“Rolling The Dice”

Wednesday, April 01, 2015

     Is it okay for Christians to buy lottery tickets?  A while back, our preacher made a comment regarding what types of things he would do if he won the lottery.  I wasn't sure why he would be plotting plans for a potential windfall when I was under the impression that any kind of gambling is sinful.  Is this correct?

Sincerely,
Stumped

Dear Stumped,

Your preacher may have just been making an off-handed remark, or he may be a serious gambler… but either way, here are some verses to consider.  The Bible never specifically mentions gambling as a sin, but there are a great many things surrounding gambling that are sinful.  Consider that:

1. Gambling focuses around money and greed.  God warns us clearly about being fixated with money (1 Tim 6:10, Heb 13:5).  God wants us to be satisfied with our income (Eccl 5:10).  Contentment is a major component of spiritual maturity (1 Tim 6:6).
2. Gambling is used as a means to gain money without working for it.  God finds pleasure in people working for their livelihood (2 Thess 3:10-12, Pr 10:4).
3. Gambling wastes money because, ultimately, the house does always win.  God expects us to be good stewards (1 Cor 4:2) and save for the future (Pr 6:6-8).
4. Gambling and the places where gambling occurs are often associated with other sinful things.  There is a reason Las Vegas is called “Sin City”.  That industry is not one that a christian should be supporting (2 Cor 6:16-17).
5. Gambling is addictive.  We can only have one master (Lk 16:13).

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