Stewardship of Physical Health: Part 3

Recap: Disclaimer, Warning, and the Six Strands of Context

0:02 The following message was delivered on Sunday morning, August 18, 2002, in the Adult Sunday School class at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now let me attempt very briefly to condense into about five minutes the substance of two hours of exposition and application of the Word of God. I suggested to you that it would be helpful if we think of this material under four major headings. The first of which is what I called an emphatic disclaimer and a sober warning.

0:38 The disclaimer distanced what we're doing from the current cult of body worship, and the warning was that we not move from inactivity and indifference to the stewardship of our bodies into the cult of body worship. I then suggested that the next two major headings will be set before you under the imagery of a story. The string of pearls, and so major heading number two was the string itself, composed of the larger biblical and theological context of any responsible consideration of the Christian stewardship of his body. And following on with the analogy of the string, I set before you the six strands that woven together comprise this string on which these pierced pearls of biblical context, and this is the first of the three that I'm going to present to you today. The first is the string that I'm going to present to you today. The second is the string that I'm going to present to you today. I just give them to you without any texts, without any comment.

1:42 Number one, as a result of the fall of man, physical abnormalities, liabilities, and degenerative diseases and various illnesses and death itself are woven into the fabric of human existence and will remain so until the redemption of man. And number two, as a result of the fall of man, physical abnormalities, liabilities, and degenerative diseases and death itself are woven into the fabric of man. Don't in any way be seduced by the promise of perfect health from whatever source. It simply is not true to the scriptures.

2:16 Secondly, our concern for and care of our bodies must always be subservient to the greater concerns of our souls and the advancement of the kingdom of God. Strand number three. A long and healthy life is to be desired and responsibly sought when it is desired and sought for the sake of fruitfulness for God. Strand number four.

2:44 Poor health, chronic physical ailments, and premature death may be the result of an unexplained, mysterious exercise of the absolute sovereignty of God. Paul, who raised the dead, had the gift, the gift of healing as an apostle, said without embarrassment, Trothimus, have I left at my letus sick? There it is. Trothimus, have I left at my letus sick?

3:18 God's absolute sovereignty. On the other hand, strand number five. Poor health, I'm sorry, number four, poor health, chronic ailments, and premature death may be the result. Yes.

3:29 Number five. Poor health, chronic physical ailments, and premature death may be the result of divine chastisement for sin or a divine restraint from sin. And then sixth strand. Poor health, chronic physical ailments, and premature death, along with all the consequences of these things, may be the direct result of sinful carelessness or indifference with respect to the stewardship of the care of one's body.

4:03 And that sixth stranded string must always be present when we think of these pearls, these specific biblical texts which set forth the heart of the Christian's duty in relationship to the stewardship of his body. So that brings us to Roman numeral three. We looked at the disclaimer and the warning, Roman numeral one. Roman numeral two, the string, the larger biblical and theological context of this, Roman numeral three.

Recap: The Pierced Pearls and Two-Fold Purpose

4:32 Roman numeral three, the pierced and threaded pearls which really are the biblical case for every Christian exercising a responsible stewardship in the care of his body. And I stated last Lord's Day that my purpose in setting forth this biblical case was a two-fold purpose and I was unembarrassed to lay out my goal without shame, without any hidden agenda at the outset. My goal is to set before you a sound biblical case seeking to persuade every Christian to acquire and promote a conscientious and balanced concern regarding the stewardship of one's body. And secondly, my goal is to set before you a sound biblical case seeking to persuade every Christian to implement and promote an informed, disciplined effort in administering, and the stewardship of one's body. So the heart of what I'm out to do is to produce concern and effort and internal conception and conviction of the mind expressed in external practical disciplines of the life. Well, then we began to consider what I'm using in this analogy, the pierced and threaded pearls that go on that six-stranded string. And we had time to look at three of them.

6:01 Number one, an apostolic supplication which warrants this concern and effort in conjunction with the stewardship of one's body. Third, John 2, John's prayer for Gaius. Secondly, an apostolic exhortation which warrants this concern and effort, Romans 12, 1 and 2. And then an apostolic declaration and its application which warrants this concern and effort, 1 Corinthians 6, 19.

Pearl 4: Apostolic Assertion from 1 Timothy 4:7-8

6:31 and 20 where Paul sets forth the dignity of the body as the purchased temple of the Lord Jesus Christ and then gives this applicatory command, glorify God therefore in your body. Now today, as time permits, I hope to take up three more of these pierced and threaded pearls and then, God willing, next week, one final pearl and some practical application and hopefully have some time for discussion and interaction. What then is the fourth of these pierced and threaded pearls? We move from the apostolic supplication, apostolic exhortation, apostolic declaration, fourthly, an apostolic assertion which warrants this concern and effort regarding the stewardship of our bodies. Here I would ask you to turn with me to 1 Timothy and chapter 4, an apostolic assertion which warrants this concern and effort regarding the stewardship of our bodies. Here in 1 Timothy chapter 4, after giving to Timothy a catalog of directives concerning the administration of the affairs of the church at Ephesus,

7:55 Paul now focuses on Timothy's responsibility to administer the affairs of his own stewardship as a Christian man and as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. He begins doing this in verse 6, If you put the brethren in mind of these things, you, Timothy, shall be a good minister of Christ Jesus, you yourself nourished in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you, Timothy, have followed until now. But you, Timothy, refuse profane and old wives' fables, and you, Timothy, exercise yourself unto godliness. For bodily exercise is profitable for a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come. So here in verse 7b, as he is focusing upon Timothy's stewardships with regard to himself as a Christian man, and as a servant of Christ, he commands Timothy to exercise or discipline himself unto godliness. This is a clear command issued to Timothy. It is a present imperative of the verb gounazo.

9:16 And Timothy would have immediately associated that verb with what men would do in preparation for the Grecian games. They would strip down, in order to be prepared for serious, vigorous, disciplined, physical exercise and training to prepare themselves for competition in one or more aspects of the Grecian games. So when Timothy would read this letter from Paul in the imperative, Timothy, amidst all the duties you have concerning ordering the life of the church, you must never move away from a conscious, constant, vigorous, exercise, discipline of soul in those things that will cause you to have a healthy soul. Exercise yourself unto godliness. You, Timothy, are to have a pattern of conscious, deliberate, consistent use of the appropriate means, just as the athlete has this constant, conscious, disciplined use of those means that produce physical astuteness, physical alacrity, physical strength and competence. You, Timothy, are to do that with regard to the pursuit of godliness.

10:41 Now, having given that imperative, he now sets before him this comparative statement. Look at the text. For bodily exercise or discipline, and here you have the noun, the noun form of the verb, gumnazo, we now have, excuse me, a gumnasia. You now have exercise that comes out of that verb, and he says, you, Timothy, are to recognize by way of comparison that bodily discipline or exercise is profitable for a little.

11:21 Bodily exercise is indeed profitable for a little. And the commentators differ on the significance of the word a little. Is it speaking a little in terms of the extent of its profit in the individual or the extent of its profit time-wise? Well, both are true.

11:39 Bodily exercise is profitable for a little when compared to this spiritual discipline or exercise which has promised not only of this life but of the life to come. So from the imperative given, we have the comparison made. Bodily gumnasia, vigorous, serious, disciplined physical exercise is profitable for a little within a limited sphere, whereas spiritual gumnasia, vigorous, serious, disciplined pursuit of godliness, has profit for this life and for the age to come. Now, in setting forth that comparison, Paul is not giving a negation of the profit of bodily discipline. He's given one of the most clear positive statements of the positive benefits of bodily discipline. Lift that statement out of its comparative structure and it stands on its own. Bodily discipline is profitable for a little.

12:54 Paul recognized that. And he wants Timothy to recognize it. While the great burden of his heart is to stir up Timothy to this exercise unto godliness, in the process of doing it with this comparative statement, he gives this simple, straightforward statement, this that I call an apostolic assertion, that warrants this concern and effort regarding the stewardship, of the body. Bodily exercise, or bodily discipline, with all the connotation of what gumnazo and gumnasia would have to a first century Greek speaking man like Timothy. All the connotations, bodily exercise, that is, a conscious, deliberate, disciplined effort with respect to our bodily condition is profitable. Now, granted, compared with that discipline that issues in godliness, it is limited in scope and in time. But within its limits, it is profitable.

14:09 Now, that got you conscience. From the Bible. Yes or no? Now, have you conscience?

14:14 All right. Now, the question is, how is it profitable? Well, if you want to know, there's a tape entitled, Biblical Rationale for Bodily Fitness. Who do you think taught or preached this?

14:29 Anyone want to guess? Pastor McDiarmid. That's right. Back in 1995, Pastor McDiarmid led, in his own assembly, an adult class taking this text based upon the fundamental exposition that I've given, and he answers the question, how is it profitable?

14:51 Nine points to his answer. Every one of them buttressed and rooted in the word of God. And so anxious are we that you listen to this. A whole bunch of them have been made.

15:03 They're sitting on the table at the rear of the upper foyer, and you get them for nothing with one caveat. If you reach out your hand to take one, you're making a silent covenant. I'm going to listen to it. And if you're not making the silent covenant, take your hand back.

15:14 It's forbidden goods. All right? You're an aching, stealing what doesn't belong to you. If with your hand you're not making the silent covenant, take your hand back.

15:23 It's forbidden goods. All right? You're an aching, stealing what doesn't belong to you. If with your hand reaching out, you're not making the silent covenant, as soon as I can, I'm going to listen to it.

15:35 All right? All my joshing aside, we really want you to hear this. It is a very, very sound, balanced, helpful explanation of in what ways is bodily exercise profitable. And because he has done such a thorough job, and because I only have the rest of this class and next week to finish up, I'm not even going to give you the headings.

Pearl 5: Apostolic Observation and Example from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

16:01 I had them all listed, but I said no. I really urge you, please, get hold of the tape, listen to it, and have the Berean spirit searching the scriptures to see if these things are so. So then, we move from an apostolic supplication, an apostolic exhortation, an apostolic declaration with its application, an apostolic assertion. Now we come to the fifth pierced pearl, and I call it this, an apostolic observation and example which warrants the concern and effort regarding the stewardship of one's body.

16:40 An apostolic observation and example. Turn, please, to 1 Corinthians 9. Remember what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to present a biblical case to persuade you both to have an intelligent, balanced concern about these issues and to implement a realistic, helpful, informed regimen of implementation.

17:08 1 Corinthians 9. Let me read verses 24 to 27. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize, even so run that you may attain? And every man that strives in the games exercises self-control in all things.

17:34 Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I as not beating the air, but I buffet my body and bring it into bondage, lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected, disqualified, ad docimos, reprobate. Now the context is Paul's dealing with the issue of Christian liberty. And here in chapter 9 he's been demonstrating that as a Christian man and as an apostle that he, fully conscious of all the areas of his liberty, is willing to relinquish the exercise of those liberties in one area after another if in so doing he can be more useful in the salvation and edification of others and in the salvation of his own soul. You follow what I said? He has been laying out the nature of our liberty in Christ with regard to things indifferent. But now in chapter 9 he's saying, now look, as a Christian man and apostle, I know full well my liberties

19:03 in Jesus Christ. However, as he says in this passage, I have used none of these things. He did not relinquish his liberty in Christ, but again and again he voluntarily relinquished and restrained the exercise of his liberty in the pursuit of the salvation of sinners, the edification of saints, and the salvation of his own soul. Any doctrine of Christian liberty that does not mirror that is an aberration.

19:36 It's an aberration and it's right in our circles. Under Christian liberty all kinds of impediments to the progress of the gospel, to the edification of saints, and to the ongoing safety and salvation of souls is being indulged and I see it everywhere. They didn't learn the doctrine of Christian liberty from Paul. Am I not free?

20:10 Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Christ our Lord? Don't I have a right to lead about a wife? Am I not free from kosher rules and laws?

20:20 He said, yes, but, but, I make myself the slave of the scruples of others if by any means I may win them. God help us. I'm not going to confess and preach on that though everything in me wants to. The spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets.

20:40 But I trust you hear me because I believe it's one of the Trojan horses of the rising generation in our circles. You haven't been cursed with fundamentalist checklist morality. Can't do this, can't do that, can't do the other. You've heard the doctrine of Christian liberty taught and expressed but detach it from 1 Corinthians 9 and it's the bogus product.

21:03 It's not the real thing. It's not the real thing. So, as he comes to verse 23, he makes it plain that a right practice of liberty is a subset of a larger view of the nature of the Christian life in general and that he wants to, the Corinthians, to view it that way. Look at verse 23.

21:23 And I do all things for the gospel's sake that I personally may be a joint partaker thereof. When doing these things as a gospel minister, above all else, I want to make sure that I experience the full benefit and blessing promised to men in the gospel. And then he goes on to say, do you not know? Here we have a rhetorical question in verse 24.

21:53 A rhetorical question and then a practical application in the form of an imperative. Here's the rhetorical question. Do you not know that they that run in a race all run but one receives the prize? You say, now you Corinthians, you've viewed the Grecian games and if there are ten men that line up at the starting line, you know there's only one that gets the wreath at the end.

22:16 If there are a hundred, some of us have seen the pictures of 25,000 stacked up at the Verrazano Bridge beginning the New York Marathon. But among those 25,000, you know only one is going to break the tape as the winner. Paul says, you all know that. That's a no-brainer.

22:33 You all got it? Of course, Paul, you think we're stupid? Sure. We know that everybody enters the race who feels he's confident to enter the race but only one's going to receive the prize.

22:45 Now the rhetorical question then moves to a very serious imperative. Look at it. Even so run that you may attain. Attain what?

22:53 Attain the prize. You're in the Christian race and it won't do to come in second or third or twenty-fifth. You've got to break the tape. You've got to complete the course.

23:06 You see, he's speaking of perseverance. He that endures to the end the same should be saved. And in a very real sense every true Christian that perseveres to the end wins the race. I have finished the course the apostle said.

23:21 Every believer who joins him in glory says, I've finished the course. I've endured to the end by the grace and power of God and in the way of his appointment. And so Paul joins this practical application in the form of an imperative. And then he goes on in verse twenty-five with respect to this very simple observation with regard to those that are serious about finishing the race and winning.

23:55 And every man that strives in the games whether a race whether a wrestling match whatever he moves to the broader games very familiar to the Corinthians exercises self-control in all things. The man that has any serious concern to break the tape to pin his opponent to knock out his opponent to throw the discus the farthest distance whatever the particular athletic discipline the man that's serious about winning is serious about universal discipline of his life in preparation for the contest that he wants to win. All right look at the text. Every man that strives agonizomai in the games exercises self-control in all things. When he thinks in his fantasies that his discus will go the furthest lying on his bed he knows how much sleep he gets when he gets up for breakfast.

25:08 The kind of regimen he'll be subjected to from morning till night the totality of his life is under the constraints of winning the prize. Now do you see that with your own eyes in your own Bible? All right now notice carefully the parallel Paul's going to draw. Now they do it do what?

25:35 Exercise self-control in every aspect of life. They do it to what end? Now here's where you have similar discipline but utterly disparate goals and motives. They do it to receive a corruptible crown a wreath of olive leaves that will wither in a few days.

26:00 They do it to receive a corruptible crown but notice but we we what? We do in the physical realm what they do in the physical realm in order to receive an incorruptible crown. And what do they do in the physical realm? They exercise self-control in every facet of life.

26:27 Every facet of life is geared toward winning the prize breaking the tape winning the race. Now he said universal discipline and self control with a view to persevere to the end and winning. They do it we do it and the it is exercising self control in all things. See that?

27:07 I trust you see it from the text. Now then we've looked at the contrasting goals now Paul's going to move. To his own personal example. So that's why I said we have an apostolic observation.

27:21 That's what we've looked at and now the example. Now notice Paul moves to the personal. I therefore I so believe what I'm telling you Corinthians and what I want you to believe and you can't deny it because it's a matter of your common observation with your contact and awareness of what goes on with athletes contending in the world. I therefore I so believe this that I'm ready to set forth myself as an example and it's emphatic in the Greek you have an egg go I for myself not just taking the eye in the first person singular of the verb and you have the person and number locked up in Greek verbs but he says I for myself in other words he's conscious I'm setting myself forth as an example of myself therefore what do I do he gives a negative two negatives typical of Paul and then two positives he says I therefore two images now under the negative he says I'm not a meandering unfocused runner I therefore so run as not uncertainly I am not a rambling meandering unfocused runner who's out there just jogging at the sky

28:50 going off he said no no I don't run with uncertainty I don't run as a meandering unfocused runner that's imagery number one with a negative image number two I'm not a flailing shadow pummeling boxer look at the language so fight I literally so box I as not beating the air I'm not like Rocky in his morning I just want you to get it by the eye gate as well as the ear gate Paul says you look at me as a Christian I'm not a meandering unfocused runner and I am not a flailing shadow pummeling boxer that's what I'm not whatever you see in me as a Christian man you'd never say oh to Christian life is a nice meandering of powers and faculties geared to winning the prize and it's not shadow pummeling boxer no that's the negative now look at the positive and he uses the image of giving his body a black eye and the image of bringing his body into the

30:19 condition of a slave look at the vigorous language Paul says to heaven here it is but I buffet my body you may have a marginal reading that says I bruise it it's the word to give it a black eye in other words he said when I'm boxing I'm going straight for the part that makes a guy see stars and he said the guy that I'm making see stars is me look at the text I therefore so run not as uncertainly so fide but I'm out to give my body black and blue marks under the eye I'm out to knock it out and what do you mean we'll see what he means better but that's what he says that's the language inspired by the Holy Ghost set forth as an example from Paul for all Christians I for myself you want to know what it means exercise self-control in all things in this matter of the Christian race seeking to win the prize I'll tell you a name this unfocused meandering job doesn't mean shadow boxing flailing shadow pummeling it means giving the body of black high subduing it and then he uses this verb and bring it into bondage

31:47 now the verb used there is exactly the verb he would use if you were describing a returning Roman general general Octavius is coming home from a conquest you say to him what are you going to do with your thousand prisoners he would say I'm going to make them my slaves that's the very verb he would have used that Paul uses here I make my body my slave it's in that family of words you've heard about doulos a bond slave douluo to make a slave or to service as a slave that's the family of words he said I make my body my slave I knock it out and I subdue it why now look at the text lest by any means by any carelessness in the discipline of my bodily faculties and appetites after I have preached to others I myself should be rejected set aside disqualified as a man and as a servant of Christ that is serious business and what I want you to note is that in the context

33:16 it focuses on the body now none of the things he says about dealing with his body are possible without the engagement of the mind and the heart and the soul which is he doesn't stop with the soul he concretizes it into bodily discipline bodily appetites bodily faculties and passions and he says I'm determined that I will not be disqualified by carelessly laying the reins upon the neck of my bodily passions and appetites and thereby not complete the race be kicked out of the race and disqualified for breaking the rules surely this apostolic observation and example constitutes a warrant for all of us to cultivate a concern and to make tangible effort to be good stewards of our bodies especially in the self disciplines essential to the governing of bodily appetites predispositions and passions can you come to any other conclusions in this passage I can't I can't and if the apostle

34:44 called to Christ by a voice from heaven taken into the secret of God by direct revelation and all of the privileges of grace if he was convinced the only way to win the prize was in this way of universal self discipline of the body that was akin to the universal discipline of the body by someone contending in the Grecian games who are you who am I who am you who am I how to do what I am what I can do what I can do how can I do what I can do in reality on every album doctrines that lead men to forbid to marry and eat certain foods. That's the same man who wrote this. So if anyone says, oh, well, maybe the...

Distinguishing Paul's Discipline from Asceticism

36:01 No, no, no, no, no. There is no demonically inspired asceticism here. Furthermore, we read last week in Colossians 2. He said, in the light of what you are in Christ, why are you submitting yourself to man-made rules?

36:13 Don't touch this. Don't touch that. Don't handle that. Don't eat this food.

36:17 Don't eat that. He said, no, no, no, no, no. That's contrary to who and what you are in Christ. So you do not have in this passage any justification for a demonically inspired asceticism, man-made rules of diet and days and all the rest that are condemned.

Practical Application of Bodily Subjugation

36:37 What you have is a man who's a realist, who knows that if this body and its appetites are not harnessed, he could be disqualified. If its appetite for sleep is not harnessed. If its appetite for sleep is not harnessed, you become a sluggard. And a sluggard is put in the same word with a drunkard in the book of Proverbs.

37:01 Drunkard and sluggard are put together in the book of Proverbs. If I don't have discipline to tell my body, get up and do. You see, Paul says, I not only smack it under the eye with a knockout blow and it needs it, I make it my slave. When my body says to me, oh, stay in bed.

37:24 Am I renewed? A renewed man in Christ says, but ah, that's going to rob me of time to meet with God. Who's the master? Your body giving you the orders and you obey?

37:36 Or are you making your body your slave and making it obey? Say, body, you will not keep me glued to my bed. I'm going to go meet with God and you've got to join me. Can't go there without you, body.

37:50 You're going to be my slave. I give the orders under Christ. You don't give the orders. That's what he means.

37:56 I make my body my slave. When you sit at the table and that particular morsel tastes so good and the second helping and the third would taste as good as the first, but you know that that's going to put more calories in than it going out in the ordinary metabolic process and in exercise and therefore it's potentially stored up on your waist, on the rest of your body, straining your heart, clogging up your arteries. Your body is your slave, not your belly, the master. Got it?

38:37 That's what it means. And when everything in you wants to be the proverbial couch potato and you know, given the sedentary pattern of life in our day, generations ago, didn't have to worry about this. The man chopped the wood and did so many activities that he got his cardiovascular exercise and his stretching and his muscle toning and all the rest. And the woman's there at the scrub board and going out and pumping the well.

39:03 She got all kinds of cardiovascular exercise, strength training. We don't have that in our sedentary life. You've been persuaded from all the medical knowledge and medical information that without structured cardiovascular exercise, you're a time bomb waiting to go off. And you know it.

39:24 And it's time to push your body to exercise. And it says, no, no. I'm not a slave. I'm the master.

39:30 I'm the slave. Leave me in the mode of the couch potato. You say to your body, you're not the master. I'm not the slave.

39:34 I'm the master. You're the slave. Do what I tell you. That's what Paul's saying.

39:39 It's right here in your Bible folks. And he says, I'm setting myself forth as an example. Setting myself forth as an example. And when my body screams and cries and yells and hollers, I scream and yell and holler it down in the name of Christ.

39:59 And it carries over into other areas. Bodily passions and appetites. You young women, when Mr. Wright comes into your life and everything in you wants to be held in a bone-crushing embrace.

40:12 And that'll happen. If it ain't happened yet, it's going to happen. Who's going to be the master? Your passions and your natural God-given yearnings and longings to be held in a bone-crushing embrace?

40:28 Or are you going to say to body, body ain't got no right to that yet. You mind me. You mind me, body. You mind me, body.

40:35 You're my slave for the service of Christ. I'm not your slave for the service of the flesh and of the dead. And my Bible says, as the crowning fruit of the Spirit. What is it?

40:49 Self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, or faithfulness, meekness. Self-control. And there'll be very little fruit of the Spirit in the other areas if there's no self-control in bodily appetites, passions.

41:08 And there'll be very little fruit of the Spirit in the other areas if there's no self-control in bodily appetites, passions, and inclinations. Because you're going to grieve the Spirit by what you do with your body. And a grieved spirit will not be producing rich, lush fruit in all of these other areas. See, if any of you have been tempted to say, oh, Pastor Martin's on one of his hobby horses.

41:28 That's a Pauline horse, not mine. And God's calling you and God's calling me to ride it. So run that you may attain. Oh, but oh, Paul.

41:41 I don't need the disciplines you did to run. I don't need the discipline you did to run. I can be just a meandering jogger. I can think I'm going to win the crown without universal self-discipline.

41:52 Paul said no. You know, every man that strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a corruptible crown. But we do it and incorruptible.

42:06 And I will set myself forth as an example. I therefore for myself so run. As not uncertainly so. Fight I as not beating the air.

Pearl 6: Inescapable Implications of the Sixth Commandment

42:17 But I buffet my body. Bring it into bondage less by any means after I have preached to others. I myself should be rejected. Well, then we're going to move to the third pierced and strong pearl for this morning.

42:34 And it is this. It's the inescapable implications of the sixth commandment. The inescapable implications of the sixth commandment. The inescapable implications of the sixth commandment.

42:47 In Exodus chapter 20 and verse 13. Here is the simple language of the sixth commandment. Exodus chapter 20 and verse 13. You shall do no murder.

43:04 Better rendering than thou shalt not kill. For here in the Mosaic law God himself mandates the Israelites killing a lot of their own for various reasons. Taking their lives. But you shall do no murder.

43:15 That is you shall not unjustly without divine warrant take another human life. That's the sixth commandment. And I'm saying that the inescapable implications of the sixth commandment warrant both this concern and this action. This commitment to bodily discipline.

43:37 Now those of you familiar with the larger and shorter catechism. You know that there are some very vital principles. That our forefathers used in opening up the meaning of the ten commandments. And I want to read several that they say were formative in their understanding of the implications of the commandments.

43:59 And this is from the larger catechism. Taking a little longer to find things with this. Otherwise too good for this prescription. But it won't change it yet.

44:10 So I have to blink and get into focus. What rules are to be observed for the right understanding. Of the ten commandments. And then there follows.

44:20 Eight rules that are to be observed for a right understanding of the ten commandments. I want to read just three of them. Rule number four is this. When a duty is commanded.

44:33 The contrary sin is forbidden. And where a sin is forbidden. The contrary duty is commanded. So you shall not do murder.

44:43 A contrary duty is commanded. Honor your father and your mother. A contrary vice or sin is forbidden. And then the next principle.

44:53 Number seven is this. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves. We are bound according to our places. That is our station in life.

45:03 To endeavor that it may be avoided. Or performed by others. According to the duty of their places. That's why I use the word.

45:12 I want to persuade you to have a concern. And to promote that concern. And then to have effort. And to promote that effort in others.

45:21 This was the principle that lay behind. My inclusion of that word. And effort to influence others. And then.

45:30 Rule number or guideline number eight. That yes. That's number eight. Yeah.

45:38 But it's basically the same. Only the flip side of it. And then you have the twofold question with each command. What duties are commanded.

45:45 What sins are forbidden. Now listen carefully. As I read the larger catechism. Selected sections.

Duties and Sins Related to the Sixth Commandment

45:53 This is not an exhaustive reading. Of the entire answer. Here we come to the sixth commandment. And we have this question.

46:02 What are the duties required in the sixth commandment? Answer. The duties required in the sixth commandment are. All careful studies.

46:15 And lawful endeavors. To preserve the life. Of ourselves. And others.

46:23 That's why I use the word. An informed. And balanced. Regimen.

46:30 Of physical discipline. All careful studies. And lawful endeavors. To preserve the life of ourselves and others.

46:41 How? By resisting all thoughts and purposes. Subduing all passions. And avoiding all occasions.

46:49 Temptations. And practices. Which tend to the unjust taking away of the life of any. If the practices have to do with non-exercise.

47:03 With undisciplined eating. Our forefathers would say that is forbidden. By the sixth commandment. Furthermore.

47:12 A sober use of food. Drink. Medication. Sleep.

47:19 Labor. And recreations. And they have a proof text for everyone. This is the duty.

47:24 Required by the sixth commandment. All careful studies. Lawful endeavors. To preserve our lives.

47:28 Resisting all thoughts and purposes. All occasions. Temptations. And practices.

47:32 That tend to the unjust taking away of the life of any. A sober use of food. What's a sober use of food? A sober use of food.

47:36 A sober use of food. A sober use of food. A sober use of food. A sober use of food.

47:40 A sober use of food. A sober use of food. A sober use of food. A sober use of food.

47:44 A sober use of food. A sober use of food. A sober use of food. Understanding the basic principles of diet.

47:51 And caloric intake. And the relationship of that to scales that don't lie. A sober use of food. Of drink.

48:06 Knowing whether or not you can take a glass of wine and stop. Whether it gives you a buzz. Or whether it just makes the meal taste good and is metabolized as you sip it with your meal. A sober, realistic, honest, honest interaction with drink, with medication, sleep, labor, recreations, then what are the sins forbidden in the sixth commandment? The sins forbidden in the sixth commandment are, hear carefully now, the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful and necessary means of preservation of life. The neglecting or withdrawing the necessary means of the preservation of life. I hope you've read the articles I put in your hands two weeks ago. The medical evidence from the most sound, extensive medical studies is clear that some form of regular cardiovascular exercise extends life expectancy, period.

49:18 Can't deny it. Any more than one can deny that there is most frequently a direct connection between lung cancer and smoking. Any man who now smokes and says, oh, well, I'm just a bunch of propaganda. He's violating this. He's neglecting necessary means of the preservation of life. The immoderate use of food, overeating, drink, labor, and recreations, and whatsoever, tends to the destruction of the life of any.

The Weight of the Analogy: Willful Destruction of Life

50:01 It's clear, dear brothers and sisters, that if we're going to have a good conscience, that with no thought that we're going to earn brownie points by keeping any of the ten commandments to any degree whatsoever, but out of love to Christ, who perfectly kept the law, who died under the curse of the law, and in whom we trust. We trust alone for acceptance in the court of heaven, based upon his perfect life and his sacrificial death, but out of love and gratitude to him. We want to keep his law, including the sixth commandment, determined to perform the duties commanded by it, and determined to avoid the sins forbidden by it. And so I say the inescapable implication, the inescapable implications of the sixth commandment, not only warrant, this is the one time in my notes where I said, no, I should probably use the word demands, this concern, and this effort, in conjunction with the stewardship of the body. What would you think of a Christian, and with this illustration, I close, who at the age 65, with 10 to 15 years of life expectancy, given his overall health, genetic health, and physical health, would be a Christian?

51:28 And in the sort of manic patterns, he has reason to believe that, barring some sovereign intervention of God, he's going to live to be 70, 75, this he's added 10 to 15 years of life expectancy. What would you think, if you heard that he put a gun to his temple, and upon his 65th birth, it blew his brains out? You'd think a lot of things, I'm sure. But you'd be grieved that the grandchildren lost the grandpa just at the time when he could be the most influential.

51:59 That the people of God lost the son of God. a seasoned saint at a time when he could be tremendously influential, when his place of employment for all his life has given him forced retirement and he now has hours free to serve that he never had before, it would be a grievous shame. Would you not feel that?

52:20 Yes? No? Would you feel that?

52:24 I ask you in principle, is it any different if that same man dies of a heart attack at age 65 because from age 30 to age 65 he was willfully indifferent to principles of diet, exercise, medical knowledge and involvement, and all the chickens came home to roost and took him to his grave at age 65. The only difference is the bullet did it all at once. The combination of these violations of the sixth commandment and the other pierced pearls I've laid. I've laid it before you, spread it out over 35 years, and that's what I want to see avoided in this place. You young people, I want to see you avoid that.

53:22 Do you feel the weight of the analogy? I believe it's a valid one. There's no fundamental difference in both cases. It is the willful destruction of life in an instant, stretched out over time.

53:43 It is the willful, wanton destruction of human life.

53:50 That'll take the gig. I'll take the gills out, just as much as you wouldn't giggle with a man holding a pistol to his head.

54:00 This must not become, this whole issue, a source of nervous joking.

54:07 It's as serious as the preservation of sacred life for the service.

Prayer for Counter-Cultural Discipline

54:25 Our Father, we live in a soft, undisciplined, hedonistic age. In your providence, we have come. We have come to an age with so many mechanical servants that we acknowledge that a sedentary life is so natural to us. We live in a day when so much is set before us to tease and tantalize our taste buds.

54:51 It has very little relevance to the nutrition of our bodies. Lord, we know that we are being called to a counterculture in these things we've considered these past three Lord's Day mornings. But we pray that, as in so many other areas, you've helped us to embrace our calling as the counterculture committed to Jesus. Lord, help us to embrace our identity in this area as well.

55:18 We pray for those who've rationalized about these matters for years. Lord, in mercy, deal with them. We pray for those who stand on the threshold of adult life, that these things will be worked into the texture of their souls and into the patterns of life. That they would not be plagued in their later years.

55:41 Father, bless your word. Seal it to our hearts. And to your name be praise and honor and glory. For Jesus' sake.

55:50 Amen.