Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions

By: Mark Driscoll- Excerpts

Truth 1: God is the Creator and author of human life.Genesis 1–2; Deut. 32:39; Ps. 139:13–16.

Truth 2: God made humanity in his image and likeness, which means that human life is unique and sacred.Gen. 1:27; James 3:9.

Truth 3: God intends for human beings to fill the earth.Gen. 1:28; 9:1.

Truth 4: God authored that life begins at conception and declares that an unborn baby is a sacred life. Ex. 1:16–17; 21:22–25; Lev. 18:21; Jer. 7:31–32; Ezek. 16:20–21; Mic. 6:7; Matt. 2:16–18; Acts 7:19.

Truth 5: God knows us from our mother’s womb. Jer. 1:5; Job 10:9–12; 31:15; Ps. 119:73; Eccl. 11:5.

Truth 6: God declares that when human life is taken without just cause (e.g., capital punishment, just war, self-defense), the sin of murder has been committed. Gen. 9:5; Ex. 20:13.

Truth 7: God made humanity to exercise dominion by ruling over creation. Gen. 1:26.

Truth 8: God made humanity to steward creation by exercising wise discernment based upon natural revelation, conscience, the Holy Spirit, counsel, and most authoritatively, Scripture. Gen. 1:26.

Truth 9: God made humanity male and female.Gen. 1:27, 31.

Truth 10: God created marriage as a covenant for one man and one woman.Gen. 2:24–25, cf. Matt. 19:5, Mark 10:7–8, Eph. 5:31; Prov. 2:16; Mal. 2:14.

Truth 11: God created sex as a gift only for a married couple. Gen. 2:24–25.

Truth 12: God is sovereign over the womb and can ultimately open and close it as he wills.Gen. 20:18; 29:31; 30:22; 1 Sam. 1:5–6; Isa. 66:9; Luke 1:24–25.

Truth 13: Children are a blessing from God to be provided and cared for by parents and extended family and church, including those who are adopted as Jesus was.Gen. 1:28a; Pss. 127:3–5; 128:3–4; Matt. 18:5–6; Mark 9:36–37, 10:16; 1 Tim. 5:8.


Truth 14: God desires Christians to raise godly offspring.Mal. 2:15; Jer. 29:4–9.

Truth 15: God commands his people to lovingly help care for widows and orphans. James 1:27.

Truth 16: God expects single nonparents to help parents raise children, as Jesus’ own life as a single man exemplifies. Matt. 19:13–14; Mark 10:13–16.