When Is a Person a Person?

I was thinking the other day about this topic.  When is a person a person?

• Does it happen at conception?
• Does it happen during pregnancy?
• Does it happen when a baby is born?
• Does it happen when we turn 2 years old?

Is a person a person at. . .

Viability- the point at which the fetus is able to live on its own outside the womb.

This occurs around 24-26 weeks of gestation.  But this can change as technology gets better.  So this is not a good standard to determine personhood.

Brain development- the point at which the brain of the fetus begins to function.  This occurs around 45 days into the pregnancy.  We define death as the cessation of all brain activity.  However, this has a problem.  When adult is brain dead, we can do nothing to fix it.  But and unborn baby will develop brain function if given the time.  So this is not a good standard to determine personhood.

Implantation- the point the embryo establishes its presence in the womb by the “signals” or the hormones it produces.  However, personhood is not determined by another’s awareness of its existence, whether it is physical awareness, or chemical awareness.  Just because up to 50 percent of conceived embryos spontaneously miscarry, it does not follow that personhood comes at implantation, since the essential nature of the fetus is not dependent on the number of embryos that do or do not survive to implant

Sentience- the point at which the fetus is capable of experiencing sensations, particularly pain.  However, this is a bad indicator of personhood.  Someone could be in a coma and feel no pain, but this would still make them a person.

Quickening- the point at with the mother feels the fetus move inside her womb.  However, this is a bad indicator of personhood because we don't determine the status of an individual simply because they move.

When do I think a person is a person? At the moment of conception. Why?

1. An adult human being is the end result of the continuous growth of the organism from conception.
2. From conception to adulthood, this development has no break that is relevant to the essential nature of the fetus.
3. Therefore, one is a human person from the point of conception onward.

The Bible supports this as well:

One particular verse comes to mind that is often overlooked.  Jesus was a person in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:39-56).  Mary visits Elizabeth only a few day after she has found out that she is pregnant with Jesus (fetus was probably only 3 weeks old).  Upon arrival at Elizabeth’s home, Mary is immediately recognized as “the mother of my Lord”(v. 43).  How could she be the mother of our savior Jesus if Jesus was not a person in the womb?

Also, in Jeremiah 1:5 we read,

⁵ "Before I formed you in the womb I knew ^[a] you,
       before you were born I set you apart;
       I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

For God to set Jeremiah apart before he was born, Jeremiah must have been a person.

Last, Psalm 139:13-16 say,

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
       you knit me together in my mother's womb.

 ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
       your works are wonderful,
       I know that full well.
 ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
       when I was made in the secret place.
       When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
 ¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
       All the days ordained for me
       were written in your book
       before one of them came to be.

The Conclusion of the Matter:
In conclusion, I believe we are a person at the moment of conception.  This should give us pause we we talk about the topics of abortion and embryonic cell research.  If it is true that we are a person at the moment of conception, then abortion is wrong and embryonic cell research could be considered murder.  This is a tough topic, but one that needs to be discussed.  I hope you will think about this.  God bless.

How Do We Get To Heaven?

Here's an interesting question:  How do we get to heaven?

I have talked about what heaven is like, but the question becomes, "How do we get to heaven?  What do you think?  I'd like you all to take a poll to tell me your opinion.  You'll find the poll on the right hand side of my blog.  Give the answer you think is the best.  I'll answer the question later this week.

What Is Heaven Like? (Part 3)

What Is Heaven Like?

We've learned this so far:

1. Heaven is a real physical place.

2. Heaven is where we will be with God forever.

There is one last thing I would like to touch on about heaven.  This one this is often overlooked.

There is something that happens to us to allow us to live in this physical place.  We aren’t just spirits floating around on the new heaven and earth.  There is something that happens to us that happened to Jesus on the third day he was in the tomb.

What happened on that third day after Jesus was dead and buried.  He rose from the dead.  He was resurrected!

In this new heaven and earth, we won’t be spirits floating around; we won’t even the same bodies we have now.  We will be resurrected from the dead with glorified bodies.  Look at 1 Corinthians 15: 20-23.

"20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him."

When Jesus Returns. . .

There will be a resurrection of the dead when Christ returns the 2nd time.  Just as Jesus was raised to life, we too will be raise to life and have real physical bodies one day.

The question becomes.  What will these bodies be like?  What kind of bodies will we have in heaven?  1 Corinthians 15:35-44 tells us,

"35But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" 36How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

 42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."

We will have physical bodies that are different and better than the ones we have now, but also similar in kind. Verse 37 tell us what kind of bodies we will have, "37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else."

The resurrect body will be different than our physical bodies now.  Just like a seed is different from the plant (1 Cor. 15:37). Just like the skin of a man, fish, or a cow are different, so will our resurrected physical bodies be different from our present bodies. (1 Cor. 15:38-39)  Just like the sun and moon and the stars are different, so will our resurrected physical bodies be different from our present bodies. (1 Cor. 15:40-41)

Does this mean our bodies will look different? (1 Cor. 15:42-44)  Are we going to look like aliens or another creature?  No, remember how God created Adam and Eve.  If you want to know what our bodies will be like, go back to Genesis 2.  Adam and Eve were humans.

So, what’s the difference?  Look at verse 42 through 44,

 "42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;"  First, our new bodies are imperishable- they can’t die!

"43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory" This new body won’t be under a curse as Adam was in Genesis 3.  It will be perfect and our lives will glorify God.

"it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." This new body has power- we won’t get tired, we won’t grow old and lose our abilities like running, jumping, walking, or lifting heavy objects!

"44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." We will be like Jesus.  This is what the spiritual body means- this is what verses 44 and 49 talk about.

Think about how cool this body will be.  We won’t get tired, we won’t grow old.  We be like Jesus.  What could Jesus do? Jesus walked through walls, flew in the air, disappeared, etc.  Can we do this?  I don’t really know.  Scripture doesn't say. 

What’s clear is that we will have real physical bodies in the eternal heaven.  We won’t be spirits; we won’t be playing harps in a cloud; we will be like Adam and Eve before the fall on a perfect earth, in physical resurrected bodies, spending eternity with God.

The Conclusion of the Matter:

What is heaven like? 

1. Heaven is going to be a real, physical place. 
2. Heaven is going to be a place where we spend eternity with God. 
3. Last, we will have real, physical resurrected bodies in heaven that will never die or get old.  These bodies will be powerful and strong.

In reality, if you want to know what heaven will be like, turn to Genesis 2.  You’ll see that Adam and Eve were in a real place, spending time with God, with bodies that would not die or grow old because they had the tree of life.  Heaven is going to be an amazing place.  I hope that you have trust Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins because he is the only door that leads to this glorious place called heaven.

What is Heaven Like? (Part 2)

What Is Heaven Like?

What Is Heaven Like?

Last time I told you that heaven will be a real physical place.  There will be a new universe and a new earth.  It will be as real and has amazing as the earth we live on right now except with no pain, suffering, death, or decay.

However, there is something ever better in heaven that awaits us.  Heaven is a place where we will be with God for eternity Revelation 21:2-4 reads,


"2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."


This image of the New Jerusalem coming out of heaven is a symbolic representation of how God is making his home and his kingdom on the new earth. God will no longer be separated in the present heaven from the present earth, but will now dwell with all of us. This is similar to Genesis 2 where God walked with Adam.


In case you didn’t get this, verse 3 makes it very clear that God is going to be with us forever. "3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God."
No longer will we have to live by faith. No longer will there be any doubt. We will see God face to face and be with him for eternity.

What This Mean for You and Me:

This has several wonderful effects. Look at verse 4. "4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."


There will be no more tears from heartaches, no more tears from pain, no more tears from death. Everything will be perfect.


So we see that heaven will be 1. a physical place and 2. will be with God. Heaven is not some party in the clouds, it will be in a restored and perfected universe on a restored and perfected earth. Heaven will be a place of joy, happiness, and most importantly a place where we spend eternity with God along side other believers in Jesus Christ. Find out next time the other things we will find in Heaven.

What is Heaven Like? (Part 1)

Is Heaven Like This?

Or Is Heaven Like This?

What Is Heaven Like?

One of the biggest questions I had growing up before I ever became a Christian is what is heaven like?  However, when I was young and asked people, if they could describe heaven to me their answers were always, something like, "Well there won’t be pain or suffering. God will be there. I think there’s some clouds and angels."  These answers were not good enough for me. 


That's why I am writting about it today.  Many of us have many misconception of what heaven will be like. What is the normal picture of heaven that comes to your mind? Something like angels on clouds with golden streets? But this is wrong!


How has our view of heaven been so warpped? Is this really what the bible says heaven is like? I hope not! Because they are right, this seems boring!

How Our View of Heaven Was Warped:

Our view of heaven has been warped. I think someone who is crafty and cunning and evil has distorted our view of heaven. I think someone who wants to deceive the world has changed the image of heaven, which is that it is a place of great joy, of amazing sights, of amazing relationships, and of wonders beyond our imagination, into a boring, pathetic, unpopular place where people strum a harp all day and wish they could die because of bordom. Who is this person? Satan. Satan has changed our view of heaven to make it less appealing.
Think about this. It makes sense doesn’t it. If you don’t want some one to go to heaven, what can you do?  One thing you can do is distort and warp mankinds view of heaven.  That is just what Satan has done.  He has made heaven like a boring retirement home.

Present Vs Eternal Heaven:

What I will do is answer this question, “What is Heaven Like”? I will do this in a three part blog, so come back if you want to get the full view of what heaven will be like.  However, before I get started, I have to make a distinction. There is a difference between the heaven we go to when we die and the heaven we will be in for eternity. Let me explain. The present heaven is were we go when we die (it is a spiritual place). As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that to be absent from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord. However, not much information is given on the present heaven except that we will be with God. All we know is that this place is temporary. It is like traveling from LA to New York with a layover in Denver. Denver is the present heaven. New York is the eternal heaven. Denver is just a temporary destination just like the present heaven is temporary.

The eternal heaven is were we go when Jesus Christ returns at the 2nd coming. It is this heaven where we will spend eternity. Our time in the present heaven will be like a drop in the bucket compared to the eternal heaven. And fortunately, there is loads of information on the eternal heaven in Scripture.

Back to the Question:

So, “What is Heaven Like”? What kind of place is Heaven where we will spend eternity?

Look at Revelation 21:1-4. We read,

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

What do we see here in the very beginning of this passage? What does it say? "1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away."

 What is John writing about here in Revelation? How does this help us see what Heaven will be like?


If you’ve read the book of Revelation, you know that John is talking about the end time. One day, God will judge the earth and right every wrong. As you read through the book of Revelation you know that the will be famine and death and earthquakes and wars until finally Jesus Christ returns in all his power and glory to put his enemies under his feet. At the end Satan and the fallen angels are thrown into hell. People are judge for their actions and only those who have trust in Jesus Christ to pay for their sins will receive eternal life will go to be with God. Only those, Revelation says, who are written in the book of life will go to heaven.


Then John tells us in chapter 21 what this heaven will be like. And the first thing he says, the first thing John says to describe heaven, is that it will be a new heaven and a new earth. Heaven, John says, will not be us floating in the clouds with a harp. Now heaven will consist of a new heaven and a new earth.

What does this mean a new heaven and earth? Let me also explain this concept of heaven. When John writes the heavens he is talking about is the universe with the stars and the sky. This is where some people get confussed. The Jews used heaven in three different ways. The first was to mean the sky. The second is outer space. The third is where God dwells. So John is talking about the first and the second use of heaven. He is saying that God will change the earth and the universe so that it is no longer cursed. It will be new. It will be perfect. The old earth as we know it will pass away.


Now does this mean that God is creating a completely new earth and a completely new universe. Scholars are divided, but that is missing the main point! 


The point is that heaven is a real place. It is a real physical place just like where you are sitting right now. Creation will finally be restored to its’ former glory where everything is perfect. We will live on a real earth in a real universe forever and ever.

What This Means For You and Me:

What does this mean for you and me.  We can be excited about an amazing future.  We will not be bored in heaven.  We will not be flying around with angel wings and harps sitting in the clouds.  We will be on a real physical earth where there will be trees, animals, mountains, rivers, and gardens.  Heaven is going to be a place like the original Garden of Eden God had made.  Man will live in harmony with creation and spend eternity exploring a new universe and a new earth.

Are you excited?  Does this give you one more thing you can thank God for? Find out next time as I explain the other two things we can expect in heaven.