The Weight of Grace book

Isn’t my eating just lust?

by | Jan 25, 2013 | Uncategorized | 1 comment

Q: Isn’t my eating just lust?  For example, when you are already full to the brim and you see something that looks good and want it even when you are convicted not to eat it. Don’t I need to repent and turn from my lust?

A: I can understand your desire to address your eating directly. However, calling it “lust” will not solve the problem. Can you just repent of overeating? Will that cause you to stop wanting the food? Has that worked for you in the past? Let’s say it is a matter of lust. How would you get to a place where you no longer lusted? What is God’s answer for lust? Yes, we “put off” and “put to death” the deeds of the flesh, but how do we do that? It appears to me that recognizing the facts/truth about the work God has already done in our lives is a common theme when Scripture addresses “the flesh.” Colossians 3 first instructs us about the fact that we are dead before telling us to put the flesh to death and then tells us about being chosen before telling us to clothe ourselves with the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5 explains our freedom from the law and our need to rely on the Spirit when discussing the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit in direct contrast with each other. Romans 6, 7, and 8 discuss our recognition of our death to sin, the work of the Spirit, and our slavery to righteousness as the means of recognizing why we would no longer even desire to sin. So, when you want to stop “lusting after” food, I say you need to ask the Holy Spirit to show you His truth about what is motivating you to do something that is contrary to the new nature He has given you. What is it you believe the food is doing for you that it was not intended to do? I don’t believe you were “convicted not to eat it” by God. You were just feeling guilty about it. God was not slapping your wrist. God knows that his goodness leads to repentance (Romans 2:4), not stinginess.