Health and Marrow

The point: Be encouraged in your pursuit of God's commands by His gracious promises.

Compares God's gracious promise to a car dealer's bargaining, emphasizing that God commands based on His right, not as a negotiation.

Us hoping we'll make a deal with him. Saying, look, I'll throw in these options and if I throw in the options, will you come to my terms, much like the car dealer tries to do with you? No, no, no, no. You see, God has every right to command us to be not wise in our own eyes.

3:00 - 3:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Be encouraged in your pursuit of God's commands by His gracious promises.

Uses the image of God giving 'goodies' or 'sweeties' to 'good little boys and girls' to illustrate that His promises are not obligations but grace.

You've been good little boys and girls, therefore I sort of feel obligated to give you a little packet of goodies. Or as one of our Scottish friends says, some sweeties. No, no. God doesn't come to us in that way at all.

3:48 - 4:03 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds the meaning of the promise, interpreting 'health to thy navel' as general physical well-being and 'marrow to thy bones' as emotional and inner man health…

Recounts how older commentators, despite limited anatomical knowledge, viewed the navel as the 'knot of internal organs,' supporting its symbolic meaning as the center of life.

As one able Hebrew commentator has said, the navel is, as it were, the tangible evidence, the firm center of the existence of the creature. And since all of life was sustained by means of that, prior to its severance from the mother's womb, it's easy to see how the navel came to be thought of as the symbol of the crucial center of life. In fact, it's interesting, some of the older commentators, whose knowledge of anatomy and physiology was very limited, actually make statements of this nature, that the navel is the knot of the internal organs, and binds them all together, and keeps them in the...

7:52 - 8:47 Read in full sermon

Driving home: This kind of biblical exegesis that tries to find some anticipation of modern medical science in Old Testament literature or New Testament is mere pura. It's stupidity. It brings reproach to the cause of Christ...

Warns against interpreting biblical language as anticipating modern medical science (e.g., blood production in marrow), calling it 'stupidity' that brings reproach to Christ.

Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, that's good medicine. But a broken spirit, that's inwardly, dryeth the bones. And so I suggest to you that when Solomon says to his son or to his pupil, this course of life marked by this threefold call, if complied with, will not only bring health to your navel, that is general well-being to your physical frame, but it will also bring general well-being to your whole inner man so that the center, the structure of your being, your bones, will be like a moist garden and you will feel from the structural center out the health of your bones. Now let...

15:16 - 16:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Fear God at His table and in what goes into your mouth, not just what comes out.

Illustrates gluttony as a sin with built-in retribution, causing physical effects like heart disease and emotional effects like a condemned conscience.

The Scripture condemns intemperance again and again, not just with reference to alcohol. Through the prophets, God indicts His people who recline upon their couches and fill themselves with the flesh of beasts and drink their wine until they're glutted and drunken with it. And gluttony is condemned as a sin again and again in the Scriptures, and it's one of those sins that has built-in retribution here and now. There are the physical effects of the poor heart having to pump blood through all those extra miles of capillaries.

19:02 - 19:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Glorify God in your eating and drinking, not by abusing His gifts.

Describes gluttony as a 'subtle way of digging your grave with your teeth,' emphasizing its self-destructive nature.

Gluttony is just a subtle way of digging your grave with your teeth. You cannot consciously say, Lord, because I regard Your smile as the most vital thing in all of life and I regard Your frown as the most dreadful thing, I shall therefore be intemperate in my food to Your glory. You can't. The thought is unthinkable.

20:33 - 20:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that intemperance in eating often involves a momentary practical atheism, a lack of the fear of God.

Explains that indulging in gluttony requires getting rid of conscious thought of God, making one a 'practical atheist' in that moment.

No. Before you can take that piece of pie that you should say no to, before you can take that second helping of potatoes or any at all in some of your cases, you've got to get rid of every conscious present thought of God. And you know it and I know it. You've got to.

20:55 - 21:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that intemperance in eating often involves a momentary practical atheism, a lack of the fear of God.

Points out that venereal diseases are not modern phenomena but ancient retributions built into God's dealing with immorality.

V.D. and gonorrhea are not 20th century phenomena. They're as old as the entrance of sin.

22:30 - 22:43 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The promise is fulfilled as a life of godliness helps believers avoid physical and emotional maladies associated with sins like gluttony, immorality, drunkenness, bitterness, and…

Critiques society's reliance on medical solutions (penicillin, clinics) for STDs while ignoring the biblical standard of sexual purity and the fear of God.

We can handle ourselves all right. We've got enough penicillin. If we can just get enough people under the needle, and enough people under the needle, and enough people on the phone to tell others with whom they've consorted illicitly, then we'll clear it up. And God says, All right, smarty, go ahead.

23:24 - 23:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Hold your wine glass in the fear of God, using wine with moderation if at all, as a gift.

Illustrates how people fall into drunkenness by looking 'long upon the glass' and refilling it, contrasting this with using wine in the fear of God.

Yea, thou shalt be as one that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth on the top of a mast. Where did Solomon learn that? He just watched people who didn't bring the fear of God to their wine glass. Instead of receiving it as the gift of God to be used with moderation, they looked long upon the glass.

25:12 - 25:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine your life for unjudged sin that may be contributing to physical illness, and repent of it.

Describes how stored bitterness, unforgiveness, and jealousy can release 'acids and bile' into the system, leading to physical ailments.

He said other people, the problem with them is a broken spirit. A broken spirit that dries up the bones. And I've met people who I believe were crippled with physical maladies because of all the acids and the bile that was let loose upon their system because of the storage of bitterness and unforgiveness and jealousy and rancor. All that poison working within the system until the physical frame itself said I can't bear it and throws in the towel.

27:06 - 27:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Care for your body realistically as a temple of the Holy Ghost, providing necessary sleep, nourishment, and rest.

Shares a personal experience of feeling 'carnal as a barnyard full of goats' when sleep-deprived, and how good sleep restores spiritual perspective, illustrating the mind-body connection.

And don't you think there isn't a relationship? There are some mornings when I go to pray and I feel as carnal as a barnyard full of goats. And I search my heart and ransack my conscience and as best I know, the counts are up with God and the rest. You know what the problem is?

33:19 - 33:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Avoid asceticism or self-destruction in the name of devotion, as it dishonors God and abuses the body.

Critiques certain Christian biographies that promote asceticism and 'burn out for God,' arguing that abusing the body dishonors God and leads to negative consequences.

Nor do you honor God by trying to exist as though you were an angel with no physical frame that needed sleep and nourishment and rest and the other things necessary for life in the flesh. You don't honor God. And that's why I don't like certain Christian biographies. There's a form of asceticism in there where men talk about burn out for God and unthinking young Christians get this and they begin to abuse their bodies that dishonors God.

35:09 - 35:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Seek communion with the people of God, as it provides therapeutic effects and mutual exhortation against sin.

Compares a newborn baby's innate hunger to a new convert's desire for the Word and fellowship, arguing that these are natural responses of regeneration.

Stay! This idea you got to tell a new convert ought to go to church ought to do this ought to do that I mean can't the Holy Ghost do anything when He regenerates someone? I visit an awful lot of babies and an awful lot of nurseries and an awful lot of hospitals and I never once saw any nurse whose specialty was training newborn babies how to open their mouths. Born hungry long before the eyes open up reach up as newborn babes long for the sincere milk of the Word. Likewise another ingredient of life implanted by the Holy Ghost is that desire to be amongst the people of God. Well you say how in...

38:19 - 39:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Seek communion with the people of God, as it provides therapeutic effects and mutual exhortation against sin.

Shares a personal story of asking men to pray for his intestinal upset before preaching, illustrating the therapeutic effect of the communion of saints for physical burdens.

That will prove health to my navel and marrow to my bones. Then perhaps I've actually come under sickness. There's the therapeutic effect of what went on just a short time ago down in the nursery when twenty minutes before it was time to come here my intestines were still very upset. I asked three or four of the men I said would you come in and pray.

39:39 - 40:00 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Holiness and health are normal for man the creature. Sin and sickness are abnormal.

Uses the metaphor of 'building logical planks' to warn against extending his stated principle (holiness and health are normal) beyond its intended scope.

Sin and sickness are abnormal. Now hold on don't you say well therefore you mean no I don't mean anything other than what I just stated. Now don't you go building logical planks out here. My plank is right here not one inch further and this is the plank.

41:51 - 42:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of absolutizing the promise of health in Proverbs 3:8, understanding that sickness can be God's instrument.

Expresses pain over young converts who absolutize promises like Proverbs 3:8, running off 'half cocked' and misunderstanding the broader biblical teaching on sickness.

This is what grieved me this past weekend with some of these dear young converts that I had to talk with for so long down in Pennsylvania. Taking a promise like this and absolutizing it running off half cocked as though the whole Bible teaching on sickness and health was bound up in a word like this. It isn't. The man who went through the greatest physical trials did so not because he wasn't fearing God but because he did fear God.

46:20 - 46:49 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I know that the tendency to pride still lurks within your heart. And lest that pride rise up and you be puffed up to where I must humble you, I will allow this messenger of Satan to keep you consciously, physically weak …

Uses the analogy of God pulling 'cords off the spark plugs' to illustrate how God can quickly humble him and remind him of his dependence, even after feeling strong in preaching.

I know the tendency of the corruption of your heart. And may I say a little aside, if the doctrine of the eradication of the sin principle were true, Paul never got it. Because the Lord Jesus said I know that the tendency to pride still lurks within your heart. And lest that pride rise up and you be puffed up to where I must humble you, I will allow this messenger of Satan to keep you consciously, physically weak to avoid a greater sin.

48:41 - 49:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not play games with God by neglecting physical and spiritual disciplines while claiming healing.

Illustrates the folly of claiming healing for a glandular disorder while continuing to eat 'greasy foods,' comparing it to playing tricks on God and even one's doctor.

As we opened up the positive truth this morning of the glory of Christ I think there was a negative note in the whole thing except against the Arians. Beloved there are wolves that would prey upon this flock and as the under shepherd of God I must seek to arm you with those things that will drive them away and I say beware of that wolfish emphasis on physical healing which bypasses the call to godliness. Let me explain. I've been in circumstances where they all didn't have that kind of glandular disorder pleading with God for healing of their gallbladder and all the time they're pumping down t...

52:03 - 53:03 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not play games with God by neglecting physical and spiritual disciplines while claiming healing.

Gives examples of people neglecting spiritual disciplines (Bible reading) or physical exercise (walking) while praying for emotional problems or cardiac weakness, highlighting hypocrisy.

He says you cut that diet out. Other people park in front of their TV far more than they do in front of their Bible and they pray of my emotional problems or men who sit in front of their TV watching ball games all weekend instead of going out and getting some exercise and they're asking God to heal them of their breathiness or of their cardiac weakness. If they got out and walked three miles a day their heart would take care of itself. Oh dear one we can't play games with God.

53:03 - 53:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Plead the promise of health and marrow before God, asking for physical and emotional well-being as it pleases Him.

Compares the promise of Proverbs 3:8 to a ticket that says 'not good if detached,' emphasizing that the promise is invalid if separated from its conditions of godliness.

Ah, my friend that promise is attached. And you've seen the little tickets that say not good if detached. This promise not good if detached. Invalid if detached.

54:54 - 55:09 Read in full sermon