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What Every Christian Should Know and Do About Gambling
A Suggested Sunday School Lesson:
- “What is wrong with gambling?”
- “Where in the Bible does it say, ‘Thou shall not gamble?’?”
- “Aren’t you getting into politics when you teach against an issue like the lottery?”
- “Aren’t you interested in our students getting a college education?”
These and similar questions are being asked. They deserve an answer, but many Christians are not sure they know how to answer them. The purpose of this lesson is to equip believers with a few of the many Bible answers, and to provide reliable facts about the devastation that always accompanies gambling.
God gave us the Ten Commandments through Moses. They are short “thou shall nots.” In addition to the Ten Commandments, God tells us through many other biblical writers how we can know Him and live joyful and fruitful lives. Sometimes we find these instructions in the form of a direct command such as how to be saved (Acts 16:31), and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Other times they are stated in principles like the challenge to always be our best. We get this principle from “Whatever your hands do, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
The Bible does not say, “Thou shall not gamble.” Neither does it say, “Thou shall not molest a child.” However, the Bible is not silent on either of these subjects.
The Commandments do speak against gambling
One of the best sources for knowing what gambling is really like is from ex-gamblers. When you listen to the testimonies of pathological gamblers who are now actively living for the Lord, you hear statements like these: “During my gambling career, I violated the first commandment, ‘Thou shall have no other gods before me.’ Gambling dominated my life. I put gambling before everyone and everything. It became the god of my life. The Bible says, ‘Thou shall not steal.’ I never used a gun, but I was always trying to take from others what did not belong to me. I always felt like I was stealing. I certainly broke the commandment, ‘Thou shall not covet.’ I greedily wanted the money others had and I would go to any length to get it.”
Gambling violates the law of love
Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40).
A Christian cannot follow the law of love and gamble, because the two are opposites. Gambling does not help you love either God or others. Gambling requires that you harden your heart to take away what belongs to another person.
Gambling is contrary to the biblical work ethic
The Bible teaches that we are to live by our own work, not by exploiting others (Exodus 20:9, Ephesians 4:28, 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12).
Each person is obligated under God to work. This work must be in keeping with God’s intention. His intention is that man should work to sustain his life and support his dependents. The able person who refuses to work has no right to eat. No one is to “sponge” off others. Work is the divinely appointed way of caring for one’s household (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12; 1 Timothy 5:8).
Gambling is contrary to biblical stewardship
The Lord is the absolute owner of everything (1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 24:1; 1 Corinthians 10:26). We are only stewards or managers of what he has graciously entrusted to us.
The recognition that God owns all the things in this world is the beginning of a right relationship to things. Out of this awareness there arises a fitting response; we first give ourselves to Him (2 Corinthians 8:5). Good stewardship begins in the surrender of self to the will of God. From that inward dedication we move to the sober and grateful handling of our stewardship in economic matters (Luke 12:42-48; Matthew 25:14-46). Gambling violates every principle of Christian stewardship.
Gambling is contrary to the right use of money
The Bible indicates certain uses of money or property that are in accord with the intention of God. Money may be used to provide for our basic needs (2 Thessalonians 3:10), support one’s family (1 Timothy 5:8), contribute to the Lord’s work (1 Corinthians 16:1-3), meet human needs (Ephesians 4:28; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15), give to the poor
(John 13:29), and pay taxes (Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:7).
Such conscientious handling of one’s resources precludes gambling. There is no way any form of gambling can contribute to the injunction to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-21).
(Used With Permission by George Ricker, Alabama)
