Question #1:
Hi Dr. Luginbill: Does scripture prohibit us as followers of Christ from earning interest on our money? It seems (to me) that in the Law of Moses the children of Israel were only prohibited from lending to other "Jews" at interest, but in Ezekiel 18 taking interest on money is treated as a great evil... right up there with adultery... and nothing is mentioned about the borrower's race. Jesus said to lend to those who ask you. Are we sinning if we put cash in an interest bearing account or CD, or if we take out a mortgage (causing someone else to sin)?
Response #1:
This is a good question. For while it is true that it would be difficult for
most of us with normally complicated lives to function in modern day society if
we were excluded completely from any situation where commercial lending and
borrowing takes place, it really is still what scripture says that should guide
us, rather than the exigencies of our situation. Indeed, if a total "no
interest" approach were adopted, it is hard to see how we could be completely
pure in this respect. Take pension plans, for example. For those of us who have
a traditional pension or are working towards one, it is invariably the case that
these are dependent upon financial instruments of this very kind. Even social
security, while it is not technically so funded, does not operate independently
of government finance (and the U.S. government is the largest issuer of bonds in
the world). In the highly complex economy of today, there are many places where
we would run afoul of this rule, if it were indeed meant to be applied in this
way.
My belief is that such a broad application of the scriptural prohibition against
charging interest is not warranted. Your point about Ezekiel 18:7-8 (also
Ezek.18:13 and 22:12) it well taken. But does this apply to having an interest
bearing checking account? I don't believe so. The reason for my belief is that
in all of the passages of scripture which deal with this subject the ground for
the prohibition is "taking advantage" of a helpless person. In Exodus 22:25, the
one being protected from having to pay interest is "the poor [person]" (cf.
Prov.28:8), and the charge is given, as all biblical commands are, to
individuals tempted to do so (cf. Lev.25:35-37; Deut.23:19-20; Ps.15:5).
Some scholars have found evidence to suggest that the Hebrew words used in
Ezekiel and elsewhere for this practice, neshekh (lit., "bite") and
tarbhith ("increase") imply excessive interest rather than a reasonable
rate. The most persuasive argument in favor of this view is that fact that the
Law provides regulations for Israelites who become slaves for economic reasons
(Ex.21:2-11; Deut.15:12-18; Lev.25:39-55; cf. Prov.22:7). But I am skeptical. On
the one hand, all interest "bites", and all loans made on interest yield
"increase". On the other, people can default on no-interest loans just as well
as on those that charge excessive interest if they fall on hard times and can't
even pay back the principle.
Perhaps the key passage to consider in all this is in Leviticus:
Now if your brother is brought low (i.e., falls on hard times), and his hand loses its grasp (i.e., loses his ability to meet his obligations) relative to you, then you shall grant him relief (as [you would]) a resident alien in order that he may continue to abide and live among you. Do not take interest or profit (neshekh and tarbhith) from him, but fear your God, so that [the poor person] may continue to live among you.
Leviticus 25:35-36
Here we can see clearly
the biblical rationale for the "no interest" rule: when dealing with
your brothers and sisters in the Lord (as all Israel was supposed to be
according to the Law), we are not to take advantage of them. We are to
extend to them at least the level of mercy that we would give to others
who are in trouble (in this case, resident aliens; in our case,
unbelievers). The idea here is that a person who has to borrow money
from us personally is in serious trouble and if we want to help them in
a godly way, the last thing we ought to do is to charge them interest.
This is really the essence of all the Old Testament passages which deal
with this issue.
Our Lord always cuts to the essential truth of such things, and His
words in Luke 6:34-36 comport well with the above explanation. If we
would be perfect in this matter, what is required is not to avoid all
commercial transactions involving interest directly or indirectly (cf.
*Matt.25:27!), but only to "lend" to our brothers in need, even when we
have no assurance of ever getting the money back. That is what it is to
show true mercy to those in trouble (Lk.34:36) – not only not taking
economic advantage, but being willing to suffer loss for the sake of our
brothers and sisters in Christ, should it come to that. After all, in
many case we will (or should) give our help as a gift rather than as a
loan (to the extent that we are able to do so).
This may seem like a "hard saying", but God knows all, and He is more
than capable of providing for all of our needs, even in those situations
where we do not get paid back in kind by the person him or herself,
whether or not there was a specific agreement to do so, formal or
informal. Any honorable person will, of course, pay back what is due
without our having to ever say a thing (cf. Ps.37:21). And it should be
noted too that when Jesus tells us to "give to whomever asks and don't
turn away from whomever wants to borrow from you" (Matt.5:42), we are
definitely not told that such a person gets to set the level of our
beneficence (cf. 2Cor.8:13-15). God knows that we all have need of
material things too (Matt.6:31-32). He is more than able to make our
seed abound (2Cor.9:10-11), and much more likely to do so if we have
proved generous with what we have been given (2Cor.9:6).
When extrapolating biblical principles to matters of everyday mundane
practice there is always a danger of losing the individual focus and
making a collective application (not what you are doing, but worth
pointing out in this context). For example, to take this principle and
try to apply it nationally or globally would of necessity include
getting involved in political activism. Now there may very well be a
case to be made from principles of essential justice in scripture (or
even from the passages above) that interests rates should be limited
domestically or that poor nations should get a break internationally.
But in my considered view, this is exactly the sort of reaction that
Satan craves. For it will not be long before both the means employed and
the other motivations behind launching or participating in any such
movement will dally with, come to embrace, and eventually fall head over
heels in love with evil.
As in any ministry, what we do as individuals for individuals is
important and a matter of the greatest concern. That is the level on
which God wants us to operate and to put our emphasis. Anything larger,
anything political, almost certainly will come to no good.
In the One who freely gave to us all that He had and made us rich
forever by making Himself poor, our dear Savior Jesus Christ.
Bob L.
Question #2:
I have been discussing this with a close friend of mine and I have no advice to
give him, so I ask a second opinion. My friend has recently gone into surgery
and is not able to pay for the costs.
Basically, the hospital is going to drive him to Bankruptcy which is something
he has never considered doing before, but is a way of getting out of this debt.
His hospital charity program refused to consider him because he had minor health
insurance, which was little. He doesn't have much money in my account at the
moment. He tells me that doesn't know if he'll ever climb out of this pit he's
in. It would literally take him the rest of my life to pay them off. And even if
he were to get married one day, his children would be out of luck if he died,
because the hospital would come after all the assets he had in order to collects
much as they could.
So his question is, would it be wrong for him to declare bankruptcy? He knows
that it would definitely look bad on the credit applications. He also desires to
get into ministry someday, and it may be a stumbling block for his ministry
having declared bankruptcy. He wants to know if it is wrong to declare
bankruptcy in this situation, and would he be sinning in doing so?
He struggles with this just thinking about it. On the one hand, he would love to
be able to pay this debt off by the sweat of my brow, and to see this debt paid
in full. But on the other hand, he realizes that this is a rather unrealistic
expectation on his part. He believes that God can move this mountain, but what
is His will? What would God want him to do? He just can't seem to escape the
notion that bankruptcy may be his only option. What do you suggest?
Response #2:
First, I don't entirely
understand what the quote you include means. Is this other person
suggesting that Philippians 4:19 is saying that a person should not
declare bankruptcy because then they would not be acting in faith since
they disbelieve God's promise to provide? If so, I would have to say
that I don't necessarily accept such logic. I do not doubt God's ability
to provide. But I also acknowledge that there are some circumstances in
which believers find themselves destitute. There may be a variety of
reasons for this, not all of which can be attributed to spiritual
failure. For example, God used famine to bring Jacob and his sons down
to Egypt where Israel could grow rapidly under the protection of
Joseph's regime and become large enough to "inherit the land" several
generations later. God allowed the devil to impoverish Job in order to
demonstrate Job's faith and God's goodness and ability to turn any
situation completely around. When it comes to the application of truth
to questionable and complicated circumstances, as I always say, it is
often only the person in question who, in consultation with his/her
conscience and the ministry of the Spirit and in careful consideration
of all that the Bible has to say on the subject and related issues, has
a chance of making a "right decision". Only God knows all the spiritual
facts, and it is very dangerous for anyone else – especially an
uniformed third party – to assume that they have such things completely
figured out (cf. Job 38-42).
It is at least arguable that in some severe cases, "bankruptcy" may be
part of the provision that God has for the needs of the person in
question. In Old Testament times, there was full forgiveness of debt
every seventh year (Deut.15:1-9), while every fiftieth year was supposed
to be a "year of Jubilee" (Lev.25:10) wherein all lands were restored –
not out the goodness of the hearts of the creditors, but because this
was commanded as part of the Law. Of course, through hard-heartedness
this part of the Law (along with the Sabbath year) was apparently never
put into practice and that failure was at least in part responsible for
the 70 years of captivity Israel had to endure during the Babylonian
captivity (cf. Lev.26:34-35). In the ancient world including ancient
Israel, there was, of course, no "bankruptcy". If a person could not pay
off their debts, they were enslaved, often along with their entire
family. Paul tells us very clearly in 1st Corinthians 7:23 not to become
slaves (i.e., don't sell yourself into slavery for, e.g., some
charitable purpose; cf. 1Cor.13:3). From this we can certainly imply
that no one should go into bankruptcy if they have a reasonable
alternative.
It might be well to consider the example of Abraham. Often God's testing
of us occurs in ways we don't anticipate. It is not uncommon for
believers to face problems which have no clear solution. Rather than
becoming desperate, we should remember at such times that God's strength
is made perfect in weakness. Unless we really are at "the end of our
rope", how tough is the test? Doesn't it make sense that for us to
really demonstrate that we trust God more than what our eyes can see,
that this would need to be in a situation where for all the world to
behold there is no earthly solution? It is at precisely such times that
God does His most miraculous works. Sometimes it seems that the Lord
wants us to get to the place of trusting Him and obeying Him completely
with aggressive faith that flies entirely in the face of the reality the
world sees. Sometimes it seems God wants us to set our jaws and embrace
the seemingly inevitable disaster with complete and illogical confidence
that in spite of everything He will deliver. At God's
command, Abraham took his son Isaac up Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him. From
a worldly standpoint, when God first told him to do it, all would have
seemed lost. When he took the three day journey to the mountain and God
did not rescind the order or bring about a deliverance, things with
fleshly eyes looked even bleaker. And when he went up the mountain, tied
Isaac to the altar, and raised up the knife to slay him, it was all over
– except that at that very moment God did deliver him, sparing the boy.
In fact, Abraham was prepared to go all the way down this road to the
end, confident that even if Isaac did die, God could raise him from the
dead (Heb.11:19). If we don't go down that road with Abraham all the way
to the end, wherever that end may be, how can we really know what God
will or won't do for us? In Abraham's case, and in all such situations,
bailing out early through lack of faith only takes away any opportunity
of trusting God in extreme circumstances. Any immature believer can
"trust God" in something over which they have some measure of control
where the stakes are not that high. But what about when there is no
human solution and the stakes are life and death? That is when we find
out what our faith is really made of. That is really the essence of
“waiting on the Lord” (e.g., Ps.27:14).
Naturally, this is the stuff of spiritual maturity and so not for
everyone. Also, I hasten to add, that I am not giving advice to your
friend here because I honestly don't know what "the right thing to do"
is in his particular situation. That is for him to decide. What I do
know and what I am saying is that in each and every case, once we have
concluded what it really is that God would have us to do, then there is
really nothing else for it but to do that thing and leave the
consequences in God's hands, remembering that there is in truth
absolutely nothing to fear, because He is in control no matter what our
eyes and ears tell us. That is really the only way to build faith, pass
tests, and glorify God. None of us is perfect in this regard. Abraham
had notable failures as well. But when we do pass one of these extreme
tests by trusting God completely all the way to the end, it has
marvelously wonderful results, for spiritual growth and for spiritual
production as well.
One last word on this from a practical point of view. If your friend is
seriously contemplating bankruptcy, I would urge him to look into it
carefully first. As I understand it, the recent changes in the law of
several years ago made several categories of bills exempt from being
expunged, and medical bills was, I think, one of those categories. It
seems to that, if true, it might not do him any good in his particular
situation.
In our Lord Jesus, for whom nothing is impossible.
Bob L.
Question #3:
A brother in Christ gave another view which he believes is scriptural, he said:
"Nobody has used Leviticus chapter 25 wherein God laid down laws to govern
personal debt how we are to deal with the poor who couldn't pay what they owed.
We must remember that God never the debtor that if they use the system He
established they don't have enough faith for truly this wasn't a matter of
faith, but of ones ability to pay. It is interesting that the method established
by God to eliminate debt was a combination of personal items being sold, homes
(in the city being sold), land being leased, debtor indentured to the lender
(but governed) and finally Jubilee. This pretty much established the biblical
principle of forgiveness of debt at least once in a person's life and it also
established the principle responsibility for debt. Our current bankruptcy laws
are designed to make the debtor accountable for willful debt and in my opinion
medical bills are not willful debt."
Response #3:
I'm not sure what this person is saying about Lev.25 from what you have included
here except that they don't seem to have understood what I wrote on the subject.
I'm happy to explain again, but some clarification on the nature of the
objection would save time.
On medical bills,
1) I think the distinction between "willful" and "non-willful" debt will not
pass muster in practical terms. One can make an argument to exclude almost
everything from "necessary debt" including medical treatment – if one does not
have the money, why is one incurring an expense one cannot pay? And one can make
an argument including almost everything in "necessary debt" – if I didn't have
this car, I couldn't have found work, commuted in a timely fashion, had the time
to hold everything together, etc. What is necessary and unnecessary to me may
not be so to you, and there is really no biblical place to draw this line. Also,
and even more importantly, the Bible doesn't make this distinction, so including
this false distinction in the discussion is questionable.
2) God does provide, but that doesn't mean He always provides in the manner we
want or at the time and place of our choosing. Sometimes we are being tested.
Sometimes we are being disciplined. Sometimes we are just experiencing the
consequences of life as we are living it (which may not be out and out sinful
but still has financial consequences which are unexpected and unpleasant). We
must not blame God; we need to trust God; judging things as a third party or
judging things before the matter has played itself out are both dangerous
propositions. Ideally, we pay our bills. Realistically, we live in a country
with an economy where people have financial disasters all the time. This is a
country of laws, and we are responsible to God to obey them. We should not try
and evade income tax even if we feel it violates biblical principles. Likewise,
there is an argument to be made that we should not be dogmatically restricted
from declaring bankruptcy according to the law if our situation demands it.
Ideally, if I am sick, I pray to the Lord and He heals me. That does not mean
that if I go to a doctor when I am in seriously ill health that I lack faith.
Ideally, if I have a problem at work, I pray to the Lord and He delivers me.
That does not mean that in an extreme circumstance if I am about to lose my
livelihood through illegal actions against me that I am foreclosed by the fact
that I am Christian from getting a lawyer and legal help. If I live in a bad
neighborhood I put my faith in God to protect me. That does not mean I don't
lock my doors, or that I would not call 911 if someone tried to break in. It is
very easy for me, if/when I am under no particular financial pressure, to tell
you, if/when you are under severe financial pressure, not to declare bankruptcy
whatever the consequences to you and your family may be of following my dogmatic
advice about your situational problem – just as it is easy for me to tell you
not to go to the doctor, not to get a lawyer, not to call the police, not to use
any indirect means whatsoever because then you lack faith. But in my observation
and experience, the people who are so vociferously dogmatic about these issues
are generally the first ones to avail themselves of all the professional and
worldly help they can find when the shoe is on the other foot. Clearly, it is
better to pay one's debts, just as it is always better to do the simple thing,
the faith thing, the uncomplicated thing. But real life is not uncomplicated. We
live in world populated by evil people (people, for example, who would swear
they have dedicated their lives to healing you, then would charge you 10 million
dollars to save your life and hound you to the ends of the earth when you can't
pay). We live in a world controlled in large measure by the evil one. And we are
far from perfect ourselves. Our understanding of the will of God for our
personal lives is incomplete and faulty in most cases because in most cases in
this lukewarm era in which we live we only ever think about God when we get into
trouble. On top of that we are sinners – all of us. And worse sinners than we
have to be, even if we are among the small cadre of believers who are definitely
and conscientiously trying to grow spiritually and follow our Lord, helping
others to do the same. This is a recipe for complications. God is always with
us. God will always deliver us. But how and where and when are not always in our
power to know up front (and certainly not in our power to control). Therefore it
would certainly be prudent for us to strive in matters of some question when it
comes to things scripture is not dogmatic about to give other people at least as
much "benefit of the doubt" as we would surely give ourselves. Finally, whatever
trouble we face, or anticipate facing, or contemplate the possibility of facing
in the future, it is also better to do so with our relationship with Jesus
Christ rock-solid – and that requires serious, diligent, dedicated, prior
spiritual growth (as always, hearing, believing, and living the truth is the
ultimate answer to everything).
3) I didn't write the new bankruptcy law, and, for what it is worth, I
personally have some real problems with it. But that is not at all the point.
Like it or not, I believe I am correct in stating that the new law holds a
person responsible for medical bills even after bankruptcy, so that if your
friend or anyone else is contemplating bankruptcy to get out from under medical
bills, he/she/they ought to research this point because otherwise they may just
be making things worse for themselves: ruined credit, no way to rent an
apartment any more, many employers now won't consider you, no way to get a loan
or credit card – and there is the not insignificant question of whether or not
the person in question really thinks it's the right thing to do. Let's not lose
sight of that important fact. If you think it's wrong to do, then do not do it.
Trust God to provide alternative ways out of the fix. This may be a test, and no
third party can make this determination for the person in question.
In Jesus who truly is all sufficient for our needs if we but hold fast to our
faith in His deliverance.
Bob L.
Question #4:
This Pastor responded as follows: "If God cannot provide for us then I believe
it puts a bad testimony on the Greatness of our God. Basically, there are 2
types of debt. 1. A debt that is unavoidable because of circumstances beyond our
control (loss of Job, health, etc) 2. Debts that are avoidable due to
irresponsible spending. The bible makes it clear that we are to owe no man
anything. That if we are in debt we are enslaved to the person we are in debt
to. What we need to
understand is that we are responsible as individuals for the debt that we
create. If I purchase a van, then it is my obligation to to pay for it - simple
principle. If we buy that van and then say, "I don't have to pay for it," that's
the problem with bankruptcy. Whether our debts are unavoidable or avoidable,
unless the creditor forgives those debts, we are obligated to pay off our debts.
This may mean selling all that we have to pay off the debt. This may mean eating
peanut butter and jelly twice a day to pay this debt off. However, these debts
are our responsibility. What's so wonderful about being a child of God is that
we have a Heavenly Father who loves us. Romans
8:28 tells us that "All things work together for Good". Philippians tells us
that God will make provision for all of our needs. In Matt 6 it tells us that
God will provide for our needs because we are more important to him than the
flowers of the field or the birds Scripture says to "cast all of our cares upon
him, for he cares for us". We are to take our burdens to him. There are numerous
examples in the Bible of God providing our needs as individuals. Elijah was fed
by ravens. A widow woman then fed him who was about to eat her last meal and
then die. God provided for not only the preacher, but the woman who by faith
gave her last meal away. We serve a mighty God who is sovereign over all.
Declaring Bankruptcy says that God cannot handle our problems, so let's go to
the courts and let them erase your debt. It is possible to get out of debt. It
will take a lot of time, sacrifice and hard work. We must allow the Word of God
to govern our lives completely. God's Word is sure and we need to trust him to
get us through the difficult times in our life."
Response #4:
It seems we are going around in circles a bit here. I certainly don't have any
problem with a person reading scripture and making this application for
themselves as it is written up here. What I would be reluctant to do is to
accept this as a dogmatic interpretation of everything that scripture says about
the subject, then applying it universally regardless of circumstances.
Clearly, it is better not to be in debt in the first place. Who would argue with
that? But is this person saying we are wrong to take out student loans? We are
wrong to have a credit card? We are wrong to finance our house over time and
should only consider buying a home if we have all the money in a lump up front?
Even if we do all these things, that doesn't mean we wouldn't possibly find
ourselves in debt. The way our society and government are organized, if a person
owns anything at all, it will have expenses attached to it, and it will have
taxes attached to it. People who have never technically borrowed a nickel in
their lives still occasionally lose their homes, cars, other property when they
lose their jobs and find themselves unable to pay the electric bill, the water
bill, the gas bill, the phone bill, the insurance bill, and the various tax
bills that always accrue. Is this person saying that such a thing could never
happen to a believer? If so, then he has never read the book of Job, for
example. Unless we are living as hobos, in this society even without borrowing
money ever we can still find ourselves in debt. Apropos of your original
question is the issue of medical bills. We may not owe a nickel, but then we get
sick and without insurance, or in cases where the insurance won't cover our
specific condition or won't cover everything that is done for us (and both of
these situations are increasingly more common with the current state of our
health-care system), we find ourselves owing more money than we can ever pay
back, especially if we have lost our livelihoods as a result of the illness.
So I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be arguing for or explaining here. Clearly,
there will be times when a Christian finds him/herself in dire need with no way
out. I don't suggest or recommend bankruptcy as a solution, especially in
instances where, I repeat for the third time, it may well be the case that there
is no relief even in bankruptcy since the law, I believe, now holds people
responsible for medical bills even after bankruptcy in most instances. But I do
not discount the possibility that there may be some instances where bankruptcy
may be the only course left.
But as to the issue of necessary vs. unnecessary debt, I do not find this
distinction in the Bible. For one thing, I think it would be a very difficult
distinction to maintain in any case, since, as I have said, what I might
consider unnecessary for you as I sit comfortably in my La-z-boy might seem
necessary to you, and you might be much more stingy with my "necessities" if it
were up to you to evaluate me. It is hard to survive in even a marginal way in
our high-tech modern society without some basic things: home, car, clothes, and
all the odds and end that make a person presentable to have a chance in a job
interview, for instance. Clearly there are ways to be economical, but as I
describe above, it is very easy in this highly expensive society to fall through
the crack if you miss a beat.
Now if this person whom you quote has never taken out a credit card, always buys
cars and homes with cash only, has never borrowed money for any purpose, lives
an extremely frugal life, and uses his excess income to help others who have
financial troubles rather than spending it on needless luxuries like
televisions, barbecue grills, boats, vacations, entertainment, etc., then he may
have a consistent basis from which to preach that bankruptcy is never justified
under any circumstances whatsoever. If this is not the case – and, honestly,
even if it is – it should be admitted that sometimes despite our best efforts at
stewardship we may find ourselves under the gun financially (i.e., even if you
follow the above ideal, as demonstrated, you can still lose your shirt). This
may come through testing. Or it may be that we have made some mistakes,
financial mistakes. Or it may just be that, given the nature of our society and
economy, we like almost all of our fellow citizens are "working without a net",
meaning, if we get sick or if we lose our jobs, chances are good that things
will fall apart for us financially. I think it is very imprudent to say this
will never happen to a true Christian, or to say that in no case will God's
solution involve the use of bankruptcy. I would certainly hope a brother or
sister would not have to go this route – it has, as I have related previously,
many terrible side-effects that many people don't consider ahead of time – it is
anything but a “good” option. I would certainly counsel trying every other
avenue first. I would certainly agree that it is honorable and laudable to work
it off rather than seeking court help. And I certainly would never sell the Lord
and His ability to provide short. But I also recognize that sometimes, either by
our own compounding of mistakes, or from circumstances beyond our control, we
may be left with little alternative, short of a miraculous deliverance (which I
most certainly do not rule out).
As I say, I hate going to the doctor. I look for every other avenue first. It
may be when I am sick that it is a result of poor maintenance on my part so that
I am culpable for the condition I have, or it may be some disease that has
settled on me entirely beyond my control. But if things come to such a pass that
I am forced to go to the doctor, I do not see this as a lack of faith. I see
this as making use of the particular means that God has provided for me in my
trouble. There is a point at which taking advantage of outside means can indeed
be an indication of insufficient faith. There is also a point at which failing
to take advantage of outside means may be incredibly arrogant, because it
amounts to dictating to God the manner in which He must solve your problem (when
in fact He has already provided a solution which you dislike). In all issues of
application where the Bible does not give a direct answer, deciding where that
line is to be drawn must be the province of the individual Christian, for it
requires personal spiritual growth and maturity, careful attention to scripture,
and the help of the Holy Spirit, and intimate acquaintance with the situation
(including what is really in the person's heart). But deciding such issues once
and for all for other Christians by being dogmatic about an arbitrary standard
which is not in the Bible is a mistake in my view.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #5:
I work for a company
that runs Casinos. I personally don't even know how to play casino but
my salary comes from money gained thru gambling. I've heard some people
say gambling is a sin. If so, is my money defiled? I pay my tithe using
that money. Please help.
Response #5:
There are really two
questions here. First, "is gambling a sin?" To my knowledge scripture
does not say anything specific about gambling or betting on games of
chance or other such activities. That, however, does not mean that
gambling is not or could not be sinful in some circumstances. The Bible
does not contain a comprehensive "catalog of sin". Indeed, that would be
impossible since virtually any thought, word, or deed has the potential
to be sinful depending upon motivation and circumstances (please see the
link: Bible Basics 3B: Hamartiology: the
Biblical Study of Sin). Furthermore, something can be technically
"not a sin" and still extremely counterproductive to a sanctified and
successful Christian walk. Scripture, for example, does not have much to
say about drug use. The closest thing is the Greek root pharma
used in the New Testament generally to refer to witchcraft (i.e.,
"potions": Gal.5:20; Rev.9:21; 18:23; 21:8; 22:15). We can understand
from this that using drugs for illicit, anti-Christian practices is
sinful, but scripture does exhibit some tolerance for the medical
profession (which would naturally seem to include the use of drugs for
medical therapy: Matt.9:12; Lk.10:34; Col.4:14; 1Tim.5:23; Rev.3:18b).
It is difficult to see what particular "good" comes from gambling of any
sort (beyond its entertainment value, and that certainly would not in
any way imply a spiritual recommendation). On the other hand, it is
clear that gambling is vehicle and perhaps a primary cause of the
destruction and ruination of many lives.
This destructive aspect of various behaviors like gambling or drug use
often leads well-meaning Christians to paint certain activities with a
very broad brush, branding them "sin" in every respect. But while it is
certainly permissible on the one hand for an individual Christian to
decide for him/herself to stay completely away from, say, "movies" or
"dancing", and while outlawing these activities on the other hand
generally would cause little tangible harm, the setting up of absolute,
non-biblical standards of prohibition for other people and then
punishing them (even if only by ostracism) is the very definition of
legalism, an extremely dangerous and even more destructive behavior in
and of itself, one which can be just as paralyzing to true spirituality
as some of the behaviors it seeks to control.
Is gambling a sin? Like many such activities, it certainly can be.
Should Christians avoid it? For their own spiritual welfare, Christians
should avoid any activity that compromises their walk with Jesus Christ,
and should also avoid behaviors which directly undermine the faith of
others (cf. Rom.14; 1Cor.6:12-13; 8:1-13; 10:23-33). However, as these
sorts of issues arise in virtually every sort of human behavioral venue,
complete prohibition dictated from above would quickly leave us with a
situation resembling the Taliban's Afghanistan (and I can't imagine any
place more spiritually dead). Even on an individual level, it is
important for the individual Christian to make decisions to refrain from
things which are not necessarily sinful in and of themselves from
his/her own free will, rather than as a result of coercion from the
outside. It is right and proper for Christians to offer friendly rebukes
when they observe very clear sinful behavior on the part of a brother or
sister, but there is a point where loving observation may become
bullying. Decisions to refrain because of what other people might think
rather than from what the individual Christian believes from scripture
and the prompting of the Spirit are almost always very detrimental to
spiritual growth. Take the case of alcohol, for example (and on this see
the link: Should
Christian Leaders Refrain from Drinking Alcohol in Public?).
Clearly, drunkenness is sinful (cf. Rom.13:13; 1Cor.5:11; 6:10).
Clearly, the use of alcohol itself is not universally prohibited by
scripture (e.g., Jn.2:1-11; 1Tim.5:23). Where that leaves us is a matter
of individual application of the scriptures applied honestly with a
sensitive conscience under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It may well
be that we may decide that for us, personally, abstaining from alcohol
entirely is the best path. But that does not at all mean that any other
Christian who has a drink is committing a sin. And if we say as much or
imply this by our words and actions, such unjustified censure of our
brother's conduct would be sinful. Since gambling does not seem to have
the same potential "up-side" as the consumption of alcohol (at least not
to me), it is hard to see how abstaining would be wrong, and, on the
other hand, indulging could be very devastating to oneself and others.
However, it is also certainly possible that a person could indulge in
limited gambling without any serious side-effects whatsoever. I think on
this first part of the question that one thus has to look to the
motivations. If a person is gambling out of greed (as is no doubt more
often than not the case), the greed is certainly a sin (Eph.5:3;
Col.3:5), and no good can come of sin.
On the second part of the question, namely whether or not a person
should be involved in a process or a business that is dependent upon
some such behavioral activities, I would have to say in general terms
that this too is a decision that has to be made by the individual,
consulting his or her own conscience through the guidance of the Holy
Spirit. We have to work for a living (2Thes.3:10-12). And since our work
is necessarily "of this world", we cannot be expected to completely
remove ourselves from all sinful people and all sinful behavior in our
working lives and experiences which are bound to be incredibly secular
in almost all cases (1Cor.5:9-10). We can refrain from personal sin. But
we can't create a new garden of Eden in which to operate. Sorting out
and disentangling ourselves completely in this respect is bound to be
impossible, especially in the modern world where international companies
and their financial connections have created a virtually
indistinguishable network, at least from a purist point of view. So it
is not a matter of compromise but rather of how much compromise in this
regard we are personally supposed to accept. Clearly, ceasing all work
and living off of someone else because we do not want to be compromised
in any way is a serious violation of the real truth of scripture.
While I would certainly wish to stress that only you, the person
directly involved, can decide whether or not remain in your current
situation, it sounds to me as if you are doing very little personally
that could be considered direct involvement in supporting gambling,
however one should feel about gambling. I am sure that there are
Christians who own businesses which the people who work in the casinos
frequent. Should they refuse to serve them? Aren't they profiting from
gambling, at least indirectly? As I say, complete separation is
impossible, and on the other hand you do well to have a heart tender to
this issue as it relates to your walk in Jesus Christ. In my own country
it would be very hard indeed to find a business that does not profit
either directly or indirectly from some sort of questionable and
possibly sinful practice. My own predisposition would be against finding
fault with something as indirect as you describe, but if I came to be
convinced through scripture and through prayer that in fact I would be
better off elsewhere, then in an orderly and responsible way I would
look for something better, knowing that the Lord would help me in this
if it truly is His will for me to change.
On tithing, please see the following links:
Is tithing required
for salvation?
In the One who died for all or our sins, our dear Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
Bob L.
Question #6:
Hi, I am a Christian
from ________. I got saved at a local church and It was really great
experience. Afterwards I rushed to work. Problem is that am not allowed
to work. I work illegally. Am I still saved? Its been bothering me so
much and I don't know what to do ? What I know is that I don't see why
God would bring me all the way here so that I suffer and am not able to
manage myself. What does the Bible say ?
Also what do you think about secular music, secular conversations,
secular activities? Where do you draw the boundaries? Not for God is
bad? Thanks in Advance. I read something from your website everyday.
Response #6:
I am very happy to hear
that you are now my brother in Jesus Christ! Regardless of what happens
in this world of troubles, we will enjoy the Lord forever together in
very short order if only we maintain our faith and faithfulness in Him –
and nothing this world can dish out could ever compare to the blessings
to come.
The first thing I would like to do is to assure you that you are indeed
saved. Our salvation is not a fragile thing. It is true that it is not
an impossible thing to lose, but salvation is only lost by losing faith.
And while it is true that everything and anything that we do in this
life that is not faithful to the Lord is a negative for our spiritual
health, Jesus knows very well that we are not perfect and that our lives
are not simple. In my observation and experience, any person who asks
the kind of questions that you are asking is in no immediate danger.
That is because only a believer who is genuinely concerned about his or
her relationship with the Lord and who wants to build that relationship
up rather than tear it down would ever think of asking such things.
That said, it is indeed very important for us as Christians to maintain
both a good offense and a good defense. On the one hand we want to keep
growing spiritually in the Lord; we accomplish this by doing as you are
doing: continuing to seek out substantial teaching, continuing to read
the Bible, continuing to pray, continuing to apply the truth to our
lives, and beginning and then continuing to minister the truth to others
whenever God has prepared us to do so according to whatever spiritual
gifts and opportunities He gives us. On the other hand, a good defense
is necessary too, and your question seems to me to be more directed
towards this aspect of the Christian walk. But before I go on, it is
important to understand that both things are necessary for a truly
successful Christian life (and by that I mean success in God's eyes even
if by the way the world looks at things we are total failures).
In terms of "defense", the word most often used in the Bible is
"sanctification", a term that refers to our progressive turning away
from the world and towards God. Please understand: this is not
necessarily something that can be achieved by following a set of rules
and regulations. Quite the contrary. The Bible is very clear about the
fact that we are "under grace" (Rom.6:14). This does mean that we have
license to sin (Rom.6:15), but rather we have a license to do what God
wants us to do without worrying about legalistic particulars. It takes
spiritual growth and a certain amount of spiritual experience and
maturity to figure out all the answers about how one should live one's
life – and none of us ever gets it 100% right. That does not mean we
should not try to get it 100% right. Quite the contrary. Trying to get
it 100% right is exactly what we ought to want to do and try to do, but
it is a fact and a reality that even as Christians we will continue to
make mistakes, sometimes accidental and sometimes deliberately sinning.
And in this we have Jesus Himself as our Advocate (Rom.8:34; Heb.7:25;
9:24; 1Jn.2:1; as well as the Holy Spirit: Rom.8:26-27), and we remember
that since He died for all our sins, all our sins have been forgiven so
that we only need to confess what we do wrong in order to access that
forgiveness (1Jn.1:9; please see the study
Hamartiology: the Biblical Study of Sin). [this quote cut out of
actual response] Here is a short excerpt appropriate to your question:
Given the intensely personal nature of this subject and the potentially devastating effect of sin and sinfulness on faith and faithfulness, such false impressions are doubly dangerous, and alone justify a detailed examination of the doctrine of sin. Over-focusing upon the threat and consequences of personal sin to the neglect of the mercy and forgiveness of God through the sacrifice of His Son our Lord Jesus Christ can cause serious disruptions in the spiritual life and has led many into a variety of false doctrines and spiritually counterproductive practices. On the other hand, assuming that forgiveness and mercy relieve the believer of the responsibility of pursuing personal sanctification is an equally dangerous misapplication of scripture. It is precisely because sin is such an emotional subject that it is important for Christians to have an exact appreciation of it, being neither paralyzed by it from a failure to appreciate God's mercy, nor complacent about it from a failure to appreciate God's holiness. As Christians, we have been forgiven our sins for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, but we are also charged with pursuing sanctification (Heb.12:1-14), and need to seek God's forgiveness for the sins we continue to commit in time (1Jn.1:5-9). As we strive to draw closer to Him, denying our sins (out of a self-righteous desire to be seen as perfect) or ignoring our sins (out of a misplaced sense of security) are equally devastating to the Christian walk (1Jn.1:10; Rom.6:23). As Christians, we have been made holy in Jesus in principle, and we will be forever holy before Him in resurrection. While we are in these mortal bodies of sin, however, we must continue our struggle against sin in a right and righteous way as we pursue the holiness, the sanctification, to which we have been called to the glory of our Lord (Heb.12:14; cf. Rom.6:22; 1Thes.4:3-7; 1Pet.1:13-16; 1Jn.2:1; 3:2-3).
So much for general principles. I would try to answer your question this way. In speaking to believers who were also slaves (oppressed in a situation that necessarily limited their freedom to follow God the way they might like), Paul, an apostle writing the Word of God under the control of the Holy Spirit, was very careful not to tell them that they absolutely had to try and change their life situation (because of the immense trouble that could cause); but he also added that it would be preferable if God gave them the opportunity:
Let each person remain in the calling (i.e., status) in which he was called [to Jesus]. Were you called [to Jesus] as a slave? Let it not trouble you. But if you do get the opportunity to become free, it is better to make use of that opportunity.
1st Corinthians 7:20-21
It strikes me that your
situation is similar to the above. You are in a situation which you feel
to be a limitation on the way in which you would like to serve the Lord,
that is, with a completely free conscience and clean witness. Yet the
circumstances of your present life are not entirely of your making and
pre-date your salvation in any case. While only you can make this
decision, it seems to me from the passage above and from what you have
shared with me that you could do worse than to wait patiently for the
Lord's deliverance from your present circumstances. If you really have
little other choice at present than to continue in your current
employment or starve to death, I feel fairly certain that the Lord is
not asking you to starve (since work is not un-Christian by any means).
Rather, like the early Christians above, I would suggest putting this
matter into the Lord's hands through aggressive prayer. It may very well
be that this is what God wants from you at this point in your Christian
life: not extreme self-sacrifice to your own destruction, yet not the
abandonment of you conscience on the other, rather to trust Him for a
timely solution, and to wait patiently and faithfully until the day
when, like the believers addressed above, you too can "make use of that
opportunity". God is more than capable of delivering you out of this
uncomfortable situation. If you trust Him and wait on Him for His
solution in His good time, He will show what the right thing to do
really is, and will give you the means, the opportunity, and the courage
to do it. For the Christian life is really all about trusting God,
learning to walk closely with Him in faith. After all, there will never
be a time on this earth when we who have put our trust in Him for
eternal life will be free from all care, from all trouble, from all
privation, from all testing. Quite the contrary. Put it this way: Jesus
knew about your dilemma before He made the world, and He has made
provision for you to do the right thing before time began. The only
thing you (or I or any of us) really need to do, to learn how to do, and
to become practiced at doing is to put yourself (ourselves) in His
loving hands, trusting Him to provide the solutions and the deliverance
in His own way and in His own good time. If my life experience means
anything, it tells me that such deliverances very often occur at the
time we least expect and in a way that we would never have anticipated.
We supply the faith – God provides everything else. It is
important for us to be ever responsive to what our consciences are
telling us through the Spirit, ever to do the right thing as God leads
us to know what that is. Sometimes, however, whether because of
prior bad decisions or possibly even just because of circumstances
beyond our control, we may come to find ourselves in a dilemma where we
lack the ability or means to do what we feel we ought to do (that is,
not just that doing what we ought to do is uncomfortable, but
that it is rather a practical impossibility). It is not an
uncommon thing in the Christian life to find ourselves in a situation
where our conscience is bothering us about something, yet we do not at
present have the means or a righteous way to rectify the particular
thing about which we are being convicted. In such cases, we do
well to trust the Lord to provide that means or way, and to make it a
point of honor to embrace that way or means of rectification just as
soon as our prayers are answered.
As to the other issues you address, the answer I would give is very
similar to the above. Some things in the secular world are so clearly
sinful that they need no comment from me or anyone else – anyone with
the remnant of a conscience would know that the Lord is displeased with
His children being involved in gross sin. Other things, of course, are
much more subtle and problematic. My advice would be to steer clear of
things about which you have absolutely no doubt are bad, and take the
time to test your conscience and read scripture about the others. God
did not call us to leave this world – we are supposed to stay here as a
witness to Him, so that it is impossible to avoid all contact with the
world whatsoever (Jn.17:20-23; 1Cor.5:9-11). As Paul puts it,
"everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial"
(1Cor.6:12). As we grow up in Jesus Christ, more and more every day we
learn what things are better avoided or minimized, and what things are
more to be sought out and maximized. This is a growth process, and your
interest in the Word of God certainly indicates to me a deep commitment
to do what it is that Jesus Christ has called you to do.
God will continue to work every single thing in your life out for your
good if you continue to love Him and His Son Jesus Christ with all your
heart and continue to follow Him on the path He has shown you
(Rom.8:28).
My prayer is for your continued growth in Him.
In the One who made Himself poor that we might have all the riches of
salvation forevermore, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Bob Luginbill
Question #7:
Do you think it's right for a Christian to be a car salesman? some of my friends have told me that the most dishonest person in a town is a car salesman. Like taking a wrecked or used car, clean it up a little and tell you there's nothing wrong when the previous owner had decided on trashing it. When the car salesman sees someone coming all they're thinking of is a sale and get as much out of the car as possible, hopefully much more than it is actually worth. There are some conflicting views such as, "whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Can this be done as a car salesman? To me it seems that if a Christian cannot maintain their honesty and ethics, then they shouldn't have that job.
Response #7:
I certainly agree with
your premise, namely, that "if a Christian cannot maintain their honesty
and ethics, then they shouldn't have that job". There are plenty of jobs
and professions out there that require Christians to be very careful
about what they think and say and do, not just this one. So on the one
hand, I honestly don't believe it's impossible. On the other hand, I
think there are many other professions and jobs that would test a
Christian's true convictions as much or maybe even more. How do doctors
justify the expense they put poor people through? How do people who work
for government deal with all the injustices of government? How do
ministers, for that matter, justify all of the circus tricks that they
and their churches engage in to raise money and members? At least a used
car salesman has a simple enough ethical standard should he choose to be
ethical – just don't lie.
In Jesus who bore all of our sins on the cross and washed them away with
His own precious blood.
Bob L.
