The Bible never outright mentions gambling as a sin, but....
Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
"Your conversation" means your manner of life. Don't be known as a moneygrabber, as one who puts the almighty dollar above almighty God. He may not make you a millionaire, but He will never leave you or forsake you. Isn't it wonderful to have Him say that to you? It does not matter who you are or what you do, if you have responded in faith to the Word of God, you have been brought to the place where you can know that He will never leave you or forsake you. I have a notion that I have friends today who would forsake me, and I may have relatives who would forsake me. But the Lord Jesus will never forsake me. I hope you have Him on your side.
1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV) 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.
Money is not evil in itself -- it is amoral. Notice it is the love of money that is a (rather than the) root of all evil. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness [1Tim. 6:11]. These are the virtues that a man of God should pursue. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses [1Tim. 6:12]. "Fight the good fight of faith." This fight may be outward or inward, physical or spiritual. "Lay hold on eternal life." Let me ask you a question: If you were arrested for being a Christian and were brought into court, would there be enough evidence to convict you? This is what Paul is talking about. "Lay hold on eternal life" -- make it clear by your life that you are a child of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 (KJV) He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Wealth will not bring satisfaction in life. Wealth is not wrong in itself. The Scripture never condemns wealth. It condemns the love of money. Not the money itself, but the love of money is a root of all evil (see 1Tim. 6:10). To accumulate wealth for wealth's sake is wrong. The miser thinks dollars are flat so they can be stacked; the spendthrift thinks they are round so they can be rolled. Both are entirely wrong.
Man's attitude toward money is the issue. There is nothing wrong with our profit system itself. The wrong is in the people who are in it. It is the love of money which is wrong. The love of money makes people try to get rich for riches' sake.
Proverbs 13:11 (KJV) Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
This is another proverb that should be considered in the light of eternity; that is the yardstick that you must put down alongside this. Many wealthy men apparently knew that they had very foolish offspring; so they established trust funds and put legal chains around their estates so their offspring could not get to it. Such an arrangement is made so that their offspring can live off the income, but they cannot touch the estate itself. As a result there are many rich sons in the world today, men who never made a dime in their lives, they wouldn't know how to work for a living at all; yet they are heirs to tremendous fortunes. But they have been protected so that they cannot touch the principal of their estates. If they could, they would foolishly spend it all.
Now this proverb needs to be looked at in the light of eternity. What are true riches? What is wealth really? Is it those stocks and bonds? Well, the individual is going to lose them someday. Death took them away from the original owner. Nobody came in and stole them; he stole away! He went off and left them. And that's going to happen to those who own those stocks and bonds today.
Matthew 6:24 (KJV) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon, (i.e. wealth).
Matthew 6:20 (KJV) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
A great many folk think that money cannot be used in a spiritual way and that when you talk about money, you are talking about something that is only material. However, our Lord says that we are to lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven. How can we do that? Well, instead of putting it in a bank in Switzerland, put it in heaven by giving it to the Lord's work down here -- but make sure it is in the Lord's work. You ought to investigate everything you give to. Make sure that you are giving to that which will accumulate treasure for you in heaven. If it is used for the propagation of the gospel and to get out the Word of God, it becomes legal tender in heaven, and that is how we gather treasure in heaven.
- God doesn't want us to love money (Hebrews 13:5)
- The love of money can lead to all kinds of evil things (1 Timothy 6:10)
- There's never satisfaction (Ecclesiastes 5:10)
- It is temporary (Proverbs 13:11)
- It is impossible to love God and love money (Matthew 6:24)
Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
"Your conversation" means your manner of life. Don't be known as a moneygrabber, as one who puts the almighty dollar above almighty God. He may not make you a millionaire, but He will never leave you or forsake you. Isn't it wonderful to have Him say that to you? It does not matter who you are or what you do, if you have responded in faith to the Word of God, you have been brought to the place where you can know that He will never leave you or forsake you. I have a notion that I have friends today who would forsake me, and I may have relatives who would forsake me. But the Lord Jesus will never forsake me. I hope you have Him on your side.
1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV) 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.
Money is not evil in itself -- it is amoral. Notice it is the love of money that is a (rather than the) root of all evil. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness [1Tim. 6:11]. These are the virtues that a man of God should pursue. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses [1Tim. 6:12]. "Fight the good fight of faith." This fight may be outward or inward, physical or spiritual. "Lay hold on eternal life." Let me ask you a question: If you were arrested for being a Christian and were brought into court, would there be enough evidence to convict you? This is what Paul is talking about. "Lay hold on eternal life" -- make it clear by your life that you are a child of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 (KJV) He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Wealth will not bring satisfaction in life. Wealth is not wrong in itself. The Scripture never condemns wealth. It condemns the love of money. Not the money itself, but the love of money is a root of all evil (see 1Tim. 6:10). To accumulate wealth for wealth's sake is wrong. The miser thinks dollars are flat so they can be stacked; the spendthrift thinks they are round so they can be rolled. Both are entirely wrong.
Man's attitude toward money is the issue. There is nothing wrong with our profit system itself. The wrong is in the people who are in it. It is the love of money which is wrong. The love of money makes people try to get rich for riches' sake.
Proverbs 13:11 (KJV) Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
This is another proverb that should be considered in the light of eternity; that is the yardstick that you must put down alongside this. Many wealthy men apparently knew that they had very foolish offspring; so they established trust funds and put legal chains around their estates so their offspring could not get to it. Such an arrangement is made so that their offspring can live off the income, but they cannot touch the estate itself. As a result there are many rich sons in the world today, men who never made a dime in their lives, they wouldn't know how to work for a living at all; yet they are heirs to tremendous fortunes. But they have been protected so that they cannot touch the principal of their estates. If they could, they would foolishly spend it all.
Now this proverb needs to be looked at in the light of eternity. What are true riches? What is wealth really? Is it those stocks and bonds? Well, the individual is going to lose them someday. Death took them away from the original owner. Nobody came in and stole them; he stole away! He went off and left them. And that's going to happen to those who own those stocks and bonds today.
Matthew 6:24 (KJV) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon, (i.e. wealth).
Matthew 6:20 (KJV) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
A great many folk think that money cannot be used in a spiritual way and that when you talk about money, you are talking about something that is only material. However, our Lord says that we are to lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven. How can we do that? Well, instead of putting it in a bank in Switzerland, put it in heaven by giving it to the Lord's work down here -- but make sure it is in the Lord's work. You ought to investigate everything you give to. Make sure that you are giving to that which will accumulate treasure for you in heaven. If it is used for the propagation of the gospel and to get out the Word of God, it becomes legal tender in heaven, and that is how we gather treasure in heaven.
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