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Testimony Studies on Diet and Foods
of Christ throughout our world. There are men of excellent natural
ability whose labor does not accomplish half what it might if they were
temperate in all things. Indulgence of appetite and passion beclouds
the mind, lessens physical strength, and weakens moral power. Their
thoughts are not clear. Their words are not spoken in power, are not
vitalized by the Spirit of God so as to reach the hearts of the hearers.
As our first parents lost Eden through the indulgence of appetite,
our only hope of regaining Eden is through the firm denial of appetite
and passion. Abstemiousness in diet, and control of all the passions,
will preserve the intellect and give mental and moral vigor, enabling
men to bring all their propensities under the control of the higher
powers, and to discern between right and wrong, the sacred and the
common. All who have a true sense of the sacrifice made by Christ in
leaving His home in heaven to come to this world that He might by
His own life show man how to resist temptation, will cheerfully deny
self and choose to be partakers with Christ of His sufferings.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Those who
overcome as Christ overcame will need to constantly guard themselves
against the temptations of Satan. The appetite and passions should
be restricted and under the control of enlightened conscience, that
the intellect may be unimpaired, the perceptive powers clear, so that
the workings of Satan and his snares may not be interpreted to be the
providence of God. Many desire the final reward and victory which are
to be given to overcomers, but are not willing to endure toil, privation,
and denial of self, as did their Redeemer. It is only through obedience
and continual effort that we shall overcome as Christ overcame.
The controlling power of appetite will prove the ruin of thousands,
when, if they had conquered on this point, they would have had moral
power to gain the victory over every other temptation of Satan. But
those who are slaves to appetite will fail in perfecting Christian char-
acter. The continual transgression of man for six thousand years has
brought sickness, pain, and death as its fruits. And as we near the close
of time, Satan’s temptation to indulge appetite will be more powerful
and more difficult to overcome.