Gluttony’s Effects on Individuals and Societies

Gluttony is traditionally thought of in terms of excessive eating, and that is one way the Bible defines gluttony in Proverbs 23:20 NKJV.  However, God's Word also teaches us that gluttony includes a pattern of self-gratification, or rather, gratifying the lust of your flesh.  If you're honest with yourself, the truth is you have developed a habit or pattern of excessively eating unhealthy foods and beverages because you have become entangled with the sin of gluttony.  In Deuteronomy 21:18-21, the Bible teaches us that the stubborn and rebellious glutton was stoned to death "so that all Israel would hear and fear," thereby stopping the sin in its tracks before it could spread to the rest of the Jewish society.  In other words, the path to permanent, sustained weight loss begins with repentance.  Refusing to repent results in the same fate the stubborn and rebellious glutton suffered, an early and unnecessary death. 
 
Obesity is not just an epidemic that affects individuals.  Moreover, the United States is not the only nation the epidemic has impacted.  On the contrary, most of the affluent countries in the world are experiencing the same problem.  However, it’s not a new issue.  The Bible clearly states that gluttony has taken hold of entire societies in the past.  “As one of their own prophets has said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons (Titus 1:12 Berean Study Bible).’"  Titus 1:12 teaches us that gluttony is a symptom of a society's moral decay.  Like the Cretan society described in Titus, we have failed to follow the example of Deuteronomy 21 by “putting away the evildoers.”  Instead, we have embraced their stubborn and rebellious ways.
 
Accordingly, as an individual gets fatter due to his or her gluttonous lifestyle, societies as a whole also get fatter as a result of collectively gratifying the flesh instead of living in accordance to God's word.  To put it another way, the more we, as a society, rebel against God and disobey His commandments, the more saturated in sin our country, and increasingly, the rest of the world becomes.  Consequently, like a person’s body swells with fat, so does a nation swell with sin, and gluttony is a physical manifestation of what takes place spiritually in the sinful society.  
 
Now that God has shined the light of His word on your sin, you should confess it and repent. Then the Holy Spirit will empower you to do what you have been unable to do for yourself: succeed where so many others have failed!   If you’re ready to finally mature in Christ and worship God even in the way that you eat, then order your copy of the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition TODAY!  In the book, you will learn the Biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God!  As you apply the principles to your life, the Holy Spirit will empower you to do what you have been unable to do for yourself and succeed where so many others have failed!  Order your copy of the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online NOW at Amazon.com.  ​https://www.amazon.com/Eating-as-Act-Worship-Teachers/dp/1939654920/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8