As a personal trainer, I daily am in a battle to help my clients transform their bodies by losing pounds of fat. Most get to an unsatisfactory weight by overeating. Which got me thinking. What does the bible say about gluttony, over-eating, and is it a sin?
What does the Bible say about Gluttony?
The Bible tells us to eat and drink for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and to treat our bodies as a temple (1 Corinthians 16-20). Gluttony is the action of over-indulgence and over-consumption of food or drinks, particularly as status symbols. Overeating, or being gluttonous, does not bring glory to God; thus it is a sin.
What is Gluttony?
Deriving from the Latin word gluttire, meaning “to gulp down or swallow”, gluttony is the action of over-indulgence and over-consumption of food or drinks, particularly as status symbols.
Examples of gluttony
Don’t understand what gluttony looks like. Think about how you feel after eating your Thanksgiving meal. Eating to the point of having a “food coma” or needing a nap is a gluttonous event. Drinking to the point of being drunk, is a gluttonous event.
Only Food?
Gluttony in relation to food is probably the most common connection. You can be gluttonous with drinking as well.
Is Gluttony a Sin?
To classify something as sin, we first have to define what sin is. I would say that sin is anything that takes you away from the standard of perfection established by God and lived by Jesus.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
With that being the definition of sin and reading those two Bible verses, what do you think?
Every day, I see what being gluttonous does to the body and to one’s health. It is not good. The result of what gluttony does to your body show firsthand that gluttony is a sin.
The Seven Deadly Sins
According to Christian traditions, the seven deadly sins are envy, lust, greed, pride, sloth, wrath, and gluttony. The seven deadly sins were first compiled by Pope Gregory I around the year 600. Nowhere in the Bible are these recorded in a list or specifically referred to as the seven deadly sins. But the Bible does validate all of the concepts of the seven deadly sins.
Envy: to desire to have items that someone else has, jealousy.
Lust: the strong passion for sexual desires.
Greed: the excessive drive for material goods.
Pride: an excessive view of one’s self above others.
Sloth: the failure to be productive, laziness.
Wrath: to be strong in anger or hate towards others.
Gluttony: the act of excessive eating of food and drink.
Bible Verses about Over-Eating
"Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ," Philippians 3:19-20
"Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
"Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path: Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags." Proverbs 23:19-21
"When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what[a] is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive." Proverbs 23:1-3
"But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High. They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God; they said, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?" Psalm 78:17-19
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
What are the Health Issues?
It’s not a secret that overeating, and being gluttonous, will lead you to be overweight. In being overweight you are at a much higher risk, of punishment, for multiple health concerns, including”
- type 2 diabetes
- high blood pressure
- heart disease and strokes\
- certain types of cancer
- sleep apnea
- osteoarthritis
- fatty liver disease
- kidney disease
There is no punishment eternally for being gluttonous. Remember these two verses?
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
How do you get rid of gluttony?
The best way to get rid of gluttony is to improve your self-control. How do you improve your self-control?
- Remove temptation. It’s hard to eat a bunch of junk food if you don’t have it in your house.
- Manage Stress. Are you like me? I find in times of stress I drop all my self-control and find comfort in food.
- Measure your progress. If you daily weigh yourself. You can easily see how you are eating and living is affecting your life.
Gluttony Conclusion
Gluttony is the action of over-eating and drinking. It is considered a sin. Jesus died on the cross for all of our sins, we are not punished eternally for it. Gluttony causes you to be physically punished with multiple health issues. You can get rid of gluttony by increasing your self-control. You can reverse the effects of gluttony by decreasing your daily calorie intake and increasing your daily calorie exertion.