7 pt- gluttony and Self denial

We began with a discussion of pride and the last 2 weeks we have talked about how serving ourselves leads us to destruction. Greed- building up excesses or wealth, lust- indulging our passions. And today we come to the last of the deadly sins that focus on over indulgence- gluttony.

We hear that and most of our thoughts turn to weight and food. But like lust, gluttony is about SO much more than what we eat or don’t eat. It is about our appetites and how we indulge them.

Turn with me to Philippians 3:17-19.

Paul is writing to the church in Philippi and he instructs them to “imitate him.”

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Encouragment to Imitate Paul (3:17)

Paul urged them to imitate others who were like-minded. The word for “take note of” (skopeō) occurs elsewhere in this passage. It meant the Philippians were to have the lives of others in their sights or to make living like these their aim. In Paul’s absence they were to find other models who were true to his commitments. The principles Paul taught worked in the lives of their friends, who could be followed in Paul’s absence.

Paul, let’s be honest, is the antithesis of gluttony. He cast aside all his privileges and benefits to follow Jesus. Everywhere he goes he tries to put others first. He literally does without so others can have what they need.

Gluttony is the opposite it is never satisfied.

Verse 19 makes this very clear- “their god is their belly.”

How much can they consume of the things they find to be desirable?

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Characteristics of Paul’s Opponents (3:18–19)

Those who identify the opponents as libertines point out that Paul decried excessive food and sexual pleasures. Since this is a Jewish context, the statement must refer to dietary laws and circumcision of which they were so proud. They had become so preoccupied with kosher foods that they spent more time contemplating them than thinking about God.

Gluttony will tell you that you never have enough. We become like vacuum cleaners who are never satiated. Our appetites control us.

In that same way that greed makes us selfish, and lust makes us reckless, gluttony makes us insatiable. There is always something else to have.

I do not want to get too far into economics or politics, but I do want us to think about the desire for more and how that shapes our society in particular.

We have all watched the costs of everything rise and rise over the last 6 years. Inflation unchecked and, so far, unable to be curbed.

We are told it is because the costs of goods have risen due to a confluence of factors. But do you know what is interesting about that? You would think if the costs of producing and transporting goods was rising and costs were rising in a like fashion, corporate profits would be stagnant.

But they are not.

Corporate profit margins in the US in 2020 were $2.2T. By the second quarter of 2026 they were at $4.827T. An increase of 118.2%

Gross profit margins are at 19.4% the highest level since the 1940s.

Historically, the share of US GDP represented by corporate profit margins was 5-7%. They are now averaging 12-13% depending on the quarter.

Who benefits?

Well profits grew by 118% in that time period. Real wages rose 38%.

Why? Because someone wanted to have another boat or summer home.

And we see the results of this kind of gluttony, literally ending in destruction as Paul says in verse 19, when the desire for more coincides with desperate people. Violence and collapse result.

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Characteristics of Paul’s Opponents (3:18–19)

Their end was destruction. Destruction does not necessarily mean loss of existence since its opposite is salvation

It is really scary to think about the effects of our appetites for more.

Go to a personal level. We see people driven into debt wanting to have more things. People’s health collapse as they seek to eat their way to happiness, denying themselves nothing in the pursuit of the next good meal.

And what I find in my own heart, is it is really easy to see the gluttony in others than to see it in myself. (how I got to 220 pounds- eating to feel better)

Gluttony just is not consistent with a Savior of says, “Deny yourself and follow me.”

Go with me to Luke 9:23-25.

Deny yourself.

Luke Comments

This is much more radical than simply a denial of certain things. This mandates a rejection of a life based on self-interest and self-fulfillment. Instead a disciple is to be one who seeks to fulfill the will and the teachings of Christ

Man that hits really hard when we think about gluttony. That takes some discipline. It requires us to think about intentionally avoiding things that are enjoyable for a greater good.

Some would even take this to the extreme of asceticism- basically saying any enjoyment of anything is bad, but that is not what Jesus is saying.

He is calling us to do something- to follow Him and to embrace the death of our own desires and passions and appetites to be consumed by Him.

Luke Comments

The second condition involves the need to take up one’s cross. This need not be a vaticinia ex eventu, or a prophecy after the fact, but Jesus’ own crucifixion reveals more fully to Luke’s readers that this call is for a commitment unto death. There needs to be willingness to suffer martyrdom if need be

And to not just do it once but to do it daily.

Luke Comments

Luke added the need to do this “daily.” Whereas Mark emphasized the initial act of denying oneself once and for all (

It is the daily part where the challenge lies. We can “do without” for a season if we know there is an end to it. People endure all kinds of pain and hardship for a short term to get a long term gain- just ask anyone who has been to grad school, or trained for a race, or worked on a dream car.

Jesus says this is not a one time thing, self denial is a lifestyle.

And the opposite of gluttony is self denial, and often the evidence of this denial is what we see from Paul and from Jesus- giving stuff away.

Gluttony says- I have to have extras. Self denial says- I need nothing.

That example is all over the early church. Remember people sold land and gave away what they had to those who did not have enough.

Funnily enough, in recent days I have seen that activity cited as an example that “socialism” is a practice advocated for by scripture (sorry, that economic system lags from the first century by about 1700 years or more) and I have also seen criticism of that activity in Acts saying that it was a violation of the work ethic taught in scripture (sorry again, but the call to be generous, especially with the poor is ALL over the Bible and denying that is denying scripture)

That activity is just the early church modeling the actions of their Savior. He gave all He had so they were going to give things away as well- so everyone had enough.

Jesus is pretty clear on the subject of what we are the pursue in verses 24-25. We are to give it away, not hoard it.

Luke Comments

This verse is essentially a proverb stating that one should live in light of ultimate values. The loss of one’s soul, i.e., experiencing God’s judgment (cf. 10:14), is far too great a price to pay for possessing the whole world.

The fear that feeds gluttony is “what if I need it?” (Garage clean out)

God is calling us to operate from a position of abundance. He has enough for us. He will not fail to provide, so we do not need to be stingy with one another.

(I have been young and now am old yet I have never seen the righteous or His children begging for bread- Psalm 37:25)

What would happen if we began to live from that mindset?