Gambling and the Christian

Is gambling sinful? No, not in and of itself, but it can be. Some Christians will disagree with gambling on the grounds that spending one's money (that really belongs to God) in such a fashion is really poor stewardship. But one argument in favor of the Christian's freedom to indulge in gambling is the people who do it purely for the entertainment value. In this sense, it could be considered in the same manner as movies or Disneyland: one would have to weigh the degree of entertainment with the monetary value placed on it. The more entertaining an event is, the more money that activity is worth. (e.g., I wouldn't pay $50 to see The Prince of Egypt, but I might pay $2.50 for the diversion).

Now just as with any source of pleasure or entertainment, the Christian must guard against becoming mastered by the pleasure. "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things" (1 Corinthians 9:25). The moment any activity (be it gambling or reading) begins ruling one's life, that is when that activity becomes sinful for that individual. To be sure, we who stand in Christ possess a liberty unmatched, but we must be certain not to use our liberty as an occasion for the flesh (Galatians 5:13).