|
|
|
|
February 1998
|
One of the greatest ways the enemy has come against not only the church
but also society in general is through
their bodies.
I Thessalonians 5:23 says, "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."
Thus you are a living soul; you have a spirit, and you live in a body.
Most Christians do not understand how important it is to take care of these separate
parts -- especially the body because it carries your soul and
spirit around. I Timothy 4:8 states: "For bodily exercise profits a little; but
godliness is profitable unto all things..." In this article, I will discuss how the spirit
will help bring your body and soul into proper balance and wholeness.
In Romans 12:2, we are told to "present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto
God, which is our reasonable service." I Corinthians 3:16 says that
the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (the house of God). It is vital to the victorious
Christian that he fully understands the body and its nature.
Many Christians do not know how to properly take care of their bodies.
We are a driven culture obsessed with instant gratification, like fast food, for example.
We often take medications for the "quick fix", rather than focusing on preventative methods.
Galatians chapter 5 talks about the
fruit of the spirit; Christians need
more temperance or "self control" in this particular area.
Our flesh, for the vast majority of Christians, is in total control of our dietary and
exercise practices. This is why so
many millions of Christians and non-Christians suffer defeat.
One of the best ways to start taking back control
of our flesh is by reading the Word of God (the Bible) and
then by walking in wisdom as a result of meditating on God's Word.
You see the spirit man needs to
be fed too, and this is accomplished by reading the Word of God. The more you are in the Word,
the more your spirit man will bring your body or flesh into subjection. By reading the Word,
you are also renewing the mind (Romans 12:2) which helps you gain control over your
will and emotions.
Without making a commitment to be in the Word, I believe that most, if
not all dietary/exercise programs will eventually fail because your flesh, at some point,
will get in the way. This may seem unrelated to health for some people, but I believe we must
have a strong foundation before we ever build anything. Jesus, who is the Word (John 1:1), is
also referred to as the Rock many times in the Bible. We must have our foundation for anything
we do on the Rock of Christ Jesus. For it is only by His grace that we will accomplish what
he has called us to do. Philippians 4:13 says that we "can do all things through Christ who
strengthens us."
By being in the Word, we are laying our foundation in the Rock. Hebrews
4:12 states: "For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing assunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow..." After reading
the word, we need to meditate on it and then apply it to our daily lives. Thus we will begin
to walk in wisdom. Wisdom, in turn, will help us with our eating and dietary habits, and we will begin
to practice more self-control.
By daily digesting the Word of God, our spirit man will begin to
grow. There are many benefits in having a strong spirit.
Proverbs 18:14 says that "A man's spirit sustains him in sickness"
and Proverbs 16:24 says that "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and
healing to the bones." I personally can't think of any more pleasant words than those in the
redemptive Word of God!
Furthermore, Proverbs 15:30 says that "good news gives health to the bones." The
Word of God is definately good news! After we get the Word in us, we need to start speaking
it with our mouths, so as a man thinks, he becomes. By speaking health and healing scriptures
with your mouth, you will be exercising the force of faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, "that without
faith it is impossible to please God." Thus by confessing your words, you will be birthing
your blessings in the spirit realm which will eventually if not instantly manifest itself in
the natural.
May God richly bless you, and remember that Christ (Jehovah Rapha) is the Healer.
|
|
 Back to the "Christ-Centered Mall"
This teaching was written by Dr. Scott A. Johnson, D.C., CRA.
Scott is a board certified chiropractic physician
practicing in Fort Myers, Florida. He has devoted the majority of his post-graduate work to
nutrition with a heavy emphasis on Biblical principles relating to nutrition and health which
we can apply to our everday lives.
This teaching was edited by David Holt Boshart, Jr.
All scans done by Christ-Centered Mall, Inc. are prohibited from being copied.
All applicable copyright© laws apply and are reserved by Christ-Centered Mall.
Web pages copyright© 1998-2009. |
|
