The Fruits of the Spirit as Preventive Medicine

The Westminster Larger Catechism Question and Answer number 135 contains some of the means to preserving life:

“... a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labor, and recreation; by charitable thoughts, love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness; peaceable, mild, and courteous speeches and behavior; forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil; comforting and succoring the distressed, and protecting and defending the innocent.”

Here is health maintenance, preventive medicine, from 1646! “Physic,” that is, medicine, is but one of a long list of methods to preserve life. Note the generous role the fruits of the Spirit have in preserving life.


Excerpt from "Are We Christians Dying to Meet Him?"

Portrait Unveiled

Thursday, September 20, members of McLeod Health's administration, faculty, and staff as well as family and friends gathered to view the unveiling of the portraits of two well-loved and deeply missed physicians, Dr. N. B. Baroody and Dr. Hilton Terrell. Friends shared fond memories of both men and reminded those present of the lasting mark they left not only on the McLeod Family Medicine Residency Program but also on those that knew them. The new portraits will hang in the Family Medicine Center.

Read more here.

Christ Redeems, Not Medicine

1 Peter 1:18-19: “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

Modern medicine in the U.S. today, in the net, is one vast attempt to redeem ourselves from the curse placed on our race in the Garden of Eden, the curse of death, and with it, illness, with corruptible things, like silver and gold.


Excerpt from talk given at Westminster Presbyterian Church

On Charity

1 Timothy 5:8-10 (8) But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (9) Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, (10) well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.

Charity begins at home. There is a priority in view in this entire passage. Household first. Church fellowship next. Those outside the church (see v. 10) next. A side benefit of carefulness in charity is that idleness is restricted. Failure to care for one’s own household is an event so serious that excommunication is the penalty. The lack of action overrules the oral profession of faith. The principle is given here. Not every case is in view. Notice in verse 9 that a widow could be “taken into the list” (provided church welfare) only on certain conditions, including that she “has brought up children.” Now, if these were her children, one wonders where they are when she needs help. Perhaps they are dead, off on a military campaign, in prison, etc. Or, perhaps, they were themselves disobedient. Notice that there is no civil penalty mentioned here for failure to take care of parents. Under the principle of sphere sovereignty, not every sin is a civil crime.

Preparing for Retirement

Do we spend more time preparing for our retirement than for our death? While there is nothing wrong with preparing for either retirement or for some years of dependent living, is there not often a disproportion in our attention and planning? Hear the parable on the matter. “Then He spoke a parable to them, saying; ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, “ I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” [Luke 12:16-21]

This rich man died suddenly. He was prepared for a long retirement – he had a privately held pension plan that was bulletproof. Yet, he was unprepared. Here is teaching directly on inordinate preparation. A dying man prepares to live a long time, but makes no provision for his dying.

Be more ready to die than to retire. You may not get to retire.


Excerpt from "Are We Christians Dying to Meet Him?"