Torch, Summer 1985

10 things as alchoholism, smoking, gluttony, etc. But, Paul warns us that some men's sins are not obvious. In I Tim . 5:24 he states : " ... remember that the sins of some men are obvious and are obviously leading them to de– struction, but the sins of other men are hidden , but are nevertheless dogging them under the surface." The sins of moral impurity, and the involvement of the body in sin as a result, is often a hidden exam– ple of this violation. Romans 6 relates the battlefield of lusts to the physical body and its stewardship. In 6: 11-13 Paul states: "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body , that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members [your physical body] as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield your– selves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Another less obvious way that Christians fai l in stewardship is by doing too much of what is good physically in place of the better things of spiritual discipline. Let me illustrate: A few years ago a young man who was finish– ing school at a Christian college came to my office. During the physical examination it was obvious that he was very muscular. I asked him if he lifted weights and how much time did he spend doing that? He enthusiastically re– sponded, "Yes, I do. I work out two to three hours a day. " Then I asked him, "How much time do you spend each day developi ng spiritual muscles?" He became very irritated with me and left the office. David said, "I will run the way of thy command– ments when thou shalt enlarge my heart. " God wants us to enlarge the spiritual capacity of our hearts as well as the physical capabilities of our body 's pumping mechanism , the heart muscle. Q. By that example are you illustrating I Tim. 4:8? Yes, this verse and the following ones relate Paul's teaching to the young minister Timothy. Paul tells him that physical exercise has some lim– ited value in this life, but spiritual exercise is of "unlimited value, having promise for the life that now is and that which is to come." He goes on to say, "therefore, recognizing the preeminent value of the spiritual , we labor and struggle to keep our– selves spiritually fit." Paul is exhorting priorities. It is good to jog , but it is more important to teach a person how to walk with Christ. One can jog with a person and disciple him at the same time. If both can be accomplished at once, great. If there is time for both separately, fine. But, if one must give way because of time pressure, the priority is the spiritual. Q. Can a physically unfit person be a spiritually fit person? Yes! There are times when a person's unfitness is not due to a lack of se lf-control , but rather it is ordained of God. The blind and the lame from birth are examples of this. Paul had an infirmity in the flesh and asked God three times to remove it, which helped him to say: "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmity, that the power of Christ may rest upon me .. . for when I am weak, then am I strong ... " (II Corinthians 12:9, 10). I know a missionary doctor who for the 20 years of our acquaintance was a trim person and was powerfully used of God in Africa. Due to an auto– mobile accident, he suffered total paralysis from the waist down. He has since gained 80-90 pounds and is certainly physically unfit. However , he is still mightily used of God . Q. Is our fitness-conscious generation more healthy than those generations of Bible times? I don 't really think so. It is obvious that we live longer today and that even the physical size of people has increased due to higher protein diets. Yet our technological progress has exposed. us to numerous hazards unknown to the world 2000 years ago, including radiation, drugs, pollution , and stress. Take the automobile for example. This marvel benefits us enormously, yet our culture pays a stiff price in terms of air pollution, mutilation of bodies, and stress caused by our fast-paced living. In addi– tion , stress produces a host of ills including heart disease and ulcers . Moreover, another consequence of our times is AIDS. There is no question in my mind that this disease is a judgment of God on the sodomy of our day, which is a lack of stewardship of human sexu– ality and of the physical nature of man. Presently , there are 25 venereal diseases for which we have no definitive treatment. On the whole, I would judge that we are not any healthier today than those of Bible times. Q. How would you conclude your thoughts on stewardship of our bodies? Stewardship involves the totality of man's nature , physical and spiritual. While the physical is without question subordinate to the spiritual, it is impossible to exercise one without the other. And often the arena in which spiritual stewardship will be most demonstrated is in the physical . Dr. James L. Holly is a general practitioner in Beaumont, Texas. He holds an M.S. in history from Baylor University and an M.D. from the University of Texas Medical School. Active in his local church as a disci– pler, deacon , and chairman of the missions committee, he has also contributed material to the Advanced Training Institute of America.