Temperance is the seventh law of health reform. In the acronym of GOD'S PLAN, the letter "A" stands for "always temperate." Temperance binds all the laws of health reform together. The Bible tells us that we must be temperate in every single thing that we do.
"And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." (1 Corinthians 9:25)
In order to preserve our health it is extremely essential that we be temperate in all things just like the Bible says. We must be temperate in our work as well as in eating and drinking. Under the seventh law of health reform temperance means staying away from every single thing that is bad and using all things that are good in moderation.
Just because apples are good this doesn't mean eat 80 apples in one sitting! This is violation of temperance and will result in sickness. Alcohol drinking and drug use is complete violation of temperance. Anything that is bad for this body must be discarded and sacrificed in order to preserve health and keep the seventh law of health reform which is temperance.
Temperance means more than many people really understand. The work of temperance is linked with the work of the third angel of Revelation 14, and the work of the third angel is to seal the 144,000. Therefore temperance, the seventh law of health reform, is closely linked with a sealing of the 144,000.
"Temperance teaches us to abstain entirely from that which is injurious, and to use judiciously only healthful and nutrious articles of food." (Health Reformer April 1 1877)
Do you see how the Spirit of Prophecy shows us that temperance is also linked to what we eat? Eating anything that is injurious or unhealthy for this body is violation of temperance. And overeating in anything that is super healthy is also violation of seventh law of health. I wonder if we have researched evidence showing us that a vegetarian diet is better for maintaining and recovering our health?
"Traditionally, research into vegetarianism focused mainly on potential nutritional deficiencies, but in recent years, the pendulum has swung the other way, and studies are confirming the health benefits of meat-free eating. Nowadays, plant-based eating is recognized as not only nutritionally sufficient but also as a way to reduce the risk for many chronic illnesses. According to the American Dietetic Association, "appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."
(https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/becoming-a-vegetarian)
So studies show that it is better not to eat meat and become a vegetarian. People are finding through research that a vegetarian diet is more beneficial to the health and keeping you free from diseases which can be contracted through eating the flesh of dead animals. In the above article they also found that a vegetarian diet alone could prevent and also treat certain diseases!
Leaving alone meat eating, dairy product eating, caffeinated tea drinking, coffee drinking, soda drinking, and all things that harms the body is the highest type of Christian temperance and will prepare a people for translation.
This is the purpose of temperance, and not only any temperance, but the highest type of temperance. And again the highest type of temperance is Christian temperance which is linked with preparation for translation. The reason why temperance is so seriously important for translation and never dying is because man must reach a state of spirituality through the imparted righteousness of Christ in this generation that no other generation have ever reached except Enoch and Elijah. We must be holy in both body and spirit so we can be prepared to meet Jesus in peace at His second coming.
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit (mind) and soul (life) and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
Our body, mind, and whole life, cannot be preserved blameless if we are intemperate. The Bible makes it clear that our body must be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord. So this verse shows you that those who will be translated to heaven without seeing death at the second coming of Jesus, their bodies will have been preserved blameless. They have preserved their bodies and kept them healthy and this kept them out of the grave.
To be tempered in all things means to exercise self-control in our diet, work habits, sleep habits, exercise habits, and in every aspect of our life. An 84 year old man named William Cullen Bryant had excellent health all the way up to his death. They asked him the reason for his excellent health at his old age and the answer was, "It is all summed up in one word: moderation." That's very interesting that he said that. Unconsciously he pointed to the seventh law of health reform!
Last but not least, overeating is one of the most subtle and grossest form of intemperance.
"Overeating, which is the almost inevitable result of the modern method of cooking... Is a prolific source of drunkenness. Victuals are prepared, not with reference to the absolute needs of the body, but with reference to perverted taste, and to the creating of perverted taste. So people are led on by the tickling of their pallets to eat far more than is necessary, and that, too, of food which is in itself the producer of poisons in the system, which have the same effect as alcoholic liquors." (The present truth November 16th 1899 E.J. Waggoner)
Now let us take the seventh law of health very serious and ask Christ to enable us to be temperate in all things.