God’s Health Plan
Jesus wants to redeem me from sin. Does He have a plan to redeem my health as well?
Does Jesus care about my health?
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. ... But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
Jesus wants to sanctify me wholly, including mind, body, and spirit. He did not just forgive the sins of the paralytic, but He also healed him from the disease, and He wants the same complete healing for me as well.
Does my body actually belong to me?
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? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
My body belongs to God because 1) He created it, and 2) He redeemed it at the cross. It is to be a temple of the Holy Spirit, enabling me to bring Him glory in my body and spirit!
What does God invite me to do with my body?
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
God calls on me to present my body as a living and holy sacrifice to Him—my Maker and Redeemer. Then I am to be transformed by the renewing of my mind (note the tight connection between the body and mind). Once more, Jesus does not just want to forgive my sins; He wants to cleanse, heal, and restore His image in me by wholly transforming me!
In what things am I to bring God glory? How?
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Paul invites me to bring God glory in everything that I do, including the things I eat and drink. This is a high standard that I cannot reach in my own power, but God has made ample provision for this to become a reality in my life by the grace and power of Christ, as long as I do not frustrate His grace with a perverse will. If I ask Jesus to help me live a life that glorifies Him then He will gladly answer that prayer. And because God is love (1 John 4:8), His glory is my good.
What does the Bible say about alcohol?
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
The Bible is clear and direct in its condemnation of wine and other alcoholic beverages, and science is now agreeing too. Studies have shown that alcohol is toxic to the cells and no amount is actually safe. Wine does contain beneficial flavonoids that help fight free radicals in the body, but so does grape juice!
Why should I not consume alcohol?
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Proverbs plainly says that alcoholic drinks pervert the judgment, and as such, they are not suitable for kings and princes. In Revelation we learn that we are made to be kings and priests to God, which is why Peter calls us to be sober, to bind the mind for action, like a soldier binds his belt in preparation for battle, because our battle is not with flesh and blood; it’s a battle with spiritual forces, and the outcome has eternal consequences.
What was the original diet?
And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
The original diet in Eden was a whole foods diet composed of plants that yield seeds. Root vegetables were added later after the fall of Adam and Eve.
What was the diet after the flood?
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.
Meat was added to the diet after the flood because when Noah stepped off the ark all the vegetation had been destroyed. But God made a distinction between clean and unclean animals because seven pairs of every clean animal came onto the ark and only two pairs of the unclean, so Noah and his family were allowed to eat every clean animal, as long as the blood was drained.
Which animals are clean?
And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you: they shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
The unclean animals are scavengers and bottom feeders; some examples include cats, dogs, horses, camels, eagles, vultures, hogs, squirrels, rabbits, catfish, eels, lobsters, clams, crabs, shrimp, oysters, and frogs. These laws are not just for the Jewish nation because Noah was not Jewish, and they were not done away with at the cross because our physiology did not change at the cross. If these were unfit for human consumption before the cross then they are still unfit today.
Why does God restrict unclean animals?
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
We are not to consume unclean animals because they are detrimental to our health. God’s mission is to bring healing into our bodies and minds, so He never withholds anything that is good for us. He is also far better at pleasure and happiness than Satan because His way does not lead to a crash after the high, or desensitization that requires increasingly higher doses, or addiction. It may seem difficult, overwhelming, or even impossible to make these dietary changes, but when I don’t have the willpower myself, I can give Him my will, and He will give me the power.
What about Peter’s vision in Acts 10?
On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: and he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
The subject of Peter’s vision was people, not animals. God was telling him that he should not view Gentiles as unclean because he was about to have Gentile visitors, whom he would have refused to see, as Jewish law forbade associating with Gentiles (Acts 10:28), but after receiving this vision, Peter welcomed them.
What does Isaiah say about ignoring dietary laws?
I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.
For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
God cannot save those who knowingly go down the path of destruction, nor does He enjoy destroying them, but eventually there will come a point when He can do nothing else but leave them to the consequences of their own destructive choices.
What promise does the Bible give?
For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Jesus knows my struggles because He experienced them Himself, and so He bids me to come to His throne that I may receive mercy and grace to meet them with boldness and overcome.