Berean Digest
Tavares D. Mathews
Gambling and other Sins
Let the People Vote?
It has become common place for Americans to put every conceivable matter to a majority vote. But, when has it ever been right to put sin to a vote. I, a man, want to marry another man – let’s put it to a vote. I want to have the choice to murder my unborn child – let’s put it to a vote. I want to be able to steal the possessions of my neighbor – let’s put it to a vote.
Shakespeare has Juliet ask the question “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” You can call sin by any name that you choose, but the repugnant odor still lingers in the nostrils of Him who rules the Universe.
We have become a nation whose moral compass of right and wrong has become defective. We are those “that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).
We are advocating the right for men to marry men and calling it civil unions, domestic partnership or same-sex marriage. But, think about this. If we have to preface marriage with” same-sex” that shows that such is not the original or standard meaning of marriage.
We are advocating women’s right to choose. But, what are the options. Will she let her child live or murder it? If she chooses murder – let’s call it an abortion. Why would you abort (terminate) something that is not yet alive?
We are advocating man’s right to covet and steal the possessions of another and calling it gambling.
Let’s put it to a vote. All in favor say, “S – I – N”
Gambling
Jobs are created. Schools are funded. Communities are revitalized. It helps the economy. “Let us do evil that good may come?” (Rom. 3:8) There are not enough trees available to begin expressing the great harm gambling has caused in society. But where is he “Thy shalt not gamble” passage? Such a passage does not exist. “Well why is it wrong”? It violates the principles of stewardship and God’s commandments not to covet and steal. Your possessions do not ultimately belong to you. They are the property of another, namely, God. (Psalm 24:1; 1 Cor. 4:2) God will not hold him guiltless who squanders those things entrusted to him.
Furthermore, covetousness which is greed drives gambling. If you were to take away the object of value – gambling would cease. In order for gambling to work, there must be an object of value or pools of money. Someone gains the money of others by means of willful theft. Just because someone willfully allows others to take his money if he loses does not make it right. If a person tells another to kill him, it’s still murder! The Bible indicates four ways a person’s possessions can be lawfully increased. One may gain by working (Eph. 4:28), gain interest (Matt. 25:27), receive gains from another, e.g. a gift or inheritance (Luke 15:12) or one may find objects of value (Matt. 13:44). There is only one other way to gain – unlawfully – through theft.
We must understand that the issue is not how much is being waged. The amount is not the issue – whether a penny or a million dollars – gambling is gambling. Rather, raffle tickets, slot machines, casino style games, etc. Most people ultimately gamble for one reason – to get rich. “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. 6:10). Gambling is also addictive. “Promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.” (2 Peter 2:19). God has said that we can fund our government through paying taxes not gambling (Mat. 22:21; Rom. 13:6, 7). Furthermore, if we wanted to help schools and society financially – we could just write a check. Let the people vote?!
Homosexuality
God vehemently declares in both the Old and New Testaments that homosexuality is an abomination. “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death” (Lev. 20:13)
“For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error” (Romans 1:26, 27). Paul says that men and women were not physically designed to have sexual relations with those of the same sex – thus he calls this behavior – unnatural. Natural functions can only occur between a male and a female. An unnatural function occurs when a male/male or female/female try to join – God calls this error. Because God is the creator and designer of the human family, we would do well to heed His commands. Let the people vote?!
Abortion
“If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury If God demanded capital punishment because a man, seemingly, accidentally hit a woman and her child was killed – what do you think He thinks of the doctors and mothers who deliberately murder children everyday? God says he hates “hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:17). Could there be any blood more innocent than a helpless baby? But when does life begin. James states, “the body without the spirit is dead” (James 2:26). Solomon informs us that at death “the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Luke tells us that Elisabeth “conceived a son” (Luke 1:36) Thus, a child receives his spirit from God at conception and hence is alive. In like manner, a person is considered dead once that spirit leaves the body – in this case – when they are aborted. The Psalmist affirms, “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them” (139:13, 16) Even though humans go through different stages inside the womb before they are fully developed, that does not mean that they are not human. We go through different stages on the outside of the womb, but that does not mean that we are more or less human during each stage. When a sperm fertilizes an egg cell a human is conceived. That child possesses all the genetic make-up that it will ever have. Based on that make-up that child will be a boy or girl, tall or short, blue or brown eyed, etc. Let the people vote?! The conclusion of the matter: Legalizing sin does not make it lawful. The proverbial writer exclaims, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34). If righteousness exalts a nation, what does unrighteousness do? We sing and pray, “God Bless America”, but will God curse America? The Psalmist declares, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). Let the people vote?! – By no means. The King of the Universe has already ruled on these matters. “Let God be found true, but every man a liar” because “Forever, O LORD, Thy word is settled in heaven” (Romans. 3:4; Psalms 119:89).