The Faith I Live By

Abstaining From Harmful Indulgences, August 13

A Strong Body Temple

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. 1 Peter 2:11. FLB 231.1

The Word of God plainly warns us that unless we abstain from fleshly lusts, the physical nature will be brought into conflict with the spiritual nature. Lustful eating wars against health and peace. Thus a warfare is instituted between the higher and the lower attributes of the man. The lower propensities, strong and active, oppress the soul. The highest interests of the being are imperiled by the indulgence of appetites unsanctioned by Heaven.^{55Counsels on Diet and Foods, 382.} FLB 231.2

Health, character, and even life, are endangered by the use of stimulants, which excite the exhausted energies to unnatural, spasmodic effort.^{56The Ministry of Healing, 335.} FLB 231.3

Condiments are injurious in their nature. Mustard, pepper, spices, pickles, and other things of a like character, irritate the stomach and make the blood feverish and impure.... FLB 231.4

Tea and coffee do not nourish the system.... The continued use of these nerve irritants is followed by headache, wakefulness, palpitation of the heart, indigestion, trembling, and many other evils; for they wear away the life forces.... FLB 231.5

Tobacco is a slow, insidious, but most malignant poison. In whatever form it is used, it tells upon the constitution; it is all the more dangerous because its effects are slow and at first hardly perceptible.... Its use excites a thirst for strong drink and in many cases lays the foundations for the liquor habit.^{57The Ministry of Healing, 325-328.} FLB 231.6

In relation to tea, coffee, tobacco, and alcoholic drinks, the only safe course is to touch not, taste not, handle not.^{58The Ministry of Healing, 335.} FLB 231.7

True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful, and to use judiciously that which is healthful.^{59Child Guidance, 398.} FLB 231.8

The Spirit of God cannot come to our help, and assist us in perfecting Christian characters, while we are indulging our appetites to the injury of health.^{60Counsels on Diet and Foods, 57.} FLB 231.9