In a past article I suggested that some forms of healthcare could be spiritually harmful to Christians but did not explain nor name names. Though I will again avoid name calling, I do want to encourage and equip Christians with this article in regard to discerning which healthcare practices might contradict their profession of Biblical faith. If Christians are unaware of the philosophies which underlie many healthcare approaches, they may find that in receiving such care, they have accepted principles which contradict their Biblical faith.
The first ingredients to successful avoidance are knowledge and understanding. These critical possessions apply not only to Biblical truth, but also to any therapies which are offered.
On one hand, the Christian must know and understand the faith which they profess. Only by first knowing truth can error be distinguished. At minimum, a basic understanding of how God created man and our responsibility to serve Him as Lord is necessary. God did not create man to become a god through enlightenment nor to be absorbed into either a universal consciousness or force. God did not leave open all things as permissible for man in this world but requires man to obey what He commanded in His Word.
On the other hand, Christian must know the worldview underlying the therapies being offered to them. These therapies may presuppose a view of man which contradicts the Bible. Is man nothing more than chemicals? Is man only a force or an energy? Some therapies do presume such things. Other therapies may have no good scientific explanation, being reliant on supernatural forces other than the true God, often mechanistically so. In considering those therapies, we must remember that God forbade divination (Deuteronomy 18:10) because it submits to forces of evil.
The second key ingredient is wisdom. Wisdom means that the Christian applies his knowledge and understanding with skill, discernment, and humility. This skill requires vigilant development and cautious decision making. Wisdom will guide is to make our decisions through a Biblical worldview which uncovers the philosophies behind the therapies. Wisdom will know when to avoid risking spiritual harm for the sake of promised physical benefit. Wisdom will know the difference between that which denies the Bible and that which affirms its truth.
Only with knowledge and understanding as it is applied with the skill of wisdom can Christians walk safely through the healthcare options available today. Then, when a Christian hears that he will have his energy fields manipulated to align with some cosmic force or that the therapy suggested required harm to another human being for its very creation, he will recognize where God has drawn the lines of obedience in a particular situation, turn away from the danger, and thereby avoid crossing over into disobedience.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
