This study on the sin of gluttony is based rock solid on the word of God. If you need deliverance from this sin, the see our study on Deliverance from Sin, which was written by a man who experienced this very problem. There is nothing deliberately dishonest or deceitful in this study. Its purpose is only to glorify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you notice any errors you may contact us.

RP 201 THE SIN OF GLUTTONY

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#1. REASONS FOR ABSTAINING FROM OVEREATING FOOD

Introduction 1: By definition, a glutton is simply "one who eats too much", and as this study will show, gluttony is a sin. It is a sin that until now has rarely been preached in modern churches, partly because many Christians are indulging in it, and thus the message would be unpopular, but also because food is one of the devil's most powerful weapons to render us spiritually impotent, and he has deluded many into believing that it is not a sin at all. It was the very thing that he used to tempt Eve, in order to bring sin into the world and cause the fall of mankind (See #1.02), and according to both accounts in the gospels (See #1.522), it was the first thing that he attacked Jesus with after a forty day fast in the wilderness. We should not be ignorant of the fact that the devil will try to ensnare us into overeating, because it can deceive us (See #1.04), bring spiritual poverty (See #1.06), war against our soul (See #1.22), displease God (See #1.24), and cause us to disobey God (See #1.26). It is contrary to spirituality (See #1.28), it reaps corruption (See #1.30), it is sinful (See #1.34), it can exalt our heart (See #1.38), or cause us to forget God (See #1.44), or deny God (See #1.46), or forsake God (See #1.42). It is an attribute of a fool (See #1.12), an evil servant (See #1.16), it leads to pride (See #1.38), and is contrary to the cross of Christ (See #1.50). It is also a failure to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (See #1.48), our heart will become set on it (See #1.20), it will prevent us from becoming like Jesus (See #1.521, #1.522), and it could ultimately cost us our salvation unless we forsake it (See #1.54). Thus gluttony is a very important subject, and it is hoped that this study will highlight its importance, so that many of its captives will be led to complete deliverance from it; for "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." (John 8:34).

#1.02 FOOD WAS THE ORIGINAL INSTRUMENT OF TEMPTATION USED BY THE DEVIL TO RELEASE SIN AND DEATH INTO THE WORLD

GENESIS 2:16-17
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

GENESIS 3:1-7
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.

ROMANS 5:12 (Paul)
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

Note: The human desire for food was one of the things that the devil used to bring sin into the world and cause the fall of mankind. This food was not necessary, there was plenty of other food in the garden of Eden beside the forbidden fruit, but when Eve "saw that the tree was good for food ... she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." (Gen 3:6), and thus "sin entered into the world, and death by sin;" (Rom 12:5). The fact that the devil has used man's desire for food in the past so successfully, to entice him into disobedience, you can be sure that he will continue to use the same means to cause man to keep sinning against God. The word of God says, "Neither give place to the devil." (Eph 4:27), "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (Jam 4:7), "for we are not ignorant of his devices." (2 Cor 2:11). These are instructions for every one of us to be aware of this sin, and to forsake it if it applies to us.

#1.04 BECAUSE IT IS DECEITFUL

PROVERBS 23:1-3 (Solomon)
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2 And put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

Note: This scripture can be interpreted in both a spiritual and a physical sense, but if we consider it only in a physical sense here, then we need to ask ourselves, "How is dainty food deceitful?" Simply by being a pleasure to taste, there is a temptation to eat too much or too often. Then if our heart becomes set on doing it (See #1.20 Note), we will inherit all the problems that come with it (See Intro 1).

#1.06 BECAUSE IT BRINGS SPIRITUAL POVERTY

PROVERBS 23:20-21 (Solomon)
20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh.
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Note: Unless we are poor this does not always apply in a physical sense, some people are so rich they would never become poor no matter how much they ate, but in a spiritual sense it is always true to some degree.
     (1) The flesh is contrary to the spirit so that we cannot do the things that we should (See #1.28), this is why during important times of seeking God, we often combine prayer with fasting.
     (2) It is impossible for us to please God without faith (Heb 11:6), and if we are "in the flesh" we cannot please God (Rom 8:8); therefore it follows, that we cannot operate in faith when we are "in the flesh". As faith is the means by which we receive all things from God (Mat 21:21-22; Mark 11:23-24; Jam 1:5-7) this would lead us to spiritual poverty.
     (3) The time wasted through overeating also makes us spiritually poor. Apart from the time taken to eat, many fall asleep after a big meal, while others have to sit and "let their food go down". The temporary contentment that some find after eating food makes for laziness and an unwillingness to work. All this time wasted could have been better spent, studying the word of God, praying, or doing his work.

#1.08 BECAUSE IT CAN CAUSE US TO VOMIT

PROVERBS 25:16 (Solomon)
16 Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.

Note: In the context of food, honey can be symbolic of anything pleasant to the taste, food or drink. From personal experience, vomiting occurs when we, who are not normally used to over indulgence, suddenly do it. Our system cannot cope with the quantity consumed, so our body rebels and causes us to vomit in order to relieve itself. When we frequently over indulge, our system expands to cope with the quantity, and vomiting ceases to be a problem.

#1.10 BECAUSE IT IS NOT GOOD

PROVERBS 25:27 (Solomon)
27 It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.

Note: Eating much pleasant tasting food is not good because our heart can become set on it (See #1.20), and we will inherit all the problems that come with it (See Intro 1). An occasional indulgence is not acceptable either, because occasional sin is not acceptable to God. Is it all right to kill occasionally, or steal occasionally, provided that we do not do it too often? If not, then it is wrong to overeat occasionally.

#1.12 BECAUSE IT IS AN ATTRIBUTE OF A FOOL

PROVERBS 30:22 (Agur)
22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

LUKE 12:19-20
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

Note: A fool is one who has said in his heart, "There is no God." (Psa 53:11), therefore he has no hope after this life, and his attitude is to enjoy himself now while he has the opportunity.
(Isa 22:13) "let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die."
(Luke 12:19) "eat, drink and be merry."
(1 Cor 15:32) "let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die."
Should we as Christians imitate such a fool? or should we imitate Christ as the scripture teaches (See #1.521)? Jesus' attitude to food was very different to that of a fool (See #1.522).

#1.16 BECAUSE IT IS AN ATTRIBUTE OF AN EVIL SERVANT

MATTHEW 24:48-51 (Jesus)
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

LUKE 12:45-46 (Jesus)
45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth
his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

Note: The fate of an evil servant is to be cut in sunder, and have his portion with the unbelievers (Luke 12:46; Mat 24:51). Should we as Christians imitate an evil servant? or again, should we rather imitate Christ as the scripture teaches (See #1.521)? Jesus' attitude to food was very different to that of an evil servant (See #1.522).

#1.18 BECAUSE IT IS AN ATTRIBUTE OF THE WICKED

JOB 15:20-21, 27 (Eliphaz)
20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden by the oppressor.
21 A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
27 Because he covereth his face with fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.

JEREMIAH 5:26-28
26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; the right of the needy they do not judge.

PROVERBS 13:25 (Solomon)
25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.

Note: These scriptures show that one attribute of the wicked is that they cannot satisfy their appetite for food, and so many of them end up fat. The fate of the wicked is clear, "The wicked shall be turned into hell," (Psa 9:17). Again we need to ask the question, should we as Christians imitate the wicked? or should we rather imitate Christ as the scripture teaches (See #1.521)? Jesus' attitude to food was very different to that of the wicked (See #1.522).

#1.20 BECAUSE OUR HEART BECOMES SET ON IT

ECCLESIASTES 7:2 (Solomon)
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

ECCLESIASTES 8:11 (Solomon)
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Note: One of the ways that we set our heart on things is by doing them. God is continually refashioning everybody's heart in the same way:
(Psa 33:13-15) "The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works."
As this refashioning is partly according to the deeds that we do (Psa 33:13-15; 62:10-12; Pro 1:30-31; 7:1-3; 14:14; Ecc 7:2; 8:11; Jer 17:9-10; 32:19), when we, who do not normally overeat, begin to do it, our heart is refashioned accordingly until it becomes set on it; that is, we have a lust for it. Because God's sentence against our evil work is not carried out speedily (Ecc 8:11), by the time we notice the physical effects of it, in this case getting fat, our heart will have become fully set in us to do it, and it will be much harder to stop.

#1.22 BECAUSE FLESHLY LUSTS WAR AGAINST THE SOUL

ROMANS 7:22-23 (Paul)
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

1 PETER 2:11
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

Note: The battlefield for spiritual warfare is in our mind, and when we attempt to forsake a sin, we are attempting to recapture for God, part of our heart that is under the devil's control, being possessed by a lust. It is his spirit, called "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2), that works in all those who are disobedient to the word of God. His first line of defence is usually to try to blind our minds to the truth (2 Cor 4:4), and to sear our consciences (1 Tim 4:2), in order to keep us from knowing that we are in sin. Once we have been enlightened by the word of God (Psa 119:105, 130) and our conscience becomes unseared, he will try to twist the scripture in order to hide the consequences of our sin from us, as he did with Eve in the garden of Eden when he said, "Ye shall not surely die:" (Gen 3:4). Nevertheless, the devil is "a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44), and the scripture indicates that sin will condemn any of us unless we forsake it (Eze 3:20; 18:20; 18:24-26; 33:12-13; 33:18; Rom 6:23). So having acknowledged our condition, let us trust in God to deliver us through Jesus Christ, who has already paid the price for our deliverance (Mat 1:21; Acts 3:26; Rom 8:3-4; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 1:4; 1 Pet 2:24).

#1.24 BECAUSE GLUTTONS CANNOT PLEASE GOD

ROMANS 8:5-13 (Paul)
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Note: The reason why "they that are in the flesh cannot please God." (Rom 8:8), is because "they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;" (Rom 8:5). So while God wants us to mind spiritual things and set our hearts on heavenly things (Mat 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 12:33; 18:22; Col 3:2), the devil wants us to indulge in fleshly things because the flesh and the spirit are contrary to one another  (See #1.28), and fleshly lusts war against the soul (See #1.22). As long as we yield ourselves to obey the devil we are his servants (John 8:34; Rom 6:16; 1 John 3:8) and surely that does not please God. God is a loving God (Mat 7:11; Rom 8:32; 1 John 3:1; 4:8; 4:16), and he very much wants to express his love towards us by giving us good things (Mat 7:11; Luke 11:13; Rom 8:32; Jam 1:17), but because we have to receive by faith (Mat 8:13; 9:22; 9:29; 15:28; Luke 8:50; Jam 1:6; 1 Pet 1:9), then we cannot please him when we are "in the flesh" (Rom 8:8), because we are unable to receive. This is the reason why it is impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6), because if we are not able to receive, he is not able to express his love for us by giving.

#1.26 BECAUSE WE ARE COMMANDED NOT TO DO IT

ROMANS 13:13-14 (Paul)
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

2 TIMOTHY 2:22 (Paul)
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 PETER 2:11
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

Note: These commands, "make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." (Rom 13:14), "Flee also youthful lusts:" (2 Tim 2:22), and "abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul." (1 Pet 2:11), are, along with other things, commands not to overeat. One of the principles of Satanic worship is to indulge in fleshly lusts, and when we obey God by abstaining from them, we are giving glory to him, but when we indulge ourselves, then we are giving glory to Satan. Also all disobedience to God's word is sin (Lev 22:9; Num 15:31; 1 Sam 15:22-24; Dan 9:5; 9:11), so making a provision for a lust of the flesh is also a sin. It is worth noting that:
     (1) All Christians are called to forsake sin (Psa 4:4; Eze 18:30-31; John 5:14; 8:11; Rom 6:1; 6:15; 1 Cor 15:34; 2 Tim 2:19; 1 John 3:9; 5:18).
     (2) Salvation is for the obedient (Heb 5:9; 2 John 9; Rev 22:14).
     (3) Salvation is not for the disobedient (Rom 2:8; Eph 5:6; Col 3:6; 2 Thes 1:7-8; 1 Pet 4:17-18).
     (4) Some may say that they have faith and do not need to be obedient to be saved or delivered, but faith and obedience are in fact inseparable, and this is made clear by such statements as:
(Rom 1:5) "obedience to the faith",
(Rom 10:16) "they have not all obeyed ... who hath believed our report?"
(Rom 16:26) "the obedience of faith:"
(Heb 11:8) "By faith Abraham ... obeyed;"
(Rev 14:12) "the saints: here are they which keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
Besides this, faith and obedience will both obtain the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:14; Acts 5:32), salvation (1 Pet 1:9; Heb 5:9), freedom from sickness (Luke 17:19; Exo 15:26), spiritual purity (Acts 15:9; 1 Pet 1:22), justification (Rom 3:28; 2:23), righteousness (Rom 9:30; 6:16-18), answers to prayers (Mat 21:22; 1 John 3:22), and enable us to overcome the devil (Eph 6:6; Rom 16:19-20). Scripture tells us that "faith without works is dead." (Jam 2:17; 2:20; 2:26), and one of its works is obedience to the word of God. So as long as we are disobedient to God in any area of our lives, we can expect our faith to remain far below what it should be.

#1.28 BECAUSE THE FLESH LUSTS AGAINST THE SPIRIT

GALATIANS 5:16-17 (Paul)
16 This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

1 PETER 2:11
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

Note: The flesh and the spirit are contrary to one another (Gal 5:17), and we cannot operate in both areas at the same time, "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." (Rom 8:6). When we sincerely seek spiritual things, fasting becomes part of our way of life, and the devil will use any lust for food, either to prevent us fasting altogether, or to break our fast, and so rob us of the blessings that we could have obtained.

#1.30 BECAUSE SOWING TO THE FLESH REAPS CORRUPTION

GALATIANS 6:7-8 (Paul)
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Note: In a spiritual sense, sowing to the flesh is letting knowledge of any fleshly activity enter our heart, whether through our eyes (Gen 3:6; Pro 23:31-32; Eze 14:6; Mat 5:29), or through our ears. The evidence that what we hear goes into our heart is often indicated by the word of God (Pro 1:5; 18:15; 22:17; 23:12; 23:19; Eze 3:10; Mat 13:19; Mark 4:14-15; Luke 8:11-12; 8:15), all of which can be considered as sowing to the spirit. In a physical sense we can sow to the spirit with our deeds (Psa 33:13-15; 62:10-12; Pro 6:20-22; 7:1-3; Jer 32:19), or to the flesh with our deeds (Psa 33:13-15; 62:10-12; Pro 1:30-31; 14:14; Ecc 7:2; Jer 17:9-10; 32:19), so when we indulge ourselves in a fleshly lust, we are just reinforcing that lust in our hearts. The solution then, is to abstain from the lust until it is removed from us (Mat 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; 1 Pet 2:11; Titus 2:11-12).

#1.32 BECAUSE GLUTTONS CAN NEVER SATISFY THEIR APPETITE

JOB 27:13-14
13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.
14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

PROVERBS 13:25 (Solomon)
25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.

PROVERBS 27:7 (Solomon)
7 The full soul loatheth a honeycombe; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

PROVERBS 27:20 (Solomon)
20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of a man are never satisfied.

ECCLESIASTES 1:8 (Solomon)
8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

ECCLESIASTES 6:7 (Solomon)
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

HOSEA 4:10
10 For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.

MICAH 6:14
14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shall not deliver; and that which thou deliverest I will give up to the sword.

Note: These scriptures make it clear that if we are not taking heed to the Lord, then we can eat, "but not be satisfied;" (Mic 6:14), and we can eat, "but not have enough:" (Hos 4:10). The cure then, for this longing for food, is not to fill our bellies, because as every glutton will know, there are times when we can be completely full, and yet still feel hungry. The cure is to sort out our differences with God, acknowledge our offence what ever it may be, and let him remove this desire from us. Any failure to tackle the root of the problem will never set us free, because if God truly loves us, he will never let us off the hook.

#1.34 BECAUSE GLUTTONY IS SIN, SPIRITUAL FORNICATION

GENESIS 25:29-34
29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

HEBREWS 12:16-17 (Paul)
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

EZEKIEL 16:49
49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:13 (Paul)
13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

PHILIPPIANS 3:17-19 (Paul)
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

Note: When Esau sold his birthright for "one morsel of meat" (Heb 12:16), he demonstrated that fleshy things, such as food, were far more important to him than spiritual things, such as his birthright. God has called us to live a spiritual life, and when we give fleshy things preference over spiritual things, we are despising our calling just as Esau despised his birthright (Gen 25:34). This is an act of unfaithfulness to God, and the writer of Hebrews calls Esau a fornicator for making such a choice. The confirmation that over indulgence in food is sinful, and spiritual fornication also, is given by other scriptures:
(Eze 16:49) "this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, ... fullness of bread,"
(1 Cor 6:13) "Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication,"
(Phps 3:18-19) "they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: ... whose God is their belly, ... who mind earthly things."
As all Christians are called to forsake sin (See #1.26 Note), then we should all diligently seek to avoid over indulgence in food.

#1.36 BECAUSE GOD HATES GLUTTONS

GENESIS 25:29-34
29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

ROMANS 9:13 (Paul)
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Note: God loves the wicked enough to send Jesus to die for their sins (John 3:16; 15:13; Rom 5:8), but he hates sinners who refuse to repent (Psa 5:5; Jer 12:8; Hos 5:9; Mal 1:3). God hated Esau because he thought more of fleshy things such as food, than he did about spiritual things such as his birthright, which should have been infinitely more important to him. Esau was so ruled by his fleshy appetites that he sold his birthright for a meal, "one morsel of meat" (Heb 12:16). Compare this with Jesus' attitude towards food, refusing to turn stones into bread after eating nothing for forty days and forty nights (See #1.522), and Paul's attitude also:
(2 Cor 6:4-5) "in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, ... in fastings,"
(2 Cor 11:27) "in hunger and thirst, in fastings often,"
(1 Cor 9:27) "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.".
Should we as Christians let our fleshly appetites rule our lives like Esau? or should we rather strive to follow the examples of Jesus and Paul?

#1.38 BECAUSE OUR SPIRITUAL HEART CAN BECOME EXALTED

DEUTERONOMY 8:11-14
11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God in not keeping his commandments, and his judgements, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

PSALMS 119:69-70
69 The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
70 Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.

HOSEA 13:6
6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore they have forgotten me.

Note: The warning was given to the Israelites, "Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God ... Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, ... Then thine heart be lifted up," (Deut 8:11-14), and the same warning is for us today. The fact that it was later fulfilled as warned against, "they were filled, and their heart was exalted;" (Hos 13:6), ought to be an extra impetus for us to avoid eating too much. Pride was the original sin of the devil, "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty," (Eze 28:17), and he is now "a king over all the children of pride." (Job 41:34): the leviathan is figurative of the devil. Anything that could cause us to be lifted up with pride, to become like one of his subjects, ought to be avoided diligently, and while these scriptures show that overeating is one thing that can lead to pride, "I humbled my soul with fasting;" (Psa 35:13), indicates that humility can come through doing exactly the opposite.

#1.40 BECAUSE UNSATISFIED HUNGER CAN BE A FORM OF CHASTISEMENT

LEVITICUS 26:23-26
23 And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me;
24 Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered unto the hand of the enemy.
26 And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, but not be satisfied.

HOSEA 4:10
10 For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.

MICAH 6:13-14
13 Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.
14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shall not deliver; and that which thou deliverest I will give up to the sword.

PROVERBS 13:25 (Solomon)
25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.

Note: Unsatisfied hunger is not always a chastisement for sin because Jesus was tempted with it (Mat 4:1-4; Luke 4:1-4), but the evidence that an unsatisfied hunger can be a chastisement for sin is apparent from these scriptures:
(Lev 26:24-26) "I ... will punish you seven times for your sins ... ye shall eat, but not be satisfied."
(Hos 4:10) "they shall eat and not have enough: ... because they have left off to take heed to the LORD."
(Mic 6:13-14) "because of thy sins ... Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied;"
(Pro 13:25) "the belly of the wicked shall want."
Although these scriptures make it clear that lusting after food is a chastisement for sin, not all temptation with food can be put down to this. Before the fall of man, before Eve had sinned, she was tempted by the serpent and yielded to it (Gen 3:1-7). Jesus was also tempted with food and overcame it (Mat 4:1-4; Luke 4:1-4), and he never sinned (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5). Thus being tempted is not a sin, but yielding to it is, and if we are continually being drawn away by our own lust (Jam 1:14-15) then we need to do some serious repenting to remove the lust from our heart (Ecc 7:2-4; 2 Cor 7:9-11), and sort out our differences with God.

#1.42 BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE FULL CAN FORSAKE GOD

DEUTERONOMY 8:11-12
11 Beware that thou forsake not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his command-ments, and his judgements, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

DEUTERONOMY 32:15 (Moses)
15 But Jeshrun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

Note: Forsaking God can mean serving other Gods (Judg 2:11-13; 10:6; 1 Kin 9:9; 2 Kin 21:20-22), not serving God (Judg 10:6), or not walking in God's ways (2 Kin 21:22), and could be summarised simply as Moses stated it, "Beware that thou forsake not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgements, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:" (Deut 8:11). Forsaking God is simply disobedience to him, or sin. If forsaking God is a consequence of having too much, then it is something for sincere Christians to avoid, because the consequences of it are serious:
(Josh 24:20) "If ye forsake the LORD ... then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you,"
(Ezra 8:22) "his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him."
(2 Chr 15:2) "if ye forsake him, he will forsake you."
(1 Chr 28:9) "If thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever."
(Isa 65:11-12) "But ye are they that forsake the LORD, ... Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter:"

#1.44 BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE FULL CAN FORGET GOD

DEUTERONOMY 6:11-12
11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

DEUTERONOMY 8:11-14
11 Beware that thou forsake not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his command-ments, and his judgements, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, and from the house of bondage;

HOSEA 13:6 (God)
6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore they have forgotten me.

Note: The fate of those who forget God is to be turned into hell (Psa 9:17), so it is important for us to know what is meant by forgetting God. Forgetting God means to forget his word, to fail to do what he says in all areas of our lives, and is essentially similar to forsaking God (See #1.42). The one difference is that forgetting God comes from a lack of serious study of the word of God, leading us into error through ignorance, while it is possible that forsaking God could be a deliberate act at times. These scriptures seem to indicate that it is a likely outcome, that if we over indulge in food we will also fall in other areas of our lives: sin leads to more sin (Gen 4:7; Psa 69:27; Pro 5:20-21; John 8:34; Rom 6:19; Rom 7:15-20). Thus it is wise to avoid over indulging in food.

#1.46 BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE FULL CAN DENY GOD

PROVERBS 30:8-9 (Agur)
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty or riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

TITUS 1:16 (Paul)
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Note: Denying God is far more widespread among Christians than most of us would be prepared to admit. In the New Testament, the word translated "I confess" (Gtr. homologeō) is made up of two words, "homos" meaning "same", and "legō" meaning "I speak". Thus "to confess" literally means "to speak the same" or "to agree with", and when we confess God, we simply speak the same things as him, or agree with what he has said. Denying God is the opposite of confessing him, so every time we make a statement which contradicts what God has said in his word, we are literally denying him. Through ignorance of God's word, many Christians today are denying God and Jesus without even knowing it. As well as that, we can deny God by our works (Titus 1:16), when we sin for example, because "He that committeth sin is of the devil:" (1 John 3:8). Jesus explained the fate of those who deny him:
(Mat 10:33) "whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."
(Luke 12:9) "he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God."
So if this is one of the consequences of eating too much, then we aught to sincerely seek to avoid it. (See also #1.50 Note).

#1.48 BECAUSE IT IS A FAILURE TO PRESENT OUR BODIES AS A HOLY LIVING SACRIFICE

ROMANS 12:1 (Paul)
1 I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy ¹, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Note: We are asked here to present our bodies "a holy living sacrifice", but holiness and fornication are contrary to one another, as shown by Paul when he said, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification ², that ye should abstain from fornication:" (1 Thes 4:3). There is no difference between being sanctified or being holy, because the same Greek words are used to translate both. The word translated sanctification ² (Gtr. hagiasmos) (1 Thes 4:3), is also translated "sanctification" (1 Thes 4:4; 2 Thes 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2), but is translated "holiness" (Rom 6:19; 6:22; 1 Thes 4:7; 1 Tim 2:15; Heb 12:14), and the word translated holy ¹ (Gtr. hagios) (Rom 12:1) is often translated "saints" (Acts 9:13; Rom 8:27; 2 Cor 1:1 etc.), which in the plural form means "sanctified ones" or "holy ones". We have already seen that lusting after food is spiritual fornication (See #1.34), the opposite of holiness, so it is impossible for any one of us to present our bodies as a "holy living sacrifice" when we are indulging ourselves by overeating. A sanctified person has been "perfected for ever" (Heb 10:14), and a perfect man is able "to bridle the whole body." (Jam 3:2).

#1.49 BECAUSE IT IS BAD STEWARDSHIP

LUKE 16:1-2, 10-12 (Jesus)
1 And he said unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest no longer be steward.
10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

ROMANS 14:10-12 (Paul)
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:10 (Paul)
10 For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Note: In the parable that Jesus told about the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-13), the steward was told, "give an account of thy stewardship;" (Luke 16:2), because he had wasted that which he had been entrusted with (v1). So it is with us, as stewards of everything that God has entrusted us with, including time, and money, one day we will all stand before the judgement seat of Christ (Rom 14:10; 2 Cor 5:10) to give an account of ourselves. The question is, will we be accounted faithful? The word of God teaches us consistently against waste; it refers to the devil as "the waster" (Isa 54:16), compares a waster with a slothful worker (Pro 18:9), and Jesus himself taught us by example against waste. After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus sent his disciples to gather up the scraps of food (John 6:12), and they collected twelve baskets full (Mark 6:43; Luke 9:17; John 6:13). Similarly, after the feeding of the four thousand, they collected seven baskets full (Mat 15:37; Mark 8:8), showing that even though this food had been easily produced, nothing should be wasted. Nobody could really deny that gluttony is a waste; it is bad stewardship not only of time (See #1.06 Note (3)), but also of the money that is used to buy excess food which we do not really need. Some may consider this a small offence, but unless we repent, one day we will all have to give an account for it.

#1.50 BECAUSE IT IS CONTRARY TO CARRYING THE CHRISTIAN "CROSS"

MATTHEW 16:24
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny ¹ himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

MARK 8:34 (Jesus)
34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny¹ himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

MARK 10:21
21 Then Jesus beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

LUKE 9:23 (Jesus)
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny ¹ himself, and take up the cross daily, and follow me.

LUKE 14:27 (Jesus)
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

MATTHEW 10:38 (Jesus)
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me is not worthy of me.

PHILIPPIANS 3:17-19 (Paul)
17 Brethren, be ye followers of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Note: All Christians have been called to follow Jesus (Mat 8:22; 10:38; 19:21; Mark 8:34; 10:21; Luke 9:23; 9:59; 18:22), which means taking up our crosses (Mat 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; 10:21; Luke 9:23; 14:27), by totally denying ourselves (Mat 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). There is a Greek word "arneomai" which means to deny, such as Peter denied Jesus (Mat 26:70-72; Mark 14:68-70; Luke 22:57; John 18:25-27), but that is not the word used in these scriptures. The word deny ¹ (Gtr. aparneomai) used here is a strengthened form and means "utterly deny". It is used by Jesus in the passages predicting Peters denial of him (Mat 26:34; 26:75; Mark 14:30; 14:72; Luke 22:34; 22:61; John 13:38), and by Peter in his assurance of fidelity (Mat 26:35; Mark 14:31). Compare Peters actual denials, "But he denied (Gtr. arneomai), saying, I know not neither understand what thou sayest," (Mark 14:68), "And he denied (Gtr. arneomai) it again." (Mark 14:70), with his assurance of fidelity, "But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny (Gtr. aparneomai) thee in any wise." (Mark 14:31). This helps to clarify the difference between the two words, and shows that if we wish to follow Jesus, then we must "utterly deny" ourselves. Self indulgence and self denial are opposites, so if we are indulging ourselves in the area of food, we are "the enemies of the cross of Christ:" (Phps 3:18), and can expect our end to be destruction (Phps 3:19).

#1.51 BECAUSE SIN GIVES THE ENEMIES OF GOD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BLASPHEME HIM AND HIS WORD

2 SAMUEL 12:14 (Nathan)
14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

PROVERBS 25:26 (Solomon)
26 A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.

ISAIAH 52:5
5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.

EZEKIEL 36:20
20 And when they entered into the heathen, wither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.

ROMANS 2:24 (Paul)
24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

Note: Any dominating sin in our lives is a submission to the devil, which gives the world an excuse to blaspheme the name of God, and to deny that his word is true; something which many are only too keen to do if we give them the opportunity. The centre of Christian teaching should be the crucified life (See #1.50), the denial of self for the sake of others, and being conformed to the image of Jesus (See #1.52), but how can any gluttonous person teach this without being a hypocrite? There are many unsaved people, who are not sinful in this particular area, who could easily laugh and mock if a fat Christian tried to preach to them about self denial. The fact that God does not wish his name to be blasphemed is sufficient reason for anyone who loves God to forsake this sin.

#1.52 BECAUSE IT IS A FAILURE TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF JESUS

#1.521 We are all called to be like Jesus

MATTHEW 10:25 (Jesus)
25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

ROMANS 8:29 (Paul)
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:47-49 (Paul)
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image
of the heavenly.

1 PETER 2:21-22
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

1 JOHN 2:6
6 He that saith he abideth in him aught himself also to walk, even as he walked.

1 JOHN 4:17
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we might have boldness in the day of Judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Note: This is the calling of all Christians; to be as Jesus was (Mat 10:25), to be conformed to his image (Rom 8:29), to walk as he walked (1 John 2:6), and to follow his steps (1 Pet 2:21), so that we can be as he is in this world (1 John 4:17). There is no way that we can fulfil this calling while we are over indulging ourselves with food, because Jesus' attitude to food was very different to that of a glutton (See #1.522 below).

#1.522 Jesus' attitude to food was not gluttonous

PSALMS 35:11-14
11 False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.

PSALMS 69:9-11
9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.
10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.
11 I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.

MATTHEW 4:1-4
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

LUKE 4:1-4
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said to him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

JOHN 4:31-34
31 In the meanwhile his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
33 Therefore said his disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Note: Jesus' attitude to food is revealed clearly by these scriptures. The psalmist said that he humbled his soul with fasting (Psa 35:13), and chastened his soul with fasting (Psa 69:10). Apart from this he fasted forty days and nights in the wilderness (Mat 4:2; Luke 4:2), and afterwards refused to turn stones into bread when he was hungry (Mat 4:4; Luke 4:4). His priority was to do the will of God, which was his true food (John 4:34), and as long as he did that, he knew that his Father would not let him die of hunger. Even though he refused to turn stones into bread in the wilderness, the angels were afterwards sent to minister to him (Mat 4:11). If only we could adopt this same attitude toward food, the devil would never be able to draw us into sin by tempting us with it.

#1.54 BECAUSE GLUTTONS CANNOT BE SAVED?

EXODUS 32:33
33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

DEUTERONOMY 21:20-21
20 And they shall say unto the elders of this city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

PSALMS 78:29-31 (Asaph)
29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,
31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

ECCLESIASTES 7:2 (Solomon)
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

EZEKIEL 34:16
16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, I will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgement.

LUKE 6:25 (Jesus)
25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

LUKE 12:45-46 (Jesus)
45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink and to be drunken;
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

ROMANS 8:13 (Paul)
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10 (Paul)
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

1 CORINTHIANS 9:27 (Paul)
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

GALATIANS 5:24 (Paul)
24 And they that are Christ"s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

GALATIANS 6:7-8 (Paul)
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

PHILIPPIANS 3:18-19 (Paul)
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

HEBREWS 12:16-17
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Note: It is true that some of these scriptures can be interpreted in a spiritual sense, but it would be foolish to deny that they can also be interpreted literally. Such statements as "I will destroy the fat ... I will feed them with judgement." (Eze 34:16), "Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger." (Luke 6:25), "if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:" (Rom 8:13), "neither fornicators ... shall inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor 6:10), "he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;" (Gal 6:8), and "Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly," (Phps 3:19), all indicate the difficulty that any gluttonous person will have to enter heaven. To go to heaven we need the Spirit of Christ to dwell in us, Paul's statements "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Rom 8:9), and "Know ye not ... that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Cor 13:5), show that this is so. "And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin;" (Rom 8:10), shows that when Christ lives in us "the body is dead". Here "the body" does not refer to the physical body, but refers to "the body of sin" (Rom 6:6). It is the same as "the body of the sins of the flesh" (Col 2:11), and "the body of this death" (Rom 7:24). They all refer to the spiritual body of "our old man" (Rom 6:6), elsewhere called "the old man" (Eph 4:22), which has to be crucified by self denial in order to free us from sin (Rom 6:7). So when "the body" is dead, all of our fleshly desires, including over indulgent desires for food or drink, are brought into subjection (1 Cor 9:27). We may preach God"s word, prophesy, cast out devils, work miracles, and still be lost (Mat 7:21-23). So professing to be a Christian is no guarantee of our salvation without also denying the lusts of the flesh, because "they that are Christ"s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." (Gal 5:24). Notice the past tense!

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This is the end of this Bible Study about the Sin of Gluttony