Honolulu Japanese SDA Church

What does the Bible say about health?

Why should I care about being healthy? It's in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NKJV.  "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

What is God's desire for us? It's in the Bible, 3 John 2, NIV. "I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you."

On what conditions was freedom from disease promised to God's people? It's in the Bible, Exodus 15:26, NIV. "He said, 'If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you."

What did God promise His people anciently? It's in the Bible, Exodus 23:25, NIV. "Worship the Lord your God, and His blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you."

Who is able to heal? It's in the Bible, Psalm 103:2-3, NIV. "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases."

To enjoy a healthy life we must balance work and rest. It's in the Bible, Exodus 20:8-10, NIV. "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work."

Does attitude affect my health? It's in the Bible, Proverbs 17:22, TLB. "A cheerful heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit makes one sick."

Stress on the outside need not mean stress on the inside. It's in the Bible, Philippians 4:6-7, TLB. "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank Him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus."

What can be done to prevent sexually transmitted diseases? It's in the Bible, I Corinthians 6:18, TLB. "That is why I say to run from sex sin. No other sin affects the body as this one does. When you sin this sin it is against your own body." Exodus 20:14, NIV. "You shall not commit adultery."

What does the Bible say about health and food choices?
What was the original diet recommended for men and women? Fruits, grains, nuts, and legumes. It's in the Bible, Genesis 1:29 NIV. "Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."

Immediately after the flood, when little if any vegetation remained, what did God say about diet? It's in the Bible, Genesis 9:2-4, TLB. "All wild animals and birds and fish will be afraid of you, God told him; 'for I have placed them in your power, and they are yours to use for food, in addition to grain and vegetables. But never eat animals unless their life-blood has been drained off."

The people were to be careful about their food and make a distinction between what was good for them and what wasn't. It's in the Bible, Leviticus 11:47, NIV. "You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten." (See Leviticus 11 for further details).

The distinction between the clean and unclean was not just a Jewish prohibition. It was in effect before Abraham, the first Jew. It's in the Bible, Genesis 7:1,2, NIV. "The Lord then said to Noah, 'Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a mate and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a mate and its mate…'"

This distinction between the clean and unclean will continue to the end of time. It's in the Bible, Isaiah 66:15,17 NIV. "See, the Lord is coming with fire, and His chariots are like a whirlwind; He will bring down His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire…...Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats and other unclean things—they will meet their end together with the one they follow,” declares the LORD."

What example did Daniel set in the importance of proper diet? It's in the Bible, Daniel 1:8, NIV. "But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way." What did he eat instead? It's in the Bible, Daniel 1:12, NIV. "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink."

Why should we exercise self-control in our dietary habits? It's in the Bible, I Corinthians 10:31, TLB. "It is because you must do everything for the glory of God, even your eating and drinking."

What does the Bible say about health and alcohol?
What do the Scriptures say about liquor? It's in the Bible, Proverbs 20:1, TLB. "Wine gives false courage; hard liquor leads to brawls; what fools men are to let it master them, making them reel drunkenly down the street!"

Will using alcoholic drinks really affect me adversely? It's in the Bible, Proverbs 23:29-35, TLB. "Whose heart is filled with anguish and sorrow? Who is always fighting and quarreling? Who is the man with bloodshot eyes and many wounds? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new mixtures. Don't let the sparkle and the smooth taste of strong wine deceive you. For in the end it bites like a poisonous serpent; it stings like an adder. You will see hallucinations and have delirium tremors, and you will say foolish, silly things that would embarrass you no end when sober. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. And afterwards you will say, 'I didn't even know it when they beat me up."

What is the result of over-indulgence in food and drink? It's in the Bible, Proverbs 23:20-21, NIV "Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags."

• Body
• Habits