A person being led by the Holy Spirit won't overindulge in anything; overindulgence is sin. As Paul stated, some believers see one thing as a sin and another thing as NOT a sin. (Personally, I agree with darinhouston about smoking.) I also agree that anything one becomes enslaved in, that is sin. The way I understand it, we are to only be a slave to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, so enslavement/overindulgence to sports, tv, money, even relationships (ex: people who cling or constantly long for relationship) To me, overindulgence in anything, is sin.darinhouston wrote:I'm not sure I agree with you, Homer. I do think cigarettes (or anything, really) can become a sin if it grabs hold of your life and you allow it to control you -- it can become like an idol for people. I've never had a "moral" issue with smoking (though it does disgust me, personally). I believe that anything you become enslaved to is another master, and should be avoided. For some (maybe even many/most), even sports obsession or tv enslavement can be a sin.
I don't see this as inventing sins.
Homer wrote
Homer, I hope it is welcome for me to answer your question about excuses. I think that length-of-life is not the point; the focus is whether one is abiding by the Spirit's leading.If we define gluttony as "greedy and voracious eating and drinking", that would seem to be the sin Paul refers to. This isn't the same as overeating which I referred to when I called in to Steve.
I am troubled by the tendency to "invent" sins. I have heard smoking spoken of, from the pulpit, as though it is some sort of terrible sin. The only scriptural basis for this is that it is harmful to the body, although some smokers live to a ripe old age. And so do some who eat too much. In regard to eating, when does it become a sin? I know a lady who seems to eat twice as much as her husband, and neither are overweight. So it must be the amount eaten that causes one to be overweight that is sinful. But then, suppose the overweight person lives to be 90 years old, as a friend of ours did. Is he excused because of his long life, while my father, who was overweight and died of a heart attack at 65, guilty of sin? And what of those who do not exercise as they should? There is no end to this.
It seems to me the real sin in regard to food is the greedy part.
There are slim people who eat great quanitities of food and health professionals say they may be less healthy than overweight people. My 100 year old great aunt is still alive and well, but she ate chocolate everyday of her adult life (she said) until she went into a nursing home. Was that a sin to eat so much chocolate? Maybe, if the Holy Spirit didn't want her to, or maybe not. This as a personal matter between the eater and the Lord.
Homer, would you help me understand what your definition of 'overeating' is? I think "greedy and voracious eating and drinking" defines the word 'overeating.' It seems to me that rather a person overeats in public, like I Cor 11 mentions, or rather they overeat in the privacy of their home, isn't that still greedy? I mean, the food overeaten in public could be shared with others, and the food overeaten in privacy could be saved for someone else too, or saved for another time. The time and money spent on overeating, and the lethargy afterwards are not indicative of good stewardship. In other words, there is more to overeating than just the act of eating. Even one's legacy, testimony or example can be strengthened by gaining the victory over gluttony.
I looked up the word "voracious" in the dictionary and it states that it means: "eager to consume great amounts of food, ravenous...insatiable appetite." Thus, I think any overeating is coming from a place of greed and voraciousness. I remember listening to a teaching of Steve Gregg's and he said something like overeating was a sign of "character weakness." Don't quote me on that, but he said something like that. All I know is that he linked overeating to ones' character. I really had to examine that because I had always thought overeating was for "comfort" or "cover" to "relax" or feel "safe." But after I gave his perspective some careful thought, I realized that he is right. I believe that one definition of "character" is: that decision one makes when no one else is around. So if this is the definition of 'character,' then overeating in private is an act of poor character and greed, and it may also be comforting, relaxing and providing a sense of safety. Then there is another type of overeater: people who graze (they don't eat a lot all at once, but eat all day long). They would more than likely agree that they have an insatiable appetite. A final category eat--or don't eat(anorexia)--to assert power. They think, "I can do this and you can't stop me!").
I think that any over-consumption of any thing the Lord gives us is poor stewardship, and it would be greedy to use what the Lord gives us for that purpose which the Lord does not want it to be used. This is a really good thread for me right now because I am getting over a terribly severe reaction to multiple food allergies and environmental elements. Having severe allergies has forced me to examine my eating habits and attitudes about food and items in my home/everywhere.
As a result, the fact that absolutely everything in our personal environment is a gift from God, our "Father of Lights" seems evident. The question is what will be done with it? The answer, if it is NOT sin, must be what the Lord leads. So as in all of life, I believe those of us who eat
must seek to be led by the Holy Spirit at all times. Big call, I know, and not humanly possible, even when walking with the Lord daily, we all slip up (sin) in one way or another.God bless
The problem for me is that it is difficult to know what God wants me to do. When is it God and when is it my mental impression? (you might want to see the thread regarding Gary Friesen's book under the "Teachers & Authors category".)