Here are family bible study devotions on gambling, superstitions and christian liberty for you to share during morning family devotion study.
Gambling
What is wrong with gambling? Gambling is a difficult issue because if it is done in moderation and only on occasion, it is a waste of money, but it is not necessarily evil. People waste money on all sorts of activities. Gambling is no more or less of a waste of money than seeing a movie (in many cases), eating an unnecessarily expensive meal, or purchasing a worthless item. At the same time, the fact that money is wasted on other things does not justify gambling. Money should not be wasted. Excess money should be saved for future needs or given to the Lord's work, not gambled away.
The Bible does not specifically condemn gambling, betting, or the lottery. The Bible does warn us, however, to stay away from the love of money - 1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5. Scripture also encourages us to stay away from attempts to "get rich quick" - Proverbs 13:11; 23:5; Ecclesiastes 5:10. Gambling most definitely is focused on the love of money and undeniably tempts people with the promise of quick and easy riches.
While the Bible does not explicitly mention gambling, it does mention events of "luck" or "chance." As an example, casting lots is used in Leviticus to choose between the sacrificial goat and the scapegoat. Joshua cast lots to determine the allotment of land to the various tribes. Nehemiah cast lots to determine who would live inside the walls of Jerusalem. The apostles cast lots to determine the replacement for Judas. Proverbs 16:33 says, "The lot is cast in the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord."
What would the Bible say about casinos and lotteries? Casinos use all sorts of marketing schemes to entice gamblers to risk as much money as possible. They often offer inexpensive or even free alcohol, which encourages drunkenness, and thereby a decreased ability to make wise decisions. Everything in a casino is perfectly rigged for taking money in large sums and giving nothing in return, except for fleeting and empty pleasures. Lotteries attempt to portray themselves as a way to fund education and/or social programs. However, studies show that lottery participants are usually those who can least afford to be spending money on lottery tickets. The allure of "getting rich quick" is too great a temptation to resist for those who are desperate. The chances of winning are infinitesimal, which results in many people's lives being ruined. Benefits of Family Bible Study on Why Does God Allow Natural Disasters, Faith and How Can I Recognize God"s Voice?
Many people claim to be playing the lottery or gambling so that they can give the money to the church or to some other good cause. While this may be a good motive, reality is that few use gambling winnings for godly purposes. Studies show that the vast majority of lottery winners are in an even worse financial situation a few years after winning a jackpot than they were before. Few, if any, truly give the money to a good cause. Further, God does not need our dishonest money to fund His mission in the world. Proverbs 13:11 says, "Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow." God is sovereign and will provide for the needs of the church through honest means. Would God be honored by receiving donated drug money or money stolen in a bank robbery? Of course not. Neither does God need or want money that was "stolen" from the poor in the temptation for riches.
1 Timothy 6:10 tells us, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Hebrews 13:5 declares, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."" Mat. 6:24 proclaims, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Superstitions
Superstition is based on ignorant faith in an object having magical powers. Another word for superstition is "idolatry." The Bible does not support the idea of things occurring by chance, but nothing is done outside of God's sovereign control. Either He causes or allows everything in keeping with His divine plan - Acts 4:28; Ephesians 1:10.
There are many types of superstitions in the world, ranging from the benign-such as not walking under a ladder to the occult practices of astrology, black magic, divination, voodoo and sorcery. Scripture condemns those who practice astrology - Deuteronomy 4:19, magic, divination and sorcery - 2 Kings. 21:6, Isaiah 2:6. Idolatry is also forbidden, and no one who practices it will enter the Kingdom of God - Revelation 21:27. These types of practices are extremely dangerous because they open the minds of the practitioners to the influence of the devil. Peter warns us to "be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." - 1 Peter 5:8. Mistakes to Avoid in Life and Inspiring Quotes for a Champion Who Lose a Battle
We should get our faith not from objects or rituals of man-made origin, but from the one true God who gives eternal life. "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority" - Colossians 2:8-10.
Christian Liberty
Liberty for the Christian can mean that he or she has been freed from the penalty of sin by faith in Jesus Christ - John 8:31-36; Romans 6:23. Also, Christian liberty can refer to being freed from the power of sin in one's life by daily faith in Jesus Christ as Lord of one's character and conduct - Romans 6:5-6, 14. In addition, Christian liberty can mean that Christians are freed from the Jewish Law of Moses in that the Law only "exposes" sin in one's life but cannot "forgive" sin - Romans 3:20-22.
Finally, Christian liberty can mean that Christians are freed with respect to such activity that is not expressly forbidden in the Bible. Therefore one can feel free to engage in such activity as long as it does not "stumble" or "offend" another Christian - Romans 14:12-16. Most of these activities revolve around social "do's" and "don't, such as whether or not to wear certain kinds of clothes, make-up, jewellery, tattoos, piercings, and/or practising certain things, such as smoking, social drinking, recreational gambling, dancing, or viewing movies or videos. As the passage in Romans 14 says, these things may not be strictly prohibited by God's Word, but they can be bad for one's spiritual growth or Christian testimony and can cause other Christians to stumble. Devotional Topics for Family on the Lamb of God, True Children of God and Perseverance
Furthermore, Christians who tend to vigorously promote such liberties can sometimes fall into a loose lifestyle of undisciplined living, while, on the other hand, Christians who tend to vigorously limit such liberties can sometimes fall into a legalistic lifestyle of being defined by what they are "against." So, it is wise to seek God in prayer and His Word to determine whether or not a particular activity is actually forbidden in Scripture. If it is, it should be avoided. If it is not forbidden, then we should seek to determine how the activity reflects on our reputation as Christians and whether it will help us or hinder us in representing Jesus to unbelievers around us, whether it edifies them or not.
The ultimate goal for the Christian should be to glorify God, edify fellow believers, and have a good reputation before unbelievers - Psalm 19:14; Romans 15:1-2; 1 Peter 2:11-12. "For you brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" - Galatians 5:13.
COMMENTS