TO GAMBLE OR NOT TO GAMBLE
How do we approach gambling? Is it listed as a No! No! in the Ten Commandments? We know it is not detailed there. However, let us understand that it is still covered there in some sense in principle. Now let us examine the Biblical portrayal of gambling and from that establish what is right and wrong with it.
In this article I will refer to the negatives of gambling or what we have seen through experience. Note, I will put more emphasis on how it is objectively portrayed in the Bible. There are many things we indulge ourselves in that have very negative effects when they are taken to the extreme. There are many things that become terrible, relative to our experience, when we fail to exercise self discipline. There are numbers of people who have suffered because they have drank too much water. Sounds ridiculous? Sorry. This has happened over and over, yet there are far more people suffering because they do not drink enough water. Water, wine, guns, food, cars, insecticide, prosperity, and the like, are not a problem. They all have there place and yet they can all become a curse if they are not used properly or within reason.
There have been may God fearing Classical Christians who have stood against, drinking Wine, Tea, Coffee, Cokes, etc. I appreciate their contributions to the furtherance of the Gospel, but I disagree with them in these areas. Please understand - I am not for moral compromise. I am not for putting a bottle to my brothers lips and causing them to stumble. Still, I hear what the Apostle Paul told Timothy, when he said don't just drink water exclusively, but take care of your physical body by taking some wine for the strength you get from it and for its curative power. It will help your digestive system and help to ward off illness. Wow! You didn't see that in the Bible. I didn't either, but that is the thoughts that can be derived from what he said. Or, this is a lengthy paraphrase of the original thought. Not a word for word translation.
I would like now to go back to Genesis.
Genesis 1:11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.
12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. (NIV)
In this text and not out of context we see that every seed bearing tree or plant is given to us, in some sense, for food. This would include coffee, tea, wine, etc.
Sin or our lack of Godly self-discipline has caused us to be afflicted by maladies caused by over imbibing in these good things. Sugar is a natural product taken from plant life, yet it has been a curse to many people. Alcoholism is a number one health problem. Heart problems and auto accidents are both caused most often by a lack of self-discipline.
Now enough on this subject. But we must apply the principles that we have learned from this to other things. God did not make guns, yet he expects us to protect our family. We know, or we should know, that a gun is not evil. If they had never been developed the worlds population would be far less and those who were here would probably be living as slaves. This country was founded in a great part by people who declared they would have no other King then Jesus. They used guns to make this happen.
Now I must get back to the dirty subject of Gambling. We associate it with casinos, the lottery and the under world. We think of it as a game of chance. Something that deals with the odds of something happening. However, gambling is not always a game. Yes, it has to do with chance, at least from our perspective. The truth is, God knows all.
I want to level with you at this point and say I believe that gambling in its fundamental form is a natural part of the human experience. It has been with us from the beginning. We admit this about the desire to eat, sex, prostitution, the innate desire to better ones self, etc. I want to say that gambling has always been with us for good or for worse. The prospector, the tiller of the ground, Columbus, and other such instances, or people, or situations, are all in some sense, related to gamblers and gambling
Now, we must admit, the necessary gamble, such as for a crop and the like, are reasonable and so we have no questions, relative to morality attached to them. Still in these very same necessary things people have suffered to the point of starvation, because they invested everything and for whatever reason they realized no return. We do not say they did wrong. Yet, in most of these cases, if they would have been more prudent and laid back more of what they had received in the past they could have survived. If they would have invested in more then one thing. Diversified. Still most of us would not call that kind of gambling into question. We would not think their ignorance or lack of foresight came about because they had gambled and lost. If we were aware of their ignorance we might point to it as being the real problem, not Gambling.
Now do you remember the man who found a stash of riches in a field. He covered it up then went and sold all that he had and bought that field?
Classical Christians have usually frowned on getting gain where there was no equivalent given, either in labor or in some sort of monetary investment. They did not think it was fair to sell something at anything other then a just or fair profit. Say, you bought a good horse from someone and gave then fifty dollars for it. Yet, you knew you could go right down the road and sell it for one hundred and did so. They would have frowned on that.
These classical Christians would have said you were stealing a good portion of that profit from both of those people.
The question; - What is just or fair? Jesus never even blinked his eye as he told about the man buying a field with treasure in it. This man obviously gambled and he obviously made a good profit. Did he steal from anyone? NO! If he had knowingly bought it from a poor needy widow it would have been a different situation.
Let us say this field had belonged to the other person for a number of years and he had failed to find this treasure. It was his to find. No one tied him up and kept him from finding it. He willingly relinquished control to someone for a price. After selling it he no longer had any influence or control over what happened to it. He was not forced to sell. No one pointed a gun at his head and made him sign it over.
I had a conversation with a Mexican from Mexico who is doing quite well in this country. He has become a citizen. But he was complaining about how American industry takes advantage of Mexicans. I asked him how they did this. He said they pay low wages to their employees when they could easily pay them more. I asked, do these workers get as much or more working for those American companies then they would for like work in other jobs in Mexico. He said, oh yes, they actually make good wages relative to what others make in those communities, usually more, but it is still not fair.
Humm? Sorry I fail to understand his complaint. If the American company was not there those people would be worse off, yet they complain because they want more. I will agree this may not be fair in every respect, still it is just. No one has to divvy up their profits with those who work for them just because they can afford to. Paying a just wage and making a very good profit is not immoral.
The people who own the company are gambling. It is their money that is being put on the line.
They could lose it all. If the company fails the worker will only lose his job, not his fortune. The added profit that is being made may make the difference between that worker having a good job or having to go back to one with less pay.
Countries that profit from Foreign investments should not complain. If they do not want those companies or investments then they need to work harder and invest in themselves. Every individual, family, community or government can better itself. They should never complain or be jealous when some other person, community or government has made good. Especially if they have done so by hard work and prudent investments.
Now let us describe a Christian gambler. He may be one who has made an investment and is making good. But what about those who buy a lottery ticket or go to Los Vegas?
Have they fulfilled their commitment to Christ by supporting a Church, or a local mission, (where the poor are being taken care of), are they visiting the sick and those who are shut in, are they taking care of their bills, their family, etc.? Are they honorable, obeying the Ten Commandments, etc.? Are they of good report and doing an honest days work on the Job? Do they like to talk about the things of God? are they reading their Bible and praying? If they are doing these things then they are good basic Christians. If they buy a lottery ticket or go to Los Vegas on occasion and do so very conservatively they are not living in sin. Logistically, if every Christian did this the Lotteries would go broke. You ask, how so?
The example of what is proper relative to gambling would eventually effect their communities. Los Vegas could not afford to provide such inexpensive food and lodgings to so many conservative gamblers. Their percentage on pay off would have to be cut and eventually the attractions of the Casinos would diminish. Christians would also become more disciplined and able to control their carnal urges. There are to be Christians who abstain for various reasons. Some abstain as a vow to God or because of their position. Christian leadership, etc. Others do have problems in certain areas and they must abstain to keep out of trouble.
However, most Christians are in neither of these situations and they need to be set free to be a praise to God out in the high ways and by ways of life. Christians also need to start dancing before the Lord out there. Not in the spirit of the world but in keeping with the patterns that are portrayed in the Bible. Out side of the sanctuary, but not outside of the congregation. We need to have compulsive gamblers and alcoholics in every Church. As it is we have pushed them away because of our stand on abstinence. They need to be shown it can be done in order, and that we do understand if they do have to refrain altogether. However, those who cannot control themselves are not to set the standard. Self-discipline or self-control are to be championed while making room for those who have not reached that place yet. We are not to dumb down the Church as a way to protect the ignorant. Neither are we to establish nonsensical traditions just because some deacon lost it and got drunk or gambled his savings away. Just get them out of the way, pray for them, restore them if you can and then appoint some others who are qualified and get on with the program.
There are to many Christians who think they are saved, but have not been tried by circumstances. They are weak and really not true believers, yet they will never know for they are artificially protected by tradition. Instead of this they need to be set free to try their wings. Then if they fall they will see they need to repent and get it right. If people are so weak they cannot handle a drink they need to know it. They need to be embarrassed if they have no strength of character. It could mean the difference between heaven and hell to them.
They are too often taught that once they have given their heart to God they will never lose their salvation no matter what they do.
Of course this is a lie, but this problem is compounded when they are kept from doing things that would reveal their unsaved condition.
Weak Christians need to be protected. If you fear that some Christian would be hurt by your freedom, then restrain from doing what ever. However, those weak ones are not to be left in that dangerous state. The Church has repeatedly stopped everyone from doing things that have been questioned by the weak ones and the situation was left like this for ages. This is not the answer. The weak ones are to be lifted up and carried, but only until they can get their footing. If they stay in their weak and sinful condition and refuse to grow up they are to be treated in kind.
You may wonder how I can say such things. We must understand that there are those who only believe for a while then during temptation they fall. There are some who have had an emotional trip, but who have never accepted the Lord as their Lord. There are those who fail of the grace of God. Some turn back and never find a place of repentance. Oh, yes these things are all argued against from a bent theological stand point, but where has this gotten us? By theological concoctions we have pushed the grace of God to the point of license or lawlessness and so have done away with sin. Now there is no sin that will separate us from God. In effect we have done away with the integrity of the Bible by making the teachings of Paul contradict the moral law of God. As a result no one is accountable for what they do. We are now either messed up because of what Adam did or because of what some other of our relatives did or because of anything other then ourselves. Not!
God wants his people to be a praise to him. He wants them to serve him from their heart. Nonsensical laws hinder them from being self disciplined and developing good strong character. Again, most Christians are weak in the area of self discipline and lack good strong moral character. When any of them get out of Church for any length of time they fall on their faces in front of their carnal urges. God does not want us to abstain from everything just because it has been abused by others. There were a lot of lots cast in the Bible, some for good, some not so good. Does the bad ones make them all bad?
We can still get married and use money, though there are people who are fornicators and thieves.
Self discipline is far more praise worthy then abstinence. Abstinence is too often used as a means of controlling our appetites or as a way to control people. Touch not taste not, etc.
Artificial nonsensical laws may look good, but they do not get the job done.
They may sound so right and be so religious. But they are just like the good looking robes of the Pharisee's. They did look good on the outside, but they were like whited sepulchers that had dead men on the inside. We are to be living witnesses of the goodness of God. We have shied away from the laws of God which are to be a blessing and protection for us and have instead substituted with nonsensical laws that jab us with cruel unnatural forms of bondage.
Our nonsensical laws tend to cover us with drab garments and makes our life style look less appealing to unbelievers.
The Ten Commandments have to do with governmental laws. They are basic moral law. Yet, Christians have turned their back on them and have elevated man made laws above them. In most evangelical circles, dancing, drinking, and gambling are frowned on more then if you slip and have an affair. Many Christian leaders have had affairs and people have excused them and they have maintained their positions of leadership. But if one of them is found to be drinking or gambling they are usually put out. We look around our families and wonder why our children are so sexually promiscuous. They learn quick. If it didn't cost our pastor his position then why should they worry.
Rest Homes have numbers of neglected Christians in them who have supported their churches with their labor and finances, yet no one comes to see them regularly. The Forth Commandment is all but forgotten and fornication is excused. Where are those who love the Word of God?
How does this stack up with morality as the Bible portrays it? Not very well. We are straining at a Nat and swallowing a Camel. There is an answer to all of this. We must repent and read the Bible and study it while allowing it to be its own commentary. From this we will establish the will of God in this earth as it is in heaven. The Lord's prayer will be answered again when we get it right. He came for a Church who had made herself ready. She had his instructions right and was prepared for his coming.
Vern Manson 10-9-94 / 7-9-00 /10-26-00 / 08-2-01
