Sanctity of Life Position

Andy Woods
Sanctity of Life Sunday
January 18, 2015

Sanctity of Life Sunday, which was a special Sunday instituted by Ronald Reagan in 1984, typically takes place on the third Sunday in January, before January 22nd because on January 22nd 1973 something that at least from our point of view happened in America that was tragic—that was the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision whereby in a seven to two decision, seven Supreme Court Justices saw something in the Constitution that no one has ever seen—the Constitutional protection to have an abortion, creating a constitutional right, not through the amendment process but out of thin air.

And ever since that point in time it’s been very difficult to pass laws in America to protect those who cannot speak for themselves—the unborn. That ruling indicated that an unborn child is not a person within the law. It’s been analogized to the infamous Dred Scott Decision of 1857 whereby a slave also was called by the Supreme Court a non-person under the law.

Sugar Land Bible Church does take a stand on this issue. One of our position statements reads as follows: “We believe that the fetus from the moment of conception is a person,” and it quotes there Psalm 139:13 which says, “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.”

We also believe that all persons are created in the image of God, regardless of age, health, function and/or condition of dependency. You see, the culture is moving in the direction of quality of life; life is important if it has a certain quality. Our view on it, which we believe is biblical is the sanctity of life, all life, born or unborn, young or old, full capacity or limited capacity, has value to God.

So we’ve had the Roe vs. Wade decision for the last 42 years which essentially means sixty million people have been killed. It’s perhaps one of the worst genocides in human history. You can imagine in a country like ours, of about three hundred million where just today one out of every five people disappeared. That, in essence, is what happened with Roe vs. Wade.

And so to call attention to this Sanctity of Life Sunday was implemented; it’s a time of reflection, a time of mourning, a time of prayer. It’s a time where we commit ourselves to re-entering the culture, not to establish the Kingdom but to be salt and light that our culture desperately needs. It’s a time where we recommit ourselves, not just to reversing a law but to reaching out through humanitarian aid to unwed mothers.

It’s also a time where we sound the grace of God because even as I am speaking there are people within the sound of my voice that have had abortions or paid for abortions and what a great opportunity to learn about the grace of God because the grace of God is so broad it even covers the sin of murder, if you receive the grace of God. I’ll remind everyone that three of God’s choicest servants have murder in their background: Moses, David and of course the Apostle Paul. So I bring these things to your attention on this special day.

Now the God of peace who brought up from the dead the Great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever amen.

Greet someone you don’t know on the way out, God bless you.