I am pro-life because I am convinced by God’s Word that all of life is sacred from the moment of conception.
As a result, I am a passionate supporter of ministries and organizations that help pregnant women choose life for their preborn children. I believe that far more Christians should be engaged in this movement and in foster care and adoption ministries.
However, Christians like me must not only be pro-birth. Our passion for life must not end when life moves from the mother’s womb into the larger world.
In fact, the biblical commitment to the sanctity of life should be foundational to all biblical ethics.
Because Christians believe every life is sacred, we have been a driving force for public education and literacy. Our commitment to the sanctity of life has motivated us to advance medical care, build hospitals, and advocate for ethical treatment of patients and providers.
Because we are convinced that every life is sacred, we are engaged in a battle against pornography and its epidemic of pain and destruction. And we advocate for the biblical mandate that sexual relations should be reserved for the marriage of a man and woman, pointing to the dangers and damages of violating this ethic.
What does this theological commitment to the sanctity of every life mean for racial justice? Consider three biblical facts.
God hates racism.
Racism is the sin of discriminating against a person based on their race. God made every human being (Genesis 1:27) and loves us all equally (Romans 5:8). We are all descended from the same parents (Genesis 3:20) and are part of the same family.
God’s Word destroys every prejudicial barrier between humans when it proclaims that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
Those who have used the Bible to justify slavery or discrimination have committed heresy. As Peter told Cornelius and his fellow Gentiles, “God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34).
God hates injustice.
Scripture is adamant: “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 17:15); “Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail” (Proverbs 22:8). By contrast, “Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!” (Psalm 106:3).
God calls us to stand for racial justice.
His word is clear: “Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed” (Jeremiah 22:3). Our Lord calls us to “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8–9).
If you believe that all lives are sacred from the moment they are conceived, you must believe that all lives are equally sacred after they are born. If you are opposed to abortion, you must be opposed to racial injustice.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was right: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”
How is God calling you to use your influence to stand for the sanctity of life in all its forms today?
Jim Denison, PhD, is the founder of Denison Forum with a reach of 1.7 million. He also serves as Resident Scholar for Ethics with Baylor Scott & White Health.