For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth...Eph 5:9
Summer 2000 Volume 1, Issue 3 |
Gambling Away Salvation! |
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Perhaps one of the fastest growing past-times of Americans today is that of gambling. As
more states institute lotteries and legalize casinos, the lure of easy money draws countless
souls into eternal jeopardy. It Promotes & Is The Result of Covetousness The sole purpose for gambling is to acquire a lot of money with little effort. Paul warned in 1Tim 6:10, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." In fact, the Word of God tells us that covetousness is equivalent to idolatry in the eyes of God (Col 3:5). Hebrews 13:5 says, "Let your conversation [manner of life, TP] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have." He who is content with the things God has blessed him with will have no desire to gamble for more, understanding he may lose what he has. The Gambler Benefits From The Loss and I once read about a sign that hangs in the window of a clothes cleaners in Las Vegas which read, "While you are here, why not get your clothes cleaned too." Indeed few people actually walk away from gambling with winnings. Most people who gamble lose, and statistics show that gambling is most popular among those who cannot afford to lose. The Bible declares in Proverbs 14:31, "He that oppresseth the poor, reproacheth his Maker." Though the gambler who loses gets what he deserves, unfortunately, most losers are the innocent victims of the gambler; such as his family. Do children deserve to go hungry because their mother gambled away the grocery money? |
When someone celebrates their winning of a great deal of money by gambling, they are in essence rejoicing that someone else has suffered loss. "Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished" (Proverbs 17:5). It Promotes Other Sin Have you ever gone into a casino and asked if they have Bible studies? If gambling were a wholesome activity, then why is there so much sin associated with it? Jesus declared in Matthew 7:20, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Consider the fruits of gambling. Casinos will not give out Bibles, but they will provide free alcohol, because they want people to be under the influence of alcohol, not under the influence of the Word of God. Motivated by greed, many gamblers will engage in illegal activities in order to get more money to gamble with. Casinos are constantly alert, looking for cheaters and thieves in their establishments. That is because those kinds of people are drawn to gambling. Furthermore, those engaged in organized crime, loan sharking, prostitution, etc. continuously exploit the greed of the gambler. It Promotes Superstition When Mel Torme sang "Luck Be A Lady Tonight," he demonstrated a very serious problem that affects gamblers; superstition.
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