So many Christian teachings will emphasize on spiritual health and well-being, but not many on physical health and well-being. While Jesus did die primarily for our spiritual well-being, the cross was also more than sufficient to provide us with the grace to take care of our bodies.
Most Christians don't want to hear that God wants us to take good care of our bodies through diet and exercise. While I won't argue that it's sinful to eat junkfood, skip running and avoid vegetables, the Bible does tell us in 1 Corinthians 10:23, "'All things are lawful,' but not all things are helpful. 'All things are lawful,' but not all things build up."
Here are four ways that God proves to us through His character and His Word that He desires for us to be healthy both inside and out.
Levitical diet laws
In the book of Leviticus, God gave, as part of the Mosaic law, diet laws that were to be followed by the Israelites. Guidelines such as the prohibition of eating pork fat, blood, crawling reptiles and other scavengers were given.
It's not that God was a killjoy who didn't want His people to enjoy exotic food, but that He was and still is a loving God that cares for our welfare. He prohibited certain foods because of the sickness and bad health effects they would bring.
Renouncement of sins to the bodies
When Paul commanded in 1 Corinthians 6:18 to flee sexual immorality, he gave the rationale that "... the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." God has called us to renounce sin because of the serious health detriments they bring.
Addiction to money and wealth can destroy our bodies through stress. Alcohol may be good in moderation, but in excess it can kill important organs in the body such as the brain, liver and kidney. God asks us to renounce sin because they destroy the living temple which is our bodies that He has bought at a price.
The Spirit's healing touch
Another proof of God's value of health is the fact that He sends His Holy Spirit to touch and cleanse our bodies from disease. All throughout scripture, God's enabling presence is seen to heal countless sick people through His grace.
If God did not value health, why would He bother coming down to cleanse our bodies physiologically? But because He does value our health, He goes out of His way to heal and to give us His blood as atonement.
The atonement of our sins on the cross
When Jesus died on the cross, He brought not just spiritual healing, but physical and psychological healing as well. God does not want us sick so He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross to take our sin and the health curses that come along with them.
