The sin of Gluttony

John you could end up worshiping your body and give to much time and attention to it instead of the Lord. Most health gurus I know fall in to “body worship”.

Why are so many christians in sin in this area?

Probably many reasons. It takes discipline to not consume everything in our paths. It also takes discipline to workout. How food is made, with the massive amounts of sugar, creates urges to eat more. Typical meal at a restaurant is quite often more than 1 meal, which is why McDonalds is usually ranked pretty high on healthy restaurants because their meals are closer to 1 meal.

Why is this topic almost never preached in churches?

because so many preachers would have to condemn themselves.

What can we as Christians do to improve in this area?

Hire a nutritionalist to teach for a session during the week. I think many people simply don’t understand what some of the food does to them. For example, sugar weakens your immune system for a few hours after consumption. (I think it is at about 75g sugar) I heard a story of a kid who kept getting sick, and once he was off of added-sugar, he nearly immediately quit getting sick. Or, there is a big difference in the types of fat, 1 of which increases bad cholesterol, while 2 others actually help lower bad cholesterol, while 1 of those two also helps raise good cholesterol. (Would you be able to tell which is which?)

Hire a trainer to come for a session during the week as well. I think many people are intimidated by going to the gym. Some by what people may think, and others by not knowing what to do. (I know I was intimidated by both) Having worked out now for about 3 months with a trainer, I have learned so much. Doing certain exercises differently do different things. And, one doesn’t have to spend hours in a gym. My trainer has me in and out most days in about 30 min. Maybe see if a local gym will do a discount if enough people sign up.

Finally, preach it as a sin, right up there with adultery etc. It is not an option to be a glutton. Also, as an fyi, I don’t think a glutton is anyone who is overweight. There are legitimate reasons some people are, but I think they are very few. As well, some people who are thin, can be just as gluttonous as someone who is overweight.

If it was a choice between the sin of gluttony or worshiping your body, I think I would choose worshiping the body. Worshiping your body, at least is physically healthy. Good thing we don’t have to make that choice.

Is every fat person a glutton?

[Jim Peet] Is every fat person a glutton?

Gluttony, derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or intoxicants to the point of waste.

Would this cover consuming more calories than you need?

If you find yourself putting food in your mouth when there’s already food there, you might be a glutton.

If you can’t put your fork down between bites, you might be a glutton.

If you’ve built a bay window on the temple of the Lord with nothing but a knife and a fork, you might be a glutton.

[Daniel]…Also, as an fyi, I don’t think a glutton is anyone[everyone] who is overweight. There are legitimate reasons some people are, but I think they are very few. As well, some people who are thin, can be just as gluttonous as someone who is overweight.

I think being a glutton has more to do with a lack of self control and attitude than weight. Although, weight is generally a good indication.

Body worship and body neglect.

But is body-neglect the same as gluttony? I think we risk missing what gluttony was in the culture of the NT church. Perhaps it was more of a matter of indulgence combined with neglect for the hungry?

1 John 3:17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

About 6 years ago, the Lord dealt with me on this issue. I am about 5’7 and I weighed 240 lbs. I had just gotten on the Fire Dept as a paid on call fire fighter and chaplain. Through the Word and the Holy Spirit I was convicted. For me wieght was a sanctification issue, because I was not glorifying God in my body. I found it difficult to preach against sin, when I was sinning the way I was.

I also knew with my position with the fire department, I needed to make changes. I have never been worried about dying in a fire. If God takes me that way, that is good! But I didn’t want someone hurt because I could not pull them out, or someone getting hurt trying to pull me out because I was too fat.

Body worship is a problem like Harold said. But in our circles, body neglect is greater, especially pastors. But I do see signs that these things are changing. We should not take care of our bodies to live longer, but to honor and glorify God.

I do not agree with what I perceive to be your premise that everyone who is overweight is a glutton and need of repentance of the their sin. There may be a medical issue such as Diabetes or a thyroid problem that effect peoples abitlity to lose or make them gain weight. In those cases they can often eat normal portions still have weight issues.

I think this medical issue is one problem that makes it difficult to preach against. Because it may come across as preaching against being overweight that really isn’t the sin. I know several “skinny” people who are by definition more gluttonous than some overweight people. Their bodies just don’t show it.

I am not saying that the sin of gluttony should not be preached against, just defined biblically and not by our world’s standards.

I would like to caution people to be careful presuming on the sins of the others when all the facts are not known.

wkessel, I don’t think anyone has yet said overweight = gluttony.

You are correct, it wasn’t stated specifically in this article. But I wonder how the conclusion that there “are so many christians in sin in this area” is arrived at other than how a person looks, i.e. by the fact they are overweight.

I have just found that to be the basic premise of many gluttony discussions.

I am not saying that most people who are overweight shouldn’t be considering the gluttony issue in their lives. But it is a diffucult issue to determine who has a gluttony problem and who doesn’t just by looking at them.

wk,

You do have a very important point that underlies the views of many. And though a person did not state one equals the other, to most people I have encountered in my life they believe the premise that being a large person is the result of gluttony which is a kind of remarkable ignorance when stated in these absolute ways or even with the confidence that a scant scant few might be the exception.

Yes, food gluttony can lead to large amounts of body fat but it also can lead to many things such as hording food, vomiting food and so on but even in those cases gluttony cannot be assumed to be their cause. But as well body fat percentage increase for a number of reasons. In fact, many people who are average size would be shocked to discover what percent of body fat they have vs muscle fiber. Are they gluttons? Of course not. The bible does not dictate the degree of body fat or muscle fiber we must have.

As well, the bible does not give a height and weight scale of what represents spirituality or not because body weight and/or fat percentages are not means of spirituality nor means of determining such. They are health issues.

I know…I know…1 Corinthians 6:19. One need only pay attention to the context which has to do with sexual immorality and purity to know rather quickly that these kinds of approaches are out of context. Our bodies being commanded to be used to God’s glory has to do with not uniting our bodies in sexual immorality but glorifying God in sexual purity.

Absolutely in no manner is this refer to sinning against the body outside of this context. In fact, the text makes it clear (v 18):

Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.

This passage used with reference to weight is out of context and invalid. One might find other passages to consider in developing such arguments but this is not one of them.

Hi John, can you send it to me. Also, another video to watch is Jamie Oliver’s ‘Food Revolution.’

Another consideration is that gluttony is most specifically the act of over indulgence with food and drink. There are many people who were gluttonous and ended up over weight. Having confronted their failure, they no longer over indulge, but for a number of possible reasons struggle to lose the weight they previously gained.

Totally agree that use of I Cor 6:19 is inaccurate for this conversation. That is not to say that subject is moot, only that the discussion should be focused elsewhere in Scripture.

1Ti 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Psa 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Psa 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Psa 92:14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;

Psa 92:15 To shew that the LORD [is] upright: [he is] my rock, and [there is] no unrighteousness in him.

As this seems to me to say just the obverse, can anyone show where the Bible says anything against being over weight or over eating ? Directly ?