The purpose of the plan of salvation is to make us whole again through the merits and righteousness of Christ, and the work of God within us is intended to produce fine-tuned characters, together with sound minds and bodies which are reflective, as far as possible, of the original. Therefore, we should try to avoid the snare of being satisfied with a second grade, unbalanced form of Christianity, in which the three dimensions of Christian living, mentioned in the third book of John are not evenly developed. The abundant life Christ came to give us, does not cause us to be deficient in any area, but instead, enables us to reach for the stars in everything we set our hearts and minds to do. Let’s read:
3rd John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that
thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Spiritual, physical, and material health are the three dimensions included here, and we should strive by the grace of God to make certain that none of these areas fall short of His glory and purposes, wherever and whenever we are not inhibited by physical, or mental disabilities. In other words, The Lord is not honored by a Christian who has a lot of faith, but cannot pay his bills on time. Neither is He pleased with one who is satisfied to just have an intellectual knowledge of the scriptures, but is indulging habits that produce sickness and diseases, which could otherwise be avoided.
Christ is looking for value for His sacrifice. In other words, He is expecting in these last days of earth’s history, with all of the knowledge, truth, and light that has been shed on our pathway, to produce in us prime examples of His restorative work, who have become well-balanced and fine-tuned by His grace, and in cooperation with Him. Those who set their standard of Christian living at a low bar, thus do violence to the grace of Christ, and are classed with the unfaithful steward who hid his talents and potential in the sand. Let’s read:
Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
For instance, the Bible teaches us that Abraham and his offspring cultivated the mindset of pilgrims, and wherever they set up their encampment, the first thing they did was to build an altar to the Lord, thus ensuring that the spiritual aspect of Christianity was taken care of, receiving their highest priority. But the spiritual aspect was also clearly reflected in the temporal realm, for they possessed great wealth, in so much that there was not enough room for the households of Abraham and Lot to dwell together.
As a direct result of the well-balanced relationship between the spiritual and the temporal, Abraham was able to keep himself from being subject to the whims and fancies of those who did not fear God, and because of this, he and his family procured an honorable position in the hearts and minds of his heathen neighbors. For instance, when he rescued the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah from their invading enemies, he was offered the spoils of war, but because he was well situated financially, he was able to honor God by refusing what was customary at that time. Let’s read:
Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.
Some of us Christians are so financially constrained that we may have jumped at that offer from the king of Sodom, but by so doing we would have greatly dishonored God, for our actions would have demonstrated that we were dependent on the material wealth of others for our financial health. And while we are never to set our affections on the things of this world, yet The Lord expects us to be faithful stewards in the unrighteous mammon, for it is only as we display faithfulness in the earthly that we will be qualified to then handle much greater responsibilities in the heavenly. Let’s read:
Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
There is nothing wrong with being a rich pilgrim, even though the health/wealth gospel has greatly distorted the stated order of priorities given in the scriptures. Church building requires not only faith, but cold hard cash, for whenever the contractors are finished with their work, we cannot pay them with faith. They will need the green backs so that they in turn can pay their bills. God is much more practical than many folks realize.
There is nothing wrong with manifesting a noble independence, especially in this land of opportunity where any, and every one can make a business out of nothing. There is landscaping, mobile beauty salons, mobile pet grooming, and even hotels where pets can spend vacations or sleep over for the night. Thus, with a wide variety of opportunities available at our disposal, all it takes is character and some investment together with prayer, to establish oneself as an independent pilgrim, not living off of plastic, and well able to render to those credit card companies and other debtors their just dues.
If we come up to the last great test, we will find ourselves being the victims of concessions, for the many debts that are owed to Macy’s, Home Depot, American express, and Visa, will come back to haunt us. The adversary of souls will offer us a cancellation of all these debts, in return for our signing on to the beast system, and because many will be entangled in outstanding debt, a tremendous pressure will be brought to bear against us to sign and drive. It is the purpose of the adversary to make the acceptance of the mark as easy and painless as possible. So he will promise not to tell the church-board, or any other church member, if we will only sign. Let’s read:
[The Great controversy pp. 607] As the movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against commandment-keepers. They will be threatened with fines and imprisonment, and some will be offered positions of influence, and other rewards and advantages, as inducements to renounce their faith.
The servant of God refers to a noble independence by which the children of God are not to be slaves to the monetary policies of those who may not fear God. When Daniel, after giving the only correct interpretation to the king of Babylon, was offered an expensive gold chain of many carats, he, like Abraham also nobly refused, for by developing a well-balanced Christianity, he was not dependent on the financial or material overtures of the king. In other words, Daniel did not need any gold chain to take to the pawnshop, so that he could buy himself some groceries. Let’s read:
Daniel 5:13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:
16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
[Counsels on Stewardship pp. 254] All must practice economy. No worker should manage his affairs in a way to incur debt .... When one voluntarily becomes involved in debt, he is entangling himself in one of Satan's nets which he sets for souls.
Deuteronomy 15:1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord's release.
3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;
4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:
5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.
6 For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.
[The Adventist Home pp. 374] Independence of one kind is praiseworthy. To desire to bear your own weight and not to eat the bread of dependence is right. It is a noble, generous ambition that dictates the wish to be self-supporting. Industrious habits and frugality are necessary. Many, very many, have not so educated themselves that they can keep their expenditures within the limit of their income. They do not learn to adapt themselves to circumstances, and they borrow and borrow again and again and become overwhelmed in debt, and consequently they become discouraged and disheartened. All should learn how to keep accounts. Some neglect this work as nonessential, but this is wrong. All expenses should be accurately stated. Let’s read:
Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Another dimension of Christian living in which we often fall short is the issue of health, and the main reason for this in most cases is that we have not availed ourselves of the knowledge God has been pleased to give. Whenever the issue of health is neglected, and whenever the laws of health are being constantly violated, the sure results will be seen in a host of diseases and sicknesses which could be otherwise avoided. And the consequent imbalance between the spiritual, the physical, and the financial causes all three dimensions to suffer adverse effects. In other words, a rich pilgrim with a whole lot of faith, will be severely restricted in his usefulness if through a violation of health laws and principles, he contracts diseases which then cause him to be bedridden. Let’s read again:
3rd John:1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Psalms 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
An amazing commentary is written by the pen of inspiration, pertaining to the four Hebrews who were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, together with their fellow countrymen. Daniel and his three companions followed the pattern and the promises given in the scriptures, and as a direct result, were able to achieve the fine balance spoken of in the 3rd book of John. God blessed their efforts and their sound decisions, and the rest is history, for in all three areas of Christian development, they were without a match. Let’s read:
[Christian temperance pp. 26>27] They were captives in a strange land, and Infinite Wisdom had placed them there. At this trial of their loyalty, they considered their position, with its dangers and difficulties, and then in the fear of God made their decision. Even at the risk of the king's displeasure, they would be true to the religion of their fathers. They obeyed the divine law, both physical and moral, and the blessing of God gave them strength and comeliness and intellectual power.
These youth had received a right education in early life; and now, when separated from home influences and sacred associations, they honored the instructors of their childhood. With their habits of self-denial were coupled earnestness of purpose, diligence, and steadfastness. They were not actuated by pride or unworthy ambition; but sought to acquit themselves creditably, for the honor of their down-trodden people, and for His glory whose servants they were.
When the ability and acquirements of these youth were tested by the king at the end of the three years of training, none were found like unto Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Their keen apprehension, their choice and exact language, their extensive and varied knowledge, testified to the unimpaired strength and vigor of their mental powers. Therefore they stood before the king. “And in all matters of understanding that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.”
God always honors the right. The most promising youth from all the lands subdued by the great conqueror had been gathered at Babylon, yet amid them all, the Hebrew captives were without a rival. The erect form, the firm, elastic step, the fair countenance, the undimmed senses, the untainted breath,—all were so many certificates of good habits—insignia of the nobility with which nature honors those who are obedient to her laws.
Some of us may erroneously conclude that the physical, the spiritual, and the financial are three disconnected entities which exist autonomously. But nothing can be further from the truth, for both the Bible and the pen of inspiration debunk those conclusions, showing that the one can adversely affect the other. Furthermore, the inability to keep a healthy mind and body has a direct bearing on the spiritual aspect, and can significantly impede our potential at living victoriously. On the other hand, a healthy body and frame of mind goes a long way in enabling us to resist temptations. Let’s read:
[Christ’s Object lessons pp. 346>347] Health is a blessing of which few appreciate the value; yet upon it the efficiency of our mental and physical powers largely depends. Our impulses and passions have their seat in the body, and it must be kept in the best condition physically and under the most spiritual influences in order that our talents may be put to the highest use. Anything that lessens physical strength enfeebles the mind and makes it less capable of discriminating between right and wrong. We become less capable of choosing the good and have less strength of will to do that which we know to be right.
The misuse of our physical powers shortens the period of time in which our lives can be used for the glory of God. And it unfits us to accomplish the work God has given us to do. By allowing ourselves to form wrong habits, by keeping late hours, by gratifying appetite at the expense of health, we lay the foundation for feebleness. By neglecting physical exercise, by overworking mind or body, we unbalance the nervous system. Those who thus shorten their lives and unfit themselves for service by disregarding nature's laws, are guilty of robbery toward God.
The opportunity of blessing others, the very work for which God sent them into the world, has by their own course of action been cut short. And they have unfitted themselves to do even that which in a briefer period of time they might have accomplished. The Lord holds us guilty when by our injurious habits we thus deprive the world of good. Transgression of physical law is transgression of the moral law; for God is as truly the author of physical laws as He is the author of the moral law. His law is written with His own finger upon every nerve, every muscle, every faculty, which has been entrusted to man. And every misuse of any part of our organism is a violation of that law.
All should have an intelligent knowledge of the human frame that they may keep their bodies in the condition necessary to do the work of the Lord. The physical life is to be carefully preserved and developed that through humanity the divine nature may be revealed in its fullness. The relation of the physical organism to the spiritual life is one of the most important branches of education. It should receive careful attention in the home and in the school. All need to become acquainted with their physical structure and the laws that control natural life. He who remains in willing ignorance of the laws of his physical being and who violates them through ignorance is sinning against God. All should place themselves in the best possible relation to life and health. Our habits should be brought under the control of a mind that is itself under the control of God.
The other dimension which is indeed the most important is that of the spiritual, and this area, more than any other is to be properly maintained at all costs, in order that the other two aspects may not be made to override our relationship with God. Anything that is worth achieving in the Christian’s life is to be done in cooperation with God, hence the reason why we are cautioned to pray about everything. The tendency to go it alone, or to try to be good without God, is a recipe for disaster, for it always ends in great defeat and disappointment of some kind. Let’s follow the recommendations given in the scriptures for it is only by our consistently depending on God that a well-balanced Christianity can ever become a reality. Let’s read:
1st Thessalonians 5: 17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Psalms 16:7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Before we diet, pray. Before we go shopping, pray. Before we make an investment, pray. Before we move to the country, pray. Before doing any and everything, pray. Before we pray, pray. Pray without ceasing is the one and only way to achieve that fine balance which keeps evading so many of us. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which shows us the indispensable principles of total dependence and cooperation with God in all things. Let’s read:
Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word.
God bless!