Drinking, Gambling, Oh Dear!!!

Is it ok for a Christian to drink? What does the Bible say about going to a casino? These are two of many questions that are asked by both Christians and non Christians. While we all have strong opinions and valid reasons for those opinions.  However,  we all know the greatest enemy of opinion is fact.  Before I dig myself into a deeper hole, give this a listen and by the end you’ll  either grab a shovel, or….a bag of dirt.

Transcript

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Hey friends, thanks for pulling up Unfiltered with Jesse B. And I have a lot to talk about on this segment, so we're just going to go ahead and go for it. Just jump right in there. As Christians, we often encounter questions from other people, or maybe we ourselves, as Christians, have questioned along our own journey, things that we should say, do, condone, what we should be around, what we shouldn't. In other words, what's permissible and what isn't. So I thought that we would look at a couple of those questions that we may have been asked or we ourselves may have asked along the way, and I will do my best to filter these through scripture. I might dedicate a segment once a week to something similar like this, just depending on how this episode goes. I may be censored and I may lose the listeners from this, but I don't know. Like I said, we'll just see how it goes. I'm willing to talk about anything on here. So, number one, should or should not a Christian drink alcohol. The Bible does not explicitly prohibit the consumption of alcohol, but before you get ready to order that drink or make up your grocery list for the week, let's take some things into consideration. Now the truth is, whether you like it or not, the Bible does not expressly forbid drinking. After all, turning water into wine was Jesus' first recorded miracle in John chapter 2, verses 1 through 11. The Apostle Paul also advised in Timothy, drink a little wine for the stomach, as recorded in 1 Timothy 523, which by that account was used for medicinal reasons. The practice is still used in other countries and where wine is consumed during and after mealtimes to aid in the digestion, especially of carbohydrate-rich foods with heavy fatty meats. Studies also show that people who consume a few ounces of wine, and when I say a few, that's four to five ounces, have better gut health because of the organic acids and compounds, which also acts as a natural antibacterial agent. So it's understandable why the apostle Paul would have suggested a little wine for the stomach. Fast forward to modern days, some of the rationale people use to not drink is that they say wine wasn't fermented. And even if it was, it wasn't fermented to the magnitude that it is today. Another is people in that time period really had no choice because the quality of water was not the best. In fact, I heard one pastor say, We know Jesus drank wine, we just wish that he wouldn't have. So I guess that pastor had a pretty good size set of brass because it sounds like he had his standards set higher than that of Jesus. And the thing about it is who knows, I wasn't there, neither were you, but in that culture the best wines were often served first, because it was the most expensive, because it was the most potent, and there was less of it because it was so expensive. So the more, I guess, for lack of better term, intoxicated guests became, the cheaper the wine that was concern consumed thereafter. But the wine Jesus made was the best wine, and it was served for last, as we see in verse twenty. So as for the quality of water, with the exception of standing water, of course, but flowing from streams probably had less impurities than the chemical crap that we have today. Take that as you will, but before you think I'm advocating for one side or the other, I also want you to take this into account. The Bible does warn against excess. The New Testament repeatedly warns against losing self-control. Ephesians 5 18 says, and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. And first Corinthians six twelve warns about being mastered by anything. In fact, I'll just go ahead and read the verse. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient. Expedient meaning helpful, profitable, and good. In other words, just because you can doesn't mean you should. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. I have heard people condemn someone for a post on Facebook with a beer in their hand, and yet they are the first one in line at all the potlucks and buffets acting like it's the last meal that they will ever consume. And on top of that, they'll consume more calories in one sitting than most people do or some people, I'm not gonna say most, some people do in a week. Sometimes the same people who will make a federal case at another for saying a cuss word are the biggest gossips this side of the Mississippi. And yet in other cases the same people who pat themselves on the back for how much they tithe and donate to charities, but they are the first to dry up, close up, and disappear when a member of their family has fallen on hard times. And yeah, I've been up and down the road a time or two myself, as I'm sure that many of you had. Now we can tit for tat this all day long. But what does it prove other than God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy, and don't get any ideas, I'm just quoting the lyric here, and if you didn't, at least smile, lighten up. I mean, I couldn't resist. I can't walk away from a good joke. But in all seriousness, this is one subject that we can talk about for hours because it's an issue that has been debated for centuries, especially within the American Christian churches. And just as one can find scriptures to support abstinence from alcohol and be right, one could also debate that there are no scriptures that expressly support abstinence from alcohol, and they can be right as well. Now some people may have valid reasons for abstaining from alcoholic beverages. Maybe they grew up in an alcoholic household with a parent or living with an alcoholic spouse who was and is abusive and neglectful of their responsibilities. Maybe they lost a loved one through the selfishness of a drunk driver, and alcohol is just a painful reminder of what they had to go through. Or maybe alcohol was a catalyst for bad decisions that had a lasting effect that they don't want repeated. All of those reasons and others you might be thinking that I didn't mention are perfectly understandable, and those reasons should be respected and supported, not ridiculed. Others may not have had the negative experiences with alcohol. Maybe they were raised where adults did exhibit self-control and alcohol consumption was never a negative issue. Maybe they came from a culture where having a glass of wine with a meal is considered just part of the meal. I have a couple of friends from different areas in Europe and they both said drinking is not as taboo as it is in the United States. And likewise these are reasons that need to be respected, not condemned. Is drinking a salvation issue? No. But if it leads to drunkenness, it can be. So tread light. And I'm under the opinion that if this is something that you feel like you have to question, you're probably better off not doing it. Which brings me to topic number two casinos, scratcher lottery tickets, lotto, powerball, bingo. Is it a sin to gamble? Again, another issue where there are no scriptures expressly forbidding gambling or labeling gambling as sinful behavior. Both the Old and New Testaments talk about casting lots. An example that comes to mind is in the Old Testament where Jonah and he was on board at this point because he ran and the other passengers on the ship cast lots and decided that it was Jonah that had to be thrown overboard to calm the violent storm at sea. In the New Testament, lots were cast among the Roman soldiers for Jesus' clothing before he was crucified, and I think that there were many Christians that get a bad taste in their mouth regarding gambling or playing any games of chance for money because of that reason. But let's take an honest look at some of the issues before heading off to Vegas. The Apostle Paul stated in 1 Timothy 6 10 that the love of money is a route to all kinds of evil. Gambling is often driven by the get rich quick desire. There's commercials and billboards always featuring somebody with a crisp cash all fenned out, all nice and neat and grinning, like they say in the Midwest, like a possum eating manure. Phrases like there's more winners than losers here, or you can't win if you don't play, all meant to entice you to spending money that you don't have, trying to get something for nothing. Christians are called to be wise managers of the resources God has entrusted to them as explained in 1 Corinthians 4 2. Money is a tool that we have to have to operate in this world, but when that money is used in wasteful risks rather than providing for your household or for helping others, it's not proper stewardship. I have heard all my life and have even said it, if I could just win the lottery, and you can fill in your own blank. But when was the last time that somebody actually won money and thought about somebody else other than themselves? Another scripture to take in mind is Exodus 20, 17, which talks about coveting. This is the tenth commandment which forbids coveting. In other words, wanting what belongs to somebody else. Gambling operates on that very premise of having won what somebody else has lost. So there's lots of scripture to research alongside with the Holy Spirit to teach and guide you through. What we all need to remember is we are all on different mile markers on the same journey. Just because God has dealt with you on something doesn't mean he's dealt with others on the same issue. And just because God has not dealt with you on something doesn't mean that he won't. The best thing that we can all do is humble ourselves before the Lord, remain teachable, and allow the Holy Spirit to move and work in our lives. The goal of the Christian life is not just about soaking up all the insight and instruction and information that we could possibly get our hands on to dot our eyes and cross our T's, or to dot other people's eyes and cross their T's. It's all about progressive transformation, the continuous process of being changed as directed by the Holy Spirit to become more like Jesus. Now, like I said, depending on the kind of traction that this episode gets, I may decide to make it part of a weekly thing. Um as always, my job is not necessarily to provide answers. You need to seek your pastor, trusted church elder, and most importantly, the Holy Spirit about such things. But what I do hope to accomplish is to get the discussion going, provide insight and scripture to get you on your way. Love you guys. I'll talk to you later. Good night.