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Hanna Heyt was a beautiful and talented woman who was married to a successful, young physician. Not long after the wedding of Dr. Thomas Heyt to his bride Hanna, they discovered that she had multiple sclerosis. Over the next number of weeks and months the MS started to take its toll on her body. And although she was not immediately terminal—in fact, she probably would have lived for many more years—Hanna concluded that if she couldn’t have a full, vital life, she didn’t want any life at all. So she asked her husband to kill her. She said, “I want to remain your Hanna till the very end; I don’t want to become somebody else who is deaf, blind, and idiotic. I wouldn’t endure that. Thomas, if you really love me, promise that you will deliver me from this beforehand.”

At first, he refused. But as Hanna’s condition worsened, Dr. Heyt finally decided to inject her with an overdose of sedatives, and she died.

The young couple’s maid was horrified. She went to the police, who came and arrested Dr. Heyt. He said, “Yes, I confess: I did kill my incurably ill wife, but it was at her request.” In fact, according to the police report, Dr. Heyt testified that his wife died happily. Nevertheless, Dr. Heyt was formally charged with the murder of his wife.

During the first part of the trial, things were not looking good for Thomas Heyt. The prosecution was presenting its case against him in a clear, comprehensive manner. It looked like an open-and-shut case. So Dr. Heyt decided to take the stand in his own defense. And in one of the most dramatic testimonies ever given in a court of law, Dr. Heyt turned the tables on those who would chastise him. Pointing to each member of the prosecution in turn, he yelled, “You accuse me? I accuse you!” He accused them of prolonging the suffering of those who cannot be saved.  Finally the case was handed over to the jury.

The case of Dr. Heyt illustrates something that is more and more common these days: End-of-life issues. With all the advances of the medical industry, end-of-life issues are becoming more complex. For those of us who are Christians, we want to follow God’s way. Here are some common questions we face:

• Is it unbiblical for me to ask for a “do not resuscitate” status?
• May I as a Christian decline to be hooked up to some machine since I am soon going to die anyway?
• May a family in good conscience before God ask that our comatose relative’s pacemaker or other device be turned off since it is the only thing that is keeping him alive?
• What does God allow me to do to deal with the intensifying physical pain I am suffering?
• What is the right thing to do?

Scripture gives us guidelines for these issues. As medical doctor Donn Ketcham wrote, “It is important to have certain guidelines laid down ahead of time—guidelines to which you can cling and hold firmly enough that they weather the storm of emotions in time of crisis. This is a matter in which your convictions must be hammered out on the anvil of Scripture and moral principles before it is necessary to apply them in time of stress. They must be settled in the quietness of the study lest the maelstrom of the actual crisis cause you to be swayed and you find yourself with situationally determined standards.”

Although every medical situation has its own unique set of factors, you can make good, God-honoring decisions that are consistent with biblical teachings. The Bible is the Word of God, and it directs our thinking and actions concerning all the questions of life, including euthanasia. Second Tim. 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

What does the Bible say about life and death?

The Bible teaches that human life is sacred.

All persons, from the moment of conception to the moment of death, are made in the image of God.
Gen. 1:26-27 (HCSB) – “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.”

Your life is sacred. You are special to God. Nothing in all of God’s creation is made in His image but humans.

Opposed to the view that human life is sacred is the humanistic secularist view called “the quality of life.” This view says that if a person’s quality of life is low or declining, he should be exterminated, regardless of whether death is imminent and unavoidable. The “quality of life” ethic grants a decision-maker the right to determine the value of another person’s life and to kill individuals whose lives don’t have “enough” value.

George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm illustrates the “quality of life” idea. Boxer is the slow-witted but hardworking cart-horse, and he gives his every fiber of strength and energy to the animal farm. As he exerts himself over the years he grows weaker. He marks off the days to his promised retirement. However, as retirement approaches, Napoleon and Squealer, the dictator pigs, realize that Boxer’s value to the farm has lessened and that his upkeep will be expensive. The solution is to send him to the slaughterhouse under the guise of a trip to the veterinarian hospital.

A part of the euthanasia movement’s philosophy is to use the “quality of life” arguments to rid society of the old, the weak, the mentally handicapped, and the unwanted. As followers of Christ, we must reject any philosophical ethic that regards “quality of life” as the standard by which people are cared for and allowed to live. The Bible clearly teaches the sanctity of all human life.

The Bible explicitly condemns homicide.

Exodus 20:13 (KJV) says, “Thou shalt not kill.” Why did God give this command not to kill? Because of the image of God in us. To destroy what is made in the image of God is tantamount to an assault against God Himself. That’s why God requires the ultimate punishment for murder. In Gen. 9:6 (HCSB), He says, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in His image.” Since God alone is the Creator of human life, only He has the right to take human life. (There are, however, two instances in which God extends to us His authority to take life: capital punishment and war.)

When Commandment #6 says, “Thou shalt not kill,” the word ‘kill’ refers not only to murder, but to all kinds of homicide. Homicide is the taking of life outside the parameters laid down by God (those parameters again being capital punishment and war). The following are examples of homicide, all of which are forbidden by God:

• Murder – To kill someone intentionally
• Manslaughter – To kill someone unintentionally. Even an accidental death is an affront to God. Numbers 35 speaks to the difference in punishment between murder and manslaughter. In OT Israel, a murderer was to be put to death, while someone causing the unintentional death of a person would be banished from his land, his community, and his family. He would not be able to worship with the rest of Israel at the central sanctuary. He would go to live in a designated city of refuge, and he had to remain there until the high priest died. The net result of this law was that Israelites were very careful not to do anything that would cause the death of another person. Listen to Deut. 22:8 (HCSB): “If you build a new house, make a railing around your roof, so that you don’t bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.”
• Suicide – To kill oneself. Suicide is really self-murder, and murder is against God’s Law. It is not your right to destroy the image of God in someone, even in yourself. God alone is the Creator of life, and He alone decides when life ends. Suicide is a completely selfish and egotistical act. The person who commits suicide thinks only of himself and not of his relationship to God or others.
• Euthanasia.

What is euthanasia? The term ‘euthanasia’ literally means “good death.” In its original context, it referred to the process by which a person eases into death without unnecessary pain and suffering. Originally, the focus was on easing pain as death occurred naturally.

However, in 1869 euthanasia was redefined by British historian W. E. H. Lecky. He used the term “to signify the act of taking the life of a person who is hopelessly ill and doing so for reasons of mercy” (Keith H. Essex, “Euthanasia,” in Master’s Seminary Journal, Vol. 11 [201]). Following Lecky’s lead, a common modern definition of euthanasia is: “Any act or deliberate omission undertaken by oneself and/or others that intends to cause and does cause the death of a person, whereby the parties involved act upon a conviction that the death caused will be good for the person being killed” (Ibid.). As it is commonly understood today, euthanasia is not just the relieving of pain; it is the relieving of pain by causing death.

Even passive euthanasia intends death by withholding, withdrawing, or refusing medical treatment that clearly could enable a person to live significantly longer. Euthanasia means to hasten death. In contrast, letting a person die naturally is not euthanasia

Euthanasia is homicide, the killing of one human being by another or by oneself. I agree with Mark Blocher, who wrote, “To use the word killing is technically correct since both action and neglect in particular contexts result in a death that is intended. Euthanasia is allegedly killing for merciful reasons, for reasons of compassion… The absence of malice associated with the acts of euthanasia tends to soften our reaction to it. We are less inclined to label these acts ‘killing’. Yet they are” (Right to Die? Caring Alternatives to Euthanasia, p. 77).

To withhold useless treatment is not euthanasia (and therefore not wrong). When death is imminent even with treatment, it is not wrong to withhold the treatment. But if a suffering individual is able to live significantly longer with treatment—as in the case of Terri Schiavo—to cause death is a form of homicide.
The proper way to show compassion to the suffering and the dying is to relieve their pain, not kill them.

People in the medical field are familiar with the principles of ‘beneficence’ and ‘nonmaleficence’. ‘Beneficence’ means that doctors are obligated to do good for their patients. ‘Nonmaleficence’ obligates doctors to avoid harming their patients. Doing good for the patient means that when medical technologies can no longer prevent death, the doctor withholds or withdraws all life-prolonging and life-sustaining technologies. This is not euthanasia. This is letting die.

When no medical cures exist, the patient is given “palliative care,” which eases discomfort. Many terminal patients receive “hospice,” which usually includes pain management, social interaction, and spiritual care.
It is okay to let a terminally ill patient die naturally, but it is not okay to cause or hasten the death of someone in any way.

In the final scene of Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar, Brutus is defeated and intends to kill himself. He pleads for his longtime friend Volumnius to hold a sword while Brutus runs through it. Volumnius refuses and replies, “That’s not an office for a friend, my lord.” I would add that actively taking the life of a loved one is not the office of a Christian.

How, then, should we face the end of life?

If you understand what the Bible teaches about death, then you will understand how to face the end of life. In the article referenced above, Keith Essex summarizes the biblical teachings about death:

The Bible teaches that death is inevitable.

Ecclesiastes 3:2 (HCSB) says, “[There is] a time to give birth and a time to die.”
Since death is inevitable, then you should make preparations for it. There are at least 3 things you should do prepare for death:

• First, you should give your life to Christ. He died on the cross to pay for your sins, and He rose from the grave to give you eternal life. The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9; HCSB). Since the death rate remains at 100% and shows no signs of lowering in the immediate future, you should consider getting your eternal destiny settled.
• Second, you should have a will. You can’t take your possessions with you to heaven, so determine what you want done with the temporal blessings God has given you. Remember to take care of your family and, if possible, leave some of your possessions to continue God’s work on earth.
• Third, you should have a “Will to Live.” A Will to Live is like a living will, but better. Unlike most living wills, a Will to Live has a strong presumption in favor of life. It instructs your physician to do what is necessary to preserve your life “without discrimination based on your age or physical or mental disability or the ‘quality’ or your life;” and it rejects “any action or omission that is intended to cause or hasten death.” A Will to Live is a pro-life, anti-euthanasia alternative to a living will. You can learn more about having a Will to Live by clicking the link at the beginning of this paragraph.

The Bible teaches that death is an enemy.

The Bible says, “[Jesus] must reign until He puts all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be abolished is death” (1 Cor. 15:25-26; HCSB).

Since death is an enemy, you should always hope for recovery so you can continue to serve the Lord. If medical treatment is a realistic possibility, you should take advantage of it.

The Bible teaches that dying is a process.

Hebrews 11 talks about the heroes of the Bible: “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and, he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions concerning his bones” (Heb. 11:21-22; HCSB).

Since death is a process, sometimes we will be aware when death is near. If death is near a loved one, we should remember that it is our Christian duty to show compassion to the dying. Ps. 119:156 (HCSB) says, “Your compassions are many, Lord; give me life, according to Your judgments.” And Jesus said, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me” (Matt. 25:34-36; NASB).

If a patient’s disease is incurable and terminal, you should do whatever you can to control physical pain, to provide food and water, to give regular hygienic care, and to ensure personal interaction, including spiritual care.

The Bible teaches that suffering is a part of our experience.

1 Pet. 5:10 (HCSB) says, “Now the God of all grace…will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little.” When we who are Christians experience pain, even the pains of the end of life, we should patiently endure it. Pain is not the reason to commit the unbiblical act of euthanasia.

Perhaps the best example in the Bible of a person who dealt properly with pain, suffering, death, and thoughts of suicide is Job. Job was a wealthy man, a man of political power and social prominence. He was an old man with a wife and ten grown children of whom God said, “He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:1).

And then Job lost it all. On one day he lost his wealth, social and political status, and servants. All ten children were killed when a house collapsed. A short time later, Job was stricken with a painful disease. Scholars have cataloged the symptoms: “anorexia, undernourishment, high fever, severe and chronic depression, uncontrolled weeping, sleeplessness, nightmares, chronic halitosis, failing vision, and rotting teeth.” He was the very image of death.

Job wished for God to take his life. His wife couldn’t stand his misery any longer and begged him to curse God and ensure his immediate death. If you would describe these conditions to one of today’s advocates for euthanasia, Job certainly would be described as someone with very little quality of life.

But Job never concluded that he should take an active role in ending his own life, nor did any of his four friends suggest such a thing. Job used the circumstances of his pain and suffering to contemplate the meaning of life and death and his relationship to God.

Your suffering may have a spiritual purpose. Through your suffering people around you will see that you trust in the Lord for all things, and you place your very life in His hands. Some of the Lord’s greatest witnesses are those believers who are in the midst of great suffering.

The Bible teaches that to die well, we must trust God.

It is not euthanasia that is the good death. The good death occurs when a Christian maintains his faith strong in the Lord, even unto death, and leaves this life with joy. That’s why Ps. 116:15 (HCSB) says, “The death of His faithful ones is valuable in the Lord’s sight.”

Jesus showed us what attitude we should have when facing death when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but Yours be done” (Lk. 22:42; NASB).

The Bible says that death is not the end.

Death is not extinction. Death is separation. Physical death is the separation of your spirit from your body. Spiritual death is the separation of your spirit from God. Sometimes the Bible calls hell “the second death.”
We must remember that this body of sickness and sin is not the final outcome of our existence. We will be given a new and glorified body when we’re resurrected from the dead.

If we fail to view death from the perspective of God’s Word, we might end up like Hanna Heyt, who was killed by her own husband at her own request. So whatever happened to Dr. Thomas Heyt, who took the stand in his own defense and yelled out, “You accuse me? I accuse you!” Did the jury find him guilty or innocent? Were the jurists convinced that a person with a low quality of life should be killed to end their suffering?

Well, I don’t know what happened to him. In fact, no one does. You see, the story of Dr. Thomas Heyt and his wife Hanna is a fictional one. It was a movie called “I Accuse,” and the movie ends without a judgment. You have to decide for yourself.

But I do want to show you who produced this movie.

Someone might say, “Oh, the terrible things that happened under Nazi Germany could never happen here.” But the only people who think that are those who don’t know history.

In 1920’s Germany, abortion, although illegal, was widespread; pornography was becoming more popular; and violence was on the rise. (Parallels, anyone?) All of these should have served as warning signs of a society that does not view life as sacred.

Then, beginning in 1933, the eugenics program that Adolf Hitler described in his book Mein Kampf became a reality with the legalization of involuntary sterilization and abortion.

In 1938, the first known case of euthanasia in Germany was performed on “baby Knauer.” The father of the child submitted a request directly to Hitler asking that his son be allowed to die. The reason given to Hitler was that the child was retarded, blind, and missing both an arm and a leg. Hitler turned the case over to his personal physician, Dr. Karl Brandt. The request was granted and the infant was killed.

In October 1939, Hitler himself initiated a decree that allowed the widespread practice of euthanasia. Physicians were empowered to grant a “mercy death” to “patients considered incurable according to the best available human judgment of their state of health.” These Germans that were killed were either handicapped children, psychiatric patients, or just those deemed “undesirable.” The key to the “success” of Hitler’s program was that no law was ever passed. Hitler just left it in the hands of doctors. Physicians were not ordered to participate, but merely allowed to do so if they wished. It was considered to be “a private matter between the doctor and his patient.” Germany’s euthanasia program was not the creation of Hitler; it was the creation of physicians. At first Hitler simply allowed it, and then he used it in even more sinister ways.

In 1940, in an attempt to sway the German populace to embrace the worthiness of killing the worthless, the movie “I Accuse” was produced and then viewed by over 18 million Germans.

And throughout the early 1940’s, Hitler continued to put to death those people he considered “undesirables:” incurable mental patients, homosexuals, bed-wetters, children with misshapen ears, Jews, and anyone else who was not German. The mass killing of 11-13 million people continued to be orchestrated by the army, but under the supervision of physicians.

One doctor wrote, “If killing a hemophiliac infant has no adverse effect on others, it would be right to kill him.” Which doctor said that? Hitler’s personal physician? Another Nazi physician? No. It was Dr. Peter Singer, who is today a leading professor of bioethics at Princeton University.

What a difference a few decades makes: Hitler’s personal physician was hanged after the Nuremberg Trials. But our schools give tenure to a professor with the same view of life.

Can it happen here? It happened over 60 years ago to baby Knauer in Germany. And it happened here to Terri Schiavo. And it’s happening more often than you know, not in concentration camps and mass graves, but quietly in hospitals and nursing homes; and with the approval of doctors, judges, and family members.

The question is not whether it can happen today. It already is. The question is what will we do? Who will speak for those who can’t? Who will defend the defenseless? Who will protect the innocents?

• You can speak up to your government. We need to remember that we are a nation of the people. And “when the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said, “A Christian should not support a government that suppresses the faith or one that sanctions the taking of an innocent human life.”
• You can choose life for yourself. Three thousand years ago, the Bible told us, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” Fill out a Will to Live

Whatever else you do, don’t be confused about the difference between euthanasia and letting die. According to a biblical worldview, the former is homicide and the latter is an act of God.

What the Bible Says About Alcohol

• Drunkenness is a sin (cf. Deut. 21:20-21; 1 Cor. 5:11; 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:18).
• “Strong drink” is deceptive and sinful (cf. Lev. 10:8-9; Prov. 20:1; 31:4-5; Isa. 5:11; 24:9). The Hebrew word for “strong drink” is a different word than the word used for “wine.”
• Drinking in excess is wrong (cf. Amos 6:1, 6; Hab. 2:15).
• Church leaders are to be moderate in their use of wine (1 Tim. 3:3, 8).
• Wine was used as a medicine (Prov. 31:6; 1 Tim. 5:23).

What the Bible Does Not Say About Alcohol

• The Bible does not teach that New Testament communion wine was unfermented. All wine was fermented wine. Some Corinthians were drunk at the Lord’s Table (cf. 1 Cor. 11:21), which would be very difficult to accomplish if the wine was unfermented.
• The Bible does not teach that “new wine” was unfermented. Hosea 4:11 says that both “old wine” and “new wine” take away understanding. And Acts 2:13 tells of how the Spirit-filled believers were accused of drunkenness, being filled with new wine.
• It is false to say that Jesus made unfermented wine (compare John 2:9-10 with Mark 2:22 and Eph. 5:18).
• It is incorrect to say that the New Testament teaches that first-century Christians were not to use wine at any time.
• It is a myth to say that total abstinence was a New Testament condition for church membership.

Is Wine Today Like New Testament Wine?

New Testament scholar Robert Stein points out that wine in the New Testament was essentially purified water.

• Wine in Homer’s day was twenty parts water to one part wine.
• Pliny referred to wine as eight parts water to one part wine.
• Aristophanes: three parts water to two parts wine.
• Euenos: three parts water to one part wine.
• Hesiod: three parts water to one part wine.
• Alexis: four parts water to one part wine.
• Diocles and Anacreon: two parts water to one part wine.
• Ion: three parts water to one part wine.
• Strong wine was typically considered to be one part water to one part wine.
• Anyone who drank wine unmixed was called a Scythian or a barbarian. Ancient Greeks would say to us today, “You Americans are barbarians–drinking straight wine!” The pagan Mnesitheus of Athens was quoted as saying about wine, “Mix it half and half and you get madness; unmixed–bodily collapse.”
• According to the Talmud, wine used in the Passover was three parts water and one part wine.

In ancient times, water was sometimes unsafe to drink, just as it is in many undeveloped areas of the world today. Water could have been made safe in many ways: boiling (although it was costly and tedious), filtering (not always a safe method), or adding wine (which helped to the germs).

Today, wine has a much higher alcohol content than in the days of the New Testament. If you lived back in those days, you would have to drink twenty-two glasses of wine in order to consume the same amount of alcohol in two martinis today.

Today’s wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages fall within the category of what Scripture calls “strong drink,” which are forbidden.

Deciding About Drinking Alcohol Today

If you are considering drinking alcohol, you should first answer four questions:

1. What are the facts about alcohol? Thirty-six percent of adults who drink alcohol can be classified as problem drinkers. There are over 3 million 14-17 year-olds who are problem drinkers. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the third greatest cause of birth defects. Drinking impairs your social and intellectual capacities. Half of all traffic fatalities and one-third of all traffic injuries are alcohol-related. A high percentage of child-abusing parents have drinking problems. A relatively high correlation exists between alcohol consumption and robbery, rape, assault, homicide, and suicide.
2. Will Wine-Drinking Lead to Sin? First Corinthians 6:12  (NASB) says, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” You may think that you are master of your drinking, but if alcohol is something you must have, then it masters you.
3. Will Wine-Drinking Lead Anyone Else to Sin? Philippians 2:4 (NASB) says, “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Romans 14:21 (NASB) says, “It is good not to eat meat or drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.”
   
4. Can Wine-Drinking Be Done to the Glory of God? First Corinthians 10:31 (NASB) says, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” If you cannot praise and glorify God when you are drinking, then you don’t need to do it.

Why Christians Need Not Drink Wine

• People in the United States have plenty of wholesome, nonaddictive beverages to consume. This is different than in biblical times.
• America is an alcoholic culture, but the New Testament culture was not. In the New Testament, there were relatively few drunks.
• Total abstinence is the safer policy. How many people would fly if they knew there was a one in ten chance that their plane would crash? That is the same chance of an occasional or moderate drinker becoming an alcoholic.
• Total abstinence is the more consistent policy. The biggest drug problem in the U.S. is not marijuana or heroin, but alcohol. Alcohol is the “establishment” drug, the adults’ drug, the legal drug. We cannot expect our children or grandchildren to stay away from drugs if we refuse.
• Alcohol cannot deliver on the expectation people place upon it. The main reason people drink alcohol is because they believe it will provide relaxation and enjoyment. But God says that real peace and joy comes through experiencing Him. “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18, NASB). “You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever” (Ps. 16:11; NASB). “The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7; NASB).

Geisler concludes his article with these words: “And it is an insult to the Holy Spirit for Christians to seek the superficial pleasure of stimulants when they can have the permanent joy of the Holy Spirit. God wants people to eat and drink with joy, but without jeopardy. He desires that man’s pleasures be Spirit-directed, not self-centered; that they be helpful, but not harmful.”

Some churches reflect their community in unhealthy ways. Some have members who are gossips, backbiters, hateful, and opposed to the mission of Christ. Others have members who exchange the biblical standards of righteousness and personal holiness for an “anything goes” philosophy. Still others have members who diminish the gospel itself, substituting for it a gospel of easy-beliefism or a gospel of selfishness. These kinds of churches completely misunderstand the principle of which Paul speaks.

With the same determination that we allow absolutely no compromise of theological or moral truths, we must engage in a methodology that is flexible. The task of evangelism requires an amazing degree of elasticity. The methods that may be effective for one person might be ineffective for another. On a larger scale, a church in Tulsa will use different methods of ministry than a church in Zimbabwe. It’s not the gospel that is different, but the customs and culture of the people.

Think about what it means to be “in the world, but not of it.” How does that apply to you? Has your church become so dissimilar to the community around it that it has no voice? Has this happened to you personally? What do you need to do to become an indigenous Christian?

The picture John is giving us is that Jesus became incarnate. The word “incarnate” literally means “to make flesh.” Jesus became one of us. He made His dwelling with us. He dealt with the customs and laws of the day. He ate what other people ate. Why did He do this? Because Jesus was on mission.

Jesus serves as an example for us. God calls His people to be on mission. A missional church is to be incarnational. A missional church doesn’t sit back and wish people would come hear the gospel. Instead, it penetrates its world with the love of Christ. A missional church pitches its tent where people are.

This is exactly what the good people of Woodland Acres Baptist Church did today. Instead of sitting back in the church sanctuary hoping that a visitor might attend, they went to LaFortune Park in Tulsa and gave the community free hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks, some bounce houses, popcorn, and fun music. And most importantly they pointed people to Jesus. On Sunday nights the church has averaged one visitor every other worship service. Today they touched two hundred people with the love of Christ.

When God’s people bless people in God’s world, God returns the blessing to them. Perhaps the biggest transformation actually occurs in the hearts of Christians. The more we serve, the more our love grows.

A missional church is an incarnational church. In other words, a missional church is like Jesus.

If we’re going to recapture the vision and passion of the early church, we must understand our identity as they did. Our language should reflect the truth of who we are. Instead of “going to church,” we gather with God’s people. Instead of meeting “at the church,” we meet at the church’s campus. Church is not something we “go to” or “meet at.” Church is who we are.

This understanding of who we are is foundational to our mission. The early church encountered a Greek culture that was largely ignorant of biblical truth. They viewed themselves as missionaries: people who were on mission for Jesus. There are many parallels between our own society and that of the first century. No truth, however, is more critical and self-evident than this: we must be missionaries.

In his article, “Is Your Church Missional?”, Dr. Ed Stetzer, Director of LifeWay Research and LifeWay’s Missiologist in Residence, writes, “There are three emphases that every church in every culture needs in order to faithfully proclaim the gospel. They need to understand what Jesus called them to do, what culture they are in and what a biblical church looks like. A missional church lives at the intersection of three things.” He diagrams these emphases like this:

The truths that Stetzer has discovered are the same truths that lost people are searching for today:

• People are looking for something to believe in (Christology).
• People are looking for some community to belong to (Ecclesiology).
• People are looking for someone to bless them (Missiology).

A church reaching a balance between these emphases will be an effective church on mission in its community and around the world. We must maintain a proper relationship with Christ, one another, and the world. Much of the church growth movement of the 1960′s, 70′s, and 80′s focused on bridging the gap between the church and the world. The problem was an overemphasis on methodology to the exclusion of doctrine. A reaction to this was the church health movement of the 1990′s, which focused on the church’s relationship to its Savior. Unfortunately, this inward focus resulted in an underemphasis on the church’s missionary role to the world. More recently, there has been a widespread increase in Christians who are rejecting the “established” or “organized” church in favor of a more individualized faith. Sometimes these believers gather in house churches as their primary expression of the Christian community. While there is nothing wrong with house churches–and indeed we in established churches should actively explore how we can partner and support them–there exists the danger that these churches would never become a full expression of the community Christ intended.

As we grow in our understanding of becoming a missional church, we will no doubt discover that it is Christ’s plan for us to be incarnational, indigenous, and intentional. We’ll explore these ideas in some upcoming posts.

In an attraction-oriented church, members expect their pastors to do the work of the ministry, even in the face of explicit biblical injunctions that say just the opposite: that ministry is accomplished by the people (cf. Eph. 4:11-12). The further this expectation sets in their hearts, the more apathy develops. Why? Because apathy is a by-product of inaction.

There is a more biblical and effective kind of church: missional. For an attraction-oriented church to become missional, the pastors must help believers change the way they think. Thought processes are changed by changing actions. (You probably already knew that thoughts influence behavior, but God also designed us so that our behavior influences the way we think.)

Instead of sitting in pews hoping that perhaps someone in the community will show up, the church can follow Andrew’s example and take Jesus to them (cf. John 1:40-41). The church can follow Matthew’s example and throw a party, with Jesus as the honored guest (cf. Luke 5:27-29). The church can finally obey Jesus, who says to “Go” (Matt. 28:19).

Essentially, we must answer this question: Where would Jesus be? Would Jesus keep His ministry relegated to the church building or be in the community? Even a cursory reading of the New Testament demonstrates that while Jesus indeed ministered in the Temple and in synagogues, He spent a large amount of time in the community. If we want to be the church God wants us to be, we must be in our community.

God loves people who don’t love Him. All around us are hurting people who think that no one–including God (or sometimes especially God)–loves them. People need to know that they are loved.

God expects us to love who don’t love Him. Anyone who says he loves God and yet speaks or acts with disdain toward lost people is a liar. The person who truly loves God also loves who He loves. One of the best indicators of true spiritual maturity is a person’s attitude toward those without Christ.

One person in the church said, “We don’t need to be concerned about people in our community. We should just take care of our own.” What a selfish attitude! If Jesus had that attitude toward us, none of us would be saved. Jesus said, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” (Matt. 5:46-47, NASB).

Blessing God’s world means we join God in His work. Some churches should have a mission statement that reads, “We come. We sit. We leave.” But we exist to transforming lives in Christ. We do this by helping people believe in God, belong to God’s family, and bless God’s world. And if we’re going to get serious about fulfilling our calling, we must regularly get beyond the four walls of the church and into our community. Instead of sitting in our pews saying, “Y’all come,” hoping beyond hope that someone might show up, we need to engage the people around us with the blessings of God. What would Jesus be doing? Where would Jesus be?

An interesting phenomenon happens when God’s people get into the community and share His love: They discover that God is there. God is at work. What we need to realize is that God is already at work before we get to our community. God isn’t waiting for His people to work in the world. Jesus said, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working” (John 5:17, NASB).

Why is God already at work? Because He loves to bless people. He blesses people when they don’t even realize it. The theologian Augustine said, “God is more anxious to bestow His blessings on us than we are to receive them.”

And why does God bless people? Why is He kind and benevolent? Why is He forgiving and loving and patient? Because He desires to bring salvation to people. Romans 2:4 (NCV) says, “God is kind to you so that you will change your hearts and lives.”

This is the work of God: the harvest. Look at how Jesus referred to God, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38, HCSB).

Do you want to make a difference in someone’s life? It’s not hard. Just bless them with your words or works. Pray for them. Point them to Christ.

When a person becomes a Christian, he immediately needs a spiritual parent who can teach him the right way to live, assist him when he stumbles, and encourage him to continue in the faith. The New Testament repeatedly uses the analogy of parenting to describe this essential and often neglected aspect of making disciples:

• “Timothy, my true child in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2, NASB).
• “For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord” (1 Cor. 4:15, NASB).
• “But you know of his (Timothy’s) proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father” (Phil. 2:19, NASB).
• “Titus, my true child in a common faith” (Titus 1:4, NASB).
• “I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment” (Philem. 10).
• “Here for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you; for children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children” (2 Cor. 12:14, NASB).
• “But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children” (1 Thess. 2:7, NASB).
• “You know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each of you as a father would his own children” (1 Thess. 2:11, NASB).
• “I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” (1 Cor. 4:14-15, NASB).
• “Now in a like exchange–I speak as to children–open wide to us also” (2 Cor. 6:13, NASB).
• “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin” (1 John 2:1, NASB).
• “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake” (1 John 2:12, NASB).
• “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared” (1 John 2:18, NASB).
• “Now, little children, abide in Him” (1 John 2:28, NASB).
• “Little children, make sure no one deceives you” (1 John 3:7, NASB).
• “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:17, NASB).
• “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them” (1 John 4:4, NASB).
• “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:19, NASB).
• “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 3, NASB).

Along this journey of faith, young believers grow from spiritual children into becoming parents of others. This is the natural course that God has designed. Jesus expects His followers to become servant-leaders in His work. This spiritual growth occurs in the context of relationships with others in the church.

When we lead people to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior, we must help them to experience belonging to God’s family. When they are ready to join our church, we ask them to agree to the covenant we share:

We share a covenant of involvement.

• We covenant to attend faithfully. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another (Heb. 10:25, NIV).
• We covenant to warmly welcome guests who visit. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers (Heb. 13:2, NASB).
• We covenant to live a godly life. Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ (Phil. 1:27, HCSB).

We share a covenant of support.

• We covenant to be loving toward each other. Have a sincere love for your fellow believers, love one another earnestly with all your hearts (1 Pet. 1:22, TEV).
• We covenant to refuse to gossip. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear (Eph. 4:29, NASB).
• We covenant to follow the church’s leaders. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you (Heb. 13:17, NASB).

We share a covenant of ministry.

• We covenant to discover how God has gifted us. Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others (1 Pet. 4:10, NCV).
• We covenant to be equipped by our pastors to serve. God gave…some to be pastors and teachers to prepare God’s people for works of ministry, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Eph. 4:11-12, NIV).
• We covenant to fulfill our calling in active service. Be good servants of God’s various gifts of grace (1 Pet. 4:10, NCV).

We share a covenant of mission.

• We covenant to pray for our church’s growth. To the church…We always thank God for all of you and mention you when we pray (1 Thess. 1:1, 2, NCV).
• We covenant to give regularly. Each one of you, on the first day of each week, should set aside a specific sum of money in proportion to what you have earned and use it for the offering (1 Cor. 16:2, NASB).
• We covenant to bless people in the name of Jesus. Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:38, NASB).

Believing in God is a response of the heart to the gospel of Christ. We don’t simply ask people to believe in a “higher power” or a god that they have created in their own imagination. We encourage people to believe in the God of the Bible—the God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.

When we call people to believe in God, it is a call to surrender one’s life to Him. Intellectual assent to concept of God—even the living God—is not saving faith. True faith in God is evidenced by taking up your cross and following Jesus.

A great summary of the historical and biblical doctrines of the Christian faith are found at Life Bible Study, which is a publisher that specializes in producing excellent small group Bible studies:

• God is—Only one true and living God exists. He is the Creator of the universe, eternally existing in three Persons—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each equally deserving of humanity’s worship and obedience. He is infinite and perfect in all His attributes.
• The Bible is God’s Word—The Bible is God’s written revelation to people, divinely given through human authors who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is entirely true. The Bible is totally sufficient and completely authoritative for matters of life and faith. The goal of God’s Word is the restoration of humanity into His image.
• People are God’s treasure—God created people in His image for His glory. They are the crowning work of His creation. Yet every person has willfully disobeyed God—an act known as sin—thus inheriting both physical and spiritual death and the need for salvation. All human beings are born with a sin nature and into an environment inclined toward sin. Only by the grace of God through Jesus Christ can they experience salvation.
• Jesus is God and Savior—Jesus is both fully God and fully human. He is Christ, the Son of God. Born of a virgin, He lived a sinless life and performed many miracles. He died on the cross to provide people forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation. Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return in power and glory.
• The Holy Spirit is God and Empowerer—The Holy Spirit is supernatural and sovereign, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ. He lives within every Christian beginning at the moment of salvation and then empowers them for bold witness and effective service as they yield to Him. The Holy Spirit convicts individuals of sin, uses God’s Word to mature believers into Christlikeness, and secures them until Christ returns.
• Salvation is by faith alone—All human beings are born with a sin nature, separated from God, and in need of a Savior. That salvation comes only through a faith relationship with Jesus Christ, the Savior, as a person repents of sin and receives Christ’s forgiveness and eternal life. Salvation is instantaneous and accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. This salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the shed blood of Jesus Christ and not on the basis of human works. All the redeemed are secure in Christ forever.
• The church is God’s plan—The Holy Spirit immediately places all people who put their faith in Jesus Christ into one united spiritual body, the Church, of which Christ is the head. The primary expression of the Church on earth is in autonomous local congregations of baptized believers. The purpose of the Church is to glorify God by taking the gospel to the entire world and by building its members in Christlikeness through the instruction of God’s Word, fellowship, service, worship, and prayer.
• The future is in God’s hands—God will bring the world to its appropriate end in His own time and in His own way. At that time, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth. Both the saved and unsaved will be resurrected physically to be judged by Christ. Those who have trusted Christ will receive their reward and dwell forever in heaven with the Lord. Those who have refused Christ will spend eternity in hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The certain return of Christ motivates believers to be faithful in their daily lives.

A more detailed description of Southern Baptist beliefs found at the Baptist Faith and Message.