Is Christ Enough And Is He Good Has He Redeemed Me Has He Put His Holy Spirit In Me
If your answer to these is yes, and you believe them, then it will be okay to let go of the food control and worry, its okay to trust the good body Gods given you, its okay to trust HIM, to let down your guard, to surrender to His will for your life, which is perfect and good.
His will is that you would be free from sin worries, that you would experience joy in the gifts hes given you and that you would define yourself by HIS work, not by your own.
If this post resonates with you and you want to learn more about how to step into a more joyful grace fueled relationship with health, be sure to check out our 12 week course Joyful Health designed to help you step out of the diet shame cycle and instead learn to eat well and move free by grace.
Until next time, stay nourished, body, soul and spirit.
What Does The Bible Say About Eating Meat Is It A Sin
Estimated reading time: 7½ minutes
In the book of Genesis, which tells of the Creation of Man, God specifically tells Adam and Eve of the foods he had provided for them to eat:
I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the groundeverything that has the breath of life in itI give every green plant for food.
The Garden of Eden was vegan.
Only after the Fall did sin enter the world, and then everything changed. After the flood, God told Noah:
The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you.
So, what does that mean for our relationship with animals and what we choose to eat?
Why Avoid Eating Shellfish
Unlike pork, eating shellfish may not seem as clear cut in its nutritional values. Some types of shellfish like oysters and krill actually contain a high amount of nutrients which can be hard to obtain from other food sources.
For instance, shellfish is high in the critical nutrient zinc. This essential mineral is vital to human health and is a common deficiency in many of our diets. Very important for immune function, the highest concentration of zinc is found in oysters and can further benefit skin and fertility health. In general, eating shellfish and seafood are good sources of the trace mineral selenium which stimulates both immune and thyroid function .
The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are also found high in concentration in krill and shrimp. These omega-3 fats are critical for supporting brain health, reducing inflammation and improving neurological and cardiovascular function . Shrimp and krill eat red algae also making them an excellent source of the powerful antioxidant astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is what gives these shellfish their natural pink color .
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God Will Always Provide Food For You
Sometimes we worry so much and God is just trying to calm us down and tell us to put our mind on Him. Trust in Him. He will never fail you.
25. Matthew 6:25 For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
How Then Should We Eat
The question of what to eat seems to have come up again in Pauls time. In Romans 14, he reaffirms what Jesus said, but at the same time he advises what Christians should do when others believe only special foods can be eaten for religious reasons.
I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. Romans 14:14-15
So, can Christians eat bacon, pork, ham and other pig products?
Yes and I believe Jesus and Paul make this pretty clear.
But there might be situations where its best to lay off the bacon if eating pig products is going to turn people off the gospel, dont do it, because after all, our aim as Christians is to share the good news of Jesus to the world.
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God Gives Good Things
As He was winding up His discourse in Matthew 7, Jesus Christ asked, Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! .
Just as a physical father wants the best for his childrenincluding giving them good things to eatour Heavenly Father wants the best for us as well.
And just as our physical fathers taught us, God educates us on many aspects of living, and that includes which meats we can eat and those which He prohibits us from eating.
What Kind Of Food Did People Eat In The Bible
The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan. Exodus 16:35
Food in the Bible includes wholesome and natural foods such as grains, honey, fruits. As for their beverages, milk and wine were mentioned in the scripture but the kind of wine they had back then had none of those nasty additives that we have today.
There was no junk food, no food loaded with additives, preservatives, and artificial flavor and color. Food was eaten in its natural state, although our ancestors in the Bible also cooked certain food items such as bread and meat. When our Father in heaven created the world and everything in it, He blessed them all. Everything that God made is good – the trees, the animals, the vegetation, and so on.
Man and woman were made according to His own image, and these first humans were in a state of complete physical perfection. All the cells, tissues, and organs were functioning as they should. They ate what God told them to eat, and they took care of all the creations just as how a good steward must be.
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Daniel : 8 15 But Daniel Was Determined Not To Defile Himself By Eating The Food And Wine Given To Them By The King He Asked The Chief Of Staff For Permission Not To Eat These Unacceptable Foods At The End Of The Ten Days Daniel And His Three Friends Looked Healthier And Better Nourished Than The Young Men Who Had Been Eating The Food Assigned By The King
Daniel knew the boundaries that God had given him and he stuck by them, even when his life was possibly at stake. He looked past the delicacies and immediate pleasure and chose to be uncomfortable now for the sake of obedience. And, God blessed him richly for it.
We would also be wise to look beyond the next bite, next minute, or next hour to focus on how we want to feel when we lay our heads down at night. Regret far outweighs the fleeting taste of food.
What Does The Bible Say About Eating Chicken And Animal
Can you say whether you are sinning by breaking the biblical meat-eating rules? Yes, we make these mistakes sometimes, as many of us pay less care about having food according to the Bible. Our team was curious to know about what does the Bible say about eating chicken and meat of the other animals.
The Bible confirmed what animals we should eat and avoid though all are creatures of God. Yet, we must know what is prohibited what is not. Do we really obey the rules of eating meat?
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In the past, the people of Jerusalem used to follow the Christian diet of meat almost all the Christian societies in the world were aware of taking meat before. But nowadays, they are going to far to maintain the instructions.
By the way, The Bible classified between clean and unclean animals. Unclean animals are entirely prohibited from eating. We will discuss Biblical animals and meat that are allowed and not permitted.
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Which Animals Does The Bible Designate As ‘clean’ And ‘unclean’
God reveals which animals – including fish and birds – are suitable and unsuitable for human consumption in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. Although the lists aren’t exhaustive, He reveals guidelines for recognizing animals that are acceptable for food.
God states that cud-chewing animals with split hooves can be eaten . These specifically include the cattle, sheep, goat, deer and gazelle families . He also lists such animals as camels, rabbits and pigs as being unclean, or unfit to eat . He later lists such “creeping things” as moles, mice and lizards as unfit to eat , as well as four-footed animals with paws as unclean .
He tells us that salt- and freshwater fish with fins and scales may be eaten , but water creatures without those characteristics should not be eaten.
God also lists birds and other flying creatures that are unclean for consumption . He identifies carrion eaters and birds of prey as unclean, plus ostriches, storks, herons and bats.
Birds such as chickens, turkeys and pheasants are not on the unclean list and therefore can be eaten. Insects, with the exception of locusts, crickets and grasshoppers, are listed as unclean .
Why does God identify some animals as suitable for human consumption and others as unsuitable? God didn’t give laws to arbitrarily assert control over humans. He gave His laws “that it might be well” with those who seek to obey Him .
Does The Bible Say Its Okay To Eat Animals
In the Old Testament, in the book of Genesis, when God creates the world in seven days, we can see quite clearly His intentions: God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.
In other words, says Christan philosopher Simon Kittle: God created the world vegan. And it is this vegan world which God proceeds to declare very good .
Christian Vegetarians and Vegans UK explain further: From a biblical perspective the concept of eating anything but plants by any animal human or otherwise only entered the world after The Fall. That surely should tell the reader something.
Only after the Flood where God washed away the sinful world did He permit the eating of animals. So, are we to eat animals with Gods blessing? Rabbi Marc Gellman writes of Genesis chapter 9:3-6: This passage makes clear the biblical belief that eating meat is, in Gods eyes, a regrettable concession to human weakness, not a virtue.
Says Kittle: These passages are best interpreted in light of that overarching theme of peace, a theme embodied, of course, in the person of Jesus Christ. The Bible makes clear that at every turn, Jesus actively, though non-violently, resisted oppression and evil.
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Timothy : 4 Since Everything God Created Is Good We Should Not Reject Any Of It But Receive It With Thanks
Everything God created is good, period. Filling your plate with whole, unprocessed foods is His design. However, this verse tells us that whether we are eating a hot dog at a ball game or a green smoothie, we need to do so with a heart of thanksgiving.
If you feel guilty about eating certain foods or you have no self-control around them, your heart is probably not overflowing with gratitude . Put on an attitude of gratitude in the moments of temptation and watch how the mindset change can turn your struggles around!
The Shocking Biblical Truth About Eating Fat
Is fat good or bad for our health? Down the century, we have heard differing answers from so-called experts. Some claim that all fats are bad and we should have a low-fat diet to attain optimum health. Others argue that fats are healthy and they are a rich source of energy. In searching for the right answer, who should you listen to? Are we left in just choosing who we should believe and hope for the best?
Thankfully, we can go to the Master Creator who designed our human body. If theres one Being who can tell us whether fat is good for us or not, it should be the Supreme God of the Universe. We are not left in the dark when it comes to finding the truth about this matter. We can always turn to Gods inspired word and read the Bible to know the answer.
So, what does the Bible say about eating fat? Does God care enough about our health and leaves us a dietary guideline? In this post, let me share with you a quick, comprehensive, and easy-to-understand study on what the Bible teaches about eating fat.
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Shedding Blood For Forgiveness
Brother Philip: So, how does this relate to our time today? Lets read what the Bible says about the shedding of animal blood for the forgiveness of the Israelites sins. Here in Hebrews 10 and 1, the answer is clearly written for us here:
For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.
Brother Philip: So, what the Israelites did before with the shedding of animal blood for the forgiveness of sins, what does this have to do in our time today? The Bible says what the Israelites did, for the forgiveness of their sins, was just a foreshadow of something greater to come. And what was that? Here in the same book, Hebrews, this time chapter 9, 13 to 14. This is whats written:
For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
And whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
Corinthians : 12 You Say I Am Allowed To Do Anythingbut Not Everything Is Good For You And Even Though I Am Allowed To Do Anything I Must Not Become A Slave To Anything
God has told us all things are good. However, with freedom comes responsibility. While we could sustain ourselves on cookies and chips, would it be beneficial? While we could live off sweets and treats, would those foods become our master?
The decision about what is healthy has to do with more than just the nutrition facts label and evenhow to eat less sugar.
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What Does Jesus Say
The religious leaders of Jesus day criticized him and his disciples for not conforming to the Old Testament food laws. In response, Jesus said:
Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them. Mark 7:15
Jesus makes the point that with his arrival, the Old Testament rituals no longer have the same power now, what is more important is what comes out of a person things like gossip, lying and slander.
Jesus disciples were perhaps a little shocked at what Jesus says, so they ask for clarification. He replies:
Are you so dull? he asked. Dont you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesnt go into their heart but into their stomach, then out of the body.
Jesus repeats his message, and just to make absolutely certain weve got the point, Mark clearly tells us in brackets that in saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean fit to be eaten.
So while the Old Testament food laws were important for the Israelites to obey, Jesus makes it clear that these laws are not necessary for his followers. For Gods people in the new covenant, what comes out slander, gossip and lying is much more important than what goes in.