And in Your book all of them were written
The days that were formed for me,
When as yet there was not one of them. (Psalm 139:13–16 LSB)

We are fully human, with a sin nature (because of Adam’s sin against God), right from fertilization. Our sin brought the judgment of death.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me. (Psalm 51:5 LSB)

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12 LSB)

Because man rebelled against his Creator, thus bringing sin and the judgment of death into the world, man was separated from God. But God provided a way for our sin to be paid so our relationship with our Creator could be restored.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16 LSB)

God provided his Son, Jesus, to become the perfect, sinless God-man to pay the penalty for our sin by dying in our place, conquering death, and offering a free gift of salvation and eternal life to those who will receive it.

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 LSB)

Why this discussion of human life? Well, January 22, 2026, will be the 53rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Although that ruling was overturned in 2022 to enable the states to decide the legality of abortion, over one million children per year are still murdered in their mothers’ wombs in the US.

We should grieve for what the abomination of child sacrifice (yes, that’s what abortion is) has done in murdering many millions of children worldwide (with over 60 million abortions recorded since 1973 in the US alone).

Right from fertilization, we are humans made in God’s image, and abortion is killing a human being made in God’s image and for whom Jesus died.