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Commentary on "Integrity: Wholeness and Holiness"

COLLEEN TINKER

 

Day 6: Thursday, June 3, 2010 - Acting on Belief

 

Overview

This lesson opens with a reference to Romans 12:1-2 where Paul exhorts us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God. The lesson continues buy developing the reasons we must care for our bodies and practice healthful living. It ends with a quote from Counsels on Health, p. 480, by Ellen White, in which she says, “Men and women must be taught to take a careful view of every habit and every practice and at once put away those things that cause an unhealthy condition of the body, and thus cast a dark shadow over the mind. God desires His light bearers ever to keep a high standard before them. By precept and example they must hold their perfect standard high above Satan’s false standard, which, if followed, will lead to misery, degradation, disease, and death for both body and soul.”

The thought questions then ask the reader to review all his or her health habits and asks if she is living up to “all the light you have”.

 

Observations

The title of this lesson is “Acting on Belief”. Ironically, this lesson is entirely about eating vegetarian diets and getting exercise, water, and sunshine.

The fact the author misses is that the Christian life is not about what we eat or drink in any sense. Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Spiritual health and integrity is not determined by the mind or by the diet and the health of the body. 1 Corinthians 2 explains that man’s wisdom cannot understand truth, that spiritual things are spiritually discerned.

If spiritual health were dependent upon the health of the body or the acuity of the mind, those with chronic diseases or congenital limitations on their mental abilities would be unable to know Jesus. In fact, however, people with handicaps often have some of the most trusting and profound relationships with Him.

The Bible never asks us to live up to all the light we have. Rather, we are commanded to believe in the Lord Jesus. Our knowledge has nothing to do with our being saved. Our surrender to the Lord Jesus in submission of our lives and goals and behaviors is what determines salvation.

It is knowing Jesus, not living up to the “light” we have, that effects our salvation. Health habits are never mentioned as components of the “salvation package” in the Bible.

Jesus alone is Who we need in order to act in belief. Being healthy and denying self do not constitute nor generate “acting on belief”.

 

Summary

  1. Acting on Belief has nothing to do with healthful living.
  2. Romans 14:17 says the kingdom of heaven is not about eating or drinking.
  3. Spiritual health is determined by whether or not our spirits are born of God or not. Our minds cannot understand spiritual things.
  4. The Bible never tells us to live up to all the light we have. We are to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. “The light we have” is not a biblical concept.

 

GO TO DAY 7

 

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The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

Official Adventist Resources

Standard Edition Study Guide Week 10

Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 10

Easy Reading Edition Study Guide Wk 10

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Ellen G. White Notes 2nd Quarter 2010
Quarterly 2nd Quarter 2010