I am trying to understand why people tend to believe that all life is precious. For the context of the topic, I will relegate the notion to only human beings, but the life of an occasional animal may come to bear in the conversation.
I offer some valid points here first, one, that all souls live forever, some to eternal life, (Daniel 12:2) some to everlasting damnation. Two, that all souls belong to God, (Eze. 18:4) He is the owner of all that is, He is the potter (Isaiah 64:8) and can do as He pleases with any of His creation. And the third would need to be that God does not think like we do, not even close. “These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.” (Psalm 50:21) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8)
As to the first point, to those who would exclaim that all life is precious, what life I would say, the life that is as the grass in the morning, the dew (Hosea 13:3) or eternal life, the life that never ends? I would presume that they are referring to their lives here on earth, in this fleshly temple, because for one thing, the grass does not see itself as a “here in the morning, gone in the evening” subject, life seems very long at times, and in some, even when very old age approaches, they will not accept this fact. So to them, in this case, life is precious, for as far as they know, this is all there is.
Death is the great enemy who cannot be defeated, every moment must be grasped, life is precious, death means the end. Many who claim to know Christ as Lord seem to fall into this same category, they know of the promises, but they do not believe them fully, that last moment of this life is rarely in their mind, they serve not God in it, but themselves, anything to stay alive.
All souls belong to God, our second point, and as such, He being Sovereign, can do anything with us as He desires to, many are called, my friends, (Matt. 22:14) not all. If you have been crucified with Christ, (Gal. 2:20) then you are already dead, your life is hid in Christ, (Col. 3:3) you have been blessed already with eternal life, not eternal death, so how does this life here on earth become precious to you, if it is not being used for the glory of God?
The fear of death for some I speak of has been put aside, they will never die, for them Philippians 1:21 stands more than true, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Death is nothing more than a doorway to pass through, a single step from earth to heaven, if you will. For most I believe this is an impossible thought, the verses are nice to contemplate, occasionally, but not at length, for to them they diminish, as it were, the importance of this life, they like to read of Paul saying, “Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.” (Phil. 1:24) But not to contemplate that last breath, much less in the way that it will arrive.
As you can tell, and perhaps already understand, the reason that life is precious to most is only because of the fear of death. It has little to do with service to Christ towards the lost, when they have forgotten that reaching the lost is one of the main responsibilities to those who have been born again, because “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Heb. 9:27) There are not going to be any lost souls where we are going, but they are going to be alive just as long as we are, forever.
As for our third point, here is what the Almighty says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” (Psalm 116:15) Not their lives, our deaths. I give no cause, reason or explanation here, but I would only ask that you look upon this, “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Gen. 6:13) “And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.” (1 Sam. 6:19) “And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.” (1 Chronicles 21:16)
Who in this life that you lead here on this earth is more precious to, you or God? “And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.” (Mark 13:20)
I would leave you with this, and let you begin your contemplations. Abortions are terrible, because they are killing the yet unborn, those who have been created in the image of God, those who have souls. Every one of those children go directly into the arms of Jesus, life for them begins in heaven. Now, why is this life here on earth so precious to you?
