Basis or Background of This Emphasis
I. Theological Concepts Involved
1. The question is often asked, "Why do Seventh-day Adventists give such significant attention to questions of health, apparently with a close relationship to their religious convictions?" The answer lies in their understanding of the nature of man. If they correctly interpret Biblical teaching on the matter, man is a complex entity consisting of a physical, an intellectual, and a spiritual nature. In the absence of any one of these entities, or natures, there is no man. The spiritual alone or the intellectual alone does not exist. The physical alone is but a lump of clay. The three together in right form constitute man, the whole man. (See Counsels on Health, page 66.)
2. Imperfections alter state. The spiritual entity may be blighted by immorality in any form, the intellect may be marred by mental disease or emotional instability, or the physical may be marked by deformity or disease. In any such deviation from the original perfection the resulting entity is not a whole man.
a. Sin.—The first of these shortcomings results from conflict with or violation of God's moral precepts. Willful violation of such nature is referred to as sin, the violation of God's moral law.
b. Mental defects.—The weakening or the blight of the intellectual entity may have resulted from violation of the laws of the mind or may be inherited from ancestry that was in some way in such conflict.
c. Physical disease.—Disease of the body, physical disease, results from the violation of the laws of health, more often by the individual himself, but possibly by an ancestor. Disease may be the result of the violation of laws as inexorable as the law of gravity—perhaps the violation of the laws of hygienic eating and exercise, with ulcers or possibly an early coronary as the result.
3. Is violation of physical law a moral question? The violation of moral precept makes a man a sinner before God. And transgression of the known laws of one's physical being, such as the intemperance that brings on ulcers of the stomach or hypertension, is just as surely sin. In either case the image of the whole man is marred, recognized or known laws of his being are violated, and a portion of the penalty for such violation begins to be experienced by the offender.
Comment.—"A continual transgression of nature's laws is a continual transgression of the law of God. . . . Men and women cannot violate natural law by indulging depraved appetites and lustful passions, without violating the law of God."—Counsels on Health, pp. 20, 21.
4. Adventist emphasis. Seventh-day Adventists hold that any matter affecting the wholeness of man—spiritual, physical, intellectual—is a legitimate concern of religion. It will be our attempt in this study to explore the Biblical basis for such a concept and to draw from the Spirit of Prophecy and other sources a better understanding of how we may intelligently relate ourselves to this question of health.
II. Biblical Statement—Our Bodies a Sacred Trust
1. Our bodies are the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16).
Comment.—"God has given you a habitation to care for, and preserve in the best condition for His service and glory. Your bodies are not your own."—Ibid., p. 622. "A misuse of the body shortens that period of time which God designs shall be used in His service. By allowing ourselves to form wrong habits, by keeping late hours, by gratifying appetite at the expense of health, we lay the foundation for feebleness. By neglecting to take physical exercise, by overworking mind or body, we unbalance the nervous system. Those who thus shorten their lives by disregarding nature's laws, are guilty of robbery toward God. We have no right to neglect or misuse the body, the mind, or the strength, which should be used to offer God consecrated service."—Ibid., p. 41.
2. To glorify God in our bodies. We are "bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your bodv, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:20).
Comment.—"Our bodies are not our own. God has claims upon us to take care of the habitation He has given us, that we may present our bodies to Him a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable."—Ibid., p. 73.
3. Bodies a living sacrifice. Paul's admonition (Rom. 12:1).
Note.—"It is impossible for a man to present his body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, while continuing to indulge habits that are depriving him of physical, mental, and moral vigor."—Ibid., p. 23.
Note from experience of Daniel.—"In that ancient ritual which is the gospel in symbol, no blemished offering could be brought to God's altar. The sacrifice that was to represent Christ must be spotless. The word of God points to this as an illustration of what His children are to be, —'a living sacrifice,' 'holy and without blemish.' "—Prophets and Kings, p. 489.
4. Only one life to live.
Comment.—"Only one lease of life is granted to us; and the inquiry with everyone should be, 'How can I invest my powers so that they may yield the greatest profit? How can I do most for the glory of God and the benefit of my fellow men?' For life is valuable only as it is used for the attainment of these ends."—Counsels on Health, p. 107.
III. Our Example—The Great Physician
1. Changes at the Fall. At the Fall, man lost not only his spiritual and intellectual perfection but also his physical perfection, and he began to die. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Although Jesus preached the gospel, the good news of salvation, in its spiritual sense, He spent more time repairing broken bodies than He did preaching. He thereby gave evidence that physical restoration, physical health, are of significance in Christian religion.
2. Areas of Christ's interest.
a. Prevention.—Health education, "sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14).
b. Therapeutic.—"And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them" (Matt. 15:30).
c. Welfare.—"I have compassion on the multitude, ... I will not send them away fasting. . . . And they did all eat" (Matt. 15:32).
3. Jesus is our example in medical ministry. Under the impulse of His love and compassion He worked for the health and comfort of the multitude. His health work was focused upon the immediate health need of the individual or the multitude.
Relating Ourselves to Health Reform
I. Our Relationship Is Concerned With Our Health
1. Emphasis is on health, not on any dogma, ritualistic considerations, or taboos.
2. If our particular attitude toward health principles is such that the result is an anemic, sickly body, or worse, our interpretation of health reform is in error. The purpose of health reform is health. Health that we might better glorify God through effective service to God and to our fellow men.
" 'The more perfect our health, the more perfect will be our labor.' "—The Story of Our Health Message, p. 78.
3. Consistency.—"Those who advocate an unpopular truth should, above all others, seek to be consistent in their own life. They should not try to see how different they can be from others, but how near they can come to those whom they wish to influence, that they may help them to the positions they themselves so highly prize. Such a course will commend the truths they hold. . . . When those who advocate hygienic reform carry the matter to extremes, people are not to blame if they become disgusted. Too often our religious faith is thus brought into disrepute. . . . These extremists do more harm in a few months than they can undo in a lifetime." —Counsels on Health, pp. 153, 154.
II. Health a Sacred Trust
1. Health and character, a great treasure.
Comment.—"The health should be as sacredly guarded as the character."—Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 147.
"Health is a great treasure. It is the richest possession mortals can have. ... It is a terrible sin to abuse the health that God has given us."—Counsels on Health, p. 186.
2. Health concerns. Health reform, then, is concerned with any matters important to our health. Proper nutrition, fresh air, exercise, proper clothing for the cold weather, digitalis for certain serious heart disease, quinine for malaria, sanitary precautions to prevent dysentery, and urgent skillful surgery for intestinal obstruction—all are of concern in the intelligent care of the health.
The counsel is concerning the health which should be guarded, not the methods, the procedures, or the practices. If our efforts do not contribute to health, then we must conclude that what we practice is not health reform, and may be a witness against the very idea of health reform.
3. Relative importance of health efforts. Comment.—"Every faculty with which the Creator has endowed us, should be cultivated to the highest degree of perfection, that we may be able to do the greatest amount of good of which we are capable. Hence that time is spent to good account which is used in the establishment and preservation of physical and mental health."—Ibid., p. 107.
4. Sacred duty.
Comment.—" 'I saw that it was a sacred duty to attend to our health, and [to] arouse others to their duty. . . . We have a duty to speak, to come out against intemperance of every kind—intemperance in working, in eating, in drinking, in drugging. ... I saw that it was duty for everyone to have a care for his health. . . . The more perfect our health, the more perfect will be our labor.' "—The Story of Our Health Message, pp. 77, 78.
Here again the emphasis is on health, "The more perfect our health, the more perfect will be our labor."
6. Health reform recognizes varying circumstances of the people. If health is the objective of health reform, it will vary according to the circumstances or the needs of the individual or the community. It will emphasize the need of the person concerned or of the community concerned. Examples:
a. For the peasant in parts of South India, many of whom suffer from beriberi, it will emphasize the necessity of eating the whole-grain rice, his best assurance of protection from beriberi. It will counsel a moderation in his use of the hot chilies, which may cause inflammation if not actual ulceration of the stomach or duodenum. It will not advise leaving these red peppers off entirely, for they may be his only source of the protective vitamin C.
b. Health reform will counsel the peasant of East Bengal to guard himself against the deadly malignant tertian malaria by sleeping under nets, and if he should contract the disease, it will counsel him to take the appropriate medication. It will teach him to do more in growing his own fresh vegetables, to grow more of the papaya fruits, and it will not advise against the abundantly available fish until something better is available.
c. Health reform will recognize the varying needs of the farmer, the woodsman, or miner as opposed to the professional man, the businessman, or the student. It will recognize the limited food requirement of the elderly, who if their work schedule permits proper spacing of meals may do well on two good meals a day, while recognizing that the same program for growing children would be not only harmful to health but would constitute an act of actual cruelty.
d. Physical health and spirituality.— "The health of body is to be regarded as essential for growth in grace and the acquirement of an even temper. If the stomach is not properly cared for, the formation of an upright, moral character will be hindered. The brain and nerves are in sympathy with the stomach. Erroneous eating and drinking result in erroneous thinking and acting."—Counsels on Health, p. 134.
e. Religion and health not incompatible. —"The view held by some that spirituality is a detriment to health, is the sophistry of Satan. The religion of the Bible is not detrimental to the health of either body or mind. The influence of the Spirit of God is the very best medicine for disease.
Heaven is all health. . . . The relation which exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes."—Ibid., p. 28.
f. The true health reformer will not evidence gloom, criticism, or faultfinding in his life and relationship to others, but will radiate joy, courage, enthusiasm, and evidence of a more abundant life. The true health reformer will emphasize the positive, the constructive, not the negative.
III. Health Affects Our Efficiency and Performance
1. Affects our denominational service. Speaking of some practical health suggestions, Mrs. White says that "these are not matters of trifling importance. We must pay attention to them if healthful vigor and a right tone are to be given to the various branches of the work."—Gospel Workers, p. 242.
Note that in this reference Mrs. White calls attention to health as relates to a "healthful vigor" in the work. The emphasis is on health, and this is because it is essential to efficient performance, not out of respect for some procedure, practice, or prohibition, all of which are only a means to an end. Health, in turn, is a means to more effective service.
2. Proportionate relationship stated.
Comment.—"The character and efficiency of the work depend largely upon the physical condition of the workers."'—Ibid.
3. Results of ill health in sermons.
Comment.—"Many committee meetings and other meetings for counsel have taken an unhappy tone from the dyspeptic condition of those assembled. And many a sermon has received a dark shadow from the minister's indigestion."—Ibid.
4. Willing ignorance of health is sin.
Comment.—"He who remains in willing ignorance of the laws of his physical being and who violates them through ignorance is sinning against God. All should place themselves in the best possible relation to life and health."—Christ's Object Lessons, p. 348. Paul states he "that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things" (1 Cor. 9:25).
5. Avoid the negative approach.
a. Our health emphasis is a positive, a constructive, concept.
b. Fanaticism places the emphasis on the negative, the prohibitions.
c. This explains why fanatics, extremists, are often anemic and unhappy people.
d. Health does not come by not doing things. It is the product of doing those things that make for health.
(To be continued)