The Borders of Life: Introduction

As we continue our series on Biblical Anthropology, we come to another important topic – the borders of life. But let’s start with a little review.

We know that we can find truth in the first place because we have a revelation from the Creator – we call it the Bible. As we’ve learned, in God’s revelation we discover that physical laws of nature come from Him. “Laws” – consistency, logic – from God’s Word we have the concepts of loyalty, trust.

In other words, we don’t live in a random universe. If we did, there would be no way we could really know or rely on anything from one day to the next. Instead, we have a Creator who wants us to know – most of all, He wants us to know Him.

We didn’t create ourselves, we are dependant. On many things. We depend on air to breath. We depend on other people. But at the most basic level, we depend on God. He created us, sustains us, provides for us.

He created the universe, and our own lives, with purpose.

For by him [Jesus Christ, the Son of God] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

Colossians 1:16

And so, as Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

But if we unhitch ourselves from the very source of wisdom, our vision because twisted, distorted. And of course, we do just that, because we’re sinners. As we learned in part 2, we are responsible for our sin. We are responsible to change. But trying to change will never bring salvation.

Yes, Jesus Christ is the Truth, the Creator. But He is also the Saviour. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Christ or chaos.

As we look closer at creation, we see that the man and the woman were created in God’s image. And so we have an incredible value and purpose from our Creator.

But even more incredible than this – God Himself took on human form. Jesus is God in the flesh. And so real life, life in time and space, our work, our joys, our sadness, our bodies, everything has dignity and an incredible value. Because Jesus is one of us.

It’s really just in part 3 that we started to apply these truths. We saw that God created us to be in families. One man, one woman, married for life (until the end of the life of one or the other). In most cases, they have children. And if you don’t have children, you come from two who did!

God gave special gifts and abilities to men, and special gifts and abilities to women. Equal, but different. And the law of God warns that one should not try to take the place of the other.

And today we’re going to start talking about the borders of life – that is, the beginning and the end of human life. And in this world, this immediately raises a lot of questions – but let’s start with just a couple. Is it right to end a life early, such as in abortion? And – is it right to end a life near its end?

It won’t surprise you that the imago dei is important here. The image of God. It’s not something we do, or achieve. It’s something already in every human being. The teen beside you – the old lady at the grocery store – the disabled person – the criminal in prison – the man who believes he’s a potato – it doesn’t matter who – they all have value, because of the imago dei.

And it’s the same at the borders of life.

The Bible has a lot to say about old age. This is a beautiful passage. Here, God is actually talking about Israel, but I think there’s a valid application to us as well:

…even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.

Isaiah 46:4

And in the law – “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:32)

Of course, in one sense, God Himself is the oldest of all – the Ancient of Days.

Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is gained in a righteous life.

Proverbs 16:31

Listen to your father who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Proverbs 23:22

And so we honour our elders.

And we know how God values the little ones. Even babies – even babies still in the womb.

We all know that God created us in the womb. Well, yes, of course, He uses the biology we know about. But the Bible teaches us that He also has special creative control over the beginnings of each human life.

For you (Yahweh) formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:13

But there’s even more. We read phrases like this one from David: “from my mother’s womb you have been my God.” (Psalm 22:10) And we read in Jeremiah that God consecrated the prophet before his birth:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah 1:5

Paul says something similar in Galatians 1:15.

But maybe the clearest picture that we have of an unborn baby is John the Baptist. He was filled with the Spirit even before he was born (Luke 1:15). He was able to respond with joy to the Lord Jesus, even in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:41,44).

And so, even an unborn baby can have a relationship with God. Even an unborn baby can have a relationship with God!

The world wants to tell us that we’re here by chance, with no purpose or value. But the Bible tells us the truth – every human being has value and purpose. And that is truly amazing to think about.