By Deryl W Duer
There are numerous Scriptures, such as 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and Romans 12:2 which plainly demonstrate the fact that God cares about our physical bodies. However, there are other equally important, if not so obvious Scriptures that establish the high value God places on these magnificent bodies he has given us. This article investigates the truth that our bodies matter because God Himself took on flesh.
The Gospel of John opens up:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1, 14 ESV)
The Scriptures clearly teach that Jesus was both fully God and fully human. He is God Incarnate, God in the flesh! Verse 14 tells us, "The Word became flesh." John chooses his words very carefully here. Notice, John does not say, "the Word became man," or "the Word appeared in bodily form." He puts it crudely to deal with the Docetic heresy of that time. The Docetists believed that all matter was evil; thus, God could not come into contact with physical flesh. According to them, Jesus Christ only appeared to be human, but did not have an actual physical body. But John emphatically declares, "The Word became flesh."
The great theologian and author, J.I. Packer, calls this the supreme mystery of the gospel. In his book, Knowing God, he wrote:
The really staggering Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God made man-that the second person of the Godhead became the "second man" (1 Corinthians 15:47) (J. I. Packer, Knowing God [Downers Grove, IL: 1993, InterVarsity Press], 53)
Packer goes on to say, "He who made man was now learning what if felt like to be man" (p. 57). Jesus was completely human and his earthly body was identical to ours in every way. The Gospels tell us:
- Jesus grew intellectually and physically (Luke 5:42)
- Jesus needed food for nourishment (Matthew 4:2)
- Jesus became tired (John 4:6)
- Jesus needed rest (Matthew 8:24),
- Jesus was subject to death (John 19:13)
- Jesus' physical body was resurrected (Luke 24.39-43; John 20.26-38).
So what does this mean for us? What does this have to do with our discussions about the importance of taking care of our bodies for the glory of God? First, the simple fact the God himself became flesh, dignifies our flesh. Jesus had a physical body. Scriptures do not give us much direct information about Christ's appearance, other than the prophesy of Isaiah which said, "There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him" (Isaiah 53:2 NLT). We can, however, deduce that Jesus was physically fit. This simply reiterates our assertion that physical fitness is all about vanity.
Jesus Was Physically Fit
How can we ascertain that Jesus was physically fit? There are several reasons. Until about the age of 30, Jesus was a carpenter. At that time, carpenters were also stonemasons. Since there were no power tools, trucks, fork-lifts, etc., this occupation involved strenuous labor. After he began his ministry, Jesus spent much of his time walking. We also know that Jesus would have followed a strict Jewish diet, consisting mostly of fish, whole grain bread and fresh vegetables and fruit.
Furthermore, it is reasonable to believe that Jesus was VERY physically fit because of what he endured during his beating and crucifixion. Considering our recent remembrance of death and Resurrection of Christ, this seems a fitting place to revisit what Christ endured on our behalf.
The beating Christ received at the hands of the Romans was beyond brutal. Dr. Alexander Metherell, a consultant to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health of Bethesda, Maryland, and board-certified in diagnosis by the American Board of Radiology, stated that many people would die from the scourging alone.
"At the least, the victim would experience tremendous pain and go into hypovolemic shock [which] means the person is suffering the effects of losing a large amount of blood... Because of the terrible effects of this beating, there's no question that Jesus was already in serious to critical condition even before the nails were driven through his hands and feet." (Dr. Alexander Metherell, interviewed by Lee Strobel, in The Case for Christ, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998), 196).
Having endured one of the most extreme forms of human torment, Christ was forced to carry the beam of his cross up the hill to Golgotha where he faced the most horrific mode of execution ever devised by man. The pain of the cross was so severe it has its own adjective, excruciating, which literally means "from the cross."
This has often caused me to reflect on what God has done on my behalf, on your behalf. Perhaps the most famous of Bible verses, John 3:16 tells us,""For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (ESV). Romans tells us, "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 ESV).
Again, you may be asking yourself what does this have to do with what I do with my body. Simple. God paid for your body with the blood of Christ. Christ is our example.
"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant,being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:5-8 ESV)
Christ considered the will of his Father above his own to the point that he submitted his body to be beaten and crucified, and we have a hard time putting down our donuts or inconvenient to exercise so that we can have a healthy enough body to be the hands and feet of Christ.
Harsh? Perhaps. True? Painfully so. Thankfully, the story does not end there. There is another aspect of the humanity of Christ for us to consider--it gives us hope.
Hope For Us
The epistle to the Hebrews draws great comfort from Jesus' humanity.
"Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect... because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted... For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15-16 ESV)
God does not leave us to deal with our struggles on our own. On the contrary, He has already faced the same temptations we face and overcame them. He has promised us that He will help us to overcome.
"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV)
Having a hard time putting down that donut, diet coke, BBQ, or whatever your weakness is? Ask God to give you the strength to say no to "deceptive foods" and yes to healthy foods. Finding it difficult to make time to exercise? Ask God to help you manage your time to make the time for the things that are in line with His priorities for your life. Find someone to help hold you accountable for the way you treat your body under God's authority. Form a Fit Club at your church for encouragement and support as you share in each others victories and struggles. We have to be disciplined in order to glorify God in our lives and live abundantly as we should. Turn off the TV and stop playing games online. Pray, read your Bible, spend time with your family, exercise, eat right, serve others, get financially free. Considering what He has done for us, it is the least we can do for Him.
I'm here to assist you in reaching your goals. You simply need to reach out. Contact me at http://www.freedomthroughfitness.com and let's start to make positive changes in your life.
Deryl Williams Duer is a former college minister and law enforcement officer who has transitioned his love for fitness, faith and freedom into a six-figure international company that now helps others live the life of their dreams.
Deryl founded Freedom Through Fitness with his wife, Tracy, after stepping onto the edge of physical and financial ruin. Having experienced a complete turn-around, they are now passionate about offering hope and support to those who are dissatisfied with their current situation and desire to live a healthier, more productive life.
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