The Snare of the Bottle and the Jackpot

NOT ALL THINGS ARE BENEFICIAL OR EXPEDIENT FOR BELIEVERS

By Ezekiel Kimosop

Is it permissible for a believer to indulge in alcoholic beverages or gambling? I have repeatedly come across this question on Facebook.

We have also extensively discussed on this forum in the past about dangers of addictive substances and ungodly practices.

Gambling is definitely not listed in the Bible as sin. However we can discern from our study of Scripture that its practice is ungodly.

Those who chose to indulge in the practice are inviting Mammon, the god of money, to rule them.

God expects us to earn our living from the work of our hands. Someone said that the only place where success comes before work is in the English dictionary. How true!

Gambling is decidedly evil and every child of God should never even think about it!

Now turning to alcohol and narcotics...

My view is that the consumption of any addiction substances is ungodly. They ultimately destroy our bodies which God gifted us and which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:12-20).

I would classify alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics in the same range.

I know someone will quickly cite several passages of Scripture in an effort to defend alcoholic consumption but that would amount to proof texting.

The illustrations of drunken people in the Bible are nothing to be proud about.

Noah drunk wine and soon after he was unaware that he was naked! (Genesis 20:9-24). This was utterly shameful! The Bible says in in Proverbs 20:1 that "wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise."
The daughters of Lot used strong wine to get their father into a deep drunken stupor and we all know what followed after that (Genesis 19).

The Bible condemns the brewer of wine for the consequence of the business. It is a cursed trade. This condemnation extends to all ungodly businesses including sports companies that are daily luring young people into gambling addiction.

CONCLUSION

There are several practices we can observe from Scripture which we shall do well to avoid.

For instance, polygamy is commonly identified with key Bible characters including David.

Does this justify it's practice?

Of course not! God's idea of marriage is one man and one woman. Period. (Genesis 2).

The Bible admonishes us to judge all things and to cling to that which is good (1 Thess. 5:21).

Scripture also teaches that not all things are beneficial for our spiritual well-being. Paul chides the Corinthians, saying "Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food but God will destroy both" (1 Cor. 6:13).

We can therefore conclude that any substance or practice that results in addiction is evil. It does not matter how appealing it is. The Bible exhorts us to flee from every appearance of evil (cf. 1 Cor. 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:9-12; 2 Timothy 2:22).

Think again...