SOMETHING
FOR NOTHINGby Pastor Greg Wilson (CB)
Work is a God-ordained and honourable
activity. God informed man that he was
to earn his keep by the sweat of his
brow (Gen. 3:19). Since this admonition
came after the Fall, some have thought
that work came about as a result of
man's sin. This, however, is not the
case. Man was specifically given work
to accomplish by God before sin entered
into the world (Gen. 2:15). Sin, the Fall,
and the Curse removed much of work's
productivity and joy (Gen. 3:17-19).
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"And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." (Genesis 2:15)
"(17)And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; (18)Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; (19)In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3:17-19)The desire for "something for nothing"
is at its root sinful rebellion against
God. This desire is nowhere more
evident than in the sinful practice of
gambling. In the past this activity was
restricted to the saloon, the back alley,
and the bingo halls of apostate
churches. Now, however, most state
governments have instituted lotteries.Lottery tickets can usually be
purchased at the corner store, or gas
station. Folks who never thought of
gambling before are lured into this
sinful and self-destructive practice.
Usually, it is those who can least afford
it that spend the greatest amount of their
income on this addictive habit.Recently here in Florida, as the state
lottery topped 100 million dollars, folks
were absolutely obsessed with the idea
of winning the jackpot. Some who
would profess to be "good Christians"
could be heard discussing their chances
of winning, and anticipating how they
would spend their ill-gotten gains. No
doubt these "good Christians" spent
more on the lottery in one week than
they put into the offering plate in one
year. I saw one man, whom I know to be
a member in good standing of a big
pseudo-fundamental Baptist Church
(BBF), marking his lottery form at the
grocery store!Christian, gambling is sinful rebellion
against God, and has no place in the
Christian's life! Anyone involved in
such a practice ought not be permitted
to remain a member of any church that
professes to be a true church of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
