For example, as Christians:
• We can not allow others to do our thinking for us when it comes to deciding what is RIGHT and what is WRONG.
• We can not just ignore these issues we face and hope they will go away.
Through the ages of time, God’s people have had to face difficult situations in society head on. Then they had to take a stand for what they believed would please God, whether it was popular or unpopular.
In this course we are going to deal with four things that today’s Christians are facing.
We want to look at these issues:
• From what the WORLD says we should do
• From what the WORD of God says we should do
If we agree this is something the Word of God teaches, and if this is something that is pleasing to the Lord, then every Christian, if they have not done so already, should go and make arrangements for their organs to be donated at their death.
Some have, but most folks have never signed that card that allows their body parts to be distributed to the living at their death.
The popular opinion in the society in which we live is that this is something that is nice to do. But remember, as Christians we do not allow the world to make our decisions.
Our decisions are based on the Word of God.
As we search the Scriptures from cover to cover, we see where God’s people had to take a stand on issues that were unpopular.
Look at Daniel 1:3-16, we read, “And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.”
This passage of scripture from the book of Daniel deals with men who lived during a time when they had to take a stand concerning the issues that faced them in their lives here on earth. That is exactly what they did, and at the end they were better off for doing so.
They did not follow the crowd, or allow others to make decisions for them.
They often took an unpopular position that displeased the majority, but pleased the God they served.
They did not have the attitude that they needed to go along with these fellows and not rock the boat, lest they find themselves in some deep trouble.
It is not always easy to take a stand, if it were, more people would be doing it. But this is something that God expects us to do as the children of God.
We do not have to face the same issues that the Old Testament characters had to face.
But today, we are facing things, as the children of God, that our forefather’s did not have to face.
God’s children today are like school children in one way.
Today’s school children are having to deal with things that many of us who are much older did not have to deal with.
For example, years ago, the biggest problems in the public schools were:
• Who threw a “spit ball” at another student?
• Who skipped a class every now and then?
The problems seem minor compared to:
• The rebellion we see today
• The disrespect we see today
• The drug and alcohol problems we see today
• The sex problems we see today
All of these things today that we can see, make us aware that today’s school children have to deal with things that many of us older folks never had to deal with.
No doubt about it, the school children today are facing things that many parents never had to face.
But the children of God today are having to face things that our grandparents never had to deal with.
We do not have their example to follow, because we are facing things they never encountered.
As it has been stated already, the purpose of this course is to help us face these situations, and search the scriptures to see what God would have us do.
Let’s look at some of the controversial things we are facing today, such as,
I. THE MATTER OF ORGAN TRANSPLANTS
As we deal with this subject, we want to do two things:
A. LET’S LOOK AT SOME QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES
While it seems like a good idea to donate our organs to someone else at death, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD DO?
Just because we have the ability to do something, does not mean we should do it.
Something we all can agree on is this, on the surface, IT SEEMS LIKE DONATING OUR ORGANS TO OTHERS WHEN WE DIE IS A GOOD THING TO DO.
As we look beyond the surface of ORGAN TRANSPLANTS, some questions need to be considered. Such as:
(1) IF GOD THE CREATOR IS PERFECT IN ALL HIS WAYS, AND A PERSON IS BORN BLIND, DID GOD MAKE A MISTAKE WHEN HE ALLOWED THEM TO BE BORN THIS WAY?
For example, many wonderful Christians are born blind. In the New Testament some that came to Christ were born this way.
• Did God make a mistake when they were born blind? Is it up to us, imperfect mortals, to correct the “mistakes” of the perfect God?
• Did God have a purpose in allowing them to be born this way?
Also, while it looks like it might be a good thing to DONATE OUR ORGANS to others when we die, there are some other things we need to consider, such as:
(2) IF GOD ALLOWED A PERSON TO BE BORN BLIND, AND WE NOW ARE ABLE TO MAKE THAT PERSON SEE, ARE WE MORE COMPASSIONATE THAN GOD?
After all, God could have given them sight when they were born. Why did He not do it?
Does the Creator of life have a purpose in making us the way He saw fit?
Another thing we need to ask ourselves, if we become donors -
(3) ARE WE ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR BODY PARTS AFTER DEATH?
We know God holds us accountable for how we use this body. He entrusts it to us while we are alive, but what about after death?
• God entrusted you with eyes. On the Judgment day, you are going to have to give account to God for how you used those eyes. Suppose you donate those eyes to another person at your death. Perhaps the eyes are given to a lost person, and are used to view wicked and ungodly things for that persons pleasure. ARE YOU GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THOSE EYES WERE USED TO LOOK AT? After all, if you had not donated them, they wouldn’t have been able to use them for evil purposes.
• Suppose you donate your hands to a lost person, like some have done, and after your death, this individual used those hands to fight, hurt, rape and molest children. ARE YOU GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THAT PERSON DID WITH THOSE HANDS?
After all, they would not have been able to do the evil they did, if you did not make it possible.
We do know that we are going to be held accountable for how we use them.
It sounds good when someone says they are going to donate their organs, they seem to be unselfish.
Just because something seems good, does not mean it is good.
Lot chose to live in Sodom, because it seemed like something good to do, but look what it cost him later.
On the surface, being an organ donor seems like the Christian thing to do. Do not tell me that you think it is the RIGHT THING TO DO, if you are not going to do it.
If it is something we SHOULD DO, WE SHOULD DO IT!
In James 4:17, the Bible teaches, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
As we consider ORGAN TRANSPLANTS, we need to consider these things.
After we are dead and gone, and have donated our body parts to others, it is to late to think about it. This is a decision we must make now, because this issue is staring us in the face.
Look at it this way, many movie actors and actresses have made movies that were filled with sinful activities. Many of these have died, and gone out into eternity to face God. Even though they are dead, those movies are still being used to promote evil. They are dead and gone, but the things they have left behind continue to add sin to their life.
The same thing can be said of many who have donated body parts. They are in heaven, but the body they were entrusted with was donated to someone who now is using it for evil.
We need to make the decision about ORGAN TRANSPLANTS while we are alive. After we are dead it is to late!
When we donate our body parts to someone when we die, that which we leave behind continues to operate for the GOOD or the BAD.
Those who do this can only hope that these body parts are given to someone who will use them for the glory of God.
There is another thing to consider. When body parts can be bought and sold like hamburger meat, how do you know that the organs you donated at your death will not be sold for a tremendous profit to the highest bidder?
We have looked at some provocative questions concerning becoming an ORGAN DONOR. Now let us look at some scriptures, to see if we can discover what we should do about this issue that faces all of God’s children today.
LET’S LOOK AT SOME SCRIPTURES.
(1) To help us make the right decision, we need to consider what Paul said in 1 Cor. 10:31. We read, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or WHATSOEVER YE DO, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD.”
Can we donate our body parts AND KNOW THAT THE PERSON THAT RECEIVES THEM WILL USE THEM FOR THE GLORY OF GOD?
The Scripture makes it clear, “Whatsoever YE DO, do all to the glory of God.”
If you can not do it knowing it is going to be for the glory of God, YOU SHOULD NOT DO IT.
When you become an organ donor, you are no longer here to determine who will receive these body parts. There are some cases where the family of the deceased had some say in the matter, but most of the time it is done by a reviewing committee. They could donate your body parts to anyone.
• It could be an atheist who will use them to promote atheism
• It could be a prostitute who will use them to spread disease and sorrow
• It could be a gambler
• It could be a rapist
• It could be pornographer
• It could be a liar
• It could be a murderer
• It could be a homosexual
The optimist among us might say that it could be to a preacher or missionary who will spread the Word of God. Yes, it could be, and those who donate their body parts certainly hope they would be given to someone who will advance the work of God, BUT WE CAN NOT BE SURE!
In the year of 2001, a television documentary dealt with ORGAN DONORS.
On this television show, they featured a successful business man who lost his hands in an accident. Years later, a young man got killed and the family donated his hands to this man. The doctors involved did not know very much about him, other than he appeared to have a great deal of money. The operation was a success, and he now has two hands that he can use. But they found out after the operation that this man was a crook, and the medical profession and the family members were upset because they made it possible for this man to continue doing evil, that he could not do before. The program concluded that this same man got in trouble with the law shortly after he had gotten out of the hospital, and was jailed.
Some have the attitude, if I donate my organs, I can not be responsible for what others will do with them! HOLD IT!
Isn’t that like some who send money off to some of these television “Hucksters” and say, “I gave it to them, but I can not be responsible once I gave it.”
The fact is, giving is an AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY, and if we support someone who chooses to live in evil, we become a partaker of what they do.
A thief will steal and bring their stolen merchandise to sell to us dirt cheap. They want $10.00 for a $179.00 skill saw. If you buy it, you become a partaker of their evil deeds. The police will lock you up for receiving stolen property because they consider you to be a partaker of their evil deeds.
It may seen like a good thing to donate our organs to others after death. When we give them these vital organs, we become a partaker of whatever they involve themselves in.
• As good stewards, we have been entrusted with MONEY, and we are going to be held accountable to God for how we use it.
• Also we have been given a BODY, and we are going to have to give account of how it is used.
(2) To help us make the right decision, we need to consider what Paul said in Roman 6:12. We read, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”
If a Christian is going to donate their body parts to someone else when they die, how are they going to keep sin from reigning in those body parts God entrusted to them? THIS IS A QUESTION THAT NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED!
(3) To help us make the right decision, we need to consider what Paul said in 1 Cor. 6:19. We read, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? “
A Christian’s body becomes the temple of the Holy Ghost.
Paul said of this temple, “…Ye are not your own…”
Do we have a right to take part of the temple of God, and give it to an unsaved person, and let them use this temple(body parts) we gave them, and defile it with sin?
Look at 1 Cor. 6:15, we read, “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.”
The Bible makes it clear that once we are saved by the precious blood of Christ, that our body becomes the temple of the Holy Ghost. Paul is trying to make sure that these Christians know that if a saved person joins their body to the body of a harlot, they are taking the body of Christ and joining it to a harlot.
The world says, “This body belongs to me, I have the right to do with it as I please!” But the mature Christians says, “This body belongs to God!”
Paul said, “…Ye are not your own?”
Do we have the right to take that which belongs to God, and give it away to someone else? THIS IS A QUESTION THAT NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED!
(4) To help us make the right decision, we need to consider what Paul said in 1 Cor. 6:20. We read,” For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
Notice, you have been bought with a price, and God says you are to glorify Him, “In your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Suppose you donate some of your organs, and the recipient takes those body parts into their body, and they use their body to promote evil. THIS IS A QUESTION THAT NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED!
(5) To help us make the right decision, we need to consider what Paul said in 1 Cor. 9:27. We read,” But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
Paul felt a personal responsibility of bringing his body into subjection.
Suppose a Christian donates their body parts to a lost person after their death, how are they going to keep those body parts under subjection after death? THIS IS A QUESTION THAT NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED!
.
We are responsible for these bodies and how they are used. If a person is going to donate an organ that God has entrusted to them, they should at least make sure they donate those body parts to a Christian.
But even then, how would you know that Christian would not backslide and go back into sin, and use the parts of the body that you donated to them to promote evil?
This is a complex world in which we live. Whether it is right or wrong to donate organs is something that today’s Christian is having to deal with.
Let’s look at one more Scripture passage before we close on this subject.
Look at 1 Cor. 15:” Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”
When our bodies are resurrected, they are the same bodies that we lived in, but they are changed from “Corruptible” to “Incorruptible.”
Paul says that the body a man receives at birth is the same body to be carried to the grave, waiting for the resurrection when the “Corruptible” shall put on “Incorruption”.
Just because we can do something, does not mean we should do it. For example,
• We can rob a bank, but just because we can do it, does not mean we should do it.
• We can get in our cars and drive 100 mph, but just because we can do it, does not mean we should.
• We can transplant organs into other people, but because we can do it does not mean we should.
MY PERSONAL
CONCLUSION
In this course I have shown you MANY scriptures that would cause us to think possibly that donating our body parts is something that Christians should not do.
Each person has to make up their own mind concerning what the Bible teaches about this, but after searching the Scriptures on this matter of being a body donor, I have reached the decision that since God entrusted this body to me, and is going to personally hold me accountable for how it is used, I do not plan to donate my body parts to anyone. I would like to tell you why I take this unpopular position.
This decision is not based on selfishness, but on what I believe the Word of God teaches, as I have stated throughout this course.
Not only have the scriptures led me to take this stand, I also believe that nature itself teaches us it is wrong to swap body parts.
God has so designed these human bodies that they naturally resist Organ Transplants that are placed within them.
This should tell us that this is not in the plan of God. If it was within His plan, He would not have made these bodies to resist the organ from the donors.
The only way that we can receive body parts is to trick the body into accepting them by using medication.
It is a great deal like a computer program that works on certain days out of the month. The only way you can get these programs to function, is to trick the computer, by changing the date to a false date, and then the computer program will accept the data and function.
This is what doctors do with their patients. After these body parts have been placed within them, they give them medication that tricks the body into accepting something that ordinarily it would reject. But generally the body overcomes the deception of the medication, and the body shuts down and rejects the part that has been placed within it.
Some may say you are only donating a part of your body, not your whole body.
That is true, but would I be less wrong if I became a partner with a thief to rob a bank, and once the robbery had taken place, I only took 1/10, and he took 9/10 for himself. IT IS NOT THE PERCENTAGE THAT MAKES IT EVIL, IT IS THE PARTICIPATION IN THE ACT.
It might be that we would only donate a small part of our body to someone. Once we donate our body parts to them, we become one with them in everything they do, whether it be GOOD or BAD.
When Adam sinned in the garden of Eden, we were all in the loins of Adam, and God holds us all responsible for the sin Adam committed. We are born into sin because we were there when this happened. We were in the loins of Adam, and we became a partaker of evil. When Adam sinned, that means we sinned. (Became a partaker)
We are going to be held accountable for these bodies, and until the world can convince me there is a guaranteed way that I can know that my body parts will be donated to someone who will use them to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ after my death, I do not plan to aid the enemy.
The song we used to sing as a child went like this:
• Oh be careful little eyes what you see, Oh be careful little eyes what you see, For the Father up above, is looking down in love, So be careful little eyes what you see.
• Oh be careful little mouth what you say, Oh be careful little mouth what you say, for the Father up above, is looking down in love, so be careful little mouth what you say.
• Oh be careful little hands what you do, Oh be careful little hands what you do, For the Father up above, is looking down in love, So be careful little hands what you do.
We need to ask ourselves again, if God has entrusted us with these bodies, and we know we are going to have to give account to God for how they are used, SHOULD WE DONATE THOSE PARTS OF OUR BODY THAT HAVE BEEN ENTRUSTED TO US TO SOMEONE ELSE AFTER OUR DEATH?
We need to be led BY THE WORD, not BY THE WORLD.
If you would like to hear Dr. Odell Belger preach on some of these subjects go to Youtube - Lykesland
