Bible Verses About Respect For Human Life

Dear friends, the sanctity of human life is a central biblical principle. All people are made in God’s holy image and have sacred worth, from the womb to old age. Scripture compels us to protect and honor each life as precious.

The Bible illustrates human life beginning amazingly at conception. The psalmist said God intricately wove him together even in his mother’s womb. Though tiny in size, every unborn baby bears the Creator’s grandeur.

Jesus dignified the neglected in society. He healed lepers, embraced children, elevated women. He cautions against despising little ones, for the kingdom belongs to people bearing a child’s humble faith.

Similarly, Jesus says ministering to the needy is like directly serving Him. When we neglect the hungry, imprisoned or poor among us, we fail to love Jesus himself.

Dear friends, now let’s look at the Bible verses below that talk about respecting human life.

Bible Verses on Loving Your Neighbor

Leviticus 19:18
“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord”

Matthew 22:37-39
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind. This is the first great commandment. The second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”

Romans 13:10
“Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law”

Galatians 5:14
“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”

James 2:8
“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well”

Caring for the Poor and Needy

Proverbs 14:31
“He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor”

Proverbs 19:17
“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord ; that which he hath given will he pay him again”

Matthew 25:35-36
“For I was an hungred, ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, ye took me in: Naked, ye clothed me: I was sick, ye visited me: I was in prison, ye came unto me”

Luke 12:33
“Sell that ye have, give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth”

James 2:15-16
“If a brother or sister be naked, destitute of daily food, One of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”

How Should Christians Make Decisions About End-of-Life Care?

Philippians 1:21
“For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain”

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
“To every thing there is a season, a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, a time to pluck up that which is planted”

2 Corinthians 5:8
“We are confident, I say, willing rather to be absent from the body, to be present with the Lord”

How should Christians treat criminals or enemies?

Matthew 5:44
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you, persecute you”

Luke 6:27-28
“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, pray for them which despitefully use you”

Romans 12:20-21
“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good”

1 Peter 3:9
“Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing”

How does the Bible instruct us to care for older people?

Leviticus 19:32
“Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, honour the face of the old man, fear thy God: I am the Lord”

Proverbs 16:31
“The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness”

1 Timothy 5:1-2
“Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity”

Titus 2:2-3
“That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things”