Life Speech

7/30/2019 Life Speech

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"More than thirty years ago when my wife returned from her Obstetrician I asked

here, "Well honey, what did the doctor say?" Susan replied, "Michael it is

wonderful, the doctor said, "Congratulations Susan, there's a baby in there!

You're a Mother and Michael is a father.""

As a minister of the gospel let me shed the light of God's word on the subject of

life in Gods image created by him at conception, "Before I formed thee in the

womb, I knew thee and ordained thee..." Jeremiah 1:5.

God creates life at conception and that life, those babies should be protected at

every stage of their physical development.

Author John Davis says it this way; The simple but sublime words of Genesis 1:26

that God created mankind in His own image and likeness are some of the most

important words in all of Scripture. The teaching that man is the image and

likeness of God is absolutely foundational for a Christian understanding of human

nature, the dignity and value of the person, and for all of Christian ethics.

It is my purpose to make clear to you some of the important practical implications

of this crucial, biblical truth for Christian living. Protecting life in the image of God

is without a doubt the most critical contemporary ethical issue before us. We are

talking about the most heinous act of murder, murder of innocent children intheir Mothers womb by the act ofabortion.

The biblical passages in the Old and New Testaments that relate to the image of

God give us the following definition which should be sufficient: The image of God

in man is that which gives human beings the capacity for a uniquely personal

relationship with God.

The image of God encompasses mans humanity as such it is not a human

achievement, but a gift conferred on all humans by Gods creative act. The

purpose of mans creation as the image of God is that man might enjoy a personal

relationship with the Creator, both in time and eternity.

Being created in the image and likeness of God means being created to share

the status of Christs royal sonship (see Gen. 5:3; Col. 1:15), reflecting on earth


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Gods heavenly authority (Gen. 1:26, 28; Ps. 8:68), glory (Ps. 8:5; 2 Cor. 4:4), and

righteousness (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). Jesus Christ is the true and perfect image of

God, reflecting the Fathers character and enjoying as the eternal Son intimate,

loving fellowship with Him; we as redeemed humans are being renewed in the

divine image and granted the status and privileges of sonship by adoption. As

those who are being renewed in the image of God, we are called to reflect the

holiness and righteousness of our Creator in all our thoughts, words, and deeds.

God at conception creates life in his image. Let me repeat that statement, God at

conception creates life in his image and so the biblical doctrine of mans creation

as the image of God is foundational for all of Christian ethics.

Life in the image of God is the foundation for all of Christian ethics because it

teaches that the lives of all human beings have intrinsic, and not merely

instrumental, value.

Our lives have value as such, not merely in terms of what we may be able to do

for others. Human beings have inestimable value in the sight of God, irrespective

of gender, race, state of health, dependency, or social and economic utility, but

simply and profoundly because human beings, among all Gods creatures, have

been designed and created for the purpose of enjoying a personal relationship

through Jesus Christ with the Creator of the universe. With their creator who

endowed them with certain and inalienable rights. The right to life is rightly first.

I am reminded of the words of Christ when he explained in part the reason for His

coming to mankind, In John 10:10, I'll use a personal paraphrase Planned

Parenthood cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:. Oops let

me fix that, I mean, The abortionist thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill,

and to destroy: Ok, let me get it right, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and

to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might

have it more abundantly. And of course we all know that John 3:16 tells us

further, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that

whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.


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Christ has come to give us life, abundant life and eternal life. Without a question

Jesus is pro-life!

The moral and ethical implication from the image of God can clearly be seen in

the dignity of the human person. In Genesis 9:6 it is stated that whoever shedsthe blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own

image. Just as desecration of ournations flag is an attack on the values of our

nation that it represents, so abortion as a murderous attack on the life of man is

an attack on the majesty of God who created man to be His representative on

earth.

When life is destroyed by abortion, when life is cut off in the womb, you are

ultimately destroying the presence of the image of God in that baby that you have

murdered. Ultimately you are destroying an opportunity for family because

without that baby youve destroyed the Motherhood of that woman and the

Fatherhood of that man, so then you have destroyed the basic family unit that

God intended to be the fundamental fabric and strength of our nation.

The biblical teaching concerning the image of God has important implications for

contemporary issues such as human rights, the sanctity of human life, and

bioethics.

The concept of the image of God has been foundational in Western civilization for

the institutions and practices of human rights and democracy.

When Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that all men

are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights,

the background of his thought was this fundamental teaching of the first chapter

of Genesis. Human beings are not in fact equal in ability, gifts, education, or

achievement, but they are all equal in view of their common creation to be image

bearers of God.

The political scientist John Hallowell has pointed out that the modern world,

having lost sight of this crucial, biblical truth, has in fact no basis for believing

that all men are equal, no firm basis for human rights that are anything more

than the creations of human societies.


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It is because we believe in the image of God in all of humanity, born and preborn

that Christian faith grounds a sanctity-of-life ethic in issues such as abortion,

euthanasia, and stem-cell research.

As image bearers of God by their fact of being created by God, the lives of humanbeings, as stated above, have intrinsic and not merely instrumental value.

Innocent human life is inviolable and may never be licitly destroyed for someone

elses benefit.

If it is asked, When does the image of God appear in man, the best biblical

answer is, At the beginning, at conception at the very moment of the miraculous

instant of the creation of another life: When a living human being is present, the

image of God is present. Human life has transcendent value in the eyes of God

from the moment of conception until natural death, and must always be

respected as such.

Finally, it will be helpful to remember at this juncture of our nations history that

the ethical implications of the image of God are not limited either to the political

right or the left but encompass both sanctity of life and social justice

agendas. This foundational, biblical teaching calls all Christians to honor the

dignity and value of all persons, at all times and in all circumstances, in our

thoughts, words, and deeds.

Tragically, today the liberalist, atheistic, secular humanist culture has led to the

death of 54 million unborn children in the last 40 years. I dont think a civilization

can long endure that does not have respect for all human life, born and not yet

born.

Certainly we know that we have a great many problems in this country to solve.

But I believe there will come a time when we are all judged on whether or not we

took a stand in defense of all life from the moment of conception until our last

natural breath.

Our success in this battle will be measured in many ways. Do we stand for

principles in our battles? Do we stand with leaders and politicians who embody


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our principles? And finally and most importantly, do we keep our humanity and

our values intact as we fight the good fight?

Let me begin to close by giving a crystal clear clarion call to my fellow pastors,

Isaiah 56:10, His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumbdogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

Dr. Wayne Grudem cites this very verse in his latest book, Politics According To

The Bible subtitled, A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern

Political Issues in Light of Scripture. Page 570, The Hebrew prophet Isaiah knew

this had happened with the nation of Israel long ago, he said, His watchmen are

blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping,

lying down, loving to slumber. (Isa. 56:10)

Grudem continues, When this happens when the watchdogs cannot bark

they fail to call leaders to account. Then the people of a nation do not have

adequate information to make wise decisions about their leaders and about the

direction in which the nation is going. When the watchdogs are silent, a nation

will soon be led astray by its leaders, who no longer have sufficient accountability

to the public.

Dr. Martin Luther King seemed to state the principle this way, The church mustbe reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the

conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never

its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an

irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. Rev. Martin Luther

King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.

So my question is, To whom does this verse apply?

Non politically active clergy, at least!

It is central to the Gospel of the Kingdom that pastors watch and give a call.

In Matt. 28:19-20, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded

you seems to me to mean more than just John 3:16.


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It is clear to me that both the Gospels and the Epistles come to us as the word of

God with the authority of Jesus, and he wants us to teach these things to our

churches., including matters of governmental policies, political issues and

candidates! We must open our pulpits to speak the htruth and we must speak

truth to political power and take every opportunity God gives us or there will be

hell to pay!

So I frankly conclude that when a clergy person pulls back in silence, refuses to

speak up for the voiceless unborn innocent children being murdered in their

Mothers wombs and when that minister hides the light of Christs teachings on

the sanctity of life, under the bushel basket of non-political involvement, they

become blind watchmen and dumb dogs!

I think there is crisis in our country. Its not just a fiscal crisis. I think its a moral

crisis. It is an ethical crisis. And I think, no I know that its a spiritual crisis.

Now, many people have said many people have said, and I agree, that this is one

of the most important, if not the most important, election in our lifetime. Now,

many pundits will also say that this is an election about jobs and the economy,

and it is. Too many people out of work; too many people have lost hope. But for

all of us who know that this country values liberty and freedom, we know this

election is about something more. This election is going to determine whether or

not the very moral fabric of our country will be upheld or whether it will be torn

apart.

Now, in talking about moral fabric, in talking about who we are as a people in this

great republic, I dont think that anyone has said it better than our fellow

Virginian Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson wrote that all men are created

equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty and

the pursuit of happiness.

In Virginia we are about life. In America we are about respect for life, for human

existence. And by our voice and by our values and by our vote we will stand up

against any government taxpayer dollars being ever used to kill innocent life.


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It was important for us in reflecting that the very moral fabric of who we are as a

people, requires us to not only ride for life today, but to stand up, stand tall and

vote and give our nation a president, and a majority in the senate Senate who will

stand up with us in defense of life forever.

On November 6th, Americans will make a choice about whats right and whats

wrong. Wrong is President Obama telling us in 2008 that marriage is between a

man and a woman but in 2012 that he has evolved. No mister President you have

devolved. You are wrong in supporting a change in the longstanding definition of

God ordained marriage. You are wrong when you dont defend the Defense of

Marriage Act, you are wrong for destroying the fundamental building blocks of

our society.

Wrong is the fiasco of Solyndra failed bail outs while running up and accumulating

more debt than any president in our history.

Wrong is the fact that your failed policies have left millions of Americans are

unemployed. Over 8 % unemployment.

Wrong is appointing federal judges who fail to protect life and the unborn.

Wrong is Abomination Care that brings the tyrannical oppression to force the God

fearing people of these United States to pay for the abortifacients.

Wrong is The Commander in Chief apologizing for America when he travels

abroad. Wrong is condemning freedom of speech when you should be

condemning the murderous mob that just assassinated our Ambassador!

Wrong is not supporting Israel 100 percent as our ally in the Middle East and

Jerusalem as her undivided capital.

All of these evils and wrongs grow out of the basic refusal to acknowledge that life

in the womb at the moment of conception is created by God in his image.

Well, heres what I believe is right.

Right is calling a terrorist, yes, a terrorist.


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Right is calling life in the womb a baby.

Right is that God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve.

Right is calling a Christmas tree a Christmas tree.

Right is not being afraid to salute the flag, say the Pledge of Allegiance, and sing

the National Anthem, unashamed, with a tear in our eye and proclaim that it is in

God we trust!

We are an exceptional nation, all right. The reason for that is because our republic

is founded on immutable, self-evident truths and the first truth that we must

return to is that God is still creating life and that he gives the right to life to all

that he creates.

On the eve of the 1984 presidential election, President Reagan described the

decision facing voters and he said, and I quote, The choices this year are not just

between two different personalities or between two political parties. They are

between two different visions of the future, two fundamentally different ways of

governing their government of pessimism, fear and limits, and ours of hope,

confidence and growth, end of quote.

These words are as true today as when first spoken 28 years ago. The stakes ofthe decisions facing the American people have never been bigger. Will you vote

for life? Will you vote for God ordained marriage? Will you vote for religious

freedom?

During the election of 1860, Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to a friend and said,

and I quote, I know there is a God and that he hates injustice. I see the storm

coming. But if he has a place and a part for me, I believe I am ready, end of

quote.

Well, we know there is a God, and we all know that the raging storm is already

here.

And I want you to know that God does have a place and a part for me and all of

you, and I believe we must be ready. Are you ready?


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Let us ride together, pray together and vote together!

Let us join in this fight and we will return the right leadership, conservative

leadership, to the White House and Congress.

When Jonah walked through Ninevah he warned that in 40 Days Ninevah would

be destroyed. Yet Ninevah repented and was spared.

We have little more than 40 Days to an election that will play a part in

determining whether we will suffer further destruction or be spared.

Get ready and vote for respect for the sanctity of life, vote for respect for the first

institution the good Lord put togetherit wasnt the church, and it wasnt the

state. It was the family.

When you destroy a life in the womb you destroy a part of a family and when you

protect a life you build and protect a family.

And the strength of that institution, the strength of the family ultimately

determines the strength of our entire society, our entire culture.

Life Speech

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