At times it seems to us that the whole world has gone crazy! Nearly every commercial on television advertises a food roduct that is "fat free", "low in cholesterol", "heart smart", or "calorie conscious". Tobacco industries are under siege, and people who smoked cigarettes for years (knowing good and well that anything you suck into your lungs that isn't oxygen is bad for you) are suing, and winning judgments against these manufacturers. Current Smokers are being harassed, and the peer pressure is on to quit or be persecuted. The exercise channel on cable TV is garnishing a large viewer audience as people become more health conscious. And yet on nearly every show on television, be it drama, or sit-com, movie of the week, or real life drama the characters of these shows all "engage in extra-marital sex, homosexual practices, and intra-family flings". Top rated movie sales are reached by parading nude stars, steamy sex scene, and horrific retaliatory violence.

     We agree that as humans we should be a little more health conscious. But what defiles your body in the eyes of God, what you ingest, or what you do? Let's get back to the reality of the Bible for a little while, and see what God has to say about bodily defilement.

1 Timothy 4:8 "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."

     God never taught us that exercise was wrong, or worthless. In fact, in the Old Testament a lot of the laws that God imposed on Israel were given to create a healthy lifestyle. For instance, the Israelite was "never" to eat pork, or fish without scales:

Leviticus 11:9-12 " These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you: Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you."

Leviticus 11:3, 7, 26 "Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean."

     Most people have always been curious about these restrictions. However if you research through nutritional journals and books you will find answers concerning them. When you eat your body takes the food you consume and metabolizes it into proteins and carbohydrates (as well as fats) for energy. Most foods are metabolized and released into energy at a normal rate, and provide you what you need to function long after you eat them. Unlike other foods, pork and shellfish (fish without fins or scales) metabolize very swiftly in your body. They provide a burst of energy that quickly dies out, leaving the person wanting more.

     Israel was a nomadic nation, traveling in harsh and often desert climates. God knew that His people needed the best sustenance available to withstand the rigors of travel, so banned pork and non-scaled fish from His people's diets. Can we eat these foods today without bringing down God's condemnation? Yes, because the situation and our environment has changed. God imposed these restrictions on Israel for a predetermined reason. He never imposed the restrictions on the Christian Church, just on nomadic Israel. God also forbade them to eat rare meat:

Genesis 9:3-4 "Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat."

     Again, for health reasons. The 1996 scare of E-Coli poisoning from improperly prepared hamburger meat shows that God was (again) smarter than we are on health. As Israel was nomadic, meat was often slaughtered "on the ground, and in unsanitary conditions". If meat that is improperly prepared is cooked thoroughly there's no need to worry. Most food service vendors are required to cook large cuts of meat to an internal temperature of 160 degrees farenheight. At this temperature all harmful bacterial is destroyed, and the food is safe. At lower temperatures you're playing russian roulette with your health.

     So our Creator never said that exercise, or eating healthy foods, is wrong. He is very concerned with the health of His people. But He does tell us that, in His eyes, bodily exercise profits little. As humans we tend to look at the outward appearance of things to determine their worth. A beautifully shaped body is valued above one with a potbelly. Rippling muscles are certainly worth more than pipe-cleaner arms. We think this way, but not God. God looks at the heart of man, and based on the internal relationship that we have with Him we are either acceptable or unworthy. Contrary to all the commercials on "healthy lifestyles", "godliness", that is, a good relationship with your Father, is to be desired above your outward appearance.

     The Pharisees of Jesus' day were always emphasizing good diet, good ritual, and good appearance over all else. Jesus admonished the Pharisees for their misunderstanding of our Father's emphasis:

Matthew 15:10-20 "And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth {KOINOO, "makes unclean, profanes, pollutes"} a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? {Jesus previously taught this doctrine in Mark 7.14-23, which also offended these legalists} But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. {This message had two thrusts: The Pharisees were unsaved, and would be rooted up, and their doctrine was false, and it would be rooted up} Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. {An analogy for Hell} Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? {APHEDRON, The place of sitting apart. A reference to the toilet} But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile {KOINOO, "Make profane, pollute"} the man. For out of the heart proceed evil {PONEROI, "Evil in intent or thrust"} thoughts, murders, adulteries, {MOICHEIAI, "Unlawful sexual intercourse between two married people"} fornications, <{PORNEIAI, "Sexual immorality"} thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man."

     "This is quite different from the message we get on television today, isn't it." In our society the adultery and fornication is winked at, while healthy habits are praised as if it were a god. God lists false witness (lying) and blasphemies (cursing God's Name) in the same category as murder insofar as He is concerned. Yet few mediums of entertainment consider taking God's Name in vain wrong, while they disguise racial derogatory terms by saying things like "he said the N- Word". Our society has lost touch with the reality of God, with the reality of common sense. Foods in themselves do not defile your body, your inward lusts defile it. God has appointed your final day on this earth already, and all the ideas that you can "prolong your life by eating right" are foreign to the Word of God:

Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

Job 5:20-26 "In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee. And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin. Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth. Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season."

     God controls life and death, and harvests each of us like a wise farmer picks ears of corn. When we have contributed all we can in this life to His Plan, we reach our final appointment with death. You can eat as healthy as you want, quit smoking and drinking, and run five miles a day. But if you ignore His provisions of salvation through Christ, you will certainly regret it at that final undeniable appointment.

     To listen to the modern, politically correct yuppie, it most certainly is. But when you look at God's Word, unrighteousness is never related to a physical characteristic. It's always a symptom of spiritual deficiency:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

     God doesn't regard the fat or thin person as unrighteous, "but the person who has unresolved lust in their lives", lust that usually exposes itself in outward undesirable action. Look at all the categories of unrighteousness God lists for us:

1. FORNICATORS, PORNOS: Any single male or female that has sexual contact with other single males or females. It's interesting that we get our word "pornography" from this Greek word.

2. IDOLATERS, EIDOLOLATRES: Image worshippers. In ancient times the idolater melted down gold and silver and formed a god to worship. In modern times, we manufacture gods as fast as consumers buy them. To some it's their cars. To others, rings and jewelry. But whatever it is, if it turns attention away from God, it's an idol.

3. ADULTERERS, MOICHOS: Any married or single male or female who breaks the bonds of marriage with another male or female.

4. EFFIMINATE, MALAKOS: Literally meaning "soft fine ones", it refers to transvestite or transsexual males or females. God, by the way, does not condone cross-dressing or fetishes.

5. ABUSERS OF THEMSELVES WITH MANKIND, ARSENOKOITES: Literally, "Sodomites", a reference to homosexuality. The so called alternate lifestyle is no lifestyle to God, but an abomination that was so horrible He destroyed the original Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19). The homosexual lifestyle is unrighteous, evil before God. At the time when Paul wrote this letter, "homosexuality was rampant in society (much as it is today)." Plato praised homosexual love in his work "The Symposium". Nero publicised his upcoming marriage to a young boy called Sporus. Fourteen of the first fifteen Roman emperors were homosexual, or expressed homosexual tendencies. Just because society blesses it, it isn't necessarily righteous with God.

6. THIEVES, KLEPTES: A stealer.

7. COVETOUS, PLEONEKTES: One who is greedy or overly eager for gain.

8. DRUNKARDS, METHUSOS: One who is a sot or a "over-drinker" of alcohol.

9. REVILERS, LOIDOROS: Those who abusively party, always seeking a pleasurable time.

10. EXTORTIONERS, HARPAX: Ravenous people who only take, force from the hands of others so as to possess.

     No where in this list do you find that overweight, underweight, lax musculature, poor health, or bad breath are considered unrighteous by God. What defiles the body is not what we, today, say defiles the body. "What defiles the body is ungodliness", an attitude of "if it feels good, let's do it and let the devil take the hindpart." In short, what defiles the body is what Hollywood and the Media glorify, unrighteous behaviour never condoned by the Word of God.

     Later in this writing, the Apostle Paul homes in on sexual sin, in particular the Corinthian sin of "paying for a woman". This so called "victimless crime has destroyed more bodies than all the cigarettes ever made."

1 Corinthians 6:15-18 "Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body."

     When the believer comes to salvation, he becomes a member of the Body of Christ. This is possible because the Holy Spirit indwells the believer, at that point making your body a "temple of the Holy Ghost". When you have sex outside of marriage you become "one flesh" in God's eyes with your partner. We think, as humans, that a quick jump in the hay is no big deal. To God, however, the sexual act of marriage joins you to your sexual partner, and God doesn't consider this joining to be temporary. When you commit fornication you sin against your own body, and bring on various types of self induced misery.

     It's interesting that today, in our society, you can get AIDS test kits "privately, and confidentially through the mail". This is condoned, the act that caused the AIDS is condoned, condom distribution at High Schools to prevent AIDS is condoned, AIDS commercials on television are condoned, the homosexual lifestyles that lead to AIDS is condoned. God has a message for us all: "He doesn't condone this type of behaviour, never has, and never will."

     I do not believe that AIDS is a judgment from God on mankind. Rather, I think that AIDS, herpes, syphilis, gonorreah, and all other sexually transmitted diseases are judgments that we have brought on ourselves (and sadly, on innocent children) by ignoring God's warnings.

     "We defile our bodies when we depart from His Wisdom and His Word, when we engage in acts and actions contrary to God's best wishes for us." As a society we have ignored His warnings to the point of harm, and are now calling on government to step in and "fix things". In reality, the only way to "fix things" is to return to Our First Love, put Jesus Christ first, and avoid the defiling effects of unrighteousness. (John 3.16)

1 Corinthians 6:20 "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."