Years ago, when I would speak at church's (obviously, my favorite audience, usually) about health, and what the bible (and science) said about it, I would use the example of Gods view of sin; That even one sin was detestable in Gods eyes, and that one sin brought us to the situation we are living in today. That Gods graciousness and love has given us a new life, apart from the death sin produces.
I would point out that while I understood we are living in a fallen world, one that is a far cry from what God designed for us, that we are short changing ourselves on longevity and quality of life.
I would say that yes, the environment has changed since the days of Adam and Eve, and yes, we are genetically inferior to the original design of Adam and Eve. And that sure, our sin nature and our sinful thoughts are having a negative impact on our health and longevity. And lastly, of course, that we are under the curse of death. No getting away from it. I point out the long lifespans of the patriarchs seem to indicate that before we were genetically compromised (which is what modern day man is), before the planets environment changed, before our diets took a rapid turn for the worse, that God had indeed designed us to live forever. In fact even today, science admits that because our cells continually replicate, they truly can not answer why we should ever die. Of course we Christians know the answer to that. And it seems God has not made many exceptions to that in over 5,500 years. Enoch and Elijah being the two that I am aware of that never died.
God speaks to use in many ways. The symbolism of the OT bible is one of them.
Most of OT symbolism is concerning Jesus, and of course the horrors of our sins. God makes it clear, one sin causes death. Only through Jesus do we have eternal life. On our own accord, there is no room for error. One sin. That's it.
Then I would go on to tell my audience that health wise God has designed us with either the same (which is my belief) tight parameters of perfection.
It was a perfect plan for relationship with God in a environment in which we could have been with Him forever.
That he made the sun in relation to the earth exactly where it is to sustain the only life we are aware of in the universe, that he designed a pre flood world that would have sustained us in immortality had we not sinned. The garden and its plants and higher levels of oxygen, the carbon dioxide gases exchange, the different atmospheric pressure, the firmament above the earth, the food He provided and told us to eat (Gen 1:29) and so on.
Up to this point, most Christians would be with me regarding my statements and biblical and personal comments.
Then I would say that regarding our health we need to look at the things that we have personal control over (not the environment, or who our mom and dad are), which is our diet and lifestyle, and thoughts.
I would say the reason a lot of Christians were not in better health is because they failed to see how God designed us with the parameters He did. It was a delicate balancing act. It goes beyond our understanding, but from what we can see and understand, the perfect balance He designed it as, His perfect sustainable plan for us, would be thrown off by just one changed variable. Well, in our case it was sin.
So we need to take it a step further and see that the same goes for our bodies. They are not like a blunt instrument in which we can hammer a chisel down in any angle with different amounts of force to split a rock.
They have a specific physical design, just as God designed us with a specific spiritual purpose. Go outside those spiritual and physical boundaries and your asking for trouble.
Spiritually so much trouble that God's son had to die a horrible death on the cross to redeem us. Physically so much trouble that we suffer and die before our "appointed" time.
The key I would say is to have a understanding that our bodies have a remarkable God given remedial capability to re set its course, to heal itself if given the chance. But the challenge I would tell them is what is their definition of, their understanding of prompting the body into this healing mode?
This is where the comparison to the strict parameters of sin enter. What many Christians think is a good diet or life style is far off the mark. Like with sin, and how it impairs our relationship with God, how it can put temporary distance from Him until we repent and come back to Him humbly, the same can be said for how we treat our bodies.
The comparison can be made that until we repent of the offences against our bodies, and come into right relationship with it, we will be putting distance between our bodies our body and ourselves from a health standpoint.
So what is right relationship with our bodies. That we love our bodies, and that our bodies approve of how we treat it?
It is like sin, do it once and repent, and you'll likely be on great terms with your body. You'll be healthy, and you and your body will get along great.
Make that offense against your body into a transgression, you'll always be out of relationship with it. And eventually, like the person who is continually rebelling against God, you'll get sick, and finally die.
So what makes a loving, right relationship with our bodies? The boundaries, like with God and sin, are fairly uncompromising. Like with God, there is little or no wiggle room. God is not going to turn away and say you did not sin when you did. He will forgive us, just as our bodies will, if we repent and turn away from it, but it is still a offense to the body.
This is the key.
A lot of Christians think they are "eating well", that they are doing enough with their diets that they believe they are in right relationship with their bodies, but they are not. With sin, as Christians, it is easy to define as to what we consider disobedience to God. We know when we did wrong.
With our bodies, most of us just don't know. We are like baby Christians. or maybe even the world, when it comes to the distance we are putting between us and our bodies in health.
With so much misinformation out there, with so much confusion, it is easy to see why.
The parameters to provoke a body into biological healing are much more narrower then many Christians (and the world) understand. This is the common error. This is why so many Christians (and the world) give up on diet and lifestyle.
They know it makes at least some difference, but like many of us in Christ, never reach that level that truly of sanctification, or consecration.
It is like sin, and transgression with our souls.
Sanctify your bodies.
The parameters are narrow, as is the way to heaven. Don't be deceived. Just like with God, you can't fool the body. It knows when your rebelling against it.
You can't reach a level of biological healing unless you define the parameters, and then you need to discipline yourself to keep within those parameters.
What is more precise, what is more of a wonder to behold? Our bodies, or a prescription drug? Anyone with a background in chemistry, or even some of you without, would you think of taking a prescription drug that was altered even 10% in the way of what it contained, what the ingredients were? No. of course not, chances are it would be altered enough that it would not do what it was designed to do, and it might even harm you.
The same with our wonderfully and miraculously designed bodies, meant to be honored by us because our creator gave us the responsibility and privilege to do so. Go even 10% outside what a ideal diet would be for your bodies, and you've got chaos and havoc.
Most Christians are 40% ton 80% outside those parameters.
Most Americans are never detoxing. Most Americans are in a constant state of intoxicating themselves. Most Americans are in a constant state of putting endogenous materials into their body, non stop. Most modern diets are largely heat-processed and as a result contain high levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Dietary advanced glycation end products (dAGEs) are known to contribute to increased oxidant stress and inflammation, which are linked to the recent epidemics of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.Most Americans are in a constant state of fermentation, oxidation, putrefaction, and inflammation. Most disease starts in the stomach, and most Americans are playing a very good host to pathogens and bacteria in our guts that are a pathway to such condition's.
We have diseases of inflammation, of the heart, of bones, and skin, diseases of addictions and infirmities.
And some Christians think they have followed a diet that is biologically healing, but that is not the case. Not even close in some or most cases.
Build a cage, and then do whatever you want in that cage. But step outside of it, your asking for trouble.
The principals are all there, in the bible.
I would point out that while I understood we are living in a fallen world, one that is a far cry from what God designed for us, that we are short changing ourselves on longevity and quality of life.
I would say that yes, the environment has changed since the days of Adam and Eve, and yes, we are genetically inferior to the original design of Adam and Eve. And that sure, our sin nature and our sinful thoughts are having a negative impact on our health and longevity. And lastly, of course, that we are under the curse of death. No getting away from it. I point out the long lifespans of the patriarchs seem to indicate that before we were genetically compromised (which is what modern day man is), before the planets environment changed, before our diets took a rapid turn for the worse, that God had indeed designed us to live forever. In fact even today, science admits that because our cells continually replicate, they truly can not answer why we should ever die. Of course we Christians know the answer to that. And it seems God has not made many exceptions to that in over 5,500 years. Enoch and Elijah being the two that I am aware of that never died.
God speaks to use in many ways. The symbolism of the OT bible is one of them.
Most of OT symbolism is concerning Jesus, and of course the horrors of our sins. God makes it clear, one sin causes death. Only through Jesus do we have eternal life. On our own accord, there is no room for error. One sin. That's it.
Then I would go on to tell my audience that health wise God has designed us with either the same (which is my belief) tight parameters of perfection.
It was a perfect plan for relationship with God in a environment in which we could have been with Him forever.
That he made the sun in relation to the earth exactly where it is to sustain the only life we are aware of in the universe, that he designed a pre flood world that would have sustained us in immortality had we not sinned. The garden and its plants and higher levels of oxygen, the carbon dioxide gases exchange, the different atmospheric pressure, the firmament above the earth, the food He provided and told us to eat (Gen 1:29) and so on.
Up to this point, most Christians would be with me regarding my statements and biblical and personal comments.
Then I would say that regarding our health we need to look at the things that we have personal control over (not the environment, or who our mom and dad are), which is our diet and lifestyle, and thoughts.
I would say the reason a lot of Christians were not in better health is because they failed to see how God designed us with the parameters He did. It was a delicate balancing act. It goes beyond our understanding, but from what we can see and understand, the perfect balance He designed it as, His perfect sustainable plan for us, would be thrown off by just one changed variable. Well, in our case it was sin.
So we need to take it a step further and see that the same goes for our bodies. They are not like a blunt instrument in which we can hammer a chisel down in any angle with different amounts of force to split a rock.
They have a specific physical design, just as God designed us with a specific spiritual purpose. Go outside those spiritual and physical boundaries and your asking for trouble.
Spiritually so much trouble that God's son had to die a horrible death on the cross to redeem us. Physically so much trouble that we suffer and die before our "appointed" time.
The key I would say is to have a understanding that our bodies have a remarkable God given remedial capability to re set its course, to heal itself if given the chance. But the challenge I would tell them is what is their definition of, their understanding of prompting the body into this healing mode?
This is where the comparison to the strict parameters of sin enter. What many Christians think is a good diet or life style is far off the mark. Like with sin, and how it impairs our relationship with God, how it can put temporary distance from Him until we repent and come back to Him humbly, the same can be said for how we treat our bodies.
The comparison can be made that until we repent of the offences against our bodies, and come into right relationship with it, we will be putting distance between our bodies our body and ourselves from a health standpoint.
So what is right relationship with our bodies. That we love our bodies, and that our bodies approve of how we treat it?
It is like sin, do it once and repent, and you'll likely be on great terms with your body. You'll be healthy, and you and your body will get along great.
Make that offense against your body into a transgression, you'll always be out of relationship with it. And eventually, like the person who is continually rebelling against God, you'll get sick, and finally die.
So what makes a loving, right relationship with our bodies? The boundaries, like with God and sin, are fairly uncompromising. Like with God, there is little or no wiggle room. God is not going to turn away and say you did not sin when you did. He will forgive us, just as our bodies will, if we repent and turn away from it, but it is still a offense to the body.
This is the key.
A lot of Christians think they are "eating well", that they are doing enough with their diets that they believe they are in right relationship with their bodies, but they are not. With sin, as Christians, it is easy to define as to what we consider disobedience to God. We know when we did wrong.
With our bodies, most of us just don't know. We are like baby Christians. or maybe even the world, when it comes to the distance we are putting between us and our bodies in health.
With so much misinformation out there, with so much confusion, it is easy to see why.
The parameters to provoke a body into biological healing are much more narrower then many Christians (and the world) understand. This is the common error. This is why so many Christians (and the world) give up on diet and lifestyle.
They know it makes at least some difference, but like many of us in Christ, never reach that level that truly of sanctification, or consecration.
It is like sin, and transgression with our souls.
Sanctify your bodies.
The parameters are narrow, as is the way to heaven. Don't be deceived. Just like with God, you can't fool the body. It knows when your rebelling against it.
You can't reach a level of biological healing unless you define the parameters, and then you need to discipline yourself to keep within those parameters.
What is more precise, what is more of a wonder to behold? Our bodies, or a prescription drug? Anyone with a background in chemistry, or even some of you without, would you think of taking a prescription drug that was altered even 10% in the way of what it contained, what the ingredients were? No. of course not, chances are it would be altered enough that it would not do what it was designed to do, and it might even harm you.
The same with our wonderfully and miraculously designed bodies, meant to be honored by us because our creator gave us the responsibility and privilege to do so. Go even 10% outside what a ideal diet would be for your bodies, and you've got chaos and havoc.
Most Christians are 40% ton 80% outside those parameters.
Most Americans are never detoxing. Most Americans are in a constant state of intoxicating themselves. Most Americans are in a constant state of putting endogenous materials into their body, non stop. Most modern diets are largely heat-processed and as a result contain high levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Dietary advanced glycation end products (dAGEs) are known to contribute to increased oxidant stress and inflammation, which are linked to the recent epidemics of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.Most Americans are in a constant state of fermentation, oxidation, putrefaction, and inflammation. Most disease starts in the stomach, and most Americans are playing a very good host to pathogens and bacteria in our guts that are a pathway to such condition's.
We have diseases of inflammation, of the heart, of bones, and skin, diseases of addictions and infirmities.
And some Christians think they have followed a diet that is biologically healing, but that is not the case. Not even close in some or most cases.
Build a cage, and then do whatever you want in that cage. But step outside of it, your asking for trouble.
The principals are all there, in the bible.
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