by Dan Langerock

Created on: February 02, 2009

Christians can make a stand for God by living their Christian lifestyle that God expects of us. How can one be a true Christian if they do not let what they believe influence what they do and how they do it?

Let's take the example of gambling for a Christian. This is hot topic because people enjoy gambling and don't want to give it up because they are a Christian, many times. Yet, gambling is one of the main addictions in America. Can we truly profess to be true Christians if we gamele?

In the book of Romans, in the Bible, Paul talks about not eating meat in front of people who don't believe in it if it has been sacrificed to idols.We can transfer this to gambling. If you are a Christian and a gambler, if womeone sees you at the casino, you can stumble that person's faith by being there.

Maybe you don't care. You just want to do what you want to do. God expects us to be a good example to others. If we are not, we will be judged for that lack of concern for others. Even eating at a casino is wrong because it gives money to the organization that is promoting the gambling and it can be construed that you were gambling because you are there. The Bible tells us to avoid the appearance of evil.

I mentioned this idea to a man one time and he didn't care. He wanted to gamble no matter what. He didn't care that it might make someone falter in their faith. How sad! If we are truly Christians, aren't we here to please God and not ourselves? If Jesus were to come back when you were in a casino. what could you say in defense of this? Nothing!

Gambling can be fun, but it doesn't honor God. The Bible says that "there is pleasure in sin for a season." My wife and I used to have a 24 hour prayer line out of our home. One night, a woman called who was in tears. She had spent her rent money on gambling and now could not pay it. There was not much I could tell her although I did pray with her.

If you look at the majority of the people who use a casino, they are in the lower income bracket. These are the people who are already low on income, but now they are using the money they have to gamble, making their life even harder.

Just because you know how to discipline yourself and only use a certain amount of money doesn't make it right either. Would Jesus go into a casino to gamble? Of course not. His main focus was to glorify the FAther. As Christians, we are to do the same, and we cannot do that when we are giving our money away that God has allowed us to make. The Bible says that God gives us the power to create wealth, and that doesn't mean at the casino, but by work.

Maybe all these words are for nothing as far as you are concerned. Maybe you don't care if others are stumbled by what you do in your lifestyle as a supposed Christian. Remember waht Jesus said, "By their fruit will you know them" speaking about His followers. So the choice is yours. The only true Christians are those who obey God. Think about it!

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