At what point is the consumption of ice cream considered to be gluttonous and, therefore, a sin?  To be more specific, how many times a day is it acceptable for a christian to have a serving of ice cream?  Thank you so much for your insight.

Sincerely,
Waffling About The Cone

Dear Waffling About The Cone,

We specialize in Bible answers to questions, and there is no specific number of scoops that the Bible dictates you can or cannot have… so all you ice cream lovers take a deep breath and relax!  The Bible addresses gluttony as an act of laziness (Pr 19:24) and an abuse of the body God has given you (1 Cor 6:19).  Physical exercise is noted as being profitable, but not nearly as important as spiritual exercise (1 Tim 4:8).  Overall, the Scriptures lay out a general principle of healthy living and not overindulging.  Moderation is the key, and there is a time for everything (Eccl 3:1).  Just make sure you balance out that Rocky Road with a little broccoli from time to time!

I would like Bible reading about if gambling is a sin and where to find it in the Bible.

Sincerely,
On A Roll

Dear On A Roll,

The Bible never specifically mentions gambling as a sin, but gambling is wrong for several major reasons.

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).

Gambling is used as a means to gain money without working for it.  God finds pleasure in people working for their money (2 Thess 3:10-12,Pr 10:4).

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).

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).

Gambling is addictive.  We can only have one master (Lk 16:13).

All of these things deal with what is normally thought of as gambling.  Things like school raffles, cakewalks, penny-ante card games among friends, etc. fall into a grayer area.  So whenever considering these activities, use wisdom in comparing them to the concepts listed above.

Our church recently had to make a major decision.  One man mentioned that we should consider Scriptural examples of how the disciples made major decisions, and the most similar example he could think of was when the apostles cast lots in Acts 1 to choose who would replace Judas.  Some people dismissed this instantly, saying that we don't have the Holy Spirit the way the apostles did.  Another person said we shouldn't have to resort to casting lots; we could work this out logically.  Is casting lots an appropriate way for churches to make decisions today, and if so, what does casting lots look like?

Sincerely,
Luck Of The Draw

Dear Luck Of The Draw,

Casting lots was an ancient way of randomly deciding on something.  It is akin to flipping a coin or drawing the short straw in today’s culture.  Historically, what little we know of casting lots involved using dark and light colored stones and blindly choosing them, with each colored stone representing some aspect of the decision that needed to be made.  In Acts 1:26, they cast lots to decide who would replace Judas the traitor and be numbered as one of the twelve apostles.  There are several key ideas that need to be understood before we make this a common practice in the church.

1. All logic had already been applied to the situation.  The apostles had already consulted Scriptures (Acts 1:15-16, Acts 1:20).  They had also used wisdom in setting up the minimum criteria for becoming an apostle (Acts 1:21-22).  This decision was not made randomly and without prior thought.  They came to the conclusion of two potential candidates using Scriptural guidance and wisdom (Acts 1:23).
2. This was a decision between two perfectly Biblical and healthy choices.  Both Joseph and Matthias were godly, faithful, competent, and qualified men.  Either one would have been a good decision.  Once again, all logic had been applied already.  The only reason they had to choose between these two men was because there was only one slot to fill in the apostleship.  Casting lots left the decision to random chance because there was no downside.
3. The power was in the prayer, not the casting of lots.  Before they cast lots, they prayed (Acts 1:24-25).  There is only one time in the entire New Testament that we see casting lots used in a decision-making process… but we see prayer involved in hundreds of decisions.  The common denominator throughout the New Testament is prayer.  They prayed for wisdom and then “flipped a coin” because they honestly couldn’t choose between these two godly men, and God blessed their decision because they prayed and asked for the blessing.

In short (as if this was a short answer!), casting lots is as applicable as drawing straws – you can do it, but it really isn’t going to do you any good in and of itself.  Prayer (Jas 1:5), searching the Scriptures (Acts 17:11), and a multitude of wise counselors (Pr 11:14) are the real keys to good decision-making.

The UFC on TV (cage fighting)… I think it is horrible that they put two guys in a cage to fight each other and for them to beat the snot out of each other while the women and men in the crowd applaud and cheer; that is so horrible to watch.  The fighting cage looks like the devil den or something. They beat each other so badly that sometimes it’s fatal; I was wondering if this horrible thing is a sin.

Sincerely,
Not A Fighter

Dear Not A Fighter,

The Bible has no problem with organized, competitive sports – even boxing and wrestling, but there is a line between sportsmanship and savagery.  Paul uses boxing as an analogy for Christianity (1 Cor 9:26-27)… implying that there is no problem with boxing, wrestling, and other combat sports.  Therefore, it would be wrong to make a blanket statement that all combat-related sports are sinful.

However, we must also balance that knowledge with other teachings on the subject of human life and violence.  Every human is made in the image of God (Gen 1:27), and every life is precious.  The Scriptures condemn flagrant violence (Gen 6:11-13, Pr 3:31) and careless attitudes towards human life.  There is a point where healthy competition morphs itself into animal savagery.  It is important that we always keep these concepts in mind when dealing with modern entertainment innovations.

Is it a sin for there to be mixed couples (and to dislike mixed couples) because everywhere I go I see it… mostly white girls with black guys, and I cannot help not getting angry; I feel that this is wrong.  If God wanted mixed couples, He would have made Adam and Eve mixed.

Sincerely,
Oil And Water

Dear Oil And Water,

It is a sin to dislike “mixed” couples… and yes, you can help it and not get angry.  In the beginning, God made Adam and Eve (Gen 1:26-27).  From Adam and Eve, every race and skin color was created.  Eve is the mother of all living (Gen 3:20).  If we believe the Biblical account of Creation (and we should!), then all of us are equal descendants of Adam and Eve.  We are all “mixed” and have been since the start of the human race.  There is absolutely ZERO Biblical justification for racism.  In Christ, all are equal (Col 3:10-11).