““And God blessed And God blessed Noah and his sons and Noah and his sons and

said to them, “Be said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. ” and fill the earth. ”

(Genesis 9:1, ESV) (Genesis 9:1, ESV)

““And God blessed them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish have dominion over the fish

of the sea and over the of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and birds of the heavens and

over every living thing that over every living thing that moves on the earth.” moves on the earth.”

(Genesis 1:28, ESV) (Genesis 1:28, ESV)

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God bestows the ability to be fruitful

““The fear of you and the The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon dread of you shall be upon

every beast of the earth and every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the upon every bird of the

heavens, upon everything heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. and all the fish of the sea.

Into your hand they are Into your hand they are delivered. ”delivered. ”

(Genesis 9:2, ESV) (Genesis 9:2, ESV)

““Every moving thing that Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. lives shall be food for you.

And as I gave you the green And as I gave you the green plants, I give you plants, I give you

everything. But you shall everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, not eat flesh with its life,

that is, its blood. ”that is, its blood. ” (Genesis 9:3–4, ESV) (Genesis 9:3–4, ESV)

““And for your lifeblood I will And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it every beast I will require it

and from man. From his and from man. From his fellow man I will require a fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of reckoning for the life of

man. “Whoever sheds the man. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God his blood be shed, for God

made man in his own image. made man in his own image. (Genesis 9:5–6, ESV) (Genesis 9:5–6, ESV)

“How can Bible believing Christians can be both pro-life and pro the death

penalty?”

And our answer must be,

“Because that is the balance that God

instructs us to follow.”

This is how the Christian who allows the instructions of God in the Bible

guide their lives—lives in balance with the tension between these two truths. We are to revere life, and the ability to reproduce as a gift from God, but also be ready to exact the punishment God

requires upon those who dishonor God by taking the life of another.

A New Diet

“And you, be fruitful and multiply, teem on the earth and

multiply in it.”

(Genesis 9:7, ESV)

““Then God said to Noah and to his Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish sons with him, “Behold, I establish

my covenant with you and your my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the living creature that is with you, the

birds, the livestock, and every beast birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my beast of the earth. I establish my

covenant with you, that never again covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the shall all flesh be cut off by the

waters of the flood, and never again waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the shall there be a flood to destroy the

earth.” ” (Genesis 9:8–11, ESV) earth.” ” (Genesis 9:8–11, ESV)

““And God said, “This is the sign of And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between the covenant that I make between

me and you and every living me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all creature that is with you, for all

future generations: I have set my future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me sign of the covenant between me

and the earth. When I bring clouds and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen over the earth and the bow is seen

in the clouds, ”in the clouds, ”

(Genesis 9:12–14, ESV) (Genesis 9:12–14, ESV)

“ “I will remember my covenant that I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the flood to destroy all flesh. When the

bow is in the clouds, I will see it and bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant remember the everlasting covenant

between God and every living between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is earth.” God said to Noah, “This is

the sign of the covenant that I have the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all established between me and all

flesh that is on the earth.” flesh that is on the earth.”

(Genesis 9:15–17, ESV) (Genesis 9:15–17, ESV)