But how does God feel about people's Physical and Spiritual Health?
When the Preacher asked the congregation how many wanted to go to Heaven, everyone's hand went
up. When he asked how many wanted to go right now, most of the hands stayed down. When faced
with the reality of suddenly leaving the world behind, even to some believers, all that unfinished, earthly
business seems to be more important than meeting one's maker.
However, for believers and non-believers alike - the time will come when everyone's spirit will return to
Him who gave it and await judgement by Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Joh 5:22; Ro 14:10).
At that time, the rich and poor, the healthy and sick, the beautiful and the homely, the wise and ignorant
- will all meet on common ground, and everyone's actions, comments, and faithfulness either in the law,
or without the law, will be judged and weighed against one's motives, and between the time spent for
God and for oneself (De 18:19, Joh 12:48, Mat 7:2, 22-23, Mat 12:36-37, 1Co 3:11-15, Ro 2:12-16,
Jas 2:12-13, Rev 20:12-15).Look up Verses in KJV
Just like some people who are obsessed with accumulating riches, or spending every free minute in
the gym to sculpture that perfect body, or go through the most stringent dietary rituals for optimal health,
God is so obsessed for an individual to be redeemed that he only allows for two choices - saved and
unsaved. Nothing in between - to force every individual not to be complacent about his or her destiny.
He even offers salvation for free after having paid the sacrificial price on the cross himself - so no one
would be able to boast and justify salvation by their own works (Ac 4:12, Eph 2:8).
While initially created perfect, the rejection of God by mankind led not only to a mortal body, but one
that is hopelessly flawed and imperfect. Medical science is not now, nor ever going to change that.
Despite some medical innovations, much of modern medicine remains a tradeoff between helping
some conditions with various drugs or surgery, only to replace them with other conditions, or at times
creating even worse problems altogether. At the same time, easier access to better nutrition, including
nutritional supplements, only makes up for the deficiencies created through modern food processing or
environmental pollution, so there are really no major gains made compared to thousands of years ago,
when people did not have the same need for supplementation.
How concerned is God about good health and nutrition?
In some early books of the Old Testament, God instructed his people on how to cultivate the land, and
cautioned them about unclean foods, including the adverse consequences of touching dead, diseased,
or infectious humans and animals, or using contaminated utensils.
He spoke unfavorably against gluttony and drunkenness, but not against the occasional consumption
of alcohol. While it is unknown whether there had ever been a time when vegetarianism was prevalent,
eating meat throughout the Old and New Testament was neither a sin, nor spoken against, with Jesus
Himself not only eating fish, but also meat, the Passover lamb being one example. The apostle Paul
only admonished to abstain from meat (and wine) if it were to cause another believer to stumble or be
offended, or made weak (Ro 14:21).
Old Testament teachings also included instructions on basic hygiene, and how to contain certain
plagues (such as leprosy) by segregating those afflicted. However, other than the 40 years when He
made the Israelites wander through the wilderness, and He Himself looked after their nutritional needs
by providing Manna (and miraculously preserving their clothes and shoes at that time), God seems to
consider sickness as just another of the many afflictions, tribulations, and imperfections of this world
that the human race brought upon itself as a result of [original] sin (Ge 3:16-19, Joh 16:33, Ac 14:22).
When Jesus healed one sick with the palsy, he said: ¶ Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.˜ (Mr 2:5), and
when subsequently accused of speaking blasphemies, he responded: ¶ Whether is it easier to say
to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?˜
(Mr 2:9). Since it was not mentioned that this man was demon possessed, suffering from birth, or that
he was sick as a result of an accident, sin may have played a part in this man's palsy.
When healing another man, Jesus cautioned to ¶ ...sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.˜
(Joh 5:14), which follows that after diseases were healed, they may have returned since all those who
he healed were not likely to have remained sinless.
There have been occasions in the Scriptures where God struck some individuals with a particular
disease for their deeds (Nu 12:1-10, 2 Ki 5:27, 2Ch 21:12-15, 2Ch 26:18-20). Some believers were
said to have been weak and sickly because of unworthily taking part in sacraments (1Co 11:27-30).
Others were sick because of sin (Mic 6:13), wine (Ho 7:5), love / lust (2Sa 13:1-2), prophetic visions
(Da 8:27), accidents (2Sa 4:4), or afflictions attributed to Satan (Job 2:7, Lu 13:11-16).
Prescribed, or recreational use of drugs is another cause of disease, and while drugs are not literally
mentioned by name in the Scriptures, they are covered in specific translations of the word 'sorcery.'
In all Old Testament and some New Testament passages, sorcery refers to witchcraft and magic, but
in Revelation 9:21, 18:23, 21:8, and 22:15 (i.e. the end times), the literal translation from the original
Greek is 'pharmakeia,' or "spell-giving potion" (enchantment with drugs). Excessive use of alcohol
(drunkenness), which is mentioned as sin in Galations 5:21, is also a well-known cause of disease.
Not all who were - or are sick now, are suffering as a result of divine punishment for their sins:
When asked why a particular man was blind from birth - whether it was as a result of him, or his parents
sinning - Jesus answered, ¶ Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God
should be made manifest in him.˜ (Joh 9:3, also Joh 11:4) - which illustrates that God places greater
emphasis on the eternal benefits of spiritual health, rather than the transient benefits of physical health
keath
