As we close this series on gluttony and have been looking at Philippians 3:17-21, let’s use that section of Scripture to give us three things that show us how godliness helps us battle against gluttony.
1. Godliness destroys gluttony because it gives us something good to behold.
It’s simple – what inspires you? What challenges you and calls you to something more? I guarantee that what you are inspired by has some sort of strength, bravery, or integrity.
Philippians 3:17: “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”
Paul tells us, “…keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” That is, he’s telling us to keep our eyes focused on those who follow Christ’s example… those who live like Christ, giving us a real-life picture here and now of who Christ is. When we seek godliness over gluttony, we are not looking to see what other people have in comparison to what we have, but we are looking to who Christ is to see if we live like him…
Christians, you are meant to be a living picture of Christ…showing his strength and bravery in this world as we stand up for truth, showing love even when we’re hated, and giving when the world says “take.” And we do this because we behold before our eyes our God and King and his name is Christ… second…
2. Godliness destroys gluttony because it gives us something good to pursue.
Philippians 3:18-19 says, “18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
Paul laments because so many people “walk as enemies of the Cross”, meaning, they live as enemies to Jesus Christ and the true God…
In the Bible, the word for “to walk” has the connotation of “to live” because life is always moving…we are either swept by the waves of society or tradition or expectation, or we pursue the true and beautiful things…
Are you pursuing pleasure or are you pursuing purpose…Or, I guess some are just living a pacifist life… no pursuit, no fight, just trying to stay out of it, going with the flow… the mushy middle where people don’t know what you believe….
The reason the Bible uses walking as a term for life is because life is moving towards something… so, what are you pursuing? And how disciplined are you in it?
My friends, godliness destroys the god of gluttony through discipline – through a life that is set on course to what matters most…this is biblical…
1 Timothy 4:7b-8 says, “7 … Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
Yes, life is heading somewhere… are you ready for it and are you anticipating it?
Last thing…
3. Godliness destroys gluttony by giving us something good to anticipate (vv20-21)
So, what’s interesting is that Jesus was accused of being a glutton. When speaking of himself, calling himself the Old Testament term of the Son of Man, Jesus says this in:
Matthew 11:19, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
Because Jesus drank and ate with people the religious elites deemed unworthy, they criticized Him for being a glutton and a drunkard.
Which simply shows that you can live the most perfectly righteous life, you can live the most loving life, you can be the most welcoming person—and people will still find something to criticize you about. But we don’t live for approval; we live in anticipation.
Does your life show you live to fit in… or live to be faithful… Because remember:
“20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
There is a hope that is coming: Christ, the King of Heaven, is coming back. He came before, he lived, and he died for our sins, and he rose again, and because of this, we know that he’ll be coming back, and our lives now live in the great anticipation of this…
Gluttony lives for the moment, but godliness lives for forever. For when Christ comes back, he’ll make all things new… even our bodies….
And so, my friends, the way of our world is gluttony, but the way of the kingdom is godliness.
Gluttony is a god that destroys us by always saying “yes” to our greed. But our God is the one that saves us by always saying “yes” to his promises…
For as Scripture says, in Him, His promises are always “Yes” and “Amen.” 2 Corinthians 1:20)
