Can Christians “Pull the Plug” for Dying Relatives?

Is it okay for Christians to pull the plug on dying relatives. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will handle Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is a radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day week to get some challenging ones. As you can tell, you can call us right now with your question and our phone lines will be open for the next 225 minutes or so. Here's our number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 course you can always post your question on one of our social media sites you can watch a drill live in the studio right now on YouTube and message through our YouTube channel and you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today a voicemail from one of our listeners named Jill. Three) jewelry will be directly and have gone nowhere right when auditors timeframe take place in an talking about transferring my question. Yeah, pretty wild passage right first 20 chapter 6 where Paul says verse three. Do you not know that we are to judge angels okay well first we have to understand the context in the context is there was an issue in Corinth where the Christians were taking each other to court they were entering the lawsuit suing each other and the problem was posted. You guys aren't able to just settle your own disputes. Your your your taking each other to courts to non-Christian courts so that they can deal with your issues and out one that just a bad witness to you guys need to learn how to deal with issues within the church, at least in the situation that he was talking about me. There are instances where I think you know you need to get outside authorities involved in this situation, he says, can't you guys figure it out. Don't you know that we are going to judge the Angels and if were going to judge angels well then you should be able to to make right judgments pertaining to the things that are happening in the life of the church, he says, how much more then matters pertaining to this life.

So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church and so you know some people say that that word judge could good and it could also be translated rule were to rule angels, but that that doesn't really fit the context of his talking about judgment and of course the Bible says in other places that the disciples are going to get a share in Christ's rule reigning with Christ.

The apostle Paul says this to Timothy in the book of first Timothy or second Timothy actually chapter 2 verse 12. As of this part of our sharing in the kingly office of Jesus Christ as his people were going to rule and reign with him insofar as were ruling and reigning with him working to participate. Somehow you know what, mysteriously, in the judgment of angels as well and and I see this is something that can take place in the future.

On the last day of the final judgment to what that's gonna look like you were not were not given any Revelation pertaining to that were not sure but that were going to rule and reign with Christ and participate in the judgment in this way, something that Scripture does say and so in the context here it's it's one of the things that Paul is pointing to. In order to get Christians to get along within the church and to be able to settle disputes within the body of Christ, thanks for that intro. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez and we love to hear from you.

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The core what we want to go to a voicemail from one of our listeners who called in from up north.

Let's hear what he had to say my name is Don and I'm calling from Ontario, Canada. We listen to court her family nearly every day and are so appreciate your ministry.

We are at the age where we are preparing our wills and struggling in our conscience before God as to where to draw the line in the sand between God's sovereignty over life and death in the state legally allowing himself to choose window.we have considered. Ecclesiastes 88 Job 3023 and other Scriptures and would appreciate your biblical advice on this matter. May the Lord bless you and thank you for your encouragement, and a very important question especially is. As society shifts and work were getting more of these ethical questions related to medicine related to life related to death.

There is a very helpful resource that I want to direct you to before I get to the answer to resource its help me with questions like this book, written action by Prof. that I had while I was in seminary called bioethics in the Christian life, written by Dr. David Vanderlinden again.

It's called bioethics and the Christian life and yet she has a whole section in the book related to the end-of-life suicide and euthanasia. The distinction between killing and letting die and that that I think it's an important distinction to bring out were thinking about biblical wisdom with the with the Bible says about life and death, murder is forbidden. Killing is is for murder is forbidden.

Everything that the sixth commandment and end so that minutes very clear in God's law, there are instances in in Scripture where killing or the taking of life is permitted. You think of for example the instances of capital punishment under the old covenant. Paul even referencing that in Romans chapter 13 instances of of wars that were justified in Scripture. That's another example of you note time, times are at this is not something that's forbidden or viewed as a sin.

Also also defending life so it in in regards to protecting life that week.

We also need to factor in the fact that I don't I don't know that's what's happening here certainly and we think also about the sixth commandment. It's not just calling us negatively not murder, but I think I'm on the flip side, positively we as the people of God should be about the preservation of life, the cultivation of life. We need to have a high view of life and the dignity of human life. And so we are starting to see in society right now is is in this is been happening effort. For many years. Assertive downplaying of that.

Certainly when we think about that in the beginning of life the abortion industry just not a care for life for human life.

Life made in the image of God and so that the church has to be really distinct here and I think and and this is one of the things it comes out in in that book.

We can distinguish between killing and letting die is.

This is where I think wisdom comes in.

In terms of, you know, we on.

We under the obligation at all times to to do everything so that you listen to the natural course of of Mia. What's taking place won't happen. I was I was. Not long ago talking to a dear sister in the Lord, who has since gone to be with Jesus. He, she, she recently died. She was diagnosed with cancer and she did not want to do treatment that the doctors told her she had a what what what could happen to me if I if I don't get treated and the doctor told he probably had about three months left to live.

If you do any treatment and she said three months to see Jesus. Sounds like a good thing to me. And of course that was that was her decision and it is as I would doubt I would see that is as very different situation like that, then you know there's no not valuing of life there and I think there's just a commitment to Christ and saying no, I'm not can it I'm knocking. I'm not can get the treatment I don't want to get that from you so I think this requires wisdom for you and for your family and I think again that distinction between killing and letting die is is is one that can be helpful and would encourage you to get a hold of that resource, just as you continue to think about this and and what the Scriptures have to say about this or Don thank you for reaching out to us such a difficult issue and I know there are some Scandinavian countries now where the whole euthanasia thing is taken pretty dark turn, were there even euthanizing people who may not be mentally competent and it just it's it's very tragic. I'm so glad you address that is definitely is a wisdom issue.

So thanks for that intro.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open.

If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life, doctrine and theology, you name it we'd love to hear from you.

Our phone lines will be open for the next maybe 15 minutes or so. So call us at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 Pat in Long Island, New York. Pat what your question for pastor. Israel and Proverbs chapter 26, the fourth verse says, and certainly not a full according to his folly, lest thou also be like him to him. Verse five says answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

I have never been able to figure that out one versus answer not said answer him.

Yeah, thank you for that question is one what you have in the book of Proverbs is repeatedly this discussion about the fool that the that the person who is just rejecting the truth of God's word not embracing the law of the Lord has has heard it and continues to turn away from it and the reality is, is this is since the beginning of time.

One of the things that is is that working to continue to see and I know ultimately that God calls us to to be wise and it is what wisdom promises to give us and what we get in particular in the wisdom literature. When wisdom says answer, not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him himself.

It's his picture of not entering into or sharing with the foolish approach to life and wisdom that I further take as you know, in the New Testament when Jesus talks about her speaks of not casting your pearls before swine, lest they turn around and and and trample them and trample you as well but that we have to think with wisdom about how we engage people in the world, and in particular those people who were coming against the truth of God's word and are not at all interested in receiving it. We've all been in conversations with individuals who who aren't actually looking for the truth, who are just wise in their own eyes and and they that there they love your attention that they're happy to enter into the the argument or the discussion, but they're not interested in listening and entering into that kind of discussion is indeed foolish and I think that's that's what were getting that that's were getting out there and so part of it is true wisdom exercising true wisdom is knowing when to speak and when to enter into the discussion and when not to speak, and went to to back away when not to cast our pearls before swine. I think that's at the heart of what is being spoken of here Pat, thank you for your question that thanks so much for calling and for being a regular listener to core Christianity. We really do appreciate you. Let's go to Troy calling in from Nashville, Tennessee.

Try what your question for Israel. Revelation chapter 1315 is you know about the basic due breath to to the image in one hour. According to the law. Most for convenience.

What this means. The machine will have the breath of life because the chip will be put into people. Okay, hatred. You know, we've received a number of questions about the mark of the beast in Revelation 13. And of course there is a ton of fear and concern concern. Even that you might accidentally take something that's the mark of the beast weekly for a while.

We are getting a lot of questions about the vaccine is the vaccine the mark of the beast.

I read something online or in a blog it may be this is the mark of the beast hour, maybe some chip you know that Elon musk is going to vent, invent something like that. That's not what Revelation chapter 13 is about the mark of the beast is identifying with the idolatrous system of worship that rejects God is not something that people accidentally take that a Christian believer can you know. Oh no, I didn't know, and I buy without knowing I receive the mark of the beast know and I think that's one of the concerns that many people have what's so interesting there in Revelation chapter 13 we get we have to remember the book of Revelation is a book full of symbols and imagery even even the number 666 the number of Manheim is is highly symbolic, as we have the fact that in as we think about these kinds of questions about what I was in essays is even with regard to this idea of being marked the picture there is identifying with false worship identifying with Satan, with the beast.

The Saints were told in chapter 14 are marked with God's name. John says I looked, and behold on Mount Zion stood the Lamb and with him 144,000 who had his name and his father's name written on their foreheads. Okay so you have you have two groups of people. Here you have those who are identified with the beast and false worship and those who are identified with the true and the living God would been marked by the grace of the Holy Spirit by the name of God and so as it was. That's how we need to understand this is not what I'm talking about when talking about above vaccine here were not talking what were talking about worship and idolatry and what we identify with.

Do we identify with the true and the living God or with the false system of worship, out there in the world. The mark of the beast to get him to say very clearly is not something that believers receive or can receive.

They been marked with the name of the true God is sealed with the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 13 and 14 and so is that that's how we need understand when you read the book of Revelation as it was meant to be read and by the way, we have a resource that will help you to do just that it's it's a resource up 10 week study through the book of Revelation written by a professor I had in in seminary.

Another different projection Dennis Johnson. This is an excellent resource try. I recommend that you get a hold of that resource your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question for us. You can always email us at this email address its questions at core, Christianity.com there's an email from Sherry and she says God had compassion for the people of Nineveh and sent Jonah to preach so they could be saved but many times in the Old Testament, the Israelites were told to break off relations with foreigners. They were supposed to kill them all many times in battles, including women and children, and I feel we need to treat foreigners with kindness today but we are also allowing all of their religions and customs in our country as well and you explain why God wanted to save some people and wanted to destroy others. That is an excellent question.

What first, let me just say when God called Abraham in the book of Genesis and his family needs and your offspring are going to bless the whole world through you. All the nations of the world are going to be blessed. So from the very beginning God's heart has been for the nations for all people and he called Israel his covenant people to be a light to the nations so that through them.

The whole world might turn to the true and the living God. There there referred to as a light to the nations in places like the book of Isaiah. That's what they were called to as a people. That was their vocation. We might say, but instead of being a light to the nations. They allowed idolatry and false worship to creep in. The light went out. If you will, and so God sent his son Jesus the light of the world to the world so that the nations might turn back to him. Jesus, the true Israelite and when God commanded me. If you think of like that the destruction of Canaan is the children of Israel took the land went when God was commanding war there and the eradication of the Canaanites that was in in in part to to drive out the false worship. The idolatry that would have compromised Israel as a people was it wasn't God.

Just saying I don't like these people. I like those people over there know. Again, the goal has always been the light of the world to the nations, and I think actually that the story of Nineveh is a great example of this. And so is so firstly I could get again.

I'll just say it's it's not God saying I like you I don't like you kind of the thing no it's God using his people and the goal of this you know God using his people is to bring the truth to the world.

Now we the people of God, fell short of that.

We continue to fall short of that and that's why Jesus sent his son into the world and in Christ, we the church are the light of the world. This is why you know John when he has his vision in the book of Revelation, and he sees Jesus he sees him standing in the midst of seven golden lampstands. What do lampstands do they they contain light, they illuminate and the lampstands were told there, and in Revelation chapter 1 verse 20 are the churches.

The seven churches there in Asia minor, but that the church like Israel under the old covenant is called to be a lampstand shining the light of God's goodness. God's glory in the world to the world why because God cares about the world because God cares about missions because God is calling all people everywhere to repent and so that's that's that's I see this and again we see example after example of that in the Old Testament is not contradicted by the holy wars that were happening when Israel was taking the land know that was again in parts of that, the light of God can continue this could continue to spread without the threat of idolatry and and idolatry taking over Israel. Thank you for your question. Your listing your core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez have time for one more question. This is an email from one of our listeners a drills from Angela, she says. Why do we pay tithes and money. Can we pay our tithes through our service that thank you for that question will in the New Testament. You do have examples of Christians bringing their offerings, resources, money to the church for the good of those who are in need for the ministry of the church as well taking care of paying for the. The ministry of the word pastoral ministry. Those kinds of things you mu see this in Scripture. You see this in the New Testament. Can we give something else will. I think that it may depend on the situation. This someone is in them there. There are there instances where maybe someone has no money at all to give their their poverty-stricken and in situations like that. I think it's important that the church and in particular the deacons of the church step in to help, but we are called to work so that we might give him it's what what Paul told the Ephesians. Let the thief no longer steel ball and work with his hands so that he might have to give to the one who is in need and one of the greatest idols I think today in Western society is money and possessions and so were they get.

I you know I'm using to cling to this and instead of giving money to the ministry or for the ministry of the word of the sky give you know my my time. That kind of thing I would say I want to make sure that resources money doesn't grip our hearts more than the truth of the gospel in God's word, and so we should give, and we should give generously. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time.

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