Though I have a body that had languished under great weaknesses for many years, and my diseases have been such as require as much exercise as almost any in the world, and I have found exercise the principal means of my preservation till now, and, therefore, have as great reason to plead for it as any man that I know, yet I have found that the foresaid proportion hath been blessed to my preservation, though I know that much more had been like to have tended to my greater health. Indeed, I do not know one minister in a hundred that needs so much exercise as myself. Yea, I know abundance of ministers, that scarce ever use any exercise at all, though I commend them not in this. I doubt not but it is our duty to use so much exercise as is necessary for the preservation of our health, so far as our work requires; otherwise, we should, for one day’s work, lose the opportunity of many. But this may be done, and yet the work that we are engaged in, be done too.
The Reformed Pastor, Chapter 3, Part 2.
In…the instances where faith is mentioned (in Matthew 9), the object of faith was in Jesus’ ability to heal, not His will to heal. Today as we pray for the healing of our friends or loved ones who suffer severe illness or disease, we too should believe that God is able to heal, either directly or through conventional means. To say I have faith that God will heal is presumptuous since we do not know the mind of God, but to say God is able to heal is to exercise faith.
Jesus’ Healing Ministry, Tabletalk, April, 2008. Used by Permission.
Much sickness – physical, mental, and emotional – surely must come from disobedience. When the soul is confronted with an alternative of right or wrong and chooses to blur the distinction, making excuses for its bewilderment and frustration, it is exposed to infection. Evil is given the opportunity to invade the mind, the spirit, and the body and the sick person goes off to an expert who will diagnose his trouble. Sometimes the patient knows well what his trouble is and for this very reason has not consulted the Lord, fearing what He will say: Confess. Turn around. Quit that indulgence. Do not pity yourself. Forgive that person. Pay back what you owe. Apologize. Tell the truth. Deny yourself. Consider the other’s well-being. Lay down your life.
Discipline – The Glad Surrender, Revell, 1982, p. 74. Get this book!
It is the part of a Christian to take care of his own body for the very purpose that by its soundness and well-being he may be enabled to labor for the aid of those who are in want, and thus the stronger member may serve the weaker member.
How do you glorify God through exercise?
1. It fosters gratitude for legs, heart, and lungs. The older I get the more keenly aware I am of how fragile I am. And every breath I take, if I were able to maintain consciousness of truth, I would give thanks to God that he has given me these.
2. What are your motives in doing it? [Is it] the desire to be both mentally and physically at peak performance for Christian ministry.
3. How [do] you do it? [Modest attire? Noisy? Too rough?]… In other words, are you exercising in a loving way?
4. Finally, do you have an eye to turning it into ministry? In other words, can you draw somebody in with you who needs some help with their discipline? Are you willing to stop along the way to help somebody, like the good Samaritan? Are you willing to do some evangelism along the way so that you stop and share Jesus?
Excerpted from: How do you glorify God through exercise? March 31, 2008, Used by Permission, www.DesiringGod.org.
Health is a good thing; but sickness is far better, if it leads us to God.
Commentary, Matthew 15.
Our body’s health directly affects our disposition. You know how you feel when you are sick – more irritable, less social, more self-focused. Adversely, when you can get your body into its optimal performance, it stands to reason that it will positively affect your countenance, attitude and disposition. I am not giving an excuse to act in the flesh (when you don’t feel well) nor am I implying that true fruit is not of the Holy Spirit, but the loving attitude toward others that our Lord desires flows much easier when we are not laboring to get through life. We can easier get our minds off ourselves and on to the needs of others as Philippians 2:3-4 teaches. Isaiah 35:3 says, “Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.” Wouldn’t you rather be on the encouraging and strengthening side than the exhausted and feeble side? Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Sermon, Christ in Health, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, August 11, 2019.|Sermon, Christ in Health, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, August 11, 2019.
Jonathan Edwards was one of the greatest theologians. It is also said he had one of the sharpest minds America ever produced. He was dedicated to being the best he could be for God (hence his “Resolutions”) and even back in the mid 1700’s he exercised primarily for the purpose to stay mentally sharp.
Your external appearance has value regarding your testimony to the world? I am not implying that physique is always controllable nor am I saying we need to be Mr. Olympia or an air-brushed swimsuit model for the cover of Sports Illustrated. But with that said, does our body convey an appearance that we are moderate, self-controlled and disciplined? I am not equating good physical appearance with a godly heart; I am equating good physical appearance with what the Bible calls “blamelessness” and “being above reproach.”
Sermon, Christ in Health, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, August 11, 2019.
Men, you will never master the powerful desire for lust if you can’t put down the bag of Doritos.
Sermon, Christ in Health, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, August 11, 2019.
Why do soldiers first experience boot camp? Because they need to be taught how to push their body, overcome the desire to quit and grow beyond the pain. The mind way too often gives in before the body gives out. Likewise, why did the Apostle Paul say, “I discipline my body and make it my slave” (1 Cor. 9:27). The Christian life is not about listening to our bodies and giving into its desires (gluttony, drunkenness, slothfulness, sexual immorality), but rather mastering our bodies and making the body a slave to a biblically controlled mind. This is the difference between being controlled by the flesh or being led by the Spirit (Gal. 5). Exercise, in order to be effective, pushes the body beyond its comfort zone. Diets push the body beyond its comfort zone. These make the body your slave and no longer your master. These produce discipline. And coming full circle, discipline is essential for us to mortify sin (cf. 1 Pet. 4:1-2).
Sermon, Christ in Health, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, August 11, 2019.
Your body is very special to God. As a matter of fact, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, the dwelling place of Christ. The body ultimately belongs to Him. Are we being a good steward if we suffer from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol level, and osteoporosis because we chose to abuse or neglect your bodies? How will we give account on the Day of Judgment for this resource? Bodily discipline glorifies the Lord.
Sermon, Christ in Health, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, August 11, 2019.
1 Timothy 4:7b-8, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” Clearly the Bible is placing the predominate value on inner godliness and while inner godliness is “profitable for all things,” the verse does still affirm that “bodily discipline” has some “profit.” Yes, there is a call for priorities and balance between the body and the soul. But the Bible does not demand that we ignore the body altogether, actually, quite the contrary.
Sermon, Christ in Health, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, August 11, 2019.
The Bible warns against vanity (1 Samuel 16:7; Proverbs 31:30; 1 Peter 3:3-4). Our goal in exercise should not be to improve the quality of our bodies so that other people will notice and admire us. Rather, the goal of exercising should be to improve our physical health so we will possess more physical energy that we can devote to spiritual goals.
Got Answers, Question: “Should a Christian exercise? What does the Bible say about health?” Used by Permission.
Too many people confine their exercise to jumping to conclusions, running up bills, stretching the truth, bending over backward, lying down on the job and side stepping responsibility.
We have no right to expect that all our illnesses will be healed in this present age, only in the eternal state will Christ’s work be fully applied and all disease gone. Still, we should pray for the sick knowing that our God may bring healing if we ask in faith and trust in His good purposes.
Tabletalk, April, 2008, p. 26. Used by Permission.
As with many things in life, there are extremes in the area of exercise. Some people focus entirely on spirituality, to the neglect of their physical bodies. Others focus so much attention on the form and shape of their physical bodies that they neglect spiritual growth and maturity. Neither of these indicates a biblical balance. First Timothy 4:8 informs us, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Notice that the verse does not negate the need for exercise. Rather, it says that exercise is valuable, but it prioritizes exercise correctly by saying that godliness is of greater value.
Got Answers, Question: “Should a Christian exercise? What does the Bible say about health?” Used by Permission.