Guy Waters (0:00)

We recognize that death is inevitable and no medical professional, no intervention can indefinitely prevent death. And there will come a point where we have to acknowledge, I am dying. My loved one is dying.

Nathan W. Bingham (0:22)

Death is not the end. Although it's the beginning of a person's eternity, it's also the beginning of many practical and legal questions for those left behind. They might be earthly, this worldly kinds of questions, but for the Christian, they are important and can be spiritual. It's good to have you with us for this Thursday edition of Renewing youg Mind. I'm Nathan W. Bingham. Guy Waters has been our guest teacher this week, and we've spent several days in this helpful series, Facing the Last Enemy. Today is the final day that you can request lifetime access to this complete 12 message series, its study guide and a hardcover copy of this series companion book. When you give a donation at renewingyourmind.org or when you call us at 800-435-4343. But don't delay as only hours remain. So how does Scripture help us think through end of life issues? What wisdom can we glean? Here's Guy Waters, a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary.

Guy Waters (1:31)

In our last lecture, we began to think about how we prepare for death, and we saw that preparation for death begins right now. We prepare ourselves spiritually by living as God calls us to live, believers in Jesus Christ in this world. But there's still more to say about how we prepare for death. We're thinking in this session about preparing ourselves in a different way, this worldly preparations, preparing our families, preparing our estates, preparing for the end of life and preparing the funeral and the burial. Now, in describing these as this worldly preparations, we want to be clear that there is nothing unspiritual about what we're going to speak of. We call them this worldly because they relate to this age and to the body. But the Bible speaks to them. And as we'll see, these matters become ways to testify to our faith in Jesus Christ. And so they are, in that sense, very much spiritual. So to begin, how do we prepare our families for our death? And a couple of thoughts about how we could do that. One way we can do that is to offer some thoughts and reflections as we approach the end of our days. As you read through the Scripture, you may have noticed a pattern in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Farewell addresses Jacob gives farewell words to his sons. The whole book of Deuteronomy is a farewell address from Moses to Israel. There's Joshua's parting words in Joshua chapter 24 David's parting words to Solomon at the beginning of 1 Kings. And then when we come to the New Testament, the discourse in the upper room, John chapters 14, 15 and 16 are Jesus farewell words to his disciples. You remember Paul's poignant farewell words to the elders of Ephesus in Acts chapter 20. And the whole second epistle to Timothy is a farewell address from the apostle Paul to his protege Timothy. Now to be clear, this is a pattern. It is a well founded tradition, not a command. But it does invite us to think about leaving some parting words with our friends and loved ones. And we get help from these speeches in Scripture. We can trace three themes that run through them in different ways. The first place, they remind others of God's faithfulness. God has been faithful to me and to his people in my generation. He will be faithful to you in yours. That's what Moses and Joshua want to impress on the generation that's about to enter into Canaan. Second thing these speeches do is that they point others to the promises of God. Jesus knows the profound sadness of his disciples when he will be absent in body from them. But he encourages them. He tells them, it is better that I leave, because I will with the Father send to you the Holy Spirit. He will be with you. He will help you. And I go to prepare a place for you. You read through Paul's words to the elders in Ephesus. He is reminding them at many points and turns of the Gospel that he preached to them, pointing them once again to the promises that for three years he had set before them. And Paul does the same thing in his second Epistle to Timothy. So they point others to God's faithfulness. They point others to God's promises, and they call others to fellowship with God. Remember Joshua's words to this up and coming generation, choose you this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15 Jesus says in John 14, if you love me, keep my commandments. Paul is pressing on Timothy his duties as a Christian man and a minister of the Gospel. As for you, he says in chapter four, verse five, be sober minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry. For here's why I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come. Paul's imminent departure should stir Timothy to serve the Lord faithfully in his generation. Notice what holds each of these three themes together. They all point people to God. His faithfulness, his goodness in his promises and the privilege and duty of serving him and walking with him. Now, there are many ways that we can do this. We don't have to make a formal address in a large setting, though we can. It can be one on one. It could be at the last hour, but it doesn't have to be. It could be done in person. It could be done by letter or in writing. But here is an established biblical pattern to leave something with the generation to come, our loved ones, pointing them not to ourselves, but to God. And then, as we think about preparing our families, there's another thing we should keep in mind. We should be asking, is there need for reconciliation? Is there need for reconciliation? Are there any people we have sinned against or have sinned against us? And there's been no attempt at reconciliation. We remember Paul's words in Romans 12, if possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. We ought to take the initiative in reconciliation. In reality, the approach of death is not the optimal time to tally these outstanding debts. The time to do it is now. We ought to keep, as the older writers used to say, short accounts with God, and that ought to be true in our relationships with one another. So we prepare our families. Second way we prepare is by preparing our worldly estates. There is a lot of work that goes into putting our earthly estates in order. If you've had the experience of a family member or of a friend who has died without having put their estates in order, you know what a trial that can be. Their finances and property can be tied up in court. There can be expenses and fees that mount up in time. It lays a burden of work that didn't have to be laid upon mourning family members. And sadly, uncertainties can become the occasion for family division as they squabble and quarrel over who gets what. So the best thing to do while we're in good health, mentally and physically, is with our spouse, if we're married, to make sure that we craft an appropriate, comprehensive and legal plan to make sure that our possessions, our monies, go where we want them to go. And that really is in keeping with what the Scripture calls us to do with our earthly possessions. Paul tells us in First Timothy, chapter five, verse eight, we have a responsibility to provide for our own. And certainly what we're describing here would apply. Think of this as a way to love our neighbor as ourselves. So to do this, we should consult professionals who can help us to make the wisest decisions and decisions that are in keeping with the law of the land. What sorts of things might we keep in mind as we make these decisions, we can raise a couple One we should be asking how can I provide for the needs of my family after I'm gone? My spouse, my children, particularly if my children are underage or have a special medical condition, or my grandchildren, as appropriate? We might also ask how can I support the work and worship of my church above and beyond my regular offerings? How can I support Kingdom Minded Ministries? So we prepare our worldly estates. We don't leave that to another to burden them. The third thing is that we prepare for the end of life. We don't know, but we may face, or our loved ones may face, in our case, end of life decisions that will have to be made. How do we think through these? We can only give a brief survey in the time that we have. We begin with the sixth Commandment. God tells us, you shall not kill. And as the Westminster Shorter Catechism reminds us, this includes the duty to preserve our own life and the life of others. As Paul says in Ephesians 5:29 no man ever hated his own flesh, so we have a duty to preserve life, including our own. And we are forbidden from unjustly taking another's life or our own. That's our starting framework. God's Law. Now there are often agonizing and unforeseen, even unforeseeable decisions we may be called to make. So how do we prepare for them in the best way? Well, a few tips and a few principles A few tips While you're in good health, physically and mentally, pick up good resources that are written by well known, reliable evangelical and Reformed students of Scripture that speak to these issues, these ethical issues. The literature is always changing. Ask your pastor, a trusted elder, what would you recommend that I read? And then, as you read through these books and think about the kinds of issues and questions that come up, consult with your pastor or an elder. Would you help me to think through these biblically? Or perhaps you know or have a trusted Christian medical professional? Ask them to sit down and talk with you through these important issues in the context of our current medical system. How do I practically and effectively work with doctors? What sorts of things might they be asking me? What sorts of things should I be asking them? What happens if we don't agree? What do we do? Gather counsel early and often and then you'll want to formulate your wishes and make them legal and official in your state. You want to make them known to your family and to your medical professionals. There are a number of ways to do this, but a particularly Good way is a durable power of attorney for health care decisions. One good thing that durable power of attorney for health care decisions does is that it empowers a loved one, a spouse, a child, a trusted friend, someone you know and love and you know loves you. And you trust them with making these decisions when you may not be able to make these decisions. And you trust them to make the right decisions even when you're not there, and to be your advocate when you're not able to advocate for yourself. So those are some tips to prepare some principles to start us as we think through these end of life matters in the first place, unjust killing is always wrong. We're speaking here of what's often termed euthanasia. To kill, summarizing the definition of one biblical ethicist, is to act in such a way that will intentionally bring an end to a person's life. And God forbids us from doing that. Second principle to keep in mind is to think about what the goal of medicine is. The goal of medicine is to bring a person from sickness to health. And with that in mind, we want to ask good questions. Questions such as these that I have benefited from reading and talking with medical professionals in formulating questions like these. What is the purpose of this treatment? Is this treatment effective? What are the costs associated with with this treatment? Do the benefits outweigh the burdens? And as you ask these questions, you're open about your biblical goals and values as you speak with your healthcare professionals. Third principle is that we recognize that death is inevitable and no medical professional, no intervention, can indefinitely prevent death. And there will come a point where we have to acknowledge, I am dying, my loved one is dying. And we shift gears at that point, knowing that the outcome in God's providence is certain, knowing that certain interventions may do more harm than good. I can biblically, with good conscience, refuse those interventions and pursue a course of treatment that will not cure me, but will allow me to live my remaining days in a dignified and comfortable way. This is not a violation of the sixth commandment. This is not killing. As one puts it, letting die is not the same as killing. So we recognize there comes a point where death is inevitable and we take the appropriate steps. Final way that we prepare ourselves for our own death in a this worldly way is by preparing for the funeral and the burial. As we think about our funeral again, this is a way to serve our loved ones. By sparing them the burden of guessing or second guessing what our wishes may be, we can serve them while we are still Alive by writing out the answers to questions like these. What scriptures do I want read? What hymns do I want sung? Whom do I want to officiate at the service? Where will the service be? Will there be pallbearers? Who are they? Are there military honors to be performed? We should also make advance arrangements for burial. That's expensive, it's time consuming, and something that, with proper planning, again, eases the burden on our loved ones who will be grieving us. This raises a question that's controversial among some Christians. Burial or cremation? Cremation has become more and more popular, not least because burial has become more and more expensive. In my judgment, it's not an issue of conscience. That is, it's not a sin to opt for one versus the other. That said, there are clear preferences given us, I think, from the Scripture. Historically, Christians have buried their dead, and that is a practice that's rooted in the examples given us in Scripture itself. The bodies of the deceased were entombed above ground, and there is something powerful about the lowering of the body into the ground. It confirms the finality of death, even as it testifies to the hope of the resurrection. We lay a loved one in the ground, knowing that bodies will be raised, reunited with their souls at the last day. And as we think about the funeral and the burial, don't discount the witness that the funeral and burial can have in the lives of those who come together and in grief. There are going to be many people coming together oftentimes, and a number of those people may never have set foot in a church, may never have heard the Scripture read, may never have heard the Gospel preached. And so that will be an occasion to offer a clear Gospel testimony to those who need it most. And that means it will be worth the time and the effort and the expense you have to invest in making these preparations. And in really, that note is the note that's sounded in each of these areas of preparation. When we plan properly and in advance in these four areas that we've surveyed in this lecture, we are demonstrating love to those around us. And done well, that expression of Christian love will point others not to ourselves, but it will point others to the love of God in Jesus Christ. And that is a wonderful gift that we can give beyond the grave.