Editor’s note: this article was originally published on the Baptist Bible Tribune and republished here with the author’s permission. Learn more about the author and the Baptist Bible Tribune at tribune.org. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan issued a presidential proclamation designating the third Sunday of January as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. This has become a day when churches and pro-life organizations across America come together to reflect on the value of every human life, from conception to natural death.  After the elections of 2024, this day brings a new level of importance. Missouri, the state where I live, recently passed Amendment 3, an initiative guaranteeing “the right to reproductive freedom.” It was a devastating blow that shifted Missouri from being one of the most pro-life states in the country to one of the least.  A Personal Heartbreak and a Profound Truth The sanctity of life isn’t just a theological or political issue for me—it’s deeply personal. My wife and I were still in our first year of marriage when she shared the exciting news that we were expecting our first child. I still remember the excitement that filled our hearts and home as we prepared for this new

One of the common objections to the pro-life position is that if the child in the womb is born, he or she may have a terrible life. Therefore, it would be better if the child was never born. People will say things like, “Think about the life the baby will have,” or “If I bring a child into this world, they’ll have a terrible life.” While any mother should be concerned with the type of life their child will have, the quality of one’s life doesn’t determine his or her value. I’m a living example of someone who falls into this category of “should have been aborted” because of the life I had – but I’m thankful I’m here. My Upbringing I grew up in a single parent household and in low income housing. Most of my friends didn’t have fathers, and our mothers raised us while working full time jobs. The life I had was far from a “good” life. My mom became pregnant with me at 19 and the man whom she conceived me with, my biological father, was dating another woman without my mother’s knowledge and got her pregnant as well. My mom found out before I

Throughout history, humans have been motivated to do dangerous things for heroic reasons. One recent example is Bridger Walker, a six-year-old boy who stepped between his younger sister and a neighbor’s charging German Shepherd. The dog’s owner was able to restrain the dog and call for emergency responders, but not before the dog latched onto Bridger’s face and left horrible gashes. The resulting two-hour surgery on Bridger’s face required ninety stitches. “Bridger, in his own words and without hesitation, declared: ‘If someone had to die, I thought it should be me,’” his parents wrote.  Great love motivated Bridger to action. Jesus expresses this sentiment most poignantly: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” – John‬ ‭15:13 What does it mean to be motivated by love? The word motivated is an adjective that describes someone who is moved to action by something. For example, athletes are often motivated by a trophy to train. Actors are often motivated by fame to memorize a script.  Unlike these two examples, however, Christians are not primarily motivated by what they receive. Christians obey the commands of Jesus because of His great love for them. Jesus is