Gambling - Fun or Sin?

  • Thread starter Thread starter middle-texan
  • Start date Start date
  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
M

middle-texan

Guest
Some have asked "Is gambling wrong? Should a Christian gamble, or spend money on games of chance? As a Christian, is it sinful for me to spend my leisure time and money gambling?" Maybe these thoughts will be helpful in deciding whether this is an activity in which you should participate.

  • First , what is our motive - is it to gain more money? If so our guidance may come from I Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
  • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Second, what is the danger that our leisure gambling will become an addiction? Many have experienced this fate, as nearly
  • 2 million U.S. adults are pathological gamblers and another 4 to 6 million are problem gamblers. This addiction can destroy the family, lead to job loss, and cause a person to lose control of their life[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]. Again, consider scripture:[/FONT]…for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. (2 Peter 2:19)
  • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Third, is gambling a way for you to avoid working for money? [/FONT]Gambling [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]for some is[/FONT] a way to bypass work, but the Bible counsels us to work and provide [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]for ourselves and others[/FONT]:[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. (Proverbs 10:4).
  • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Finally, what is your hope when you gamble? Gambling provides a false hope, but Christians should be filled with the kind of hope that is fulfilling and supplied by God. [/FONT]Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (1 Timothy 6:17[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif])[/FONT]
[/FONT]
I[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]n all things, the Bible encourages us to consider our activities in this way:[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12)[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] A thorough knowledge of the scriptures provides a trustworthy guide for living, so let's use them.[/FONT][/FONT]
 
Very well said. You are skillful in using the Word of God to illuminate our eyes to understand about gambling from God's point of view. These scriptures are good to guide someone (who is into gambling) to forsake this ungodly lifestyle. God bless you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back