Dennis L. Finnan Commentator
"The World, the Word & You! Broadcast"

NO CODE!

“TODAY WE ARE WITNESSING THE COLLAPSE OF OUR CULTURE. AT THE HEART OF IT LIES THE ISSUES OF BIOETHICS, WHERE THE FOUNDATIONAL QUESTIONS OF WHAT IS LIFE MUST BE ANSWERED TO PRESERVE IT.”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about “End of Life” decisions and the ethic it involves…

…You know, we often talked about our modern world’s amazing advances in technology and science.  Why what is “new” to us today, by tomorrow is already “old.”  Yes indeed, it's so difficult to keep up with advancing technology.  Now especially, that would apply in the area of medical science.  Every day man is finding new ways to save and prolong life.  Today man has devised methods and machines that people of any other era would call miraculous!  However, all the miraculous medical means available today, has also brought us some big problems.  In a real sense, man has, through advancing technology, brought himself into a true age of ethical "responsibility."  A time for which, we must make decisions that other generations could safely allow to be resolved by themselves.  Yet today, everyone is thankful for the tremendous new advances we enjoy in the area of advanced health care. 

Now years ago, many of us who are alive today, would never have survived, had it not been for pacemakers, artificial kidney and heart machines, organ transplants and most of all the hospital life-support respirators that now can keep accident and seriously ill patients alive beyond their natural abilities.  Now no one is against the usage of "heroic medical procedures" to keep alive thousands of lives, that became periled by tragic accidents or serious disease.  Many stories surface from the ICU units of hospitals, of people who have been revived and restored only because modern medicine could maintain life functions while healing resulted.  However, the opposite stories surface too. And in another moment after this second pause for musical refreshment, I’ll return to talk about END-OF-LIFE decisions…

…Everyone has heard about Intensive Care Unit patients who are comatose and on hospital life-support systems, where they are keeping the shell of a body alive indefinitely.  Oh, a few EEG waves flicker here and there, with IV's, tubes in the nose and bladder, and multiple doctors and nurses making hourly adjustments, and most frightening of all ¾ the hospital money meter is meanwhile clicking away at more than $2,000 a day with no end in sight for the bereaved loved ones who wait for life or death to take control.

What a ghastly thought!  Yet as a pastor, I’ve seen and experienced such cases first hand.  Some years ago, a young teenage girl from a church I served, had suffered a car accident and was flown to our local health care hospital, one of the finest in the world.  There the family was summoned, and the doctors and nurses, who did what I would call the finest job administering medical help and care, worked and prayed for this beautiful young and vibrant teen to come back to life, as she knew it.

Well, the hours moved along at a snail's pace.  The father and mother, relatives and friends waited with broken hearts hoping for a miracle.  I spent time with them, and also stood at the bedside of this lovely girl, who just days before sat smiling at me in church while I preached my Sunday message. Who would have thought such a tragedy would happen?  But, there it was.  Through the week, I stood by her bedside, I prayed for the Lord to restore her, to show the world His miraculous power and compassion.  Yet, as a minister of God's Word, I have long ago learned that the sovereign ways and will of God, are much higher, nobler and different from my finite understanding to demand her healing.  Even though this girl was a classic case of a comatose patient. The doctors held out hope.  The parents, whom I greatly respected and admired for their strength and character, also held out hope.  But as the week went on, the brain waves of any apparent measure of life, failed to appear.  The time soon came for those dreaded END-OF-LIFE decisions to be made.  There lying on a bed in the IC unit of the hospital, was the body of a once vibrant, happy and exciting young girl, now in a comatose state with no tangible signs of hope for a future life.  Does the family decide to go on with these extraordinary measures of mechanically maintaining what minimum life was beating in her body?  Or, does the family allow the inevitable to come, by calling a halt to the heroic procedures of the IC unit?

Let's face it, people today want to know what is the right decision.  Does God have anything to say about it and how can we know what to do if such tragedies strike us?  Well, friends, today I want to share with you what this pastor and radio commentator knows from God's Word, coupled with the wisdom I believe God has given me, through careful years of study of the Scriptures.  I share this personal life experience with you today so that you can be equipped to possibly help others at times of such difficult decision making.

Let's begin with the basic issue of life.  Let's talk about death.  Now, everyone knows he or she is going to die.  The common wish of all is that our death would be gentle and dignified.  That is, we would all like to reach ninety years of age and in full control of our faculties and one-day just lean back in our favorite armchair and fall asleep and into eternity.  Yes, I like that don't you?  But then reality is far different from our dreams and desires.  Actually, most deaths fall somewhere in between such a dreamy dignified death and the frightening terrible tragedies that often pen the pages of magazines and court procedures.  However, one factor is true.  Although death is still with us, mankind has, in effect, prolonged the average death for most of us.  Although most of us live longer today, our bodies don't necessarily cooperate, for we are still aging and dying at the same rate of past generations.  If death itself is forestalled, the dying processes are still with us.

All one has to do is visit a nursing home and see the ravages of extended time and its effects on our human bodies.  There, we see senility in advanced stages, which we now call Alzheimer’s disease.  We also see stroke victims, and a host of degenerative illnesses, pitifully through the eyes of its victims, with a cry for help and love from those around them.  Yet, any nursing home administrator will tell you all too many, have outlived relatives or friends who really care about them.  With life so extended, they are often abandoned and alone, many suffering, all dying but living on because of advances in medicine and technology, which prolongs their lives their grandparents never would have endured.

Of course, in today's society, we have the fools answer to all of this.  Radical anti-life zealots who advocate euthanasia, that is the destruction of all life that seems unproductive or useless.  However, being a Christian, such actions are sinful and condemned by God.  No one has the right to take anyone’s life, let alone their own, regardless of the quality of life lived.  To condone "euthanasia" is against God's great commandment, 

Exo 20:13 (NNAS)  “”You shall not murder.”

Yet, many believers in Christ really don't know what to do when faced with decisions of prolonging life or terminating medical procedures that seem to keep such life going.  Now in hospital terms when a decision is made not to revive or resuscitate a patient - they call it " NO CODE," or “DNR.”  All hospitals have codes concerning patient needs.  For instance, a CODE 45 in most hospitals, I understand, stands for a patient whose heart has suddenly stopped.  Instantly, when this code is sounded nurses and doctors rush to the patient's bedside with a defibrillator to shock the heart back to beating.  Another hospital code nurses wish to never hear is a CODE 90.  When such a code is sounded, it means a community disaster has occurred.  Perhaps a tornado, hurricane or some other large-scale disaster is about to bring in many victims for emergency medical treatment.  But then another code is used.  It is called the “silent code.”  Patients who have chosen, either personally or by family, that no further heroic biomedical techniques be applied when death stalks the patient.  It is called, NO CODE and means that when death threatens life functions, the victim is to be treated as humanely as possible with no special extraordinary measures to resuscitate and bring them back to life. 

For many, such a decision is heart rending and almost heartless.  Some teach that to make a decision not to resuscitate, or to not receive heroic medical care in a time of terminal illness is tantamount to committing murder!  In like manner, daily in ICU units all across the country, relatives are faced with these life and death decisions.  Do we place dying, terminally ill patients on the respirators or fibrillators, or simply allow them the right to die with dignity? 

Permit me to answer some basic points that can help decide in such matters.  First of all, when faced with a life and death situation, we must acknowledge some basic truths.  First, we must remember that we are dealing with human life, not animal or vegetable.  Accordingly, God has said that human life is sacred!  God tells us we are created in His image.  That is why God warns that the taking of life, by premeditated murder, is a high-handed sin that God will punish in this life and the next.  We must ever be careful about flippantly deciding for another's life not to go on. 

Today, people talk about the quality of life as being the determining factor on whether a person should live or not.  If the quality of life is the issue, I believe no one, not even ourselves, has the right to take life or terminate it by any act of man. Yet, today, many doctors are not all agreed about what is life or death.  For instance, when does life begin or end?  Our Supreme Court has tried to answer this to accommodate the sinful whims of promiscuous men and women.  Abortion has been permitted only because judges refuse to learn and study the evidence of medical knowledge and teachings of the Word of God.  Friend, the Bible says life begins at conception!  Thus, there is no other answer - from conception to drawing of our last breath is “SACRED,” and it must be carefully preserved by the individual and others around them.

However, today, what in the past was simply measured as "death," has gone far beyond it.  Now basically, there are three kinds of death recognized today. (1) CLINICAL DEATH, (2) BIOLOGICAL DEATH, AND (3) CELLULAR DEATH.  The first, (1) “Clinical death,” covers those whose heart and body functions have ceased for a determined time.  Such death, in the past, sufficed as proof a body was dead.  If there was no breath and the heart did not beat - well, any doctor a generation ago, said death had occurred.  Yet today, through resuscitation techniques, many have been revived from what is considered a clinical death.  Thus, doctors have now taken a new approach to declaring the terms of death. 

Now, the term, (2) "Biological death" has since surfaced.  This is a determination of measuring the absence of clinically detectable signs of life and the absence of “brain” activity.  If such are absent, doctors eventually declare the person has died.  Then there is what is called (3) "Cellular death."  This, of course, is final proof of death, when the body organs no longer function, and brain waves are totally absent, and apart from heroic measures to pump blood, every life function in the body has measurably ceased.  This, indeed, is the final measure today for a death to have occurred.

Now, this brings us to those "comatose patients" who, through accident or illness, often lie in the ICU units of our modern hospitals.  There they are, hooked up to respirators with the hope of somehow coming out of it.  Yet, as time goes by, hope often fades and the doctor's previous encouragements soon drift off into the agony of realizing impending death.  What is the family to do?  In time, the hospital staff reaches the point of giving the dreaded diagnosis.  They tell the family that brain wave activity cannot be measured and the nerve supply that normally operates body functions is dead.  The hospital team asks, should they cease the heroic maintenance of the body that lies helplessly there?  What would be your answer?  I'm not asking you what you think would be right, but what do you think God would approve of you doing?  Well, here is my answer and I hope it helps you in any situation you might face in the days to come. 

Remember first of all, God expects us to uphold the fact that life is sacred.  Thus, regardless of the seriousness of the accident or illness, we should do everything possible to prolong life regardless of the condition or quality it may be found.  However, the determining factor in all of this is, we must also recognize the fact that God says,

Heb 9:27 (NNAS)  “… it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,”

Yes, death is a natural part of life.  Death comes to the old, the young, the sick, the rich, and the poor - none can escape it and when it actually faces us, we must realize that there is a living process and a dying process. Herein is the key to knowing how to respond to these tough biomedical life choices. 

I believe it is at this point, many have lost the context of life's purpose.  Prolonging life is an act God expects us all to do, but God expects us to recognize that HE has the right to “terminate” life too.  Termination can be through simple old age or even tragic accidents.  God is LORD of life and death.  Listen to God's very own words found in the Bible.  Jesus Christ, the GOD-MAN, said,

Rev 1:18 (NNAS)  “…I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”

Wise Solomon said,

Eccl 3:1-2 (NNAS)  “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-- 2 A time to give birth and a time to die..”

Truly, a time will come for us all, when the living process is over and the dying process has come.  I believe this is key determining factor!  God does not expect us to "prolong" the dying process for anyone, including ourselves.  Unfortunately, if a person is actually still in the living process, we should do everything to help them recover.  But, when they slip into the "dying process" where revival seems hopeless and useless, we should begin to prepare ourselves, or our loved ones, for the most painless and comfortable means of slipping out into eternity.

Know this, there is a point where it becomes obvious, that pumping blood into an individual and keeping a heart beating by electromechanical means, and not by their own nerve supply, this is not the living process.  Many times such heroic measures can keep a body alive, but the real you or me may be long gone.  The brain, or nervous system functions often being dead, is proof of the dying process that comes in various ways to us all. God is as much in the dying process as He is in the process of maintaining our lives.  The psalmist said,

"My times are in the hands of the Father" (Psalm 31:15)

In Deut. 32:39, God strongly speaks:

" See now that I am He, And there is no God besides Me; It is I who terminates life and I who gives life.  Behold I would and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand".  

God is in control of the living process and the dying process for us all. So, when the dying process comes, either slowly or abruptly, as it did for this young girl I spoke about before - we must acknowledge God is alongside of it.  Therefore, when all sustained ability fails to maintain the bodily life functions, or to bring a person back to personal physical maintenance of these functions - we do not have to feel guilty to allow that individual the dignity of the dying process.  Does this mean starvation or helping along the dying process?  Not at all!  NEVER, are we permitted to assist anyone to die.  That is an act of murder!  Rather, we can ask the doctors to stop the artificial means of pumping blood and controlling nerve functions and giving God the right to reverse the dying process and return the patient to the living process.  But, failing that, when heroic equipment is released and death occurs, it is the will of God.

Remember this, none of us are obligated to use any and all available technology or resources to sustain life in a dying person.  When death is imminent or living by ones natural means is no longer possible, I believe, it is morally wrong to deny death and prolong suffering for the patient. 

NO CODE!  That is the hospital coding symbol, that says doctors and health care professionals are to respect the right of dignity in the dying process for such an individual.  Thus, until the time of death comes, simple nourishment, pain medication and loving personal attention by the bedside of the dying one, is the appropriate treatment and means honoring to God, as He ushers out of life, those whom we love so dearly... 

...Friends, we see two trends today that are Biblically wrong.  The first trend in major medical care is to "over treat" the patient with experimental and expensive care.  Often, the doctors do this not for your own good, but to protect themselves against malpractice suits.  This leads to that term, I have often used throughout the broadcast, - "heroic medical treatment".  But then, the opposite trend is also wrong.  It says, unless the living process of a human being will enable them to have a certain “quality life,” one's life is no longer of value.  Hence, "euthanasia" is advocated to take that person’s life.  No matter what - even a sick person or a handicapped person, even an unborn person, all of them have GOD-given worth, that first of all, must be maintained to the glory of God.

So, my friend, let's be careful to observe these principles from God's Word.  Remember the ministry of the Lord Jesus.  He did not revive everyone who was dying or heal everyone that was ill.  Nor are we obligated to maintain the physical body, when the soul and spirit may be sovereignly ready for departure or may possibly have already left.  Heroic biomedical technology today poses many problems but none of them are beyond the help and relevancy of the Word of God.  That young girl who suffered a tragic car accident, as her body lay in the hospital some years ago, with her apparent life gone - the parents had to make a decision.  Would they prolong the "dying process", or allow their daughter to fully be in the hands of her Creator?  Yes, miracles could happen, but God alone has the right to say yes to them.  I applaud these parents, who with the knowledge at hand, made the determination that the "dying process" was their daughter's state, and rather than causing further harm, pain and suffering, they would allow the natural course of death, as a result of the tragedy, be the final rule, if God intended it.

Say, friend, we all know death is inevitable, but the most important thing is, are you and I prepared for it?  Oh, I'm not talking about drawing up a living will, as purposeful as that can be under the right conditions, I'm asking you, have you taken Christ as your Savior from your sins?  There is no other preparation for our death that counts, than this one.  God's plans and purposes are sovereign and His love is upon us all while we have life and breath.  But the writer to Hebrews says it well in warning, "..it is appointed unto all men to die and after this the judgment".  It is my duty as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to confront you with God's call and claim and it is my duty to help you find a right relationship with your Creator.  Jesus Christ alone will make any and all death, dignified and peaceful. Oh friend, may Christ warm your heart, touch your soul and call you to His side to be saved today so such choices can be so much easier...

·         Radio talk #1802

·         Broadcast date: May 05, 2002

·         Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator

·         Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast

·         Address: P.O. Box 40133 Grand Junction, CO 81504

The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 22 years, and serves as General Director.

These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are actual radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of recent messages is available upon request also.