Four Things You Ought To Know - Part 1 of 2
I - ABOUT YOUR HEALTH
“Better to hunt in fields for health unbought Than fee the doctor for a nauseous draught. The wise, the cure, on exercise depend; God never made his work for man to mend.”—John Dryden
1. Health is God’s will for man (3 John 2).
(1) The sixth commandment forbids shortening life (Ex. 20:13).
(2) Our physical strength is a gift from God (Deut. 7:15; Ps. 103:2; John 10:10).
(3) Our health is a sacred trust (1 Cor. 6:19, 20).
(4) Ignorance of the natural laws of health/hygiene cause sickness (Hos. 4:6).
“Obedience to the laws of health is to be made a matter of
personal duty . . . . We must individually answer to God for our
health and practices.”—Ellen G. White (MH 310)
2. Health is compromised by intemperate behavior
(1) Immoral behavior defiles (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
(2) Impure thinking defiles (Matt. 15:18, 19).
(3) God’s judgment on those who defile His temple (1 Cor. 3:16, 17).
(4) The Bible condemns injurious habits (Rev. 21:27).
(5) The true Christian will be temperate in all things (1 Cor. 9:25).
(6) The essentials recommended by Ellen G. White:v
“Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the
use of water, trust in divine power–these are the true remedies.”
3. Health includes following dietary laws (1 Cor. 10:31).
(1) Wrong eating defiles (Lev. 11:1-8).
(a) Man’s original diet (Gen. 1:29; 3:18).
(b)A diet change (Gen. 9:3, 4; cf. Gen. 7:1-3).
(c) The post-Exodus diet (Ex. 16:35; Josh. 5:12).
(d) Prohibited meats (Deut. 14:8; Is. 66:15-17; Lev. 11:4-8).
(e) Permitted meats (Lev. 11:2-3, 9-10; Deut. 14).
(f) Eating is to be enjoyed (Eccl. 3:13).
“It is a sin to place poorly prepared food on the table, because the matter of eating concerns the well-being of the entire system.”—Ellen G.White (CDF 25)
(2) Wrong drinking defiles (Deut. 29:18).
(a) Warning against alcohol consumption (Prov. 20:1; 23:31, 34).
(b) The disastrous effects of alcohol (Hos. 7:5; Prov. 23:7, 8, 32, 35).
(c) Alcohol affects spirituality (Is. 28:7).
(d) Causes shame and immorality (Hab. 2:5, 16; Prov. 23:33; Gen. 9:20-26; 19:30-38; Hos. 3:1; 4:11; Joel 3:3; Amos 2:12; 4:1).
(e) Affects judgment (Gen. 27:25; Prov. 31:4, 5; Dan. 5:5-9, 25- 28).
(f) Results in multiplied sorrows (Esth. 1:5-22; Prov. 26:29-32; 23:29, 30).
(3) The Bible enjoins total abstinence (Deut. 29:2-6).
(a) Drunkards are denied heaven (1 Cor. 6:10).
(b)Sobriety characterizes the last-day people (1 Thess. 5:7).
4. Health involves glorifying God in everything (1 Cor. 10:31).
“Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God, and value it next
to a good conscience; for health is the second blessing that we
mortals are capable of; a blessing that money cannot buy.”—Izaak
Walton
II – ABOUT YOUR MONEY
“Man is safe from the subtlety of gold only when this sacred
relationship of God, man, and money, as implied in stewardship, has
full possession of the life.”—L. E. Froom
1. God is the rightful owner of this world and everything in it (Pds. 24:1, 2).
“This is my Father’s world, O Let me ne’er forget.”—Maltbie D. Babcock God’s ownership is twofold:
(1) By creation (Is. 45:18).
(a) The Earth (Ps. 95:5).
(b) Living things (Ps. 50:10; 100:3).
(c)Material possessions (Hag. 2:8; Deut. 8:18). “All the abilities which men possess belong to God.”—Ellen G. White (5T 277)
(2) By redemption (1 Peter 1:18).
2. God has entrusted man as His steward (Matt. 25:14; 1 Cor. 4:1, 2).
(1) The custodian of God’s property (Luke 19:12-17).
(2) This management is temporary (1 Tim. 6:7).
(3) God sustains man in his stewardship (1 Chr. 29:12, 14). Man’s stewardship of God’s property includes:
(a) THE TITHE (Lev. 27:30, 32; Mal. 3:8).
• The way it is calculated (Deut. 14:22; Heb 7:2; cf. Prov. 3:9).
• The non-Jewish origin (Gen. 14:20; 28:22).
• OT: For the support of the priests (Num. 18:20, 21).
• Christ’s attitude towards (Matt. 23:23).
• NT: For the Ministry of the Church (1 Cor. 9:13, 14).
(b) THE OFFERINGS (Deut. 16:16, 17).
• Given as a part of acceptable worship (Ps. 96:8; Ex. 23:14, 15).
• The attitude of the giver (2 Cor. 8:12).
• An example (Mark 12:41-44).
3. God wants the following qualities in Stewards
(a) Faithfulness (Mal. 3:8-10; Luke 6:38).
(b) Generosity (Prov. 3:9; 2 Cor. 9:7).
(c) Sacrifice (2 Cor. 8:1-5).
(d) The right incentives (2 Cor. 8:9).
(e) A promise is also assured to the faithful steward (Ps. 37:25).
The commitment of David Livingstone:
“I will place no value on anything that I have or possess, except in
relation to the kingdom of Christ. If anything that I have will advance that
kingdom, it shall be given or kept, as by giving or keeping it shall best
promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes, both for time
and eternity.”
