Last week we discussed how the ultimate slide of humanity into the abyss of darkness will begin with the betrayal of doctors with their most basic trust to save and preserve life. Instead, they will start to freely take lives. As this trend has been growing in the last few decades, we are not far from again seeing man rise to the ultimate arrogance—determining to play God by choosing who should live and die by their own discretion.

Medicine has risen to become one of the most esteemed professions in the last century, and this has been well earned. However, as we are warned in Proverbs 16:18-19: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” When pride gets a foothold into anything it can fall to a darkness that corresponds to its exaltation. As we read throughout the Scriptures, the foremost reason that the Lord will judge the earth is for the pride of man. The ultimate form of this pride is thinking that we have the wisdom to choose who should live or die. At this point judgment must come, because by this fallen humanity is crossing the line to incorrigibility, as is well documented by what happened in Nazi Germany. Soon it was not just individuals who were deemed to be “useless eaters,” and therefore killed, but a whole race was then deemed unworthy of life by minds that had become some of the most demented in history.

As we see mankind becoming increasingly calloused about aborting their young, it will cross over to killing those who are born deformed. It will also go to the other extreme of killing the aged when they are no longer deemed useful. This is another, even greater extreme of the pride of man because one of the ultimate forms of humility is to honor our fathers and mothers. This is the only commandment that comes with a promise, that we will remain long in the land that the Lord has given to us (see Exodus 20:12). The reverse is also true—when we cease to honor our fathers and mothers we can be sure that our time left on this earth will be short.

Contrary to this trend that is now growing in many nations, the redeemed will be growing in their love and respect for life. Christianity is a faith that loves and cares for people from the womb to the tomb. As both the young and the old are increasingly threatened, we must resolve to serve both even more. We must give ourselves to the best education and preparation of our young and to the finest care of our elders, helping them make their last years on earth some of their finest. One of the answers to the education of the young is for the elders to be able to impart their wisdom and knowledge to them. This will also be one of the most fulfilling things that our elders can do, and will help to keep them young and alive. One of the most invigorating things for any person is to be needed.

This ultimate pride of man that seeks to determine which of the old or young should live is the ultimate maturity of the doctrine of “the survival of the fittest.” To deem someone that has physical or mental problems as too expensive to be allowed to exist is the exact opposite of the nature of God. When man fell, truly becoming both sick and insane, God did not deem us as too expensive to help, but paid the ultimate price for our help. When we serve the sick or aged, it is for our sakes as well as theirs. It is in this way we can start to identify with the Lord’s heart for “the maimed, and the halt, and the blind,” (Luke 14:21 KJV) which we all are in a sense.

Even so, as health care costs continue to skyrocket, the cost of helping one in need will increasingly become the criteria of whether they deserve to live or die. We will also see many of those who will be given treatment that will actually be used for experiments, even as much as to see them healed. Doctors, who now save so many lives and help so many people, can be the most vulnerable to the ultimate pride of playing God with people. Not all do of course, but as the medical professions continue down the trail of being a business more than a calling, the door is opened wider and wider to this ultimate depravity.

Jesus is often referred to as “the great Physician” because of His devotion to healing. Some have estimated that as much as two-thirds of His ministry while on the earth was devoted to healing and deliverance. He came to reveal the nature of the Father. By this we know His most basic desire is to see people healed, to deliver them from their afflictions, and from the bondage of the devil.

The Lord said that we would do the works He did and even greater works after He went to the Father (see John 14:12). We will see this come to pass before the end of this age. We will see believers lay hands on hospitals and everyone in them will be instantly healed of every kind of affliction. Plagues that are sweeping over continents will be stopped by intercession. The deeper that darkness comes upon the rebellious, the greater the light that will come. When sin increases, we will see the grace of God abound even more (see Romans 5:20).

Jesus was also especially devoted to helping society’s castaways to be made whole. Those who are in true unity with Him and His purposes will likewise have this basic devotion. As the Lord said in John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”

Jesus is the “Prince of life” who came to lead us in “the path of life.” He offered “living water,” and the “bread of life.” His words were “words of life,” and He was the light of Life who came to give us “eternal life.” Everything about the Lord revolved around the giving of life. The ultimate enemy that He will destroy is death.

The Father gave Jesus life to have “in Himself” (see John 5:26) to give to others, but He came to lay down His own life for our sakes. In the ultimate paradox, the way the Lord gave life to the world was by dying, and He has likewise said to us, "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25). Our calling is to count the lives of others with the greatest value, but to easily lay down our own.

It is the ultimate devotion to give life to others. To sacrifice one’s own life is the mark of the true followers of Christ. However, this definition of life the Lord made clear is not in our possessions. True life, which is eternal, is knowing the Father and the Son whom He sent (see John 17:3), and to believe in Him (see John 3:16). In all of these things we must never let our devotion to healing the body eclipse our devotion to healing the soul. These are not mutually exclusive and actually go together, but we must still keep them in proper order.