Article - Gambling: A Sin Not Worth Betting On
When gambling, a person bets on and owns a chance to take from another without giving the other anything in return. Simply put, gambling is stealing by consent (Ephesians 4:28). Studies indicate that about 80% of Americans engage in some form of gambling, with well over 8 million of those who gamble being classified as “compulsive” (www.citizenlink.com/2010/06/14/frequently-asked-questions-gambling-in-the-united-states/). The Bible indirectly teaches by principle that gambling is a sin because (1) It promotes a lack of self-control and can become an obsession (Galatians 5:23; Ephesians 2:1-3); (2) It is a “tree” that produces bad “fruit,” such as, materialism, greed, covetousness, outbursts of anger, hatred, jealousy, selfishness, revelry and even murder (it is a fact that where there is legalized gambling, there is organized crime; Matthew 7:17-18; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 John 2:15-17); (3) It harms others, such as, threatening the security of the gambler’s family (Romans 13:8; 1 Timothy 5:8) and costing fellow-citizens billions of dollars due to increased crime, prostitution and welfare (Isaiah 33:15; Romans 13:10); (4) It opposes the idea of honest work for honest pay (Genesis 3:19; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-14); (5) It encourages unfaithful stewardship (management) of the money entrusted to humans by God (Psalm 50:10-12; Luke 16:10-13). Jesus asks, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Are you willing to bet your soul on a lottery ticket?
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