Christian Philosopher Francis Schaeffer defined a disreguard for the sanctity of human life as an epic battle, worthy of Lord of the Rings fame. It has pitted those committed to defending the sanctity of human life against those who support the quality of life ethic at the other. Schaeffer stated that once the value of life was defined based on our worth to the community as evolved animals, versus our standing as persons made in the very image of a holy God, we would certainly begin to slide down a slippery slope of diminishing worth. When we can abort and therefore, kill an innocent unborn baby while still in its mother womb because we say it is not a person, it is we who lose our humanity.

In Genesis 2:7 –it states the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Each human carries within his or her being the eternal, holy breath of the God, the Creator. We are not only flesh and blood but image-bearers of the Living God. Therefore, men, women and children created in the image of God should be respected, regardless of their age, ability or inability, race, creed or religion. The earthly vessel that temporarily holds this priceless soul is the human body. The human body is sacred and should be held in honor and respect; not treated as an object and subjected to violence and death. While being indwelled by the Holy Spirit is what sets us apart as Christians, the sacredness of human life is not based on accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. Every human life, Christian or not, is sacred and of inestimable value because each life is created in the Image of God.

One in four. That’s how many children’s lives (not pregnancies – children’s lives) are ended by abortion in the United States. Friends it’s time – it’s actually way beyond time – that the Body of Christ rouses itself from the stupor we’ve been in, and take our rightful face at the fore-front of the battle for life. The only way to save the lives of innocent babies, restore dignity to our elderly, protect the handicap and infirm is not merely by overturning Roe v. Wade. That's only the beginning. We must go all the way to restore the sanctity of all human life. It is a war we as Christians must first fight and win on our knees, then within ourselves. We must first restore our own understanding of what it means to be made in the image of God.

Do you understand what it means to be a temple for the Holy Spirit? Until you understand your own worth, it will be next to impossible to put proper value on the life of your brother. Do you know who you are? Do you see yourself as a striking reflection of God’s glory, beauty and majesty on the earth? Do you value your own life as sacred, even in light of the limitations of your humanness? Comprehending who we are as image-bearers of God is the first step in sharing and restoring the Sanctity of Human Life ethic in our world.

Raul Reyes is the Director for Life Network in Colorado Springs, Colorado