“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1 NIV).
“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” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; see also: Exodus 15:26).
People filled with the Holy Spirit are God’s temple. Have you ever stopped to think what implications this has for your life? A temple is God’s dwelling place. God said to Moses: “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8).
If we take this statement seriously, then taking care of our health and our lifestyle will become a deliberate part of our discipleship. Our body belongs to God. Do you want to treat God’s property carefully? Yes, we want to treat our bodies carefully and according to God’s instructions! This demands a certain amount of discipline. Someone, who is filled with the Holy Spirit, can and will usually implement this discipline with joy. The reward is better health in body, soul and spirit. Someone, who isn’t filled with the Holy Spirit, will struggle and suffer disadvantages. God expects that we maintain the best possible health in body and spirit for His glory, for His service and for our own joy. In this area there is also no replacement for being filled with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit, then He is also “the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26). Healing is always manifest in a way that is best for the person concerned and also to God’s glory. This can raise the question: Does the divine doctor heal everyone?
“An older Cambodian woman came as a refugee to a mission hospital, which was in a refugee camp in Thailand. She was dressed in the clothes of a Buddhist nun. She asked to be treated by Dr. Jesus. So they told her about Jesus. She placed her trust in Him and was healed body and soul. When she was able to return to Cambodia she was able to win 37 people for Christ.”1
Bible Case for Natural Remedies
During loyal king Hezekiah’s sickness the Lord sent him a message: “Surely I will heal you.” (2 Kings 20:1-11) But why didn’t the Lord heal him with a word, but instead gave him the task of putting on a fig poultice? Could it be that the Lord expects our participation through natural remedies or changes in our diet, exercise, rest, etc.? Why didn’t God heal Paul, but left him with a “thorn in his flesh”? Paul himself said: “Lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). “The influence of the Spirit of God is the very best medicine that can be received by a sick man or woman. Heaven is all health; and the more deeply the heavenly influences are realized, the more sure will be the recovery of the believing invalid.”2
Isn’t it remarkable and significant what a certain business man wrote? He shared how all the health seminars hadn’t done him any good. But since he started to daily pray for the Holy Spirit, he had completely shifted to a healthy lifestyle and had adopted a vegetarian diet.3 Doesn’t this show that being filled with the Holy Spirit can motivate us and give us strength along with joy to accept a healthy lifestyle?
Testimony: God Removed My Addiction
A sister shared an experience with me. She wrote: Through my complete surrender to Jesus, God changed my life completely in a moment. After my prayer of surrender I went into the kitchen the next morning, stood by the coffee machine, shook my head and said to myself: no, I don’t drink coffee anymore. In the past this would have been unthinkable, because when I tried to quit drinking coffee, I had had horrible headaches for five days—these were strong withdrawal symptoms. This time I didn’t even think about what consequences it would have for me. I only knew that I didn’t want to drink coffee anymore. Today I have no more desire for coffee.4 This was only one of many changes in her life. (I recommend the 5th “Andreasbrief” or “Andrew Letter” on victory over tobacco and alcohol for anyone who wants to be free from addictions. It explains in length the way to deliverance through prayer and promises [available in German and English].5)
A life with the Holy Spirit will greatly promote health reform. It is a matter of health information linked with the power to change. Don Mackintosh, Director of Newstart Global, Weimar, CA, says: “The real need of our day is not simply health education—we have excellent information. What is needed is health information coupled with power to put it into practice, which is the power to change.”6
Dr. Tim Howe says: “Health education alone is not medical missionary work. Health education does not provide healing any more than the law of God provides salvation. To realize health or salvation the transforming power of God must be experienced.”7
Finally, I would like to ask the question: What about faith healings? Can any be expected without being filled with the Holy Spirit? (see Mark 16:17- 18; James 5:14-16)
Call to Action
Will you pray daily for the Holy Spirit and ask God to help you take care of the body He gave you?
The above is an excerpt from Steps to Personal Revival.
Scripture noted as NIV above is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Unless noted otherwise, scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
- Author unknown, Our Daily Bread—Worship book (RBC Ministries), 26. Nov. 1993
- Ellen G. White, Medical Ministries (1932), p.12.3
- Email from 7.3.2013
- Email from November 18, 2014 from Sister M.
- AndrewLetterNr.5,Victory over Tobacco and Alcohol, www.https://steps-to-personal-revival.info, button: Victory over Tobacco and Alcohol.
- Dave Fiedler, D’Sozo (Remnant Publications), Foreword
- Dave Fiedler, D’Sozo (Remnant Publications), Foreword
