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"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 Jn. 2:16).
Satan never gives up on us while we are alive. His goal is our soul. His domain is this world. His aim is our eternal ruin. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). And he has found a major ally in the gambling industry: i.e., the lottery, horse racing, dog racing, casino, internet gambling, sports betting, bingo, football pool, raffle, etc. Consider the possible scenarios in which Satan wins:
What is wrong with these activities? No one is hurt. Is it harmless entertainment? What do we mean by gambling? The dictionary says to play a game of chance for money or other stakes. Stafford North in his tract on gambling defines it as desiring the possessions or possessions of another (the prize) the gambler creates a risk (that of losing his possessions) in an attempt through chance to gain the possessions of another with nothing in exchange. In others words, gambling is a combination of legalized theft, lying and cheating or getting something for nothing. The Bible authorizes only three ways to earn a living:
It appeals to the lust of the flesh. In First John 2:16 the apostle John speaks of the three parts of sin. Sin is what separates us from God. Sin is rooted in a love of this world. By "this world" we do not refer to this physical world. We refer to the system of ungodliness and unrighteousness, which reigns, on this earth: illicit riches, advantages, pleasures, earthly goods, etc. Yet, the Father and the Son still care for this world (Jn. 3:15). John speaks of the lust of the flesh. He refers to our natural, physical desires for food, drink and procreation. By themselves such desires are acceptable to God (Gen. 1:28). Satan mangles these desires into the sin of lust. Sin manifests itself most effectively in our society in the form of worldliness. Worldliness is when one goes beyond the God ordained pattern for life (righteousness) and seeks fulfillment of their desires. Gambling appeals to the flesh and worldliness; the rottenness of this world. Examine the world of gambling. The gaming industry (?) is rife with corruption. The government sees the lottery as a means of revenue, spawning an estimated 15 million compulsive gamblers or addicts. It appeals to the lowest human denominator — greed and selfishness. Homes and lives are ruined. "Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things" (Phil. 3:19). For the gambler, rather than love of neighbor there is love of this world. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (Jn. 13:34). What gambler ever wants others to win? What gambler wants to lose his bet to others? He can't! He wants his neighbor to lose so he can win. The gambler cannot love his neighbor as Christ did (2 Cor. 8:9). It appeals to the lust of the eyes. The gambler thinks only of that beautiful horse that is racing, the pile of prize money and the things he plans to do with it. Casinos appeal to the eyes: flashing lights, glitter, cheap food and drink. That is the way the lust of the flesh works: we see, we covet, and we sin. As the Israelite, Achan, told Joshua, "When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them..." (Josh. 7:21). Covetousness is lusting after things others have. It is the heart of gambling — the lust for money. It is idolatry (Col. 3:5) with lady luck becoming an idol. "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 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" (1 Tim. 6:9-10). God requires us to practice good stewardship with our money. It comes with the realization that it is really His money, not ours (Psa. 24:1). We are but mangers of God possessions. Would you trust your money to a banker who puts it all on a bet? This is what the gambler does with God's money. It appeals to the pride of life. Everyone knows that gambling can be exciting. There is the adrenalin rush the gambler gets from placing the bet. There is the thrill of occasionally winning the prize with their accompanying boasting. It comes down to the pride of being right. They erroneously perceive they were right in placing that bet. Glory is rarely if ever given to God. In the Parable of the Rich Fool the fool made the same mistake: "And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry" (Lk. 12:19). The Christian must surrender foolish pride at the foot of the Cross (2 Cor. 10:5). The Holy Spirit commands the Christian to avoid gambling. "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth" (Eph. 4:28). The gambler depends on lady luck for his sustenance. The Christian is to depend upon God. Many gamblers dream of a heaven on earth in which they win the prize and all their troubles will vanish. These include the once-a-week players of the lottery who claim to believe in God. They want to be in line at both counters, so to speak. But the Bible reveals that the real Heaven will not be the destination of the gambler. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9-10, emphasis mine, RLR). |