It is important for us to understand God’s will for us as it pertains to avoiding the excesses and extremes of the age. Almost every area of human existence is now tainted or corrupted by excess. From marriage to eating, and drinking, from sports to politics, from working to sleeping, and from seeing to texting. And in some cases even speaking in tongues is carried to excess, so that we find ourselves now living in an era of extremes. In most cases, it is the good things God has given to the human family, that are taken to excess, thus bringing upon ourselves, and on our posterity, untold hardship, and avoidable, adverse consequences. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
[Temperance. pp 138] Excessive indulgence in eating, drinking, sleeping, or seeing, is sin. True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful, and to use judiciously that which is healthful. The appetite should ever be in subjection to the moral and intellectual powers. The body should be servant to the mind, and not the mind to the body.
[Mind, Character, Personality pp. 221] There is in itself no sin in eating and drinking or in marrying and giving in marriage. It was lawful to marry in the time of Noah, and it is lawful to marry now, if that which is lawful is properly treated and not carried to sinful excess. In Noah's day it was the inordinate, excessive love of that which in itself was lawful, when properly used, that made marriage sinful before God.
In order to avoid the sins associated with excess we would need to consider the following parameters.
[1] Something must be lawful, meaning that it must first be approved by the word of God, for man shall live by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. Excesses are manifested when we presume to take unwarranted liberties in eating or drinking, or in any other activity for that matter. Indeed, the entire spectrum of human words, and actions come under the jurisdiction of temperance, and thus, it is true that a person can be intemperate in eating, as well as in sleeping.
[2] Something must be done in moderation in order for it to harmonize with God’s revealed will. This 2nd parameter also pertains to things which have been approved by the Lord. For instance, drinking pure water to excess is prohibited in the scriptures, even though water is very good for our bodies. Using that which is good in moderation, and avoiding entirely that which is harmful is the motto by which all of us temperance advocates, and practitioners should be guided.
[3] One cannot be temperate in using or doing that which is forbidden in the Bible, for such actions are founded on disobedience. For instance, there is a well-known caution, pertaining to the ingestion of alcoholic beverages which encourages us to “Drink responsibly”. This is nothing but an oxymoron, for we do not know how anyone can drink responsibly, when God has spoken quite decidedly against the practice. Drinking or doing something in moderation does not necessarily equate to license, because one may be tempted to drink cyanide “Responsibly”. In other words, if we do that which is forbidden, “In moderation” it will lead us to sin “In moderation”. Let’s read:
Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Proverbs 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
Isaiah 5:11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink.
In very many cases, that which is taken to excess is actually permitted under different circumstances in the scriptures. Almost all of the products on store shelves, in restaurants, and in nightclubs, have their origins in God, but have been severely perverted to suit man’s carnal desires. As a matter of fact, those products derived from the grape are now used both at Hooters, and the communion table. It all depends on whether the product is being used in harmony with God’s revealed will. Let’s read:
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning.
Among some of these "Good gifts", which pertain to diet are sugar, salt, and fat. None of these products were invented by man, for they all have their source and origins in "The Father". Now, some people may ask why are these good things so often demonized by some in the health industry. It all has to do with being temperate in all things that are good, in and of themselves, and using the products in harmony with God's revealed will. For instance, when honey is used in moderation, it can be a blessing. But if it's use is taken to excess, it will cause very much harm. Let's read:
Proverbs 24:13 "My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste"...
Proverbs 25:16 "Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it".
The same is true of the products of the vine, which are rich in antioxidants. The various kinds of grapes which are used in the wine industry can be safely ingested in moderation, without the fermentation. Christ has no problem whatsoever with grapes, and neither should we because it is He who made them. However, He has a problem with the alcohol which is the unscriptural element in wine. The alcohol and fermentation make that which is inherently good to be adverse in it’s effects on the human organism, which is the equivalent of eating from the tree of good and evil.
If something good gets juxtaposed with something bad, it does not give the bad product credence, but instead, renders the package more dangerous as it is likely to be taken unawares. Pork chops, shrimp, and oysters are often served with salad, but those veggies do not validate the shrimp as an acceptable article of food. Many years ago Tylenol was laced with cyanide, and some folks died as a result. Just because the cyanide was connected to Tylenol did not make it acceptable, as the record clearly shows.
The same is true of spirituous liquors. Folks will get their antioxidants for sure, but they will also get impaired judgment, slower reaction times, and liver damage because of the fermented alcohol. Yet, if the juice of the grape is ingested along scriptural guidelines, no harm whatsoever will be done. As a matter of fact, even Jesus Christ looked forward to drinking the unfermented juice of the grape, after we have been resettled in heaven. Furthermore, the scriptures plainly state that there is a blessing in the grape. Let’s read:
Matthew 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
Isaiah 65:8 Thus saith the Lord, the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it”…
Thus, we owe it to ourselves and our posterity to observe the various ways that the excesses of the day may cause us to violate the laws governing our physical being, with the sole intention of taking the appropriate steps to remedy the situation wherever it may be affecting us adversely. We are going to touch on areas where most people may not think that excesses do occur. The scriptural guidelines will give us the balance we need, so that we can safely partake of, or participate in the following activities.
[1] Excesses in working: The word is clear; working is good, and mandated in the scriptures, for in the New testament, it is written that he who refuses to work, should not eat. However, as with everything good that God has given, our working should not be taken to excess, because the deleterious effects will accrue. Periods of hard work should be followed by periods of sufficient rest in order that God-ordained work may be a blessing, and not a curse. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 5:12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much.
Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
Mark 6:31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
[2] Excesses in sleeping: Like work, sleep can serve a beneficial purpose, and is absolutely necessary for recuperation and rejuvenation. But like excessive work, too much sleep can rob us of valuable time, which can be spent in productive activities. Even the physical rest, which so many Sabbath-keepers look forward to over the sacred hours, should not be taken to excess, since one of Christ’s busiest days while here on earth, was the Sabbath. Planning to sleep in late on Sabbath morning, to come just in time for divine hour, probably contributed to the untimely demise of Sapphira, who should have been in Sabbath school.
Proverbs 6:9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
[The Youth’s Instructor. March 1879] It is a sad failing with many that they are always behind time on Sabbath morning. They are very particular about their own time, they cannot afford to lose an hour of that; but the Lord's time, the only day out of the seven that the Lord claims as his, and requires us to devote to him, quite a portion of this is squandered away by sleeping late in the morning. In this they are robbing God. It causes them to be behind in everything. Have your preparations all made the day before, and come promptly to the Sabbath-school, and you will thereby not only benefit others, but you will reap rich blessings for yourselves.
[4] Excesses in shopping. It’s Christmas time again folks, and “Santa Claws” is coming to town. Now, while it is true that giving to others is a good thing, at any time, we should also bear in mind that our shopping must not be taken to excess. God does not want us to “shop till we drop” even if it is with the intention of doing good to others. It is a fact that, with the onset of the Yuletide season, the spirit of excess seems to permeate the atmosphere, and the items which we previously classified as mere wants, can suddenly become our most urgent needs.
This is especially true when “window shopping”, for the many items which we did without all year, can suddenly morph into “Must haves”, lest we die. So here are three passages of scripture which contain cautions, admonitions, and instructions, which can keep us from “Scratching” our heads come January, when the bills from inordinate spending may begin to come due. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.
Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
1st Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred rom the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things.
In closing, it is the will of God, that every good and perfect gift given to us, be used with discretion born of an intelligent understanding of the principles and laws of His kingdom, for if we diligently follow the instructions given, our feet may never stumble in the paths of vain regrets. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encapsulates the way in which the excesses of our day may be avoided. Let’s read:
Proverbs 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
21 Let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
God bless!