Diet and Spirituality
49
that they were pronounced unclean taught the lesson that the use of
injurious foods is defiling. That which corrupts the body tends to
corrupt the soul. It unfits the user for communion with God, unfits him
for high and holy service.—
The Ministry of Healing, 280, 1905
79. 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, and while the pride of life controls.—
The Health
Reformer, September, 1871
80. All who are partakers of the divine nature will escape the cor-
ruption that is in the world through lust. It is impossible for those who
indulge the appetite to attain to Christian perfection.—
Testimonies for
the Church 2:400, 1870
81. This is true sanctification. It is not merely a theory, an emotion,
or a form of words, but a living, active principle, entering into the
everyday life. It requires that our habits of eating, drinking, and
dressing be such as to secure the preservation of physical, mental,
and moral health, that we may present to the Lord our bodies,—not
[58]
an offering corrupted by wrong habits, but “a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God.”—
The Review and Herald, January 25, 1881
[
For context see 254
]
82. Our habits of eating and drinking show whether we are of the
world or among the number whom the Lord by His mighty cleaver
of truth has separated from the world.—
Testimonies for the Church
6:372, 1900
83. It is intemperance in eating that causes so much invalidism,
and robs the Lord of the glory due Him. Because of a failure to deny
self, many of God’s people are unable to reach the high standard
of spirituality He has set for them, and though they repent and are
converted, all eternity will testify to the loss they have sustained by
yielding to selfishness.—
Letter 135, 1902
84. O how many lose the richest blessings that God has in store
for them in health and spiritual endowments! There are many souls
who wrestle for special victories and special blessings that they may
do some great thing. To this end they are always feeling that they
must make an agonizing struggle in prayer and tears. When these
persons search the Scripture with prayer to know the expressed will
of God, and then do His will from the heart without one reservation
or self-indulgence, they will find rest. All the agonizing, all the tears