WHY IS "GOOD" FOOD BAD FOR US?

All food in its natural state is good.  God made all things "good." He gave us vegetables, fruit and grain to eat originally (Gen.1:29-30). There was one prohibited fruit (2:16-17). It was for a "test" (3:1-6). After the fall, however, we desire what we should not have (Rom.7:8-24). 

Meat was later added to the diet except eating blood was prohibited (Gen.9:3-4).  Another prohibition came concerning the consumption of "fat" (Lev.3:17).

Under the law some meats were "unclean." (Lev.11).  The question is, “Why?”   Here’s some insight:

Why did God disallow certain animals for food? Was it merely an arbitrary test of religious obedience? Certain hygienic considerations were no doubt part of the reason, at least in the providence of God (Harrison, Leviticus, pp. 124–6, gives an elaboration of this view). But the primary reason seems to have been theological—to teach symbolically Israel’s status as the holy (separated) people of God. It is striking that the two major chapters on unclean foods are either introduced (Deut. 14:1–2) or concluded (Lev. 11:44–45) with an affirmation of Israel’s election to be a holy people of God. The threefold classification of animals into unclean, clean, and sacrificial seems to parallel the division of mankind into unclean (those excluded from the camp of Israel), clean (ordinary Israelites when not defiled), and the priesthood (those who offered sacrifices in the sanctuary; Wenham, Leviticus, p. 170).

Now God has cleansed all food (Acts 10).  What made eating some things “sinful” is that God said, “Don’t.”  So, the problem wasn’t the diet of what was put into the mouth, but the defiance that came out of the heart.  Jesus made this very point (see Matt.15:16-20).  If God says something is permissible, then it is no longer prohibited.

We are to be careful about legalism and license (Rom.14-15), practicing the law of liberty—which is the law of love (1 Cor.8) (Col.2:14-23).

Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.6:12-20).  Thus, discipline is always called for (1 Cor.9:24-27).  We are to do all with gratitude and to the glory of God (1 Cor.10:23-31) (1 Tim.4:1-5).

Why then has medical science come to conclude that some foods that taste good have bad effects?  The issues are:

1)      man’s engineering and altering of foods chemically and genetically which can alter their original state in a way that makes it toxic;

2)      gluttony—too much of a good thing will make it a bad thing.  Scripture has much to say about this.  There is the example of Esau (Gen.25:29-34); a rebellious son (Deut.21:18-21); and these passages from Prov.23:1-8, 20-21 and Titus 1:12-13.  Many more could be referenced.

There is no dimension of a Christian’s life that isn’t subject to His Lordship—even the dinner table!  Study these verses and apply the teaching, then food that is “good” won’t be bad for you!