Focal passage: Acts 16:16-19; Psalm 139:13-16
As sexual assault claims continue to sweep the nation, citizens are having to come to grips with what Christians understand as man’s sinful nature on full display.
The act of humans exploiting other humans is as old as sin itself and now stares us in the face on a daily basis.
Couple the current climate with the prevalent phenomena of abortion and human trafficking, and society stands at a crossroads on what intrinsic value humans have.
Nestled within the pages of Acts, Paul and Silas are confronted with a similar situation on their second missionary journey in Philippi.
Met by a slave girl with a demonic spirit, they are followed by her for several days.
She said of these men, they “are servants of the Most High God.”
Annoyance finally set in and Paul exorcised the demon out of her under the authority of Jesus Christ.
Her owners were unhappy upon hearing news of her recent encounter. Knowing their ability to profit from her abilities has come to an end, they have Paul and Silas turned over to authorities.
Described twice as being owned (vv. 16, 19), this girl was only valued by her profitability – not dissimilar to our current cultural situation.
Christians on the other hand, place value on human beings because God places value on them. While the image of God is certainly distorted because of the fall in Genesis 3, it is not fully lost.
Christians with a biblical worldview should echo the words of the Psalmist when they consider the sanctity of human life, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13-14).
Standing up for the marginalized and devalued in a society should be the heartbeat of every Christian.
May we not see another tragic news story about the reckless abuse of power and become further desensitized, but rather see an individual created in the image of God.