Is Euthanasia Considered A Sin Even If It Is Legal?

Is euthanasia considered a sin, even if it's legal? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of Core Christianity. You can also post your question on one of our social media sites, and of course you can always email us at questions at corechristianity.com. First up, let's go to Sherry calling in from Hartley, Iowa.

Sherry, what's your question for Adriel? Hi, my question is, I noticed in the Bible where it speaks of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and I was wondering if that was separate from repentance, because it seemed like all the references to it, they had believed for a while, they had already been walking with the Lord, and then later Paul came to pray for them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And it seems like it shows that in several parts of the Bible, so I was just wondering what your thoughts were about that.

Hey Sherry, thank you for that question, an excellent question. Of course, the language of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is something that Jesus spoke about in the Gospels prior to his ascension into heaven in the book of Acts, and then of course we have that scene on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, where the baptism of the Holy Spirit is poured out upon the church. And there, there does seem to be this close relationship to repentance. I mean, Peter, as he's preaching on the day of Pentecost in verse 38 of Acts chapter 2, said to them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, for the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are afar off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. And what we have is God pouring out his Spirit, as he had promised in the prophet Joel, upon the church through faith in Christ, through baptism, in this marvelous way, and we are the recipients as believers in Jesus Christ of this great blessing. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit. This is why the Apostle Paul could say in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 13, In one spirit we were all baptized into one body, Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, and all were made to drink of one spirit. So I think, Sherry, I think that the best thing to do here, you know, sometimes people will say there's a different baptism of the Holy Spirit that we all need to go through.

You believe in Jesus, you're born again, you're a Christian, you're saved. Now, in order to get to that next level of the Christian life, you need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. But I would say that all believers in Jesus Christ are filled, baptized in the Holy Spirit. We are called, however, daily to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that's different. We're baptized in the Spirit, sealed with the Holy Spirit, but we do pursue that filling with the Holy Spirit every single day, which comes as the word of Christ dwells in us richly, as Paul says in Ephesians and in Colossians as well. And so what do we make of those other instances in the Book of Acts, you know, where the disciples are going and preaching, and there are individuals who, you know, they've been baptized in and through the baptism of John, but they haven't been baptized with Christian baptism, and there's this question of, you know, like we didn't even know that there was a Holy Spirit at one point, they say. And I think part of it is just a lack of understanding there, and what we're seeing in the Book of Acts is the promise of the Gospel going from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth. And so we see the Spirit of God poured out in these different places as a sign that God is at work even in the midst of the people of Samaria. You remember how shocked many of the Jews were. And so this is God putting a stamp of approval on the advancement of the Gospel to all the nations, and again, we are the recipients of that, and we praise God for that.

God bless. Just a follow-up question for you, Adriel. How would you respond to denominations who actually say that receiving the Holy Spirit, being filled with the Holy Spirit, is a second act of grace? In other words, I trusted in Christ on this date, and then at this later date, as you said, this is the date when I was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Well, I mean, that just doesn't make sense biblically because the Apostle Paul can say to the Corinthians that you can't even say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. If you've been born again, that was the work of the Holy Spirit, and so to say, you know, I'm a Christian, but I didn't get the Holy Spirit until much later wouldn't make any sense at all. And of course here, again, I think this is where we need to distinguish between the baptism of the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit, and each and every one of us were sealed with the Holy Spirit. When were we sealed with the Holy Spirit? We were sealed with the Holy Spirit the moment we believed. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says again in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13, In him you also, in Jesus, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. The promised Holy Spirit there, again, being a reference to the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2, prophesied in the Book of Joel, and so we see all of these things working together so clearly, and hopefully that provides some clarification. And I would just want to speak to you as a believer, as a Christian listening right now, and maybe you struggle because you feel like, man, I don't feel, you know, very spiritually supercharged.

I don't even know if I'm a Christian. Look, if you believe in Jesus Christ, if you're trusting in him for the forgiveness of your sins, that's because the Spirit of God is and has been at work in your life. You have the Spirit of God through the gospel. Now we're called to walk in the Spirit and to be filled with the Spirit as well.

Well said. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open right now. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, here's the number.

It's 833-THECORE. That's 1-833-843-2673. Our phone lines will be open for the next 15 minutes or so, and we would love to hear from you. We also receive voicemails here at the Core, and here's one that came in from one of our listeners named Thomas. Oh, thank you.

Thank you for all you do. My son came to me the other day and asked, what's the difference between the Spirit and the soul? I wasn't sure what to tell him because I'm not sure. And I remember Billy Graham a long time ago, somebody asked him that. I mean, it was years and years ago, and I remember him saying he thought they were the same thing.

Is there a difference between the Spirit and the soul as they're mentioned in the Bible? Thank you. Hey Thomas, thank you for that question. Isn't it wonderful to get those questions from our children? And I can tell you as a father of five, there have been plenty of times where my kids have come to me with a question and I've thought, wow, that's a good one.

I'm going to have to do some research for this one. Now with regard to your question or your son's question, there's some debate among Christians. There are some who would distinguish between the Spirit and the soul.

My take is that in the Bible, they're used interchangeably. And so the soul or the Spirit is that immaterial part of who we are, of our person. We're made in the image of God, body and soul. And so, you know, sometimes people think my spirit or my soul is who I really am in my body. That's just, you know, this sort of vestigial organ, if you will, that we're going to shed in the new creation. But actually we're going to be raised again, bodily. That's the way God intended it to be.

And so where do we see, you know, them used interchangeably? I think in places like the Book of Revelation where John has a vision of the martyrs beneath the altar. And he sees these spirits there. And he's talking about the whole person, but they're disembodied, you know, people who have died.

They've been martyred and he sees them in the presence of the Lord's Spirit. But sometimes those who are in heaven are described as souls. The souls of the righteous made perfect in the Book of Hebrews, for example, in Hebrews chapter 12. And so it seems to me that the Bible uses soul and spirit interchangeably to refer to that immaterial part of our being. And by the way, I think that the big takeaway here in talking to your son is there's more to us than meets the eye, you know, being made in the image of God. We're not just these bodies, these creatures. We're made in the image of God, created, yes, with a body and soul. And when we die, our soul or our spirit goes on to be with God in heaven waiting for the resurrection, but just realizing that, you know, we're more than we can see. You're more than you can see.

And there are so many atheists in the world today who reject that idea, who are rejecting the idea of the soul, obviously, who don't believe in man created in the image of God. And so it gets to the very heart of human dignity and the glory with which God created us initially, what we fell from at the fall and what God plans to restore in us through Jesus, his son. Thank you for your question.

Great explanation. Thanks for that, Adriel. And also nice to know you agree with Billy Graham.

I think he would be very proud. Yeah. You know, I like Billy. I like, there's Bill, you know, you guys share the same name too.

Maybe there's something about, just, I don't know. I had a chance to visit his museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Billy Graham Museum. If anybody's there, man, it is so incredible. The legacy of that man, some awesome audio visual displays. I just, I got goosebumps watching that stuff.

So good, good stuff. Well, this is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. And if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, maybe there's a passage of scripture that's kind of stumped you in the past and you'd like some clarification on it. Well, Adriel would be happy to help you with that.

Or maybe you're experiencing some type of persecution in your Christian walk, maybe at work or at school. We'd love to hear from you. Here's our phone number. It's 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Also want to mention the great resource that we have for you. It's called The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. Yeah, a wonderful book, apologetics book that will help to strengthen your faith and encourage you in your walk with the Lord. Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ, many people don't know, but he was an atheist. He didn't believe in God and set out to really disprove Christianity. And it was through his research, through studying, that he came to embrace the Christian faith.

And so he walks through some of that story in this book. I hope you get a hold of this resource over at corechristianity.com. It's actually one of the most purchased books on apologetics in the world. And for good reason, such a great book that will help you strengthen your faith and answer those difficult questions that people might be asking you about your belief in Jesus Christ. Well, we do receive voicemails here at The Core.

And here's one that came in from one of our listeners named Jennifer. My question is, if it would be a sin to take your own life if you were in stage four cancer and having a lot of pain, but you were able to, because of the state you live in, take the end of life pill. So I was just wondering if that would be considered a sin.

Thank you. Well, thank you for that question. And I just, you know, when we think about, we're talking here specifically about taking one's own life, suicide, there's also, you know, this idea of physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia as well. And there are so many people who have intense suffering, cancer, other illnesses, deep depression. So I think one is Christians first, we want to have an attitude, a heart of compassion and care towards those who are suffering. Not judging or condemning, but really seeking to come alongside of those who are suffering, to weep with those who weep, to lament the terrible sicknesses and things that are out there. You know, it just highlights why the doctrine of the resurrection is so important. And so we want to have that attitude of compassion while I think also still having a high view of what God says about life and our lives and the extent to which our life is really not in our hands, but in God's hands and we're entrusting ourselves to the Lord. Many people have understood throughout the history of the church, this, you know, suicide is this violation of the sixth commandment, the call not to murder, it's this self-murder.

And it's taking things into our own hands. And I understand, you know, the idea behind it is not like, well, I just, I'm just wanting to do this defiantly, but in the midst of deep pain and deep suffering, why that would be a desire or a temptation. And I think for us as believers, what we want to say is we want to, we want to entrust ourselves to God, even in the midst of our suffering, knowing that Jesus sympathizes with us, knowing that Jesus knows the depth of human suffering and that our lives are in his hands. And so I think we're entrusting ourselves to him and I think it would be wrong, it would be wrong in fact, to take matters into our own hands in a situation like that. And I do believe it would be contrary to scripture, it would be a violation of the sixth commandment. And so again, I don't, I think as believers, we need to approach this with so much compassion, I think there does need to be the care and the love of the local church and ultimately pointing people to the hope that we have in Christ and in the resurrection, the comfort that we can receive in the midst of our suffering, suffering well as the people of God with our eyes fixed upon the Lord and not seeking to take matters into our own hands in a situation like that.

I don't know if you're speaking for yourself or for someone that you love, but may the Lord be with you and with all those who are suffering and may God give us strength and grace and mercy in the midst of whatever suffering it is that we experience, to know the love of God and his grace and mercy towards us. And one of the other things in your question there was, you know, would it be okay if it was legal? And even in that situation, I think we need to distinguish between what, you know, what people, what is legal, you know, according to the state, and just what is moral, what is right.

Certainly things like abortion are legal, but we would say that's wrong, that's a violation again of the sixth commandment, the destruction of life as opposed to the preservation of life. And so we have a higher standard in God's law that we go off of as believers in Jesus Christ. And God help us to cling to his word and to his grace as we seek to honor him in all things. Amen.

Such a difficult situation. And Jennifer, if again, you're talking about yourself, we'll be praying for you here at Core Christianity. Well, we'd love to hear from you if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life doctrine, theology, you name it.

In fact, just to let you know, we're going to be recording a second episode of Core Christianity after our live program finishes up here in a few minutes. So if you weren't able to get through, you can still call us for the next 35 minutes or so. Here's the phone number. It's 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Let's go to Jim calling in from Memphis, Tennessee. Jim, what's your question for Adriel?

Good morning. That last call, I believe that suffering is part of being a Christian. Where was Jesus for 16 to 18 years? He disappeared and was gone for a long time.

And I've heard all kinds of stories and theories and none of which I believe. But he's always puzzled me as to where he was during the time frame. It's my belief that Joseph died and him being the head of the family, he stayed and had to take care of the family until he could leave to start his ministry.

There's really not a lot that we know about that period. I think that there are some things we can say that are suggested to us in the Gospels. So one thing, you'll read some stories that were extra biblical stories that came around after the Gospels were written that try to say, Well, Jesus was this little boy miracle worker doing all these things. He was just doing all sorts of miraculous things throughout his childhood as he continued to grow.

But that doesn't seem to be the case at all, actually. You read in Mark 6, for example, when Jesus was rejected in his hometown. What do the people there say about him? They say, Where did this man get these things? What is this wisdom given to him?

How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him.

In other words, it seemed like he had lived a pretty ordinary life, like he wasn't doing all of these miracles. He just, Who is this guy think that he is? We know his family. Isn't he the carpenter's son? I mean, who does he think he is?

And that's why they took offense. And so we don't know where exactly he was and what exactly he was doing. But I would say it was pretty ordinary leading up to his earthly ministry. And of course, the Bible doesn't focus on this because it's just not the focus of what God, you know, it's not what God intended for us to focus on. I think we're called to focus on what? His ministry and especially his redemptive act on our behalf, everything working towards that hour of his redemption. It's as if God wants us to fix our eyes on the gospel, on that, on the cross. And isn't that precisely what the apostles preached and what they taught?

And so we should follow their example. And I think, you know, while we can try to piece some things together, it's not super helpful to speculate. And oftentimes when people have tried to speculate about, you know, what was Jesus doing when he was, you know, 14 or, you know, 22 or whatever, it just hasn't led anywhere. And so I appreciate that question.

Again, I think I think what we can say is he was he was living a fairly ordinary life up until the point where he was revealed, if you will, and began to perform these miracles leading up to his crucifixion. God bless. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Sharon is on the line from Terre Haute, Indiana, and she actually has a follow up to a question you answered earlier.

Sharon, what is your question for Adriel? Yes, it's more of a statement. Earlier, one of the ones on the radio was asking about whether soul and spirit is different.

And I think the way I understood what you said, you thought they could be interchanged. But from Hebrews 4, 12, it says, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double edged sword. And it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and morals. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Well, I thought if it could separate soul from spirit, they had to be two different things.

Sharon, thank you for that follow up. Earlier on today's broadcast, I said I think that soul and spirit are interchangeable. Where body and soul are body and spirit, and that describes our whole person. I think that's typically how the scriptures speak. There in Hebrews 4, how do I make sense then of this language? The word of God, which you just read, is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, to joints and marrow, and to discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

I don't think that the author of the Hebrews is trying to build out this in-depth theology of the distinction between the soul and the spirit or the difference there. I think he's just highlighting the fact that the word of God pierces to the deepest core of our being. That we're totally naked, if you will, before God's word, before God's truth, before the light of his judgment. That's why you have that language there.

It's almost hyperbolic. It's the author of the Hebrews saying, Look, we're totally open before the word of the living God. No creature is hidden from his sight, verse 13, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

I think that's the focus of that text there. I mentioned earlier, but just throughout the New Testament, it seems like the whole person, our whole person, is summed up in body and soul or body and spirit. You see body and soul in places like Matthew 10, verse 28. You see body and spirit in places like 1 Corinthians 7, verses 2 and 3. Then I also mentioned how in the intermediate state we are referred to as either souls or spirits.

It seems like those words are being used interchangeably, again in Revelation 6, verse 9, and in Hebrews 12, verse 23. I appreciate the follow-up there. Again, like I said, there is sharing some debate about this. There are Christians who believe, no, we are body, soul, and spirit.

In terms of the constitutive parts of man, the human person, there are those three parts they would say, but I tend to think based on the interchangeability of soul and spirit in the New Testament that there really are two parts, body and soul or body and spirit. Thank you again for the follow-up, and God bless. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Adriel, a quick email dealing with the Old Testament.

This one comes in from Justin. He says, why did Jacob need to wrestle with God in the book of Genesis? Yeah, I don't know how quick that email is, Bill, but I preached through Genesis not too long ago. You know what's interesting about that text in Genesis? Who is Jacob on the run from there in that passage, or at least afraid of there in that passage? It's his brother Esau, and so someone sneaks up on him in the middle of the night. He probably thinks it's Esau instead. It's the Lord somehow mysteriously, and he has this encounter with God there. As he's about to run into his brother Esau, it really is quite spectacular. But what takes place there is he wrestles him, and he says, bless me. There is this act of faith and wrestling with God, which I think was indicative of or descriptive of much of his life as someone who was wrestling with the Lord. And yet who the Lord still blessed. Thank you for that question. Join us next time as we explore the truth of God's Word together.