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“Voice For The Vices”
Categories: GRAB BAGI have been reading over some of these topics such as gambling, drinking, etc. And though I believe these things are wrong if they are abused, how is it a sin to go out with some friends and have a glass of wine (some people drink wine for the taste, not to get drunk) or go to the casino every once in a while for a little fun and entertainment? We go to the movies and spend money on other fun events when we could be putting that money toward the church or saving for the future... I realize that you may be putting yourself in sinful situations as well, but where do you draw the line? Should we just not go out into public because most likely there will always be a sin going on somewhere? You could be at a restaurant where someone is at the table next to you drunk, smoking, or over-eating (causing gluttony). So how can you say it is absolutely wrong to do any of these things without knowing the situation?And I did read 1 Timothy 6:10, and it’s true gambling can be addictive, but so can almost everything... shopping, eating, smoking, drinking, video games, etc. Don’t you think we just need to use our wisdom in every situation when it is not specifically mentioned in the Bible and be the judge for ourselves if it is wrong or not?
Sincerely,
Freedom Fighter
Dear Freedom Fighter,
Your concern that we not overstep the boundaries of the Bible is duly noted, but we fear that you may have ulterior motives in writing in this question because we have never written on the issue of drinking (may it not be the case with you, but we have often found that people “push” the drinking topic out of a desire to legitimize their own pre-existing drinking habits) which makes us wonder why you wrote, “I have been reading over some of these topics such as gambling, drinking, etc.”
When the Bible does not specifically mention something as a sin, we must be very careful not to create laws where none exist. In all of our answers to questions, we try very hard to lay out what the Bible says specifically and what the Bible says implicitly about a topic. Just because the Bible doesn’t specifically mention something doesn’t mean it doesn’t condemn it (the Bible never specifically mentions pornography, and yet pornography is very clearly sinful).
The key to the whole issue is to ask: “What does the sum of God’s Word say on the topic?” (Ps 119:160). Gambling isn’t wrong just because it can be addictive or just because it feeds a sinful culture or just because it wastes money. It is the combination of risks, influences, and errors surrounding gambling that condemn it.
The same goes with the influence and appearance involved with drinking. Yes, you could attend a restaurant where someone is getting drunk, but everyone understands that eating at a restaurant that happens to serve alcohol is very different then going to a bar or tavern. So just because someone next to you at a restaurant can get drunk and someone next to you at a bar can get drunk – that does not make those two places equal.
Christianity is about more than just trying to avoid breaking the rules. We are to flee immorality (1 Tim 6:11) and flee temptation (2 Tim 2:22). Both gambling and alcohol are a part of a culture that emphasizes worldliness. Christians should use wisdom in every situation to discern between habits that are generally beneficial to mankind and habits that are generally destructive. We here at AYP seek to show people all the elements involved in different choices and what God says about those elements… and, yes, sometimes that does make people walk away saying, “I don’t know how someone could ever do that without sinning”.
