Episode 71: Is Gambling a Sin?

Introduction

Gambling has become ubiquitous with the legalization of online sports gambling. The law is a teacher. So, as gambling becomes legal, it also becomes socially acceptable. Many people do not even know that gambling is a morally wrong or questionable!

Definition of Gambling:

 to gamble:

1. to play at any game of chance for money or other stakes.
2. to stake or risk money, or anything of value, on the outcome of something involving chance.

gambling

1. the activity or practice of playing at a game of chance for money or other stakes.
2. the act or practice of risking the loss of something important by taking a chance or acting recklessly.

The Ninth Commandment:

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.

What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor’s inheritance or house, or get it in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it.

• ⁷ What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” ⁸ But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. Romans 7:7-8
• “No one should consider or intend to get what belongs to another, such as his wife, servants, house and estate, land, meadows, cattle. He should not take them even with a show of right, by a trick, or to his neighbor’s harm. For above, in the Seventh Commandment, the vice is forbidden where one takes for himself the possessions of others or withholds them from his neighbor. A person cannot rightly do these things. But here it is also forbidden for you to alienate anything from your neighbor, even though you could do so with honor in the eyes of the world, so that no one could accuse or blame you as though you had gotten it wrongfully.” Large Catechism Part 1, 296 on the 9^th and 10^th Commandments. Source: https://bookofconcord.cph.org/en/large-catechism/part_1/the_ninth_and_tenth_commandments/

Command to love your neighbor:

• Gambling does not seek the best for your neighbor. Rather, gambling only seeks your own good at the expense of your neighbor. If I have a thousand dollars, and my neighbor has a cow, and my neighbor wants to sell his cow for a thousand dollars and I want to buy the cow for a thousand dollars, we both benefit from the exchange. I benefit by getting the cow I want. My neighbor benefits from the thousand dollars he wants. We both leave happy. The same goes for doing honest work in exchange for payment. But with gambling, you are seeking to obtain your neighbor’s money or property with no gain for him. It is not loving your neighbor. 
• You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18
• “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ Matthew 5:43
• And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:39
• Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:10
• For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14
• Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Ephesians 4:28

Warning against the love of money:

• ⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain, ⁷ for we brought nothing into the world, andwe cannot take anything out of the world. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. ¹¹ But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:6-11
• But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 2 Timothy 3:1-4
• And Jesus said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15
• But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Ephesians 5:3
• Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5

Warning against foolish recklessness associated with gambling

• Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. Luke 15:13
• One who is wise is cautious [or fears (the Lord)] and turns away from evil,
      but a fool is reckless and careless. Proverbs 14:16
• But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8
• Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
      it takes away the life of its possessors. Proverbs 1:19
• Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,
      but he who hates bribes will live. Proverbs 15:27
• Whoever robs his father or his mother
      and says, “That is no transgression,”
      is a companion to a man who destroys.
  ²⁵ A greedy man stirs up strife,
      but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched. Proverbs 28:24-25
• It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, much less for a slave to rule over princes. Proverbs 19:10
• Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
      but righteousness delivers from death.

The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
    but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
⁴ A slack hand causes poverty,
    but the hand of the diligent makes rich. Proverbs 10:2-4

Warning especially to young men to mark and avoid online gambling

• Gambling is a sin. Yet, it is also a destructive sin. And now that anyone can gamble in secret on their phone without their family knowing until it is too late, the sin grows to become incredibly destructive. Gambling has led to poverty, lying, stealing, divorce, and other great evils.

Gospel Encouragement

• ⁵ Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
• ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:31-33
• Gambling shows a lack of love for one’s neighbor and a lack of trust in God. Yet, when we seek first God’s kingdom and see what Christ has done for us, we can resist the temptation to gamble. Jesus did not gamble when He laid down His life for us, but with His Holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, He honestly and rightly redeemed us from sin, death, and hell, so that we may be free from sin, including coveting, and rely on Him.