Is Overeating a Sin?

If you are overweight, please don't push this aside. God won't overwhelm you - He is here to help. Sin, as we know, is very subtle and deeply imbedded in the nature of unconverted mankind. Of the three elements of which this world is made - "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1Jn.2:16) - the lust of the flesh seems to be chief. Many who follow Jesus have been deceived into thinking that certain sin will be tolerated by God, and other sin will not. All would agree that "drunkeness" ought not be named among the holy Ghost baptized children of God. Yet the same people think nothing of being 15, 20, 50, even 100 pounds overweight! Throughout the Bible, gluttony and drunkenness have been condemned with the same degree of God's displeasure. Nevertheless, we find many among the followers of Christ who have failed to see this. It is hypocrisy when true children of God, opposed to drunkenness in any degree, are tolerating the inclinations to eat too much.

George Clark, who conducted healing campaigns, saw hundreds or thousands baptized with the holy Ghost, mailed out thousands of anointed handkerchiefs since 1930, said prior to his death, that he had learned that the greatest physical cause of sickness among the people of God came from this lust for overindulgence in eating. Obviously, Jesus saw this deceiving "demon" at work when he enjoined his disciples, "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be with overcharged with surfeiting [self-indulgence or gluttony], and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares" (Lk.21:34). There have never been so many overcharged hearts as we find today, and not all of these heart failures are coming from drunkenness and cares of this life. In fact, none should be coming from these two charges among the saints of God. But what about from "surfeiting", or self-indulgence in eating? Tens of thousands of truly converted people are sick and are suffering with heart trouble coming from high blood pressure or other ailments which result from overeating. What about you? Remember, not one drunkard or glutton will be named among the faithful in the judgment. It is sin.

You remember that Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a little "red pottage". Esau, of course, had plenty of good wholesome food, for he was "a man of the field" - a deer hunter; still, he craved "red pottage" - a thick soup made by his brother Jacob. Seemingly, I can hear his words now, as he cried to Jacob, "Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage" (Gen.25:30). There has been a time when gluttons and drunkards were taken out by the elders of Israel and stoned to death (Deut.21:18-21). It is very fortunate for us that we are living under this New Covenant of grace, for we might lose some of our good sisters and brothers in the Lord. Not for drunkenness, to be sure, but for gluttony.

No artist could draw a more vivid picture of the gluttonous multitude which is in the congregation today than these following words, coming from the pen of the Apostle Paul in his description of some in the early congregation at Philippi: "Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example. (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, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind early things.) (Phil.3:17-19)."

Reader, perhaps you are asking the question, "Am I among these gluttons who are making a god out of their belly?" The answer will have to come from you my friend; however, I will ask you a few questions in helping you to form the correct answer. First, let me ask you, are you overweight? If you don't know, check with some competent authority and find out. For instance, is one hundred eighty pounds, and you are 5'7" tall, you are just thirty pounds overweight. Your height calls for one hundred fifty pounds. So you see, you are thirty pounds overweight, or shall I say twenty percent glutton. That will never do.

God can and will heal any disease coming from the evil of overeating; however, His healings still carry the command, "Sin no more, lest a worst thing come unto thee" (Jn.5:14). That great man of God, the apostle Paul, turns this emphatic statement of Jesus' into the question, "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" The answer is obviously "NO"; for when God heals us, he wants us to cease doing whatever brought on our sickness. In other words, if sleeping in a draft gave you a cold and God heals you of this cold, then He expects you to quit sleeping in the draft. Or if eating too much has brought on high blood pressure, heart trouble, or one of the many other diseases which come from being overweight, then God requires a reduction in your eating. Gluttony works just like any other sin. The thief must quit stealing, the liar must stop lying, the glutton must stop overeating. Children of God, let's keep our bodies free from the sin of gluttony, realizing they are the temple of the Spirit of God. There is a place in God where sin and sickness cannot reach us. I know this to be true, even though we may not be altogether there. Yet, thank God for His promise and the desire we have to reach this place in Him. Listen to this promise of His, "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight and wilt give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians [the world], for I am the Lord that healeth thee" (Ex.15:26). Again, God says to His people, "And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee" (Ex.23:25). Don't forget, God never changes. The preceding promises are as much for us today as they were for Israel centuries ago.

What practical help can we give? Pray for help - pray in the Spirit. God will answer all who call on Him! I have never seen God refuse deliverance from any habit to a person who truly wanted it. Above that, persevere. You cannot lose weight in one day, it takes weeks, months, and even years in extreme cases. Here are some diet tips that may help you get a start:

1. Drink as much fresh water as possible each and every day, especially a full glass before each meal.
2. SIT DOWN to eat. Standing up causes you to eat in a hurry, and to eat more than you normally would.
3. Remember, "fat free" does not equal calorie free. You must eat reasonable, sensible, and modest portions.
4. Use a smaller plate, and eat ONE PLATEFUL ONLY!
5. Reduce your intake of soft drinks and sweets. Drink water, or fresh fruit juices instead.
6. Try to eat "living foods" - living foods are anything that has come from the earth and has not been processed: vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc.
7. Brush your teeth after eating. It encourages you to stop eating.
8. Excercise! Take a moment out of your busy day to get fresh air... walk, jog, hike, play a sport - anything that makes you "sweat". If you do not perspire, it is not excercise! (if you are abnormally obese, consult a physician first, of course.)
9. Plan other activities during times when you would normally snack or eat too much. (YOU know when that is!) If you "snack" when you get home from work, use that time to walk the dog instead. Or if you crave sweets at night, take up a class or hobby, read, or do something else constructive during those times.
10. DON'T GIVE UP! If you have a bad day, start again tomorrow. And don't wait until "Monday" to start - live right every day!
11. MOST IMPORTANTLY - Seek God! If you have received the holy Ghost baptism, you WANT to live right. Your "nature" is to be free from your overweight condition, because that is the heart of God, and your desire. Seek Him, and ask him to help, encourage, and deliver you to be what he has made you in Christ Jesus.

Paul, in counseling his followers, said, "I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless [kept sound] unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1Thes.5:23). What precious promises are given to us - if we will only obey God! The gospel of Christ has not only a forgiveness-of-sin quality but also a healing quality. But we must remember that to receive and retain either or both of these blessings, we must obey the command, "Go and sin no more." May the Lord bless this message to the heart of every reader.

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