How Is Your "Scriptural" Health?

 

Most of us spend considerable time and effort on preserving our physical bodies. Sickness, disease, injury, and physical degeneration are things that we try to avoid. God is pleased with us when we endeavor to maintain our physical bodies that he has given us.

 

Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

 

Wholesome spiritual health is something that most do not consider. Jesus said, “What is man profited, if he gain the whole

world, and lose his own soul?”  Top athletic heroes are in the best of shape, but they are all going to die someday. The gold, silver and cash they have made for themselves here on earth will not go with them to the grave! What becomes of them after they are dead and buried? What becomes of their soul?

 

According to Jesus, one can become so preoccupied with the things of this world, that they overlook the most important issue, spiritual health. No doctor or medicine can change your spiritual health. The only place you can find good, solid, spiritual health, is from the word of God. Read it, pray for understanding, seek it, live it, and preach it to the fullest of your abilities.

There are a number of other things we can do to help us in our quest for spiritual well being. Associate with honorable people,

worship on a regular basis, think noble thoughts, participate in wholesome activities, and seek to overcome sin each day. Most

importantly, we need to be taught about the scripture and God’s plan for man. That teaching needs to come from a sound source or doctrine.

 

‘Doctrine’ refers to teaching. What the Bible says about love constitutes the Bible’s doctrine about the subject of love. Doctrine means whatever is taught about any particular subject. Matthew 7:28 says “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine.”

 

‘Sound’ means healthy. Sound doctrine is healthy doctrine. Isaiah used the expression “no soundness” to refer to a very sick situation in Isaiah 1:6. The son who had returned home was said to be “safe and sound” and in good health. Sound teaching involves God’s pure message of salvation that produces good spiritual health. Titus 1:9 says “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine, both to exhort and confute (to prove a person or a statement as false) the gainsayers.”

 

The Bible makes a great distinction between what is biblical doctrine and the doctrines of men. One has to compliment the other.

1.                            Healthy teaching is the pure gospel of Christ, which will produce a healthy, strong, active Christian, one who enjoys good health. And for that reason, we are told to avoid anything contrary to sound doctrine. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 says “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables.”

 

2.                            We are told to use sound doctrine in dealing with error, (Titus 1:9- Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers) as previously mentioned.

 

3.                            False teachings are the doctrines of men that will produce a diseased and unhealthy spiritual state, a state that will eventually lead to eternal death. Romans 6:23-For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Now, what does the Bible say about HEALTHY teaching? We must not teach or believe a perverted gospel. Galatians 1:7-9 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed.

 

Notice that the preaching of the true and pure gospel was so important that it is mentioned twice! We make vain our worship by following false doctrine. Matthew 15-9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines, the commandments of men.

 

We must realize that there are many false teachers in the world. 1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God: Because many false prophets are gone out into the world. If we believe and obey sound doctrine regarding these fundamental issues, we will enjoy spiritual life now and eternal life in the world to come (See Matthew 7:24-27, John 8:32, Mark 16:15 and Romans 1:16-17). On the other hand, if one believes error or unsound teaching, he is in grave danger. To reject the gospel plan of salvation revealed in the scripture is to place oneself in a hopeless state (see John 3:5, Acts 2:38). To reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God places one in a dangerous and unhealthy state of spiritual health

(see John 3:16 and 8:26). To reject the Lord’s church, which is His body, and to join some human religious movement is to place oneself apart from the blood of Christ and its saving power (see Acts 20:28, Ephesians 1:22-23, Matthew 16:18). “Hold fast that form of sound words which thou hast heard of me . . .” 2 Timothy 1:13.