[Editor's Note: This is the second in a series of articles on gambling. See last week's issue for an article by Leon Mauldin.]
FOOD FOR THOUGHT From the Think On These Things Homepage, July, 1995 (http://web.dbtech.net/~ttt/ttt957.htm)
Gambling's Bitter Fruits by David B. Brown
Here in Alabama we are still fighting the battle against a state lottery and casino gambling. Another article in this issue defines gambling and gives the scriptural reasons that a Christian will not engage in it. However, this carries little weight with most elected officials. Proponents tell us that gambling will solve all of our tax problems. Gambling does redistribute wealth; taking most from people who can least afford it and giving it to organized gaming companies to enable them to further invest in this and other vices.
The gambling industry does not create any positive product or service. The human resources that are wasted in the administration of gambling could be employed in useful endeavors (Titus 3:14). It is physically and economically impossible for the taxes collected off of this wasteful endeavor to ever make up for this drain on society! You cannot get something from nothing, but this is gambling's major premise -- and biggest lie.
Meanwhile, many get hooked on the adrenaline (win or lose) and become compulsive gamblers, placing a further drain on governmental resources and destroying their families in the process. As gambling is generally legalized, the competition will make the super-casinos in the surrounding states losing propositions. If Alabama can keep its economy free from dependence on this vice, it will be far healthier over the long term.
[TTT Editor's note: this was recently validated when the largest casino project in New Orleans went under before even opening.]
It is the Christian's social responsibility to oppose the deceptive nature of gambling by establishing the truth to those who are deceived into thinking that it can bring anything but grief.
Gambling: Definition and Practice
One of the most frequent arguments used to justify participation in gambling is that "life is a gamble." You will also hear statements like: "farming is a gamble" and "investing in business is a gamble." The fact that many religious organizations use gambling for fund raising, and many religious people support government sponsored lotteries to raise revenue is evidence that we have a confused definition of this vice.
We recognize that the word gamble might be used in a variety of ways. Those who are trying to confuse legitimate business enterprise with sinful games of chance intentionally try to blur the distinction. Sinful gambling is giving something of value up for the chance of receiving something of greater value if a particular outcome of an event occurs. The event involves no work or productive effort on the part of the participant(s).
It is important to recognize that, while all gambling involves risk taking, all risk taking is not gambling. Almost all of life's endeavors involve risk; yet, Jesus talked of farming, fishing, merchandising and many other risk-taking occupations as honorable endeavors. In and of itself, the desire to gain is not sinful, and the fact that risks are involved in almost all of human endeavors is an undeniable reality.
Farming and fishing produce food, and merchandising distributes goods to people who want or need them. In all legitimate business endeavors, profits obtained are for the goods and services rendered. Thus, everyone wins, and no one loses. The seller obtains money for his labor, and the buyer obtains goods or services desired.
On the contrary, the gambler produces nothing and gains only at the loss of others. This is the key to distinguishing between gambling and legitimate human enterprise. Gambling legitimizes taking something while giving nothing of comparable value in return. Christians should recognize that such does not satisfy Christ's law of love. We should never want to gain at the expense of others.
Gambling is wrong: it is motivated by covetousness (Eph. 5:5), it violates God's law of love (Mt. 22:39), and it encourages the love of money (1Tim. 6:9-10). If it can be justified by the use of the profits, then so can prostitution or any other vice. The ends do not justify the means (Rom. 3:8).
TEN MINUTE TALK ­ BAPTISM OF FIRE (Matt. 3:1-12)
By David J. Riggs
(http://www.public.usit.net/driggs/ten.htm)
I. Notice that the main theme of the text is a warning of judgment.
A. If they did not repent, there was coming a Great Judge who would baptize them with fire.
B. John also revealed the power of this Mighty One by stating that He would also baptize with the Holy Spirit..
1. Later, we have verses which tell us exactly how this was fulfilled. Acts 1:4-5
II. As I mentioned, the main theme is of this text is a warning of judgment from the Mighty One to those who would not repent.
A. This Mighty One would also baptize "with fire" (KJV) or "in fire (ASV).
1. The little preposition "en" in the original Greek is translated in many different ways in our English N.T. Scriptures: "in" 1874 times, "by" 141, "with" 134, "among" 117, "at" 112, "on" 46, "through" 37, miscellaneous uses 321; Total: 2782.
a. It is used with both the Holy Spirit and fire in Luke 3:16.
b. The "winnowing fan" was a flat shovel (tool) used to toss the wheat into the air so that the chaff would be blown away.
c. The emphasize here is on separation and the chaff being burned.
B. As we know, the word baptize means "immerse." Hence, this Mighty One would immerse those who would not repent in fire.
1. This is John's main theme as shown by the verse before (vs. 10) and the verse after (vs. 12).
a. The thoughts of verse 10 are used elsewhere for the punishment of evil doers. Matt. 7:19
b. Verse 12 uses the expression "unquenchable fire" which refers to eternal punishment.
2. Thus, we must conclude that the "baptism of fire" here is the eternal fire.
III. Remember, John is encouraging an evil people to repent.
A. His words are a strong warning to all those who keep in their stubborn course of sin.
B. Those who remain in the stubborn course of sin will be immersed in fire by the Mighty Judge.
1. He tells them not only to repent, but to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance ("Or answerable to amendment of life" Footnote KJV).
C. People sometime ask, "Will it be a literal fire?" "How can it be "fire" and also "outer darkness?" My answer is, "I don't know."
1. However, remember that both John's and the Lord's description of the eternal punishment is "fire."
2. Thus, whatever the punishment is, it was best depicted by holy men of God as an immersion in unquenchable fire.
D. Thus, we should seek to avoid it at all cost.
If you are subject, will you not repent? There's a Great Judge coming who will immerse in fire all those who do not bear fruits worthy of repentance. Hence, "...Repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance." Acts 26:19-20
Brief Exhortations Written and/or Compiled by David J. Riggs
(http://www.public.usit.net/driggs/)
"We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord..." (2 Cor. 4:5)
Two guest speakers were asked to speak to a student body regarding Abraham Lincoln. After the first speech, the unanimous consensus of the
student body was, "Our speaker was a great speaker." After the second speech, the consensus was, "Abraham Lincoln was a great man." We ask,
"Which one did his job?" Let us not exalt or glorify ourselves in our preaching, but the Lord Jesus Christ.