SermonBiblical Veganism Parallels
An all-creatures Bible Message

Biblical Veganism Parallels
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
28 April 2019
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Genesis 1:29-31
John 21:24-25
Acts 5:12-16
Revelation 1:4-8

Biblical veganism parallels are passages in the Bible that either support or compliment a vegan lifestyle, because the word vegan is not in the Bible because it did not come into use until about 1,900 years after the Bible was written.
 
Veganism is primarily about doing no harm to any animal, but its implications are really fulfilling just about everything the Bible teaches us about living in the heavenly will of God.
 
Veganism is a lifestyle in which human beings do not eat or wear any animal products or exploit or contribute to the exploitation of any animals, and the side effects of this is that we will be doing no or very little harm to our environment, and we will also improve our health, because just about every chronic disease stems from eating or raising animals.
 
The Bible tells us in Matthew 5:48 that we are to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, and the only way we can become even close to that perfection is by living in the heavenly will of God and doing no harm to any aspect of God’s creation, which to us must include a vegan lifestyle, and to add even greater importance to this verse, it is a commandment.
 
Again, in Matthew 6:10, the Lord tells us that we are to pray for God’s heavenly will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, and since there is no pain or suffering or death in heaven, and we are to be praying for that to be done on earth, we believe that we are obligated to live that way ourselves, which means we are to be vegans.
 
Let’s continue our theme of understanding Biblical vegan parallels by looking at Genesis 1:29-31…

29. Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

If we read this verse carefully, we should be able to tell that this is not a suggestion, but a commandment, for it says “it SHALL be food for you, and this makes it a commandment.
 
We really don’t have any choices or options…we are only to be eating the plant foods that God created for us, if we want to be living in the heavenly will of God.
 
And verse 30 even adds further emphasis for us to consider…

30. and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.

If we think about it, animals were not to eat each; they were also to be vegan, so they must also have fallen prey to the evil influence of the devil.
 
Furthermore, if we think about this verse, we are also some of the things that move on the earth, which add foods like lettuce, kale, and collard greens to our list of foods, which to us means that every plant food that we can digest, is really food for us.
 
And then God said something that really emphasized this vegan lifestyle that we are talking about…

31. And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
NASB

Everything that God had made up to this point, He said was “good.” But now after giving us and the animals this all plant food diet, He says that it is “very good,” which to us means that this vegan lifestyle is absolutely what God intended when He created the heavens and the earth.
 
God absolutely wants us to live a vegan lifestyle, which makes these verses the most important of the Biblical veganism parallels.
 
In John 21:24-25, John writes something that really reinforces our position about looking at Biblical veganism parallels…

24 This is the disciple who bears witness of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his witness is true.
 
25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written.
NASB

We are not told about the things that Jesus did, which John is referring to in this passage, but considering the commandment of Genesis 1:29, this vegan lifestyle must have been a part of these omitted things, because Jesus would not have violated this commandment or any other for that matter, for this Genesis verse also brings peace or was intended to or maintain peace on earth.
 
For without people living as vegans, we can never have real and lasting peace on earth.
 
As we look at Acts 5:12-16, think about Biblical veganism parallels, and all the wonderful things that being vegan can do…

12. And at the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico.

What kind of signs and wonders can eating a whole plant food diet bring about:
 
a). Heart disease can be reversed and the blood vessels once again become clear.
 
b). Type II diabetes can be healed along with curing almost all chronic diseases.
 
c). Fewer animals suffer and die, and the environment is no longer being harmed by the things we eat.
 
2,000 years ago such things would most likely also have been seen as signs and wonders.

13. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem.

And even to this very day we are seeing a reluctance on the part of clergy to associate with vegans; the world is upside down; the world is controlled by the evil and corrupt ways of the devil and not the heavenly will of God.

14. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number;
 
15. to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets, and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.

And every year we are seeing more and more people becoming vegan for health and reasons of compassion, and more and more vegan products are coming on the market and the word vegan has become mainstream, but we are not yet at the tipping point.
 
Being vegan is no substitute for believing in Jesus Christ, but believing in Jesus Christ and His peaceful teachings can sure lead us to becoming vegan.

16. And also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits; and they were all being healed.
NASB

And as more and more people become vegan we are going to see more of the sick being healed, and the devil will be having less influence in the world around us.
 
Let’s conclude our discussion about Biblical veganism parallels by looking at Revelation 1:4-8…

4. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne;
 
5. and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood,
 
6. and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

This is all true regardless of whether or not people are vegans, but think about how much better things would be if there were more healthy vegans in the world.
 
People cannot truly be a kingdom of priests to our God and Father when they continue to support the corrupt and evil ways of the devil with all its violence, pain, suffering, and death.
 
We can only be a kingdom of priests to our God and Father when we live and promote peace and the heavenly will of God here on earth as it is in heaven, for this is what God created us to be and do.

7. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen.

Instead of mourning over not recognizing or not being ready for the Lord’s return, think of the joy we would have if we were truly ready for His return and looking forward to His coming.
 
There is no middle ground; either we are living in peaceful ways of the kingdom of God, or we are living in the corrupt and violent ways of this world.
 
And, if anyone has any questions about whether or not they are living in the heavenly will of God they are to look at what they are eating, for if it contains any products of suffering and death, it is of the devil and not of God.

8. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." 
NASB

God has not changed; He is the same today as when He created the heavens and the earth.
 
And as we saw in the beginning of our discussion today, God created this “very good” world to be vegan.
 
Amen?
 
Amen.

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