So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:27
In this simple sentence lies the uncompromising truth of the innate value of all human life. This verse applies exclusively to the human race. Nowhere does it apply itself to creatures of the plant or animal kingdom; not to any creature in existence other than man. Its exclusivity is only superseded by its unique implication of cost. “And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. ‘Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.’” - Genesis 5:5-6.
Understand: this is not an injunction against taking human life under any circumstance as the anti-capital punishment and anti-war crowds object. In fact, it is just the opposite. Human life has such a great value that the unlawful taking of it renders the perpetrator of murder guilty and subject to death! It is only to the unlawful taking of human life that this injunction applies. “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.” - Romans 13:3-4.
This unique standing is possessed by man alone, separate from all of God’s other creatures. Neither the snail dart nor the eagle nor the tiger nor the sea turtle possess the exclusivity of the “image of God.” This is not to suggest that these creatures of God have no value but that they do not in any way possess the value of human life and as such should never be deemed more sacred than the life of man. “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” - Matthew 6:26.
That the intrinsic value of human life is evident can be illustrated by the sixth Commandment. “You shall not murder.” - Exodus 6:20. And that value is established upon man’s status among God’s creatures and exists from conception to death. In fact, man’s position as the image-bearer of God extends beyond the grave into eternal glory or damnation! “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” - John 5:28-29.
This God-given privilege is attested to by nature itself. What other creature has the ability to act as a moral agent? Which has the cognitive ability to dream, think, invent, or philosophize? Which other creature has the ability to recognize, acknowledge, and worship the Creator? Which other creature has the ability to conceptualize or behave in an ethical manner? Which other creature is able to make moral judgments? The simple answer is none. The privilege of mankind has given us the rise of societies, the great civilizations, the nation-state, and the technological ability to cure polio and put a man on the moon. This is all part of man’s intrinsic value. This all falls under the providence of the Almighty God!
That all mankind has value is inescapable truth. But we do not derive our value from the mere fact of our existence. Flies exist as do serpents. Are they to be valued as human lives? Our value is derived from the fact that God has created us and only us in His own image. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” - Genesis 1:26.
We have dominion over the earth and wherever else God allows our grasp to reach. Our value lies in our being made by God in the image of God.
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