The Sanctity of Life
I have written about abortion in the past, and I will still write about it again for the rest of my physical life. However, this week I would like to draw your attention to the sanctity of life in a deeper focus. If a New Testament Christian will appreciate the sanctity of our lives they will consider how they live.
Live Separately
“Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you,” (2 Cor 6:17)
If my life is sacred, then I must come out and be separate from the paths that lead to destruction. I must be separate. To do this we must consider the types of places we go, the things we practice, the words that come out of our mouths, and the things that we watch. What we tolerate in our homes, and friendships can have eternal consequences. The danger of not being separate is becoming like the world. If we are not separate from evildoers, we find ourselves to be desensitized to evil. This is not to say that we must avoid interactions with the lost, the exact opposite. The lost need the Gospel, we however must not engage in the works of darkness to allegedly convert the lost.
Live Cleanly
“Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Cor. 7:1)
If we are redeemed, we must seek to be cleansed continually. We find this in our savior, He cleanses us of past sins when we obey the Gospel initially (Acts 2:38, 22:16). Then afterward, as we continue walking in the light and confess our sins, we receive a continual cleansing by the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7-9). In order to seek the holiness in the fear of God, we must be sure to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit. All that would make me stained and corrupted. All the things I engaged in prior, the works of the flesh, must be put to death.
Live Healthily
“Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” ( 3 John 2)
If we value our lives as a sacred gift of God we must be good stewards of our health. I know there are a lot of factors to health and everyone has different circumstances. However, to practice good stewardship is to be a good steward of my body as well. We can take the proper steps to eat healthier, exercise regularly, and remove unhealthy practices from our lives. We are not designed to live a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting, laying, and hours of mindless eating are killing us. How can we teach the Gospel to the lost if we are in the hospital or dead?
Live Dutifully
“This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” (Eccl. 12:13)
If I value my life, I will recognize the whole of man and do it each day. If I truly love God, I will keep his commands (John 14:15;15:14). There is no other way. Many men will wrongly try a universalist approach and suggest that it does not matter what you do or don’t do, God is just going to take you as you are. God is in the transformation business (i.e. newness of life (Rom. 6:4,a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), renewing of your mind (Rom 12:2).
Live Responsibly
“Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:15-16)
If I value my life I will redeem (buy back) my time. Time is a precious commodity. We spent years in sin wasting our lives away; now we must live for Christ and value each moment we have. I watch how I walk. Are my decisions wise according to the wisdom of God? It is certain that there is much evil foolishness in this world. What can I do with the time allotted to me?
If we are to value the sanctity of life, we will remember the words of the Psalmist, “So teach us to number our days, That we may get us a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). Let us be wise and value our lives all of our days. To God be the glory!
Grace and Peace,
R.D. Beavers
