Gambling is a sin (not because Roman soldiers cast lots for Christ's clothes, but because gambling is an attempt to reward ourselves apart from God's sovereignty).
It's easy to recognize gambling when slot machines, lottery tickets or football pools are involved. It gets a little harder when the wagering takes place at home (and I'm not talking about online casinos or sports books).
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Here's some odds:
Of the tens of millions of married men living in the US who identify themselves as Christians, not one will wake up tomorrow morning promising God, "By noon today I'll have willingly taken the first step toward denying Christ by ruining my life with financial debt, adultery or substance abuse and not one person will be adversely affected by my decision."
Of the tens of millions of married women living in the US who identify themselves as Christians, not one will walk out of church next Sunday morning thinking, "My walk with Christ will be enhanced and my emotional life will be fulfilled by having an adulterous affair, by becoming a prescription drug addict or by gossiping about that woman who has the gall to show her face at
my church."
Of the millions of single Christian men living in the US, not one will fall asleep tonight praying to God, "Please make me a porn addict and expose me to the ridicule of family and friends, that they may see your righteousness in me."
And of the millions of single Christian women living in the US, not one will show up at a party (or a date) next Friday night having prayed, "Lord, help me share my faith with others by smoking pot, doing shots, losing control and waking up the next day with no idea who I've had sex with."
So how do those things happen? Sin happens when
we live as though we're betting that it won't.
Given the odds on
that wager, we're guaranteed to lose every time.
