Insight for Living

Guest (Male): Many of us care deeply about protecting the unborn, yet we're uncertain how to engage this critical issue. Should we speak up, get involved? Where do we even start? January is Sanctity of Life month, and it's the perfect opportunity to celebrate God's beautiful perspective on human life and discover practical ways to make a difference.

Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll opens scripture to reveal why every life matters from conception. He shares sobering realities many don't know and offers meaningful action steps anyone can take. Chuck titled this four-part series The Sanctity of Life.

Chuck Swindoll: My concern over the subject is not politics. My concern over it is ethics. It is morals. It is the spiritual dimensions that abortion brings to pass in one's life. And that's why we're addressing it today. If you happen to be using the outline I gave you in the bulletin this morning, you have already observed the outline on the other side represents what we have called American War Casualties.

I put it in sort of a simple form, thanks to the help of the World Almanac, so you can see the lives of those who were lost, the Americans who were lost in the Revolutionary War and that tragic Civil War, the first and second great World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War. They don't hold a candle to the war on the unborn. And by the way, this is an old statistic. If you multiply 1,600,000 by the number of years that have passed since abortion was legalized in 1973, you'll see that these facts are a bit obsolete.

Ladies and gentlemen, my friends, future mothers-to-be and fathers, there is a war going on that demands attention and action based on convictions from the scriptures. This is no minor skirmish that has happened. This is war. And the tragedy of it all is that those who are being killed cannot even represent themselves or defend themselves. Lives are being interrupted brutally, tragically, and thoughtlessly.

Now, as I turn to the scriptures, I know some of you might be saying to yourself, Chuck, since your position is so pro-life and since clearly the scripture presents that, just turn to the verse that says, "Thou shalt not get an abortion," and that's a slam dunk. That's all we have to see. Well, if I had that verse, I certainly would do that. But it isn't there, which causes some critics to say, "Aha! You really don't have scriptural support for the pro-life position. Really, the pro-abortion position is just as viable."

On the contrary, understand that scripture carries with it principles and precepts that are not always so clearly spelled out as the Ten Commandments. When you think through the logic, or if I may, the syllogism of logic in the scriptures, you sometimes come to positions that are indeed airtight, but you cannot necessarily find a verse that states it as you would wish you could find.

Turn, for example, to Genesis chapter one, and let me develop the logic in a rather brief period of time. It isn't that complicated, but I hope that I can be clear and to the point. Genesis chapter one. Don't be afraid. We're not going to go all the way chapter by chapter to Revelation 22. We'll just go from here to there and pick the passages that seem to help build the case.

Genesis 1:26. It's in the creative story. God has created all life. He's begun by creating matter. He has separated night from day, earth from sea, mountains from valleys, plants from fish and fowl and cattle. And now he comes to that epochal moment where he creates human life, or there is the plan to do such. The Godhead speaking together, "Let us make man in our image."

Aha! Never before has that appeared in scripture, nor will it ever appear related to animal, plant, or even life that might be in the stellar spaces. This is limited to human life. Human life possesses the image of God. "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let man rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky, over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." And God created man in his own image.

As lovely and beautiful and colorful and full of variety as the animal kingdom may be, none of it is created in God's image. Only human life. Therefore, and it can be repeated time and again through scripture, if you take the scene that appears in chapter two of Genesis along with chapter three of Genesis, you will see that only human life can walk with and talk with and fellowship with the Creator. Animals cannot. Plants cannot. The fish cannot. Only human beings.

Therefore, it stands to reason when you get into the book of Exodus chapter 20, verse 13, you read, "Thou shalt not murder." Why? Because there is something distinctly precious and unique about human life. So precious and so unique it must be protected. It must be preserved. It houses within it the image of God. This precious human life is not to be treated violently by other human beings.

This is sort of like God's way of saying life is important. Don't kill it. Don't even hurt it. Don't stop it. Let it live because these individuals on earth represent my handiwork. My image is in mysterious ways stamped into human life. If you think that is an exaggerated statement, listen to the Psalmist. In fact, turn to Psalm number eight, verses four and five.

"What is man that thou dost take thought of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him? Yet thou hast made him a little lower than God, and dost crown him with glory and majesty." I don't know fully what all that would include, but that is never said of an animal. That is never said of a plant. As beautiful and full of variety as these creations are, none of it is ever said that it has a glory and a majesty that is a little lower than God. Only human life.

In Psalm number 22, the Psalmist writes that the Lord has been his God even from his mother's womb. Psalm 22, verses nine and 10, "Thou art he who dost bring me forth from the womb. Thou didst make me trust when upon my mother's breasts. Upon thee I was cast from birth. Thou hast been my God from my mother's womb."

Now, look closely at that. He is seeing himself, David is, within the womb and coming forth from the womb as being answerable to the God who created him while within the womb. Did you know that even the presence of sin, the sin nature within the heart of human beings, is present even within the life of the child in the womb?

Look at Psalm 51. This is quite an eloquent statement. Psalm 51:5, David says, "I was brought forth in iniquity. In sin my mother conceived me." Some would read that and say it sounds to me like the act of conception was sinful. No, you misunderstand. The Amplified Bible helps. "I was brought forth in a state of iniquity. My mother was sinful who conceived me, and I too am sinful."

One of the brightest minds in the world today in the subject of biblical semantics, the Semitic language, is Bruce Waltke, PhD from Harvard, one of my mentors in years past and a man I dearly admire. He writes of this Psalm 51:5 passage rather clearly. Quoting Delitzsch in his authoritative work on Psalm 51, he concludes the Psalmist is relating his sinfulness to the very inception of life.

Concentrate on that. To the very inception of life. He traces his development beyond his birth to the genesis of his being in his mother's womb, even to the very hour of conception. Bruce Waltke adds, in tracing his spiritual condition to the time of conception, David goes on to note that already in his fetal state the moral law of God was present in him. Even in an embryonic or fetal state, there was this sense of God's hand and God's accountability in my life.

Without a doubt, the most eloquent passage in all the Old Testament of life in the womb is Psalm 139. Will you turn there? Four verses right in the belly of that passage, 13 through 16. Psalm 139:13, the Spirit of God takes a divine fiber-optic probe and reaches into the womb and reveals for all to see the hand of God at work in the fetus.

"Thou," this is God, "for you, God, did form my inward parts. You did weave me in my mother's womb." Verse 15, "My frame," that's a reference to the bony structure, the skeleton, the bones which would have to do with the height, the stature, "my frame was not hidden from thee when I was made in secret." Verse 16, "Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance, and in thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them."

Incredible passage. I wish I had the time to describe to you the color, the variegated colors that are represented in the Hebrew words, as if the bones and the arteries and the muscles and the structure of the body are all being woven together along with personality and anatomy and facial conditions and color of hair and color of eyes right down to toenails and fingernails and eyelashes and eyebrows. "Your hand was on me in my mother's womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully made," he says in this very passage.

When you move into the New Testament, you come to the story of the Lord Jesus and his birth, you recall, and the angel comes to Joseph and says, "This that has been formed in Mary is from the Holy Spirit." And in fact, you must look, Matthew chapter one. The Spirit of God directing Matthew's pen states that this one formed in her is in fact a child, not fetal tissue, not merely pre-birth blob of flesh, but a child.

Verse 18 of Matthew 1, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When his mother had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit." Verse 20, "When he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.'" The Holy Spirit doesn't conceive blobs and fetal tissue. The Holy Spirit conceives life.

Verse 21, "She will bear a son. You will call his name Jesus." Verse 23, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which translated means 'God with us.'" Luke informs us that the angel states to Mary in another occasion that that which has been formed within her is in fact the holy offspring.

And when Mary stands before Elizabeth, her relative, and says to Elizabeth, "I'm pregnant, I'm carrying the Messiah," remember, Elizabeth, the baby within her leaped within the womb. Blobs don't leap. Masses and tissues and tumors don't move. Life moves and life reacted to life. In summary, let me put it this way. God sets apart human life as distinctive and valuable.

Second, because this is true, God preserves and protects human life as no other life is to be protected on earth. Third, that kind of life begins from conception. And not even those who once denied it now deny it. There's too much scientific evidence that is a living human being inside the womb of the mother, whether she expected it, planned it, or not.

Therefore, if you follow the syllogism, since it's God's will that life after birth be protected and preserved, then with the same sense of conviction, it is his will that life be preserved and protected before birth. Almost without exception today, the great argument is the woman's rights take over or take precedence over the life within her, as though she was responsible for the life within her.

How often couples will have sexual relations again and again and again, there is no life. And then one day God sovereignly brings to pass life for his purposes. They no more created that life than they have the right to take that life. What if her life is in danger? C. Everett Koop, during his 35-plus years of practicing medicine, states never once did a case come across my practice where abortion was necessary to save a mother's life.

There is responsibility here, men and women. I came across a rather interesting editorial cartoon meant to make you think, not laugh. It's six panels of the same woman. First panel, "He kissed me and I melted." Second panel, "My heart pounded at his touch." Third panel, "His embrace sent the blood coursing through my veins." Fourth panel, "I was overcome with passion. I couldn't refuse." Fifth panel, "Well, now I'm pregnant and I want an abortion." Last panel, "After all, a woman should have control over her body."

You may still not be fully convinced that there is life there. The testimony of Paul E. Rockwell, MD should help. Years ago, while giving an anesthetic for a ruptured tubal pregnancy at two months, I was handed what I believe to be the smallest human being ever seen. The embryo sac was intact and transparent. Within the sac was a tiny 1/3 inch human male swimming extremely vigorously in the amniotic fluid while attached to the wall by the umbilical cord.

This tiny human was perfectly developed with long tapered fingers, feet, and toes. It was almost transparent as regards the skin, and the delicate arteries and veins were prominent to the ends of the fingers. The baby was extremely alive and did not look at all like the photos and drawings of embryos which I had seen. When the sac was opened, the tiny human immediately lost its life and took on the appearance of what is accepted as the appearance of an embryo at this stage, blunt extremities and so forth.

Yes, it's life. You know in your heart it's life. When you were formed in secret, God was at work on that which was precious. And you and I are here today because our mothers said yes. "I'll have the baby." And there are a thousand and one stories that would take our breath away if we told of the difficulties of our mother's pregnancy or the tragic conditions in which she bore us.

What do I do? What kind of personal involvement can I have? Let me mention several, may I? First of all, volunteer your time, energy, and financial support. There are a number of excellent organizations that are clearly pro-life who exist because we help support them with time and energy, volunteer work, and financial assistance.

Second, make your home available to unwed mothers and/or support homes that are open to them. Maybe there are support group meetings in your neighborhoods. Open your home to that. Third, write letters, make phone calls, get involved as a citizen in your government and in those who make a difference, who can make a difference in legislation.

Fourth, participate in demonstrations of your personal preference. On this very day, there's a human chain of individuals that will be forming on Beach Boulevard. I think from Katella to another major intersection. That might be a way. I understand a number from our church are doing so. That is the way that they wish to express their disagreement and their convictions. It's not for everyone. It is for many. It may be for you. It may not be. But don't stop because something is not for you. Find something that is.

Fifth, participate in community projects. Be involved in the projects that are begun by neighbors and fellow citizens. Sixth, and significantly, practice in your private life what you claim to believe publicly as it relates to moral purity, extramarital sexual involvements, accepting what God chooses for you whether you planned it or not.

Seventh, and certainly not least, but I didn't want to name it first lest you stop there, pray, pray, pray, and pray. If these statistics don't convince you of anything else, they convince you that there is a war on. It's a war against those who cannot even speak for themselves.

I close with a true story. A couple, the man middle-aged, the woman in her late 20s, married during a time of great financial duress. Before they had been married a year, in fact, 10 months after their wedding, the firstborn came. It was difficult, but they handled it fairly well. Before they had been married two years, a second child came. And low and behold, before their fourth anniversary, a third child came while the other two were still in diapers.

Tremendously difficult time financially. The mother's health was not that great. Furthermore, she wasn't that terrific with young children, and the time demands on the family were enormous. And it so happened that there was a real possibility of abortion. At that time, it was 1934, and it was illegal. She and her husband, convinced that they should carry through and see what God would have for them, decided to have that baby.

And I'm so grateful that they did because I was that baby. And my brother and sister and my deceased mother and dad and I knew a joy in family life that would never have been known. And little did anyone realize what God's plan for me would have been. And I am more grateful than I can describe to my mother for saying, "I'll have you," because I believe God is greater than my rights, and I believe God's plan is more magnificent in all of its mysteries than a few inconveniences.

The kind of courage it takes to make that decision, of course, requires the courage of the living God. And that's why the Lord Jesus Christ has come for us. Not only to take away our sins and to solve the many riddles that push us against the wall and make us wonder what life is about, but to give us courage to go on, to stand firm, and to be people of integrity, people who believe that what God thinks is worth protecting and preserving is worth every effort on their part.

So as I close, I as always turn your attention to him, whom to know is life everlasting. Let's bow together. Just as you were formed in secret, just as your first birth was a private thing, not done publicly, so this second birth is as well. God privately and even secretly enters many a heart down deep in the chambers where the conscience beats and where the heart knows its vacuums, its loneliness, its guilt, its struggles.

The Lord Jesus Christ can come in and take residence forever. But you must invite him. Invite him to come in today, to begin a new life with new courage you've never known before. Our Father, we thank you for Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. Thank you for Mary's faith in cooperating with this sovereign, strange, mysterious plan of a virgin conception and birth.

I thank you for my mother who loved me and took an additional responsibility in having an unexpected child. And I thank you for all of those who do the same today. And we pray for wisdom and for great courage in applying what we have heard and believe to be the truth. And I pray as a result some would even come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior. In his name I pray, Amen.

Guest (Male): With Chuck Swindoll's closing prayer, we conclude the first of four messages in an important miniseries called The Sanctity of Life. Next time on Insight for Living, Chuck will venture into one of the most sensitive issues in our culture, abortion.

We're featuring this powerful series right now because January is known in many parts of the world as Sanctity of Life month. In addition to Chuck's four messages, we're pleased to offer Insight's Bible Companion book for this series as well. Some decisions are made in moments of panic when fear drowns out everything else and there's no one to turn to for counsel or compassion. In those desperate moments, choices are made that can leave scars that no one else can see. Secrets buried deep in the heart. Memories that resurface in quiet moments.

If you or someone you love is carrying that kind of weight, we wrote the Sanctity of Life Bible Companion for you. Written in Chuck's characteristically gentle and compassionate style, this resource doesn't offer judgment, only hope. God specializes in forgiving what we can't forgive in ourselves, and he alone can heal hearts that we thought were broken beyond repair. In Christ, we find liberation from both guilt and shame. You can request your copy of the Sanctity of Life Bible Companion by supporting Insight for Living with a donation. Just call us at 800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/donate.

In closing, we want to let you know that Insight for Living is looking to strengthen its position in 2026 by inviting new monthly companions to join us. In this role, your monthly contributions empower Insight for Living to be heard in multiple languages and not only on radio and the internet. The fact is, anyone with a cell phone can hear the practical Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll, and it's all made possible through monthly companions and anyone who gives a donation. To become a monthly companion today, call 800-772-8888 or sign up online at insight.org/monthlycompanion.

Bill Meyer: I'm Bill Meyer. Join us when Chuck Swindoll presents a message called Abortion After the Fact, Thursday on Insight for Living.

Guest (Male): The preceding message, The Sanctity of Life, was copyrighted in 1990, 2014, and 2024, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2024 by Charles R. Swindoll Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.