Euthanasia, sometimes called “mercy killing,” can be a difficult issue.
On one hand, we do not want to take a person’s life into our own hands
and end it prematurely. On the other hand, we do not want to prolong the
process of dying more than necessary—that is, we want to
preserve life, but not prolong death. At what point do we simply allow a
person to die and take no further action to extend his or her life?
A related issue is that of assisted suicide. Essentially, a person
seeking assisted suicide is seeking to euthanize himself, with the aid
of another person to ensure that death is quick and painless. The person
assisting the suicide facilitates death by making preparations and
furnishing the needed equipment; but the person seeking death is the one
who actually initiates the process. By taking a “hands-off” approach to
the death itself, the facilitator seeks to avoid charges of murder.
Proponents of assisted suicide try for a positive spin by using terms
like “death with dignity.” But “death with dignity” is still death,
“assisted suicide” is still suicide, and suicide is wrong.
We live in what is sometimes described as a “culture of death.” Abortion
on demand has been practiced for decades. Now some are seriously
proposing infanticide. And euthanasia is promoted as a viable means of
solving various social and financial problems. This focus on death as an
answer to the world’s problems is a total reversal of the biblical
model. Death is an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26). Life is a sacred gift
from God (Genesis 2:7). When given the choice between life and death,
God told Israel to “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Euthanasia spurns
the gift and embraces the curse.
The overriding truth that God is sovereign drives us to the conclusion
that euthanasia and assisted suicide are wrong. We know that physical
death is inevitable for us mortals (Psalm 89:48; Hebrews 9:27). However,
God alone is sovereign over when and how a person’s death occurs. Job
testifies in Job 30:23, “I know you will bring me down to death, to the
place appointed for all the living.” Ecclesiastes 8:8 declares, “No man
has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day
of his death.” God has the final say over death (see 1 Corinthians
15:26, 54–56; Hebrews 2:9, 14–15; Revelation 21:4). Euthanasia and
assisted suicide are man’s attempts to usurp that authority from God.
Death is a natural occurrence. Sometimes God allows a person to suffer
for a long time before death occurs; other times, a person’s suffering
is cut short. No one enjoys suffering, but that does not make it right
to determine that a person should die. Often, God’s purposes are made
known through suffering. “When times are good, be happy; but when times
are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other”
(Ecclesiastes 7:14). Romans 5:3 teaches that tribulations bring about
perseverance. God cares about those who cry out for death and wish to
end their suffering. God gives purpose in life even to the end. Only God
knows what is best, and His timing, even in the matter of one’s death,
is perfect.
We should never seek to prematurely end a life, but neither must we go
to extraordinary means to preserve a life. To actively hasten death is
wrong; to passively withhold treatment can also be wrong; but to allow
death to occur naturally in a terminally ill person is not necessarily
wrong. Anyone facing this issue should pray to God for wisdom (James
1:5). And we should all remember the words of former Surgeon General C.
Everett Koop, who warned that the practice of medicine “cannot be both
our healer and our killer” (from KOOP, The Memoirs of America’s Family Doctor by C. Everett Koop, M.D., Random House, 1991).
Recommended Resources:
Ethics for a Brave New World, Second Edition by John & Paul Feinberg and Logos Bible Software.
Gaining in popularity today is the teaching that a series of blood-red
moons in the next two years will be a portent of Jesus’ second coming
and a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Astronomical charts show four
lunar eclipses will occur from 2014 to 2015. Because a full lunar
eclipse often makes the moon look red or orange, it is sometimes
referred to as a “blood moon” or “blood-red moon.” Some teachers of
prophecy say that this tetrad of blood moons will fulfill end-times
prophecies in Joel and Revelation.
What has interested prophecy teachers is not just the number of lunar
eclipses in the next two years but the timing of the eclipses. In both
2014 and 2015, a full lunar eclipse will occur on the first day of
Passover and the first day of Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles). In
addition to the two lunar eclipses of 2015, two solar eclipses will also
occur. Similar lunar eclipses in back-to-back years have happened seven
times since the time of Christ. Some of those have occurred in years of
significance for the Jewish people, such as 1948 (when Israel was
granted statehood) and 1967 (when the Six-Day War was fought).
References to a moon like “blood” are found in two passages of the
Bible. Joel 2:30–31 says, “I will show wonders in the heavens and on the
earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to
darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and
dreadful day of the Lord.” In Revelation 6:12, John describes one of the
seal judgments of the Tribulation: “I watched as he opened the sixth
seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth
made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the
sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong
wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every
mountain and island was removed from its place.” Other passages refer to
the moon being “darkened” (Matthew 24:29; Joel 2:10).
A tetrad of lunar eclipses—and the timing of those eclipses in the
Jewish calendar—is fairly unusual, but not unprecedented. So the fact of
the eclipses, while interesting, is no proof that Jesus will return by
2015. Furthermore, John’s and Joel’s descriptions of the signs of the
Day of the Lord could refer to solar and lunar eclipses, but
there are other possible explanations for those phenomena, such as
changes in the atmosphere (mentioned in Revelation 6:12).
The blood-red moon theory is just that—a theory. Even as a theory, it
comes close to doing what the Bible warns against: setting dates for the
coming of the Lord. “About that day or hour no one knows” (Mark 13:32).
Recommended Resources:
Blood Moons Rising: What Bible Prophecy Says About Israel and the Four Blood Moons by Mark Hitchcock and Logos Bible Software.
Thankfulness is a prominent Bible theme. First Thessalonians 5:16-18
says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Did you
catch that? Give thanks in all circumstances. Thankfulness should be a way of life for us, naturally flowing from our hearts and mouths.
Digging into the Scriptures a little more deeply, we understand why we
should be thankful and also how to have gratitude in different
circumstances.
Psalm 136:6 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love
endures forever.” Here we have two reasons to be thankful: God’s
constant goodness and His steadfast love. When we recognize the nature
of our depravity and understand that, apart from God, there is only
death (John 10:10; Romans 7:5), our natural response is to be grateful
for the life He gives.
Psalm 30 gives praise to God for His deliverance. David writes, “I will
exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let
my enemies gloat over me. O Lord my God, I called to you for help and
you healed me. O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me
from going down into the pit. . . . You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing
to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks
forever” (Psalm 30:1-12). Here David gives thanks to God following an
obviously difficult circumstance. This psalm of thanksgiving not only
praises God in the moment but remembers God’s past faithfulness. It is a
statement of God’s character, which is so wonderful that praise is the
only appropriate response.
We also have examples of being thankful in the midst of hard
circumstances. Psalm 28, for example, depicts David’s distress. It is a
cry to God for mercy, protection, and justice. After David cries out to
God, he writes, “Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for
mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him,
and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in
song” (Psalm 28:6-7). In the midst of hardship, David remembers who God
is and, as a result of knowing and trusting God, gives thanks. Job had a
similar attitude of praise, even in the face of death: “The LORD gave
and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job
1:21).
There are examples of believers’ thankfulness in the New Testament as
well. Paul was heavily persecuted, yet he wrote, “Thanks be to God, who
always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads
everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him” (2 Corinthians 2:14).
The writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a
kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God
acceptably with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28). Peter gives a reason
to be thankful for “grief and all kinds of trials,” saying that,
through the hardships, our faith “may be proved genuine and may result
in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter
1:6-7).
The people of God are thankful people, for they realize how much they
have been given. One of the characteristics of the last days is a lack
of thanksgiving, according to 2 Timothy 3:2. Wicked people will be
“ungrateful.”
We should be thankful because God is worthy of our thanksgiving. It is
only right to credit Him for “every good and perfect gift” He gives
(James 1:17). When we are thankful, our focus moves off selfish desires
and off the pain of current circumstances. Expressing thankfulness helps
us remember that God is in control. Thankfulness, then, is not only
appropriate; it is actually healthy and beneficial to us. It reminds us
of the bigger picture, that we belong to God, and that we have been
blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Truly, we have an
abundant life (John 10:10), and gratefulness is fitting.
Recommended Resources:
Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Logos Bible Software.
Advent is the season of the year leading up to Christmas. It is observed with various traditions and rituals by Catholics and other liturgical
groups such as Lutherans, Anglicans, and Methodists. In recent years,
Advent celebrations of one type or another have been added to many
evangelical services as well.
The word advent itself means “arrival” or “an appearing or coming
into place.” Christians often speak of Christ’s “first advent” and
“second advent”; that is, His first and second comings to earth. His
first advent would be the Incarnation—Christmastime.
The Advent season lasts for four Sundays. It begins on the fourth Sunday
before Christmas, or the nearest Sunday to November 30. Advent ends on
Christmas Eve and thus is not considered part of the Christmas season.
The Advent celebration is both a commemoration of Christ’s first coming
and an anticipation of His second coming. As Israel longed for their
Messiah to come, so Christians long for their Savior to come again.
The Eastern Orthodox Church does not observe Advent per se, but they do
keep a long fast before Christmas. In the West, Advent has developed a
more festive tone, although many churches also keep a fast and focus on
prayer and penitence akin to what takes place during the Lenten
season (sometimes, Advent is even called “Little Lent”). Advent is seen
as a time to prepare one’s heart for Christmas and for the eventual
return of Christ (and the judgment He will bring to the world).
Churches that observe Advent usually decorate their sanctuaries in the
liturgical color of Advent, purple (or in some cases royal blue). Some
churches change the color to rose on the third or fourth Sunday of
Advent to signify a greater emphasis on the joy of the season.
One of the most common Advent traditions involves the use of evergreen
wreaths, branches, and trees. On the first Sunday of Advent, churches
and homes are decorated with green to symbolize the eternal life that
Jesus brings. An Advent wreath—an evergreen circle with four colored
candles surrounding a white one in the middle—is placed in a prominent
spot. The candles are then lighted one at a time, on successive Sundays.
The first candle is the candle of “hope” or “expectation.” The three
remaining candles on the perimeter are given various meanings depending
on the church. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, the center white
candle is lighted; this is the “Christ Candle,” a reminder that Jesus,
the Light of the Word, has come.
Advent calendars,
used to count down the days till Christmas, are popular in many homes.
An Advent calendar contains a number of covered “windows” that are
opened, one a day, until Christmas Day. Each open window reveals a
picture related to the season or a poem or a Bible verse or a treat of
some kind. Many parents find that an Advent calendar is a good way to
teach their children the true meaning of Christmas—although there are
secular versions of the calendars, too.
Should Christians observe Advent? This is a matter of personal
conviction. Here is the biblical principle: “One person considers one
day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of
them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one
day as special does so to the Lord” (Romans 14:5–6).
There is certainly nothing wrong with commemorating Jesus’ birth and
anticipating His return—such commemoration and anticipation should be an
everyday part of our lives. Are Christians required to observe Advent?
No. Does observing Advent make one a better Christian or more acceptable
to God? No. Can celebrating Advent be a good reminder of what the
season is truly all about? Yes, and therein lies its greatest value.
Recommended Resources:
The Case for Christmas by Lee Strobel and Logos Bible Software.
Every time there is a conflict in or around Israel, many see it as a
sign of the quickly approaching end times. The problem with this is that
we may eventually tire of the conflict in Israel, so much so that we
will not recognize when true, prophetically significant events occur.
Conflict in Israel is not necessarily a sign of the end times.
Conflict in Israel has been a reality whenever Israel has existed as a
nation. Whether it was the Egyptians, Amalekites, Midianites, Moabites,
Ammonites, Amorites, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, or
Romans, the nation of Israel has always been persecuted by its
neighbors. Why is this? According to the Bible, it is because God has a
special plan for the nation of Israel, and Satan wants to defeat that
plan. Satanically influenced hatred of Israel—and especially Israel’s
God—is the reason Israel’s neighbors have always wanted to see Israel
destroyed. Whether it is Sennacherib, king of Assyria; Haman, official
of Persia; Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany; or Rouhani, President of
Iran, attempts to completely destroy Israel will always fail. The
persecutors of Israel will come and go, but the persecution will remain
until the second coming of Christ. As a result, conflict in Israel is
not a reliable indicator of the soon arrival of the end times.
However, the Bible does say there will be terrible conflict in Israel
during the end times. That is why the time period is known as the
Tribulation, the Great Tribulation, and the “time of Jacob’s trouble”
(Jeremiah 30:7). Here is what the Bible says about Israel in the end
times:
There will be a mass return of Jews to the land of Israel (Deuteronomy 30:3; Isaiah 43:6; Ezekiel 34:11-13; 36:24; 37:1-14).
The Antichrist will make a 7-year covenant of "peace" with Israel (Isaiah 28:18; Daniel 9:27).
The temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 11:1).
The Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel, and worldwide
persecution of Israel will result (Daniel 9:27; 12:1, 11; Zechariah
11:16; Matthew 24:15, 21; Revelation 12:13). Israel will be invaded
(Ezekiel chapters 38-39).
Israel will finally recognize Jesus as their Messiah (Zechariah 12:10).
Israel will be regenerated, restored, and regathered (Jeremiah 33:8;
Ezekiel 11:17; Romans 11:26).
There is much turmoil in Israel today. Israel is persecuted, surrounded
by enemies—Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Hamas, Islamic
Jihad, Hezbollah, etc. But this hatred and persecution of Israel is only
a hint of what will happen in the end times (Matthew 24:15-21). The
latest round of persecution began when Israel was reconstituted as a
nation in 1948. Many Bible prophecy scholars believed the six-day
Arab-Israeli war in 1967 was the "beginning of the end." Could what is
taking place in Israel today indicate that the end is near? Yes. Does it
necessarily mean the end is near? No. Jesus Himself said it best,
"Watch out that no one deceives you. . . . You will hear of wars and
rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must
happen, but the end is still to come" (Matthew 24:4-6).
Recommended Resources:
Understanding End Times Prophecy by Paul Benware and Logos Bible Software.
Gluttony seems to be a sin that Christians like to ignore. We are often
quick to label smoking and drinking as sins, but for some reason
gluttony is accepted or at least tolerated. Many of the arguments used
against smoking and drinking, such as health and addiction, apply
equally to overeating. Many believers would not even consider having a
glass of wine or smoking a cigarette but have no qualms about gorging
themselves at the dinner table. This should not be!
Proverbs 23:20-21 warns us, “Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and
drowsiness clothes them in rags.” Proverbs 28:7 declares, “He who keeps
the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his
father.” Proverbs 23:2 proclaims, “Put a knife to your throat if you are
given to gluttony.”
Physical appetites are an analogy of our ability to control ourselves.
If we are unable to control our eating habits, we are probably also
unable to control other habits, such as those of the mind (lust,
covetousness, anger) and unable to keep our mouths from gossip or
strife. We are not to let our appetites control us, but we are to have
control over our appetites. (See Deuteronomy 21:20, Proverbs 23:2, 2
Peter 1:5-7, 2 Timothy 3:1-9, and 2 Corinthians 10:5.) The ability to
say “no” to anything in excess—self-control—is one of the fruits of the
Spirit common to all believers (Galatians 5:22).
God has blessed us by filling the earth with foods that are delicious,
nutritious, and pleasurable. We should honor God's creation by enjoying
these foods and by eating them in appropriate quantities. God calls us
to control our appetites, rather than allowing them to control us.
Recommended Resources:
Fatal Distractions: Conquering Destructive Temptations by Arthur, Lawson, & Lawson and Logos Bible Software.
The dictionary defines a martyr as “a person who is killed because of
his religious or other beliefs.” Interestingly enough, the English word martyr is really a word transliterated from the original Greek martur,
which simply means “witness.” The reason why this word became
synonymous with dying for one’s religious beliefs is that the early
Christian witnesses were often persecuted and/or killed for their
witness.
As evidence of this, consider the story of the first Christian martyr,
Stephen, recorded in Acts 6:8–7:53. After being anointed as one of the
first deacons in the church, Stephen immediately began doing mighty
works among the people. As is usually the case when the Holy Spirit is
mightily at work and the gospel is going forth, the forces of darkness
arise to hinder the work of the kingdom. In this case, several men came
to dispute what Stephen was saying, but Stephen, filled with the Holy
Spirit, was able to refute their criticisms. Rather than accept what
Stephen was teaching, these men brought false charges against him to the
Jewish leaders (Acts 6:11-14). Most of Acts 7 consists of Stephen’s
speech to the Jewish leaders in which he essentially summarized the
history of Israel up to their rejection of their Messiah.
At the end of the speech, Stephen utters these words, which seal his
fate: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you
always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of
the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who
announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now
betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels
and did not keep it” (Acts 7:51-53).
Now, there was nothing untrue in Stephen’s words. The Jewish leaders
were indeed responsible for turning Jesus over to the Romans for
execution. Despite Jesus’ miracles and authoritative teaching, the
hardness of the Jewish leaders’ hearts kept them from seeing the truth
about Jesus. The Jewish leaders, upon hearing Stephen’s words, were
enraged and immediately arranged for Stephen’s execution by stoning (v.
58). Stephen was, therefore, the first Christian martyr recorded in
Scripture.
The Bible places a premium on faithful believers who pay the ultimate
price for their witness. Stephen was granted a glorious vision of heaven
before he died, and in this vision, he saw Jesus standing at the right
hand of the Father (Acts 7:56) as though waiting for Stephen in an
attitude of honor for Stephen’s faithful service. As further evidence
that martyrs are considered precious in God’s sight, the apostle John
saw in his vision of the millennium those martyred for their faith
reigning with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4). The apostle
Peter, who wrote the most about martyrdom and suffering for one’s
faith, said, “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are
blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you... However, if
you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you
bear that name” (1 Peter 4:14, 16). There is also the word of our Lord
who pronounced a blessing upon those who are persecuted for His name:
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say
all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:11).
Clearly, the biblical evidence points to the fact that those who are
persecuted and suffer for their witness to Christ (up to and including
death) are pleasing in God’s sight. Given that, two additional questions
arise. First, what if I’m not asked to make the ultimate sacrifice for
the cause of Christ? God doesn’t call everyone to make the ultimate
sacrifice, but the Bible calls all Christians to be prepared to give a
defense of the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15). The key to this passage
lies in preparedness. Consider this analogy: those enlisting in the
armed services should do so with the understanding that they may be
called into battle and may be called upon to die in the service of their
country. This is (or should be) the mindset of everyone who joins the
military. Clearly, not all enlisted men and women die in the service of
their country, and not all are even called into battle. Despite this,
they are trained daily to be prepared for battle. The same goes for the
Christian. We are in a state of “warfare” (Ephesians 6:12-20), and our
Lord may call upon any of us to witness and even be martyred for our
faith. Thus, we must be prepared!
The second question that can be asked is, given martyrdom’s “special”
status in God’s eyes, should we actually seek martyrdom? Biblically, we
can’t make a case for seeking to be martyrs for the cause of Christ.
Martyrdom is a great privilege if it is inevitable, but it is not to be
sought. Jesus said, “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the
next” (Matthew 10:23). Furthermore, reading through the book of Acts, we
see that the early church continually fled from intense persecution
(Acts 8:1; 9:25, 30; 14:6; 17:10, 14). In each of these biblical
examples, we see the early Christians fleeing persecution and taking all
necessary precautions for survival. When Jesus says, “Whoever finds his
life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”
(Matthew 10:39), He is not calling for people to make an attempt to
lose their lives. Rather, He is calling us to be willing to lose
our lives for His sake. Those who actively seek the path of martyrdom
are not seeking it for the glory of God, but for their own glory. As the
old saying goes, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.
God’s purpose in martyrdom is the glorification of His name and the
building up of His church.
Recommended Resources:
Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe and Logos Bible Software.
