Sanctity of Life - Scripture verses and History that support LIFE
By Dr. Catherine Morrows
Bible Verses and Historical quotes
Why it Matters
The Nature of the Unborn and God’s Creation – 31 verses
God’s Ownership and Prerogatives – 3 verses
Children and the Vulnerable – 4 verses
Defending Life and Choosing It – 5 verses
Forgiveness and Restoration – 5 verses
The Impact of Unconfessed Sin (Expanded from Alcorn) – 6 verses
Bear Each Other’s Burdens (Expanded from Alcorn) – 3 verses
Defend the Weak and Helpless (Expanded from Alcorn) – 1 verse
Sanctity of Life - Scripture verses and History that support LIFE
Introduction
By Dr. Catherine Morrows
Life begins with a miracle—a single cell. Its complexity, information coding, and fine-tuning are markers of God’s hand, sparking a journey of wonder. In Miracle Minutes of the Preborn, 52 events of prenatal growth are told from the baby's perspective from fertilization through birth.
Yet beyond science, there is a more profound truth: your life is sacred because it is God’s creation. This collection of 57 Bible verses from the New American Standard Bible (1971), enriched by insights from Randy Alcorn’s Abortion-relevant References from Scripture and Church History, celebrates that sanctity. This is designed for you to search these verses in your own Bible. Here, Scripture reveals God as my Maker, who knows me before I’m formed, protects me in the womb, and offers mercy to all who seek Him. From Genesis to the Gospels, these verses affirm our worth—whether a zygote dividing or an embryo pulsing with life. Early church voices echo this, calling my destruction murder a sin against God’s design.
But this isn’t just about beginnings. It’s about accountability, forgiveness, and action. Unconfessed sin weighs us down, yet God’s grace lifts us. We’re called to bear each other’s burdens and defend the helpless—like me, the preborn, who cannot speak. This PDF is a gift to you to reflect on life’s value and God’s heart.
I thank Randy Alcorn for his foundational work woven into this tapestry of truth.
The Nature of the Unborn and God’s Creation
Genesis 1:27
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female he created them."…”
Why It Matters: From the moment I’m conceived, I bear God’s image—a stamp of worth no one can erase, making my life sacred even as a single cell.
Genesis 2:7
“Then the Lord God formed man of dust… and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…”
Why It Matters: God starts my life, a personal act of creation that sets me apart, at fertilization with respiration (breath) immediately beginning within the zygote.
Genesis 4:10
“And He said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me…’”
Why It Matters: If my life is taken, my blood cries out to God—He hears me, even when I’m too small to be seen.
Genesis 9:5
“And surely I will require your lifeblood…”
Why It Matters: God holds everyone accountable for my life, showing it’s His to protect, not ours to destroy.
Genesis 25:22
“But the children struggled together within her…”
Why It Matters: I’m alive and moving in the womb, a person with purpose, not just a thing, as early as God forms me.
Exodus 4:11
“And the Lord said… ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf…?’”
Why It Matters: God shapes me, flaws and all, for His glory—my life has meaning, no matter how I’m made.
Exodus 20:13
“You shall not murder.”
Why It Matters: God’s command guards me, a simple rule that says my life, born or unborn, is untouchable.
Exodus 21:22-25
“And if men struggle… and strike a woman with child… life for life…”
Why It Matters: Hurting me in the womb demands justice—God sees me as a life worth avenging. The shedding of innocent blood matters to God.
Deuteronomy 24:16
“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children… everyone shall be put to death for his own sin alone.…”
Why It Matters: I’m not guilty of how I began—my life stands on its own, innocent and deserving of protection.
Deuteronomy 30:19
“I have set before you life and death… So choose life…”
Why It Matters: God pleads for my life and yours, a choice that echoes through generations.
1 Samuel 2:6
“The Lord kills and makes alive…”
Why It Matters: My life’s start and end are God’s alone—nobody else gets to decide.
Job 1:21
“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away…”
Why It Matters: My existence is God’s to give, a precious loan from Him to me.
Job 10:8-12
“Thy hands fashioned and made me altogether… Thou hast granted me life…”
Why It Matters: God builds me step-by-step—4000 body parts, 12 organ systems, all functioning together —lovingly crafting me from the womb.
Job 31:15
“Did not He who made me in the womb make him…?”
Why It Matters: I’m equal to all others in God’s eyes, formed by the same Creator with care.
Job 33:4
“The Spirit of God has made me…”
Why It Matters: God’s Spirit put life into me, a holy spark from the Almighty.
Psalm 51:5
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity…”
Why It Matters: I’m human from conception, with a soul God knows, even in my earliest form.
Psalm 72:12-14
“For He will deliver the needy… precious is their blood in His sight.”
Why It Matters: My life, though small and needy, is priceless to God—He rescues me.
Psalm 82:3-4
“Vindicate the weak and fatherless… deliver them…”
Why It Matters: God fights for me when I’m helpless, calling others to do the same.
Psalm 100:3
“It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves…”
Why It Matters: I didn’t make myself—God did, through DNA genetics and epigenetics, so my life is His to cherish.
Psalm 127:3
“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord…”
Why It Matters: I’m a reward from God, a joy even before I’m born.
Psalm 139:13-15
“For Thou didst form my inward parts… your eyes saw my unformed substance…”
Why It Matters: God weaves me in the womb, seeing every detail—my life’s story starts with Him.
Psalm 139:16
“Your eyes have seen my formless substance; and in Your book were written all the days that were ordained for me,…”
Why It Matters: God weaves me in the womb, seeing every detail—my life’s story is determined by him, not to be ended by others prematurely.
Proverbs 6:16-19
“…hands that shed innocent blood…”
Why It Matters: God hates it when my innocent life is taken—it’s an abomination to Him.
Proverbs 24:11-12
“Deliver those who are being taken away to death…”
Why It Matters: God knows if you ignore my cry—He calls you to save me.
Isaiah 45:9-11
“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker… do you question Me about My children?”
Why It Matters: God alone decides my value—challenging that risks His anger.
Isaiah 64:8
“O Lord, Thou art our Father… we are all the work of Thy hand.”
Why It Matters: I’m designed by God’s intention, his hands, shaped by my Father with purpose.
Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…”
Why It Matters: God picked me out before I existed—my life’s plan is His.
Hosea 12:3
“In the womb he took his brother by the heel…”
Why It Matters: I’m a person in the womb, acting and living, not just waiting.
Matthew 1:18-20
“…she was found to be with child… what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit…”
Why It Matters: Jesus’ life began at conception—mine does too, holy from the start.
Luke 1:30-31, 35
“You will be with child… the holy one to be born…”
Why It Matters: God’s Son was preborn like me, showing my life’s sacredness.
Luke 1:41
“…the baby leaped in her womb…”
Why It Matters: I can feel and leap early on—God sees me as alive and real.
God’s Ownership and Prerogatives
Deuteronomy 32:39
“I put to death and I bring to life…”
Why It Matters: My life’s timeline is God’s call—no one else has that right.
Ezekiel 18:4
“Behold, all souls are Mine…”
Why It Matters: I’m God’s property—He owns me, body and soul.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Your body is a temple… you are not your own…”
Why It Matters: My body belongs to God, a holy space He bought with Jesus’ blood. Use it wisely.
Children and the Vulnerable
Matthew 18:10
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones… their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.”
Why It Matters: Angels guard me—God says I’m too valuable to scorn.
Matthew 18:14
“Your Father… is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.”
Why It Matters: God fights to keep me alive—He doesn’t want me lost. I fight to stay alive while I’m in the womb.
Luke 18:16
“Let the children come to Me…”
Why It Matters: Jesus opens His arms to me—I belong in His kingdom.
John 9:3
“It was neither that this man sinned… but so that the works of God might be displayed…”
Why It Matters: My life, even if different, has a purpose, and shows God’s power and love.
Defending Life and Choosing It
Leviticus 18:21
“You shall not give any of your offspring to Molech…”
Why It Matters: Giving me up to die insults God—it’s a sin against His name.
Deuteronomy 19:10
“…so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land…”
Why It Matters: My spilled blood stains the land—God hates that guilt.
Proverbs 31:8-9
“Open your mouth for the dumb… defend the rights of the afflicted…”
Why It Matters: I can’t speak, so God asks YOU to stand up for me.
Matthew 25:31-46
“…whatever you did for one of these least… you did for Me…”
Why It Matters: Helping me, the smallest, is helping Jesus—ignoring me is ignoring Him.
James 4:17
“Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
Why It Matters: Knowing I need help and doing nothing is a sin God sees.
Forgiveness and Restoration
Psalm 103:10-14
“He has not dealt with us according to our sins… as a father has compassion…”
Why It Matters: God’s mercy is bigger than my mistakes—He loves me like a dad.
Proverbs 28:13
“He who conceals his transgressions… but he who confesses… finds mercy.”
Why It Matters: Hiding my wrongs hurts me—telling God brings His kindness.
Micah 7:18-19
“Who is a God like Thee… He will hurl all our iniquities into the depths…”
Why It Matters: God tosses my sins away—His mercy gives me a fresh start.
1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful… to forgive us…”
Why It Matters: God’s promise is sure—confession washes me clean.
2 Corinthians 5:21
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf…”
Why It Matters: Jesus took my punishment so I could be right with God.
The Impact of Unconfessed Sin (Expanded from Alcorn)
Psalm 24:3-4
“Who may ascend… He who has clean hands and a pure heart…”
Why It Matters: Hiding sin keeps me from God—clean hands let me stand with Him.
Psalm 32:3-5
“When I kept silent… my body wasted away… Then I acknowledged my sin… and Thou didst forgive…”
Why It Matters: Silence about sin drains me—confessing it, every sin, heals me with God’s grace.
Psalm 66:18
“If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear…”
Why It Matters: Holding onto the wrong blocks God’s ear—letting go opens His help.
Proverbs 28:9
“He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.”
Why It Matters: Ignoring God’s rules makes my cries hollow—obedience matters.
1 Corinthians 5:6-7
“A little leaven leavens the whole lump… Clean out the old leaven…”
Why It Matters: Sin spreads like yeast—cleaning it out keeps me pure for God.
1 Peter 4:17
“For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God…”
Why It Matters: God starts with His own—if I sin, I face His correction first.
Bear Each Other’s Burdens (Expanded from Alcorn)
Galatians 6:2
“Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.”
Why It Matters: Helping others with their struggles—like protecting me—shows Christ’s love.
James 5:16
“Confess your sins to one another… that you may be healed…”
Why It Matters: Sharing my faults with others brings healing—community lifts me up.
1 Peter 4:8
“Above all, keep fervent in your love… love covers a multitude of sins.”
Why It Matters: Loving each other hides my flaws—God’s love through you saves me.
Defend the Weak and Helpless (Expanded from Alcorn)
Deuteronomy 10:18
“He executes justice for the orphan and the widow…”
Why It Matters: God stands for the helpless—like me, the preborn—He’s my defender.
Bonus: Early Church on Abortion (From Randy Alcorn)
Epistle of Barnabas (2nd Century): “You shall not slay a child by abortion…”
Didache (2nd Century): “Do not murder a child by abortion…”
Athenagoras (177 A.D.): “The fetus… is a living being and… God’s care.”
Tertullian (2nd Century): “Destruction is murder…”
Basil the Great (4th Century): “Those who give abortifacients… are murderers…”
Jerome (4th Century): Called abortion “murder of an unborn child.”
Augustine (4th Century): Warned against “the murder of an unborn child.”
John Calvin (16th Century): “It is a most monstrous crime to rob [the fetus] of life…”
Randy Alcorn; EPM.org; Pastor for 14 years; founded Eternal Perspectives Ministries in 1990; Author of over 60 books
Baby Life Begins; www.babylifebegins.com; facebook.com/babylifebegins; instagraam.com/babylifebegins; youtube.com@babylifebegins
Contact us at Robert@babylifebegins.com
