Here in Alabama we are still fighting the battle against a state lottery and casino gambling. Another article in this issue defines gambling and gives the scriptural reasons that a Christian will not engage in it. However, this carries little weight with most elected officials. Proponents tell us that gambling will solve all of our tax problems. Gambling does redistribute wealth; taking most from people who can least afford it and giving it to organized gaming companies to enable them to further invest in this and other vices.
The gambling industry does not create any positive product or service. The human resources that are wasted in the administration of gambling could be employed in useful endeavors (Titus 3:14). It is physically and economically impossible for the taxes collected off of this wasteful endeavor to ever make up for this drain on society! You cannot get something from nothing, but this is gambling's major premise -- and biggest lie.
Meanwhile, many get hooked on the adrenaline (win or lose) and become compulsive gamblers, placing a further drain on governmental resources and destroying their families in the process. As gambling is generally legalized, the competition will make the super-casinos in the surrounding states losing propositions. If Alabama can keep its economy free from dependence on this vice, it will be far healthier over the long term.
Editor's note: this was recently validated when the largest casino project in New Orleans went under before even opening.
It is the Christian's social responsibility to oppose the deceptive nature of gambling by establishing the truth to those who are deceived into thinking that it can bring anything but grief.
These bible study questions provide assistance to you in studying and teaching God's word. The answers are quite clear, and they prove that we can have the same understanding by reading as the apostles had (Ephesians 3:4). We challenge you to open your bible and establish the truth.
On Sin and Its Solution
Does sin separate man from God and His favor? Isaiah 59:1-2Have all sinned? Romans 3:23
Did Jesus come to save man from sin? Luke 19:10
Is the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ the power of God unto salvation? Romans 1:16
Is the gospel for all nations and races? Mark 16:15-16
Does the gospel say man must both believe and be baptized to be saved? Mark 16:15-16
A QUESTION FROM THE APOSTLE PAUL
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (Romans 6:1) Apparently there were those in the first century (as there are today) who would excuse their behavior and exploit the grace of God. Paul's response to them was the most extreme negative -- absolutely not! He then asked the following question: "How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Christians are dead to sin -- it no longer has control of their lives. They no longer subject themselves to it. It is not that they are totally sinless (1 Jn. 1:8-10), but they have set their hearts on living as close to God as they can (Rom. 6:18). Let us all strive to be "servants of righteousness" with the help of God.
One of the most frequent arguments used to justify participation in gambling is that "life is a gamble." You will also hear statements like: "farming is a gamble" and "investing in business is a gamble." The fact that many religious organizations use gambling for fund raising, and many religious people support government sponsored lotteries to raise revenue is evidence that we have a confused definition of this vice.
We recognize that the word gamble might be used in a variety of ways. Those who are trying to confuse legitimate business enterprise with sinful games of chance intentionally try to blur the distinction. Sinful gambling is giving something of value up for the chance of receiving something of greater value if a particular outcome of an event occurs. The event involves no work or productive effort on the part of the participant(s).
It is important to recognize that, while all gambling involves risktaking, all risktaking is not gambling. Almost all of life's endeavors involve risk; yet, Jesus talked of farming, fishing, merchandising and many other risk-taking occupations as honorable endeavors. In and of itself, the desire to gain is not sinful, and the fact that risks are involved in almost all of human endeavors is an undeniable reality.
Farming and fishing produce food, and merchandising distributes goods to people who want or need them. In all legitimate business endeavors, profits obtained are for the goods and services rendered. Thus, everyone wins, and no one loses. The seller obtains money for his labor, and the buyer obtains goods or services desired.
On the contrary, the gambler produces nothing and gains only at the loss of others. This is the key to distinguishing between gambling and legitimate human enterprise. Gambling legitimizes taking something while giving nothing of comparable value in return. Christians should recognize that such does not satisfy Christ's law of love. We should never want to gain at the expense of others.
Gambling is wrong: it is motivated by covetousness (Eph. 5:5), it violates God's law of love (Mt. 22:39), and it encourages the love of money (1 Tim. 6:9-10). If it can be justified by the use of the profits, then so can prostitution or any other vice. The ends do not justify the means (Rom. 3:8).
Thou shalt not kill ... (Mt. 5:21)
but Jesus went far beyond this (Mt. 5:22): "I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." He went on to say that actions motivated out of hatred puts a person "in danger of hell fire." Even our offering to God is not acceptable if we have caused some problem with our fellow man. He tells them to leave the gift before the alter "and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" (Mt. 5:25).
The thoughts and intents of the heart ultimately determine our actions. While we might be able to give the impression of righteousness by conditioning our outward actions, this will profit us nothing if we these actions are motivated by self interest and self righteousness (Mt. 23:25-26).
If our heart is right before God, this will change our behavior. It is not difficult to help our fellow man if we love him. Our attitude toward others becomes apparent over time.
This also gives us a way to determine our relationship to God. We may think that we love God, but "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also" (Jn. 4:20-21).