Christ came to restore life, and it is Christ’s remedies alone that will give true healing to the sick, for “Christ’s remedies cleanse the system” – Ellen G White {14LtMs, Ms 65, 1899}. The old epitaph, “I was well; I wanted to be better; I took physic, and died” (Benjamin Franklin), can never be written by the well person who by faith uses Christ’s remedies, in order to get better; for Christ Himself has provided antidotes for disease in simple plants.

Christ’s Remedies is the voice of the following poem: “I stand by the side of a river as it enters the restless sea. And men of all sorts from many ports come in to be healed by me. And some have more sin than sickness, and some have more grief than pain. Lord, help me to make whole, both body and soul, before they go out again” (Anonymous, Adventist Review, 3 December 1998, p 30).

Christ’s remedies for prevention and cure

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Sickness comes not causelessly, for “the curse causeless shall not come” (Proverbs 26:2). A 20 years’ study found: “People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease ... People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease” (T Colin Campbell & Thomas M Campbell, The China Study 2006). So then, logically, what should we do in case of illness? “The cause which I knew not I searched out” (Job 29:16). If “the axe is laid unto the root of the trees” (Matthew 3:10), it will strike at the cause, uprooting unhealthful habits, allowing nature to rebuild the body’s immune system using Christ’s remedies. Here below are eight Christ’s remedies:

“Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in Divine power – these are the true remedies” (Ellen G White, Ministry of Healing, Pacific Press, 1905, p 127).

“The use of natural remedies requires an amount of care and effort that many are not willing to give. Nature’s process of healing and upbuilding is gradual, and to the impatient it seems slow. The surrender of hurtful indulgences requires sacrifice. But in the end it will be found that nature, untrammeled, does her work wisely and well. Those who persevere in obedience to her laws will reap the reward in health of body and health of mind (ibid).

An acronym for the eight Christ’s remedies is NEWSTART (Nutrition [proper diet], Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance [Abstemiousness], Air, Rest, and Trust {in Divine power}). All the eight Christ’s remedies were given by God in the very beginning.

Nutrition

In the beginning, God said, “I have given you every herb yielding seed, . . . and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food” (Genesis 1:29). Upon leaving Eden to gain his livelihood by tilling the earth under the curse of sin, man received permission to eat also “the herb of the field” (Genesis 3:18). As “the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11), and we need good blood to heal disease, we are to eat only the original food, for “grains, with fruits, nuts, and vegetables, contain all the nutritive properties necessary to make good blood” (Ellen G White, Ministry of Healing, Pacific Press, 1905, p 316).

Sin has increased in the world and so have diseases in both man and animals. As a result of sin, “the whole creation groaneth” (Romans 8:22), “even we ourselves groan within ourselves” (Romans 8:23), and “the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings” (Romans 8:26). If God will have our full attention, we must return to plant-based diet for healthy brains. “Many who are now only half converted on the question of meat eating will go from God’s people, to walk no more with them” Ellen G White {RH May 27, 1902}.

A return to a plant-based diet is indispensable! But “as this reform restricts the lustful appetite, many will shrink. They have other gods before the Lord. Their taste, their appetite, is their god; and when the axe is laid at the root of the tree, and these who have indulged their depraved appetites at the expense of health are touched, and their sin pointed out, and their idols shown them, they do not wish to be convinced, and some will cling to hurtful things which they love, although God’s voice should speak directly to them, to put away those health-destroying indulgences. They seem joined to their idols, and God will soon say to His angels, Let them alone” (Ellen G White, Testimony 11, p 41); {T11 41.1}.

“Gluttony has been the prevailing sin of this age. Lustful appetite has made slaves of men and women, and has beclouded their intellects and stupefied their moral sensibilities to such a degree that the sacred, elevated, truths of God’s word have not been appreciated. The lower propensities have ruled men and women” {T11 41.2}. “In order for the people of God to be fitted for translation, they must know themselves. They must understand in regard to their own physical frames, that they can, with the psalmist, exclaim, ‘I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’ They should ever have the appetite in subjection to the moral and intellectual organs. The body should be servant to the mind, and not the mind to the body” {T11 42.1}.

It is out of the ground that God makes the food grow that should be eaten by every living creature (see Genesis 1:29-30). It is true that many animals, since the fall, subsist largely or wholly on the flesh of other animals; and man has also been allowed to do the same thing; “but from the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:8). Since the work of Christ is to restore all things (Acts 3:19-21), it is evident that the food which God gave man in the beginning is the best for him, and should be adopted by all who wish the perfect image of God to be restored in them.

The plant is God’s laboratory for the preparation of food both for man and beast. Only the plants of the earth are capable of taking inorganic mineral substance, and turning it into living tissue. It is impossible for either man or beast to assimilate inorganic mineral substance. Man can get life only from life; but in the plant God turns dead matter into living substance. The lower animals can no more assimilate inorganic matter than man can; all that they can do with the food that they eat is to assimilate it, if it is already of the same nature as their bodies; therefore when men eat the flesh of animals they get no different material than they would if they ate the same food that the beasts ate; only they have the disadvantage of taking their food second hand. Man is better off eating plant foods.

In eating flesh man gets the plant minus nutrients that is wasted by once using, and plus the poisons that have been added by its passage through a living organism. It is thus that the flesh of animals is not so nourishing as plants. Moreover, the degenerate characteristics of the animals are necessarily imparted to the food that it has formed into its own flesh; and if the animal is diseased, which is very commonly the case, this evil is intensified. Today, animal flesh is polluted with diseases, toxins, drugs such as growth hormones and antibiotics pumped into them to combat disease; and as such, animal flesh and products are neither ‘clean’ nor safe to eat.

It is no longer safe for God’s people to find comfort in being vegetarian – with cow’s milk and eggs in their diet. A vegan (plant-based) diet must be sought. “Animals from which milk is obtained, are not always healthy. They may be diseased. A cow may be apparently well in the morning, and die before night. Then she was diseased in the morning, and her milk was diseased, but you did not know it. The animal creation is diseased. Flesh-meats are diseased” (Ellen G White, Testimony for the Church, volume 2, Pacific Press Publishing, 1868, p 368).

 Startling scientific evidence has shown milk to be a major source of cancer. In 2005, Dr Campbell and other renowned scientists published a report on what came to be known as The China Study (see thechinastudy.com), which report was published as a book in 2006 (ISBN 9781932100662).

The study was a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, taking a survey of diseases and lifestyle factors in rural China and Taiwan. The study was recognised by The New York Times as the “most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease.”

The study findings concluded: “People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease … People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease.” The study results could not be ignored. Of the animal products, Milk is found to pose the most danger for cancer. Without a doubt, the cancerous elements in Milk have turned Milk into abominable thing not to be put in the body-temple.

We read from the book (The China Study – The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health, by T Colin Campbell and Thomas M Campbell, Benbella Books Inc, 2006, pp. 179-182) as follows:

“As we have seen with other forms of cancer, large-scale observational studies show a link between prostrate cancer and an animal-based diet, particularly one based heavily on diary … Animal protein causes the body to produce more IGF-1 [Insulin-like Growth Factor 1], which in turn throws cell growth and removal out of whack, stimulating cancer development. …

“Animal protein suppresses the production of ‘supercharged’ [vitamin] D. Excessive calcium, as found in [animal] milk, also suppresses the production of ‘supercharged’ D. ‘Supercharged’ D is responsible for creating a wide variety of health benefits in the body. Persistently low levels of supercharged D create an inviting environment for different cancers, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis and other diseases. …

“Of the people you know who have cancer, or are at risk of having cancer, how many of them have considered the possibility of adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet to improve their chances? …

“Food as a key to health represents a powerful challenge to conventional medicine, which is fundamentally built on drugs and surgery. The widespread communities of nutrition professionals, researchers and doctors are, as a whole, either unaware of this evidence or reluctant to share it. ...

“There is enough evidence now that cancer alliances, and prostrate and colon cancer institutions, should be discussing the possibility of providing information everywhere on how a whole foods, plant-based diet may be an incredibly effective anti-cancer medicine” (The China Study).

May such startling scientific evidence touch your senses. But the truth remains that flesh food has never been the ideal plan God designed for man.

Exercise

In the beginning, to Adam, “the Lord God put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15) – “Morning exercise, walking in the free, invigorating air of heaven, or cultivating flowers, small fruits, and vegetables, is the surest safeguard against colds, coughs, congestion of the brain, inflammation of the liver, the kidneys, and the lungs, and a hundred other diseases” (EG White, Healthful Living, pp 176-177). “Exercise will aid in the work of digestion. Take a walk after a meal; but no violent exercise after a full meal ... Moderate exercise every day will impart strength to the muscles, which without exercise become flabby and enfeebled” (Ellen G White, Testimonies, volume 2, pp 530-530).

God still says to us, as to Adam, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). This is not the pronouncing of a curse, but the relief from it. Sweating is necessary, in order to carry off the impurities from the system. The stream of life must be kept constantly moving. One ought to exercise sufficiently every day, in some way or other, to induce free perspiration; only so can health, be maintained. If we eat for strength, and use the strength that we get, health and happiness is ours.

Walking is the best exercise. When walking, whether in the discharge of one’s duties, or purely as an exercise, one should get the most possible good from it. Even when we take a walk for the purpose of warming our feet the good effects are not confined to our feet. The feet will profit by the exercise in proportion as the entire system is benefited. One of the first requisites to deriving benefit from walking is that it be done briskly and not in a listless, loafing manner. A rapid walk of half a mile gives one more exercise than twice as far at a very slow pace. But one should walk in a way not to become exhausted.

“There is no exercise that can take the place of walking. By it the circulation of the blood is greatly improved. Walking, in all cases where it is possible, is the best remedy for the diseased bodies, because in this, all of the organs of the body are brought into use” (Ellen G White, Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 78).

“There is no exercise that will prove as beneficial to every part of the body as walking. Active walking in the open air will do more for women, to preserve them in health if they are well, than any other means. Walking is also one of the most efficient remedies for the recovery of health of the invalid. The hands and arms are exercised as well as the limbs” (EG White, Health Reformer, 1 April 1872).

“A walk, even in winter, would be more beneficial to the health than all the medicine the doctors may prescribe” (Ellen G White, 2 Testimonies, p. 529).

But no Christian seeking a Christ-like character should play sports for exercise. Christ never “educated His disciples to engage in amusement of football or pugilistic games, to obtain physical exercise, or in theatrical performances; and yet Christ was our pattern in all things” (Ellen G White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 229).

Water

In the beginning, the Lord gave water: “And a river went out of Eden and watered the garden” (Genesis 2:10) – pure water and no other drinks are helpful. “Water is the best liquid possible to cleanse the tissues ... Drink some, a little time before or after a meal” (Ellen G White, Healthful Living, p 226). Drink at least 1 ounce [28 millilitres] of water daily for every 2 pounds [1 kilogram] that you weigh.

Our bodies are composed largely of water. The blood, by means of which all the nourishment we receive is conveyed to the body, is seventy-nine per cent water. If it were not liquid, so as to hold all the solid substances of our food in solution, the extremities of the body would be deprived of nourishment, and would starve. Our vital organs, as the heart and lungs and brain, are encased in water, and depend on it for free movement. Our muscles have a large portion of water in their composition; if they were to become dried, they would be utterly useless; we should be palsied; and so it is with all the organs of the body. Even the bones have a portion of water in their composition, so that fully two-thirds of the entire body is water.

Evaporation is continually taking place from the body. There is always in health insensible perspiration, and moisture is given off with every breath. In order, therefore, for the body to be kept in a normal condition, water must be taken in every day. A portion, of course, is taken in with our food, even though it is dry, but not sufficient to make up for the loss, and we must therefore drink water daily.

Water is the universal solvent; it is the cleansing fluid. It not only cleanses the outside of our bodies, but it also removes the impurities from the interior; it is water that God has given for the drink of all living creatures. Men have adopted many other drinks, but whatever fluid it be, water is the basis of it, and is the portion from which we receive the benefit. Only man has added to the original drink which God gave; beasts are content to drink water, refusing all other drink, and they are the strongest and healthiest.

If alcoholic liquors be taken into the system, they tend to increase thirst, instead of to diminish it. Alcohol extracts water, so that in drinking it men make the conditions of life more difficult. The various organs become dried, so that every vital function is carried on at a disadvantage. Beer, therefore, is not an improvement upon water, but a degeneration of it, it is not food, and it is a very poor drink, not really satisfying the body’s need, but actually increasing it.

Even so it is with tea and coffee. While the water that is the basis of these drinks do good, supplying fluid to the body, this good is greatly counteracted by the active poisons that are conveyed throughout the system at the same time. No one who has any respect for his stomach will dose it with the poisons that hinder digestion and destroy the body nerves.

Tea and coffee are stimulants; they do not satisfy a legitimate desire of the body, but a fictitious desire that they created for themselves. It is the supply that has created the demand. Suppose that there were a big strong ruffian who should make a regular practice of picking up a small boy and throwing him into the water, and then plunging in and pulling the lad out just as he was drowning; would you recommend him for a medal on account of his activity in saving life? Of course you would not. Now tea and coffee are just such conscienceless ruffians as that. They throw a victim into the ditch, and then pull him out, and the poor, deluded victim embraces them, and says, ‘Noble fellow! you have saved my life.’ And the more the thing is done, the more the victim falls in love with his tormentor. The trouble is, he does not know that the one who lifts him up temporarily is the same who has pushed him down. We can get along better without such a ‘benefactor’! Surely, “tea and coffee drinking is a sin” {CD 425.3}!

If people drank only at the right time, there would be far less drinking of substances that are injurious; for it is a fact that the greater portion of the tea, coffee, chocolate, etc, which ought never to be drunk, are taken at meal time, when one ought not to drink anything even fruit juice. For optimum health, eat whole fruits as food; avoid any drinks at meal.

Drinking at meal is injurious in that it leads one to eat more than is really needed for satisfying hunger, and it dilutes the digestive fluids, so that the result is indigestion. Cold drinks at meal distract the digestion process, as it halts digestion until warmth is imparted to the stomach, causing food to ferment. Water at meal distracts the flow of and dilutes saliva, causing indigestion. If accustomed to water at meal, it may be difficult at first to eat food without drinks when the habit of drinking at meals has become established; but a little perseverance, together with the adoption of proper diet, will make it a matter of enjoyment; and the gain in strength of body and clearness of mind will amply repay the preliminary self-denial.

If people would take pains to satisfy their thirst from half an hour to an hour before eating, they would not care to drink when they come to the table; and if at table they eat plant food, chewing slowly and thoroughly, allowing saliva to mingle with food for best digestion, they would not feel the need of drinking immediately at the close. Those who have not tried this do not know the real satisfaction there is in eating and drinking, – a satisfaction the great recommendation of which is that it continues without interruption from one meal to the next.

Even though we may feel somewhat thirsty when the meal begins, if we slowly eat a little dry food we shall soon find this thirst quite disappear; and if there should still be a slight thirst at the close of the meal, if it be resisted, the process of digestion, which will be accelerated by the refraining from drink, will remove it. Thus after two or three hours, where one is in ordinary health, water may be drunk freely. A glass of water two hours before bedtime would well replace late supper which many imagine they need.

Sunlight

In the beginning, “God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day” (Genesis 1:16) – the sun is the great healing agency; exposures to sunlight, avoiding sunburn, benefits our bodies, for “sunshine, the beautiful surroundings of nature ... these are God’s means for restoring the sick to health” (Ellen G White, Testimonies, volume 7, p 85).

God, our healer, gave us the sun. The ordinary rays of the sun will of themselves alone heal many diseases; many persons if they were only brought out doors and given plenty of fresh air and sunlight, would be healed. The ordinary rays of the sun will in a comparatively short time destroy any disease germ that lives. It is common science that the influence of light upon bacteria is such that adequate daily exposure to direct sunlight is sufficient to destroy them. A child living in sunlight takes up the life-giving rays in its blood, by which it gets rosy cheeks, sparkling eyes, sturdy limbs, and a cheerful spirit.

But do not fall into the error of supposing that the power and virtue are inherent in the sun itself. That would be to make it a god, a thing that is commonly done, when men tell what the sun does, and trace the power no farther back. All things are the servants of God, and the heavens simply reveal His glory.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4); as His life is light, it necessarily follows that there must be life-healing virtue in the light that comes from Him.

There is life in sunlight, simply because the light that lightens our earth is but the glory of God’s life, of which the sun is but a general agent.

An instance of the healing power of light, which also shows that the light which our eyes can see is Christ’s own life, is recorded in the ninth chapter of John. As Jesus passed by, He saw a poor beggar who was born blind. As His attention was called to him, He said, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5), and forthwith He gave the man sight. The light of Christ’s life healed the blind man’s eyes.

Temperance

In the beginning, “Out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is ... good for food” (Genesis 2:9) – “True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything harmful and to use judiciously that which is healthful” (Ellen G White, Review and Herald, 5 September 1899).

It is intemperate to overeat. Eat only enough to feel satisfied, not “full” or “stuffed. Surely, “excessive indulgence in eating and drinking is sin” – Ellen G White {Review and Herald, July 29, 1884, par 12}!

The most common way to be intemperate is to be controlled by appetite. Whoever knows the dangers of meat eating, yet continue eating animal products, is a slave to his appetite. To be a slave to appetite is to have another god before the Lord. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). To all, the LORD says, “thou shalt have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:2-3).

If you are controlled by appetite, then you have another god – “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) – the “spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2), which is Satan.

Perverted appetite or intemperance is “the lust of the flesh” (1 John 2:16). This is specifically defined as a god; for it is written: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Philippians 3:18-19). Is your belly your god?

Temperance is self-control – but many do not have true self-control – control of one part of the man is not self-control – true self-control is control of the whole man. But this can never be done by the man himself; for the whole of man himself is already subject to the control of “the god of this world,” the evil one. This control was gained by the evil one, in the Garden of Eden, and through appetite, that is, in the “lust of the flesh.” Since man is thus the subject of “the god of this world,” a slave, “sold under sin” (Romans 7:14), it is impossible for him of himself to clear himself of that power to which he surrendered.

But man can choose deliverance by the power of God, the rightful God of man. God can set free every man, from all the power of “the god of this world;” and it is only thus that any man can ever gain control of himself. It is only thus that any man can attain to true self-control, to true temperance.

The heart of man is the place of the seat of God in things pertaining to the man for “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). The kingdom of the heart and life of man belongs to God: is alone His dominion. Through the deception of man this kingdom has been usurped by “the god of this world.” This was done at the choice of man. At the choice of man, God will return to His kingdom, and will take His place upon His throne in the kingdom, and will there rule and reign in righteousness, “even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ and to all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference” (Romans 3:22).

The question of having other gods, or the only true God, is this: Who has the heart? Therefore it is written: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

This principle is expressed in the scripture: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Anything therefore, which has a tendency to bring man under its evil power is the indulgence of idolatry: it is to have another god before the Lord.

Air

In the beginning, “God called the firmament Heaven” (Genesis 1:8) – Strong’s Hebrew 7549: An expanse, the firmament, visible arch of the sky. It is in this space or expanse that we find fresh air. “The stomach, liver, lungs and brain are suffering for want of deep, full inspirations of air which would electrify the blood and impart to it a bright, lively color, and which alone can keep it pure, and give tone and vigor to every part of the living machinery” (Ellen G White, Testimonies, volume 2, pp 67-68).

Our bodies can be likened to an engine that burns fuel to keep functioning. The food that we eat is the fuel that we need to burn to keep up this life, but like the fire it must have air to make it burn. It is the oxygen in the air that comes into us that burns this fuel, and so keeps life and heat in our bodies. The oxygen burns up the waste matter that is in our bodies – those things that are no good or that are harmful to us. Like the fuel in the fire, they are turned again into gas, which our blood carries to the lungs, and this poisonous gas is then breathed out into the air, and we take in a fresh supply of oxygen.

The poison from every part of our bodies is carried by the blood to the lungs, where it passes off into the air that fills the lungs, and the good air passes into our blood and is carried all through our bodies. So the air that we breathe out is full of poison, and this is why it is so important that we should have our rooms well supplied with the fresh, pure air of heaven, especially when there are many people in them. Then if you want pure, clean bodies, you must be sure to get plenty of fresh air; for air that has been breathed over and over again has much poisonous gas in it, and very little oxygen. For if we keep on breathing the same poisoned air over and over, our blood cannot be purified by it, and the poison stays in our bodies and makes us ill.

How people deliberately throw life away! They trample under foot the commandments of God, yet “His commandment is life everlasting” (John 12:50). They act in almost every particular in opposition to “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” that makes us free from death (Romans 8:2), seeming to study ways of getting out of harmony with it. They shut the life giving breath of God out of their sleeping and living rooms, and when they are forced to get where it does circulate in freshness and purity, the women carefully shut as much as possible out from their lungs by tightly lacing themselves (tight dresses are usually fitted over empty lungs, thus giving no chance for expansion in breathing), and the men pollute all the fresh air with their vile tobacco smoke.

Everywhere there seems to be a mad rush to get rid of life as rapidly as possible; and when failing strength alarms people, they resort to stimulants and drug medicines to whip up the flagging life in order they may still have a little to spend with riotous living!

Rest

In the beginning, after God made our world, “He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made” (Genesis 2:2) – we need daily rest and weekly rest. Digestive system need rest to fight disease. “After disposing of one meal, the digestive organs need rest. At least five or six hours should intervene between the meals, and most persons who give the plan a trial, will find that two meals a day are better than three” – Ellen G White {MH 304.1}.

First, we go back in the beginning to have the incomparable rest that God gave man. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). “Eden” means delight, pleasure; the garden of Eden is the garden of delight; the Hebrew word which in this place is rendered “put” is a word meaning rest; it is the word from which the proper name Noah comes (for the signification, see Genesis 5:29); therefore Genesis 2:15 may be rendered thus: ‘And the Lord God took the man, and caused him to rest in the garden of delight to dress it and to keep it.’

Man entered into rest, and this is because man entered into God’s perfect, finished work. We are God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). “This is the work of God, that ye believe” (John 6:29), and it is solely by faith that we can enjoy God’s work and share His rest; but if like Adam, if we disbelieve God, taking the word of Satan instead, we lose everything.

Second, have regular daily rests of sleep. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night to maintain proper health; teenagers need about 9-10 hours, children need 11-12 hours; infants need even more.

Third, we should have a weekly Sabbath rest (for further study read the booklet: Sabbath and Sunday Worship). Man is not free to labour on “the Sabbath of the Lord” (Exodus 20:10). It is the Lord’s, for “the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28).

Fourth, rest in keeping the Lord’s health laws – let your stomach rest! “After disposing of one meal, the digestive organs need rest. At least five or six hours should intervene between the meals, and most persons who give the plan a trial, will find that two meals a day are better than three” {MH 304.1}. “The stomach, when we lie down to rest, should have its work done, that it may enjoy rest, as well as other portions of the body. The work of digestion should not be carried on through any period of the sleeping hours” {HL 84.5}. “In most cases, two meals are preferable to three. Supper, when taken at an early hour, interferes with the digestion of the previous meal. When taken later, it is not itself digested before bedtime. Thus the stomach fails of securing proper rest. The sleep is disturbed, the brain and nerves are wearied, the appetite for breakfast is impaired, the whole system is unrefreshed, and is unready for the day’s duties” EG White {Ed 205.3}.

The feeling that most people mistake for hunger in the evening is usually simple weariness – a call for rest, not a call for food. An already overworked stomach, or sluggish bowels will produce a sensation like hunger; to eat food is the worst thing to do in that state. When you sit down or lie down after an unusually long walk, you have a sense of weariness in your legs, that you were not conscious of while they were on the strain; but you do not take that as evidence that they need more exercise. You know that they need rest. Well, why can we not deal as sensibly with our stomachs as with our legs?

Many professed Christians neglect Christ’s health laws, “having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:2), having no notion of leaving off their evil ways. So long as conscience makes one uncomfortable over sins committed, there is hope of repentance and salvation; but what if you are offered a drug that could relieve you of all compunctions of conscience, while still “fulfilling the desires of the flesh” (Ephesians 2:3)? Many professed Christians sadly take this very approach: they sin by defiling the body temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:17; 6:19), they suffer pain, then they take drugs to deaden that pain, so that they can continue in sin with impunity! Many did so in ignorance that “God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). To rest in the finished work of God and keep His Sabbath, we must not defile His body temple.

Trust in Divine Power

In the beginning, the Lord took a rib from Adam, “And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man” (Genesis 2:22) – Adam slept in full trust in God, it is in this trust God pierced his side and formed a suitable companion for him – the same God sustains life. “Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy, cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest” (Ellen G White, Steps to Christ, p 100).

To follow the Lord’s health laws, is to show trust in Divine power and distrust in human power. The tenor of the Bible is to inculcate distrust of human power and to encourage trust in Divine power. God firmly says to us: “I will not fail thee” (Joshua 1:5). He has pledged Himself to help us, and He has a good reputation. “He is faithful that promised” (Hebrews 10:23). “They that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee; for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee” (Psalm 9:10). “They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even for ever” (Psalm 125:2). “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepth thee will not slumber” (Psalm 121:3).

Concluding remarks

The sum of the whole matter is this: Life cannot come from anything but life. It is not only senseless, but wicked, to put death into the system, expecting to get life from it. By plant-based nutrition, judicious exercise, pure water, sunlight, temperance in all things including proper clothing, fresh air, rest, and with all and above all, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, God conveys His life to us. By these means we live in the faith of Him who gives life. But by substituting hurtful things for them, we take death to ourselves.