11 A Christian Guide to Body Stewardship, Diet and Exercise lengths that he is willing to go to share the gospel with people. He adapts personal practices “for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings” (1 Cor. 9:23). Christians and non-Christians alike recognize the benefits of physical exercise, even while Christians understand this as a common grace from God. In this way, a gym parallels a book club, in that both settings provide a context in which Christians can leverage their shared interest with a non-believer to share the gospel message. There is not something inherently effective about exercise-evangelism, but it provides a context for Christians to interact with non-Christians, form relationships, and share the gospel. Likewise, shared pursuits, such as team sports, can provide feelings of camaraderie that make a person more likely to listen to the gospel message. Every context is for evangelism, including those that involve bodily exercise. Bodily Discipline. As described above, God created and then redeemed embodied souls to worship with their bodies. The implication is that I “belong—body and soul, in life and death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ” (Heidelberg Catechism Question 1; Rom. 14:7–9; 1 Cor. 6:19– 20). Sanctification is lived out in the body through self-control, not asceticism. This means that Christians should enjoy physical joys while recognizing that any legitimate joy ought to point us to the ultimate joy experienced in relationship with God. The Bible assumes that bodily discipline is part of sanctification (e.g., 1 Cor. 9:27; the spiritual discipline of fasting; prohibitions on sexual immorality and drunkenness) and that bodily discipline produces a disposition to discipline that is transferable to other areas. Summary • God’s Word, not cultural or self-perception, must ultimately determine how we understand and use our bodies. • A proper theology of the body is dependent upon accurate biblical interpretation, including reading verses within their respective contexts. • God created us as embodied image bearers. Though our bodies, like all creation, bear the effects of the Fall, redemption comes through God the Son embodied. • We were made by God to glorify him through worship, which includes the use of our physical bodies. Therefore, sanctification necessarily incorporates what we do with our bodies (e.g., physical acts of worship, the ordinances of the church, self-control, service). • The claim that a Christian should be a good steward of his body is an extension of the claim that everything belongs to God. • Exercise can help to develop a mindset and promote habits of perseverance where we will actually gravitate toward dealing with the hard things of life in a healthy way. • A properly stewarded body is more effective and typically more enduring in ministry, and venues of physical activity provide contexts for evangelism.
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