Nutrition and Good Health

Paul S. Wong

The apostle John wrote to his good friend Gaius, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 Jn.2). From this we understand that Christians should not only be in sound spiritual condition but also in physical condition as well. It is sad to see a Christian having poor health. Our Messiah, Jesus Christ, came not only to save souls but also “went about all the cities and villages, teaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (Mt.9:35). Our Lord has shown us very clearly that it is the will of God for His people to have good health. The Messiah became our substitute in sickness and pain. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by I us stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).

Learn from the ancient people about longevity and good health

We have often wondered about the life span of our earliest ancestors as described in the book of Genesis. How could they live 800 or900 years? (Gen.5). Scientists, who have made studies about the living conditions of the people in those days, attribute their longevity to two factors. First, the earth’s environ­ment was different from that of the present day. There was a water vapour canopy above the clouds (Gen.1:7). Then there was a misty canopy which watered the entire earth (Gen.2:6). These vapour canopies would provide protection from the harmful Gamma and Ultra-violet rays emitted by the sun. The second reason for early man’s longevity is their herbal and vegetarian diet (Gen. 1:29-30). The life span of the people after the Flood was drastically reduced because of the change in the environment and their diet. Before the Flood there was no rain but a vapour canopy covered the earth (Gen.2:5-6). This canopy was removed when “the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights” (Gen 7:11-12). The diet of man after the Flood had included meat which definitely affected his health (Gen.9:3). There is nothing that man can do to restore the vapour canopies but it is within his power to reinstate the diet of his earliest ancestors. The Bible urges us to learn from them. “Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding” (Job 12:12).

God heals man in two ways — Supernatural and Natural

The truth about the healing of our bodies is that God alone is our Healer (Ex.15:26; Psm.103:1-3). There are two basic ways in which God heals. We are constantly amazed at the supernatural miracles which the Lord Jesus Christ performed during His earthly ministry. The power of physical healing is also given to His disciples through one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (lCor.12:9). Then there is a natural way in which God heals our bodies through proper diet and nutrition. When we follow the instructions which God has given us in His word our bodies will receive the healing.

God said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos.4:6). One of the reasons why many Christians have poor health is they lack the knowledge of good dieting and proper nutrition which the Bible has much to teach us. The prophet Ezekiel saw this vision. “Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because of their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine” (Ezek.47:12). The apostle John saw a similar vision for Heaven having the “Tree of Life” with its leaves “for the healing of the nations” (Rev.22:2).

The Bible is replete with verses concerning Plant Food as diet for man. “And you shall eat the herb of the field” (Gen.3:18). “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth” (Psm. 104:14). The apostle Paul wrote, “For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables” (Rom.14:2).

One of the most amazing stories in the Bible about the natural healing is one concerning King Hezekiab (2 Kn.20:1-11). He was sick and on the point of death. After the prophet Isaiah had warned him about setting his house in order, Hezekiah prayed and wept bitterly before the Lord. God then spoke through Isaiah that He would add fifteen years to the King’s life. Although God had promised to heal hezekiah and prolong his life yet the prophet Isaiah told the king’s attendants, “Take a lump of figs” (verse 7). “So they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered”. Here we read about God’s natural healing through the use of Plant Food.

The Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple YOU are” (1 Cor. 3:17). We should be very careful about the food that is consumed in our bodies. Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine (Dan. 1:8). Daniel and his three friends ate only vegetables and water, but “their countenance appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies” (Dan. 1:11-16). Plant Food and vegetables have very high nutritional value.