Category: Doctrine

You would be shocked at the reasons Christians give to justify gambling.

“It’s just for entertainment”

“I only spend a fixed amount of money on the slot machines then I walk away”

Or the age old classic,

“The Bible doesn’t say we can’t gamble”

What a mature argument.

But still an argument that ignores the authority principle of the Bible.

Let’s break down the position of gambling and show that it is not a behavior supported by biblical evidence and Christians should not be engaging in it.

1. Stewardship of Resources

Gambling is poor stewardship.

One of the tasks of the Christian is to manage whatever amount of wealth they have gained on this earth in accordance with principles of the Bible.

To manage our wealth is to serve God.

After all, if you believe in the Bible, you know that everything truly belongs to God.

Psalm 50:10 – “All the beasts of the forest are mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills”.

Therefore, to gamble with your money is to gamble with God’s money, since it is God’s money that he has lent to you.

Think about it this way, if you were put in charge of a successful businessman’s money, would you gamble with it?

Probably not.

Simply by thinking of it is as someone else’s money makes us think more carefully about how we would manage that money.

And our money is someone else’s money.

It’s God’s money.

With that in mind, you can understand why it would be dangerous to gamble someone else’s money because we would then have to explain to them how we lost it.

We will have to give an account before God regarding how we managed the gifts He gave us.

It would be hard to explain a financial loss of God’s resources from gambling.

Scriptural Support:

• Matthew 25:14-30 (Parable of the Talents): Everyone knows this parable. It’s about God dealing out resources for his servants to manage.
  
  In this case He is leaving them with money, not abilities. And He expects them to manage their resources well and provide a return on investment when He returns home.
  
  He wants His goods to increase, not decrease, when He returns.
  
  That’s not a command to chase wealth our whole lives, but to manage correctly what wealth we are given.
  
• Gambling is a misuse or poor stewardship of money, which could otherwise be used for constructive purposes. It’s not the only way to use money poorly, but it is a significant way.
  
  More people have lost their livelihood to a gambling addition than is reasonable.

Explanation:

Christians are commanded to be wise stewards of their resources.

Gambling, which involves risking money with the outsized probability of losing it [due to slighted odds of the casinos], is irresponsible and contrary to the principles of wise stewardship.

2. Love of Money

While some may gamble for entertainment, others still gamble because they think it will make them rich.

These are generally the people who don’t know how probabilities work.

They either think they will beat the odds on slots, beat the odds at the poker table or beat the odds with the power ball.

But the house always wins.

You don’t have to love money to pursue and build up wealth.

But those who are desperately attempting to become wealthy by gambling may be struggling with a love of money.

Scriptural Support:

• 1 Timothy 6:10 (NKJV): “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.“

Explanation:

Gambling can create or increase a pre-existing love of money and greed, leading to sinful behavior.

The desire to win money often overshadows morality.

3. Covetousness and Greed

Besides mere love of money, gambling is a behavior that is built on greed.

You don’t have to wealthy to be greedy.
There are plenty of greedy poor people.

We just demonize the greedy rich more than the greedy poor because we feel bad for the poor.

Gambling can be a way to cultivate and further develop greed in our minds, because we are always looking for that next win, that next little bit of cash, and are always wanting more than we have.

Scriptural Support:

• Exodus 20:17 (NKJV): “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.“
  
• Luke 12:15 (NKJV): “And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.‘”

Explanation:

Gambling feeds covetousness, as individuals desire wealth that is not that which they earn.

This desire can lead to an unhealthy preoccupation with material gain and a lack of contentment with what one has.

4. Exploitation and Harm

The gambling industry preys on the weak and poor.

Maybe you don’t love money, maybe you aren’t greedy, maybe you are just desperate in your current financial situation.

Desperation will make people do anything to escape.

Many poverty stricken individuals see no way out of their current situation except to try the last ditch effort of gambling to lift them from their poverty.

Gambling disproportionately affects the poor.

Poor people are more likely to gamble and more likely to commit crime to fund gambling addictions.

Gambling increases crime in the areas where it is allowed. It is also correlated with increased depression and suicidality.

The affects of gambling on the mind of man are not positive.

Nor are the effects that casinos have on the communities surrounding where they are built.

These are the evil fruits that gambling produces.

If you aren’t sure if something is sinful, look at the fruits it produces. If the Bible doesn’t specifically speak about the concept [such as with gambling], you have to make a wise decision based on other scripture and discretion.

The fruits of gambling are:

1. Increased Depression
2. Increased Suicidality
3. Increased crime in the surrounding areas
4. Targeted exploitation of the poor
5. Increased risk of divorce

Do these look like good or bad fruits to you?

Scriptural Support:

• Proverbs 13:11 (NKJV): “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase.”
  
  –
  
  The house always wins by slighting the odds in it’s own favor and earning money through dishonesty.
  
  
• Micah 2:1-2 (NKJV): “Woe to those who devise iniquity, and work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields and take them by violence, also houses, and seize them. So they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.“

Explanation:

The gambling industry frequently exploits individuals, particularly the vulnerable and those prone to addiction. It exploits the poor who are desperate for any way out of their current financial situation.

They sell false hope under a thin veil of entertainment.

This frequently does lead to significant personal harm and harm of the community which we have mentioned already, including: financial ruin, broken families, and various forms of exploitation.

5. Trust in Providence

Man has a mere handful of responsibilities when it comes to his financial position.

He simply must work.

If a Christian man does honest work, God will ensure he has his basic needs met [foods, clothing, and shelter].

God does not guarantee a luxurious life with the best clothes, the latest iPhone, fancy cars and a Mansion.

If you want those things you have to learn how to make yourself valuable to the marketplace.

God has said he will cover the basics if we will work and trust in him [Matt 6] but that is where the guarantee of God stops.

So do your basic work, and God will provide for your basic needs.

Scriptural Support:

• Philippians 4:19 (NKJV): “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.“
  
• Matthew 6:31-33 (NKJV): “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.“

Explanation:

Gambling often comes from a desire for quick financial gain, reflecting a lack of trust in God’s provision.

Christians are required trust in God’s providence and to seek His kingdom first, rather than relying on chance to meet their needs.

6. Impact on Evangelism

Into the more speculative, subjective e components of gambling.

If you are spotted at a casino as a Christian, what do you think that does to the reputation of Christians?

How does the fact that a Christian is out trying to hit it big in a Casino change the world’s perspective on them?

I’ll tell you what it does. It makes the world think that Christians are just like them.

Despite the fact that we are called to be different, gambling is an activity of the world and it makes us look like we are part of the world.

Scriptural Support:

• 1 Peter 2:12 (NKJV): “Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.“
  
• Romans 14:16 (NKJV): “Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil.”

Explanation:

Gambling can negatively impact a Christian’s evangelism to others. Engaging in gambling can cause others to question the sincerity of our faith and the principles we stand for, which, in turn, diminishes our ability to effectively evangelize for Christ.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not explicitly mention gambling, the principles outlined in Scripture provide a strong basis for considering it sinful.

Gambling involves poor stewardship, creates or exacerbates a love of money, builds greed and covetousness, exploits the vulnerable, reflects a lack of trust in God, and can harm evangelism efforts.

Thus, many Christian denominations, including those aligned with conservative and Church of Christ teachings, advise against it.

Counterarguments

But what about people who say “It’s just entertainment, I’ll take fixed amount of money and not spend any more than that“. 

1. Slippery Slope Argument

While the individual may intend to gamble only a fixed amount, gambling can often lead to addiction.

This argument assumes a level of self-control that many do not maintain when faced with the excitement and potential reward of gambling.

The initial fixed amount can easily increase over time, leading to financial and personal problems.

Logical Fallacy:

• False Sense of Security: The argument creates a false sense of security, assuming that a fixed limit will be strictly adhered to, which is often not the case with gambling addiction.

2. Ethical and Moral Implications

Even if done in moderation, gambling can be seen as morally problematic due to its association with greed, covetousness, and poor stewardship of resources.

It involves risking money for the chance of gaining more, which may not align with Christian principles of contentment and responsible management of one’s resources.

Scriptural Support:

• 1 Timothy 6:10 (NKJV): “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…”
• Proverbs 21:20 (NKJV): “There is desirable treasure, and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man squanders it.“

3. Impact on Evangelism

Engaging in gambling, even in moderation, damages evangelism. You don’t see preachers in casinos for a reason.

Scriptural Support:

• 1 Peter 2:12 (NKJV): “Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles…”
• Romans 14:16 (NKJV): “Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil.”

4. Support of an Unethical Industry

Even if an individual gambles responsibly, their participation supports an industry that is dependent on exploitation, addiction, and societal harm. This industry profits from the losses of individuals, many of whom cannot afford it.

Scriptural Support:

• Micah 2:1-2 (NKJV): “Woe to those who devise iniquity, and work out evil on their beds!“
• Proverbs 13:11 (NKJV): “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished…”

5. Fallacy of Personal Exception

The argument assumes that the individual is an exception to the rule and can gamble without negative consequences.

Overlooking the reality that gambling is inherently risky and that many who start with good intentions end up facing negative consequences.

Logical Fallacy:

• Hasty Generalization: Assuming that because one person can gamble without falling into addiction or financial trouble, it is a safe and harmless activity for everyone.

6. Impact on Family and Relationships

Gambling, even in small amounts, can strain family relationships and finances. The potential for loss and the associated stress can impact one’s home life and personal relationships.

Scriptural Support:

• 1 Timothy 5:8 (NKJV): “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.“
  
• Proverbs 15:27 (NKJV): “He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.“

Conclusion

The argument that gambling is merely a form of entertainment and harmless if done with a fixed amount overlooks several key issues, including the potential for addiction, the ethical implications, the impact on evangelism, the support of an unethical industry, and the strain on personal relationships.

By examining these points, it becomes clear that even moderate gambling can have significant negative consequences and is inconsistent with Christian principles of stewardship, contentment, and ethical behavior.

In the final hours before His crucifixion, Jesus shared a meal with His disciples that would become known as the Last Supper.

During this moment, He uttered words that have echoed through centuries of Christian worship: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

So simple and so profound – and so severely misunderstood by the common religionist.

How easy it is to confuse what Christ is actually saying with what we want Him to say.

While these words might seem to call for a general remembrance of Christ, a closer examination reveals a much more specific and profound meaning.

The Context of Christ’s Command

To understand the full significance of Jesus’ words, we must consider their context:

1. The Passover Setting: The Last Supper took place during the Jewish Passover, a biblical feast commemorating God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt.
   
2. The Impending Crucifixion: Jesus spoke these words on the eve of His death, fully aware of the sacrifice He was about to make. With that impending death in full view of our Savior, He spoke some of His last words.
   
3. The Symbols Used: Jesus chose bread and wine as tangible representations of His body and blood. Note that these were the only emblems used.

Why This Is Not About General Remembrance

While remembering Christ in all aspects of His life and ministry is important, the specific context of the Last Supper points to a more focused remembrance:

1. Explicit Connection to His Death: Jesus directly linked the bread and wine to His body and blood, saying, “This is my body given for you” and “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:19-20).
   
2. Paul’s Interpretation: In 1 Corinthians 11:26, Paul explains, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” This clearly emphasizes the focus on Christ’s death.
   
3. The New Covenant: Jesus referred to the cup as “the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20), pointing to the sacrificial nature of His impending death.

These are the components of the Lord’s Supper that Christ wanted us to focus on. Notice how simple and concise these emblems and mediations are.

The Significance of Remembering Christ’s Death

Focusing on Christ’s death during the Lord’s Supper is crucial for several reasons:

1. Central to the Gospel: Christ’s death on the cross is the cornerstone of Christian faith. It is the means of our salvation (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Without the death of Christ, there is no Christianity.
   
2. Reminder of God’s Love: It serves as a reminder of the extent of God’s love for humanity (John 3:16). God loved the world so much that He was willing to save it even though this would require the death of Christ on the cross.
   
3. Call to Self-Examination: Remembering Christ’s sacrifice piques our mind and pushes us to examine our own lives and relationship with God (1 Corinthians 11:28).
   
4. Proclamation of Faith: Partaking in the Lord’s Supper is a public declaration of faith in Christ’s atoning work (1 Corinthians 11:26).

These are the components of faith that we focus on when remembering Christ.

Related Scriptures and Their Significance

To continue on this line, there are other scriptural references looking forward to the life and death of Christ. Even those passages stand to reflect the death of Christ – they focus on the savior.

1. Isaiah 53:5: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
   
   This passage notes that Christ’s death was a sacrifice.
   
2. Hebrews 9:22: “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
   
   This verse shows the necessity of Christ’s blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.
   
3. Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“

Conclusion: A Focused Remembrance

When Jesus said, “Remember me” and “Do this in remembrance of me,” He was not calling for a general recollection of His life and teachings.

He didn’t want you to remember that He wore sandals, had to wash his feet or that He ate bread.

Instead, He was instituting a specific practice focused on His sacrificial death.

The Lord’s Supper exists as a somber and repeated (weekly) reminder of the price Christ paid for our redemption. That is what we are to remember.

If we want to honor Christs instructions regarding this event, we have to meditate on His death.

The following are a few notes and comments I made from a sermon that is available to you online on the topic of “Put down your trumpet”. It includes some interesting points that I believe are worth noting. I hope you find it interesting. 

42:45 – 43:16 – Does it matter why we do something? The speaker suggests yes because it “causes problems later”. Here is the Transcript from this timestamp:

“Does it matter why we do what we do or does it just matter that we do the right thing? Well I guess you could ask this in a number of different settings couldn’t you? 

If you asked within a marriage to a husband or a wife does it matter what you do in a marriage or does it matter why you do it?

I think every husband and every wife would say of course it matters why my husband or why my wife is doing something. I don’t just want them to do the right thing I want them to do it for the right reason”.

“I think” – Note that this is not a fact. This is what the speaker thinks. Based not on reason but emotion. He begins to make a point about what a wife or husband would want. I suppose this is an attempt to translate it into something God would want. For example, “If a wife or husband acts this way then God would act this way too”. This is not a position supported by scripture [Is. 55:8]. 

“Right Reason” – The speaker refuses to define what the right reason is. Who has the boldness to define such a thing? What is the reason? We seldom take time to define the “right reason” because it would require some combination of biblical evidence and rationality – something we try to avoid in religion if we can. A biblical bit of evidence for this entire cited section is lacking. Not that the evidence is not there, but this is something to note. 

What about some comments on rules and motivation?

43:21-43:53 – In a family does it matter why a mother and a father give rules? Does it matter why they discipline? Does it matter why they give their children structure? It certainly does. Because the wrong motivation can lead to to some wrong things occurring in that family. Within that same family, does it matter why children obey or does it just matter that they do what they’re told? Well, it certainly matters why – because if they’re not obeying for the right reasons then that obedience is certainly not what God’s looking for”.

Let’s analyze a few of the statements made here.

“The wrong motivation can lead to some wrong things occurring in that family”. I always enjoy when a speaker takes the following stance “Well if you don’t do it my way, then bad things will happen later. I won’t specify them, but they are things, and they are very, very bad”. It is very common for a speaker to take this stance when discussing sexual discipline. “Don’t have sex before marriage or baaad, very bad things will happen“. This may be true, but the fact that the “problems” are not specified and then the cause of those problems is not identified nor the progression from faulty motivation to negative outcome analyzed, this statement is relegated to opinion.

“That obedience is certainly not what God is looking for”. Well, then what type of obedience is God looking for? Again, what are the so-called “right reasons”? If these are not specified, the entire speech runs into problems because underlying motivation is a core tenant of the speech. But we cannot make assumptions about that topic. But because the speaker does not address the topic, we can only assume.

I also enjoy when people speak for God without BCV [book chapter verse]. If you are going to say God is or is not looking at something, you better immediately back it up with scripture or you are speaking in the place of God without authorization.

Again, this is a doctrinal matter when we start to talk about acceptable and unacceptable forms of obedience – and it demands a “God Said”. 

Jeremiah 23:16 – “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you.
They make you worthless;
They speak a vision of their own heart,
Not from the mouth of the Lord.”

When it comes to our actions, it is possible to do:

1. Good things for the bad/wrong reasons.
2. Good things for good/right reasons. 
3. Bad things for the good/right reasons.
4. Bad things for bad/wrong reasons.

These are the 4 possible permutations of this viewpoint. Perhaps there can also be combinations of motivations, which is an intellectually rigorous topic that will not be discussed here. 

To analyze the motivations/intents etc. behind actions is of secondary importance as opposed to looking at the outcomes or actions themselves. This is not binary thinking – I am not suggesting that motivations do not matter at all. What I am suggesting is a hierarchy, where the actions themselves are primary and the intentions/motivations are secondary. 

I understand that there is a delineation between the old and new laws of the Bible. While the old law focused primarily on the action of the individual, the new law focuses on a person’s attitude and inner person, their thinking center, in conjunction with their actions [because a person’s action will show his heart – Matt 15].

I’m not suggesting an OT style of what might be labeled legalism by the uninformed. At the risk of seeming to be a reductionist, I am suggesting that when a person’s intentions, motivations, attitude, or heart may seem to be opposing what he wants to do, as in temptation, it is his actions that are most important. 

Does it matter if your intentions were good if you fail to resist temptation?

Does it matter what you were motivated by or the reason behind why you did something if you failed in the end? No, because at the end of the day you failed, you sinned.

On the other hand: what if I do what’s right despite my intention and motivations?

What if I hold on to righteousness by the skin of my teeth through vicious spiritual warfare [Eph 6]?

What if I’m very motivated to do what’s wrong yet I do what’s right anyways out of love for God?

Or what if I’m very tempted and have a strong desire to sin, but even though I’m not feeling the so-called “loving” emotion at the time, out of an obedient, action-based love for God I keep his commandments [John 14:15, 21]? 

As you can see there are times when intentions or motivations are opposed to the righteousness of God and to the lives He requires us to live.

Nevertheless, it is primarily our actions that determine rightness. Actions again are primary while intentions are merely “a shadow of the thing, but not the very image of the thing”. 

It perturbs Me when speakers come to moral conclusions without biblical evidence or logical sequencing of events. If someone dares to place a moral requirement on members of the church, he better do so with the explicit authorization of God as evidenced by scripture – the BCV. 

It is critical to understand this point about the Bible, and about placing religious requirements on individuals, that each of those requirements has the authorization of the word of God. 

Doctrinal matters demand a “God said”. Without “God Said” in conjunction with a logical argument, the religious requirements placed on individuals are relegated to the category of “Opinion”. Worse yet, they should be relegated to the category “doctrines of men”, which by biblical definition constitute vain worship [Matt 15:9]

48:50 – 49:04: “Beware of practicing your righteousness [that’s an entire category of good works that you and I might do publicly or maybe even privately]. Beware of practicing your righteousness –  this is not the righteousness that that the Holy Spirit helps us develop in our lives that’s kind of inward righteousness, or the righteousness that God attributes to us when we obey the gospel.”

The speaker also makes a comment about inward righteousness that one develops inwardly with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Unless the speaker means that the Holy Spirit assists the individual through the word of God, then He has no evidence for his statement. Because the only way the Spirit works today is through the word of God. That is the only way the Spirit works that we have biblical evidence for [Heb 4:12, Eph 6:17] which means that all other alleged ways He is claimed to be operating are relegated again to the category of opinion.

If I do not have a book chapter and verse for what I believe, it is an opinion.

While there is nothing wrong with opinions, and we have to use discretion and logic regarding non-black-and-white issues in the scripture, we still have to be careful to not pass off our opinions as biblical facts. 

50:14 – 52:25 –  “When you give to the needy – did you see that? When you give to the needy. Not if. There’s an assumption being made here by Jesus. The idea of being generous to the poor and the needy, especially among God’s Own people is something that is all through scripture from beginning to end. You certainly find it commanded in the law of Moses and we don’t have time to list all of those passages, but Exodus chapter 23:10-11; Leviticus chapter 10:10; Deuteronomy 15:7-11; etc etc. The law commands generosity to the poor and needy in a variety of ways. The prophets reminded God’s people about the necessity of this in places like Amos chapter 2:6-7; Isaiah 3:14-15; Ezekiel chapter 16:49. We’re reminded of it in Proverbs in the wisdom literature Proverbs 14:31; Proverbs 21;13.

Jesus taught about it His teaching about it. Here he teaches about it in Luke chapter 6:37-38; Matthew 19:21; Mark 14:7. And you certainly see it in the life of the first-century Christian in the first-century Church, don’t you? We see it in Acts chapter 2; Acts chapter 4; James chapter 2:14-16; First John 3:17-18. So it’s an assumption that God’s people are going to give to the needy. And so when Jesus talks about this he’s not saying ‘you really need to be giving to the needy’ – they’re already doing that. In fact, even people who did not even believe in Jesus were practicing this. They were giving alms. They were giving to the poor and needy. That’s an assumption. We’re going to come back to that in just a moment but Jesus assumes that everyone’s doing this. The problem is their motivation they’re doing this before people in order to be seen by them”

Regarding point B on the PowerPoint: The assumption. 

The speaker begins to talk about this passage, Matthew 6:1-4 and describes the fact that there is an underlying assumption that Christians will be giving to the poor and needy. Especially those of the household of faith. And I would agree with that statement.

What I don’t agree with is an Inception-style assumption within the assumption. So often you hear speakers today talk about the poor and needy and they’re often indirectly or even directly describing the people you might come across in the street or on highways. I have known of some speakers to even make it a point to suggest that you are neglecting a Christain duty if you drive past the panhandler on the highway. They then place some moral judgment on you based on how you view those people and what you do for those people.

Here’s the problem: these speakers have no idea if those people are actually poor or needy.

The assumption within the assumption is that panhandlers are actually poor.

But as I state frequently, those so-called poor and needy are often better off financially than most of the members of the congregation that are being shamed for not supporting those allegedly poor, needy people. 

Panhandlers have a good business going, and they’re providing value to people who give them money. This is a point in and of itself and a side note that deserves further elaboration.

I’ve often wondered why panhandlers and loiterers receive so much money. I wonder this because my underlying belief has always been that if a person receives money he/she must be providing something of value in return. And what value are panhandlers providing?

This question disturbed me for some time until a potential answer became quite clear. People aren’t just giving these loiterers money. No, people giving money are purchasing the right to feel good about themselves. It’s Self-Interest.

They are purchasing a feeling of altruism. They are purchasing the freedom from the guilt they feel when they ignore those panhandlers.

Panhandlers allow donors to lift their spirits and feel morally superior to those who don’t mindlessly donate money. Not that everyone behaves or thinks this way after giving money, but it is a common theme among religious people.

Giving money to the allegedly homeless person provides you with the feeling that you are righteous. And that’s what you’re doing. You’re attempting to purchase righteousness.

It’s not about helping another person primarily, it’s about the emotional and spiritual elevation of the self with the secondary benefit of doing a good deed. Whether or not this is done on a conscious level is irrelevant – because this is based on an analysis of human nature. We are pleasure-seeking and pain-avoiding organisms. We seek to avoid the pain of guilt we feel when we drive by those people and seek the pleasure we feel from giving them money. It is an emotional proposition all the way around. 

When it comes to the discussion on generosity, and being generous to people, giving of our means, it is important to note that this first extends to people inside the faith.

Being taken care of by religious people is first and foremost one of the benefits of being religious yourself. The religious community is a tight-knit community and they take care of one another. This is one of the benefits of belonging to a religious group – Other people will take care of you when you need it and you have a responsibility to take care of them when they need it. However, this benefit should not be blindly applied to everyone outside the religious community.

Obviously, as resources allow, people outside the community of the religious can and should be taken care of with the application of discretion, but not before the religious themselves have been taken care of – and certainly not without encouraging those people to join the religious community.

You can’t blindly provide people with food and expect them to join the religion. You are just training them to look for a handout.

If they’re getting all the benefits of religion without being a part of religion what is the incentive for them? People will respond to incentives.

55:29 – 55:54 – “What’s the compensation for that what are you going to get out of that? Well, that’s where Jesus says you will have no reward from your father who is in heaven. Later on the same passage, ‘they have received their reward’. In other words, the reward that you get [and there is one] but the reward that you get when you seek the praise of other people for doing good works terminates on itself. That’s it.”

Regarding point E: “Compensation”.

Indeed, everything we do has a reward. everything we do provides us with something or we wouldn’t do it.

Or it provides us the opportunity to even further maximize the benefit in the future of the process of delayed gratification. We as human beings respond to incentives – and this is a good point.

59:55 – 1:00:25 “But let’s move on to what probably is a bigger issue for most of us, and that’s the issue of motivation and sounding a trumpet. The Pharisees are a bold and extreme example of this, but I believe Jesus is encompassing every kind of hypocrisy that this would involve – right down to [listen to this] the secret desire to have all of our Good Deeds discovered and praised by other people.”

“I believe” – Again, what we have is a personal opinion stated without an accompanying “God said”. The speaker does not provide the BCV for this opinion. And he is again committing what I believe to be the intellectual crime of binding moral, and religious requirements on people without the requisite authority. That is not to say the authority for his statement is not in the scripture, but rather that he simply does not cite his authority here while binding a moral requirement on others.

“The secret desire” – The speaker makes the following Point by asking the crowd if we sound a trumpet before our good deeds. He then talks about the secret desire to be seen. I see this frequently in speakers, who condemn the very desire of a thing rather than the thing itself. And maybe that has merit. certainly, there are times we need to analyze behavior to eliminate it down to the very root which would be the desire. But overly demonizing the desire misses the entire point of what it means to resist temptation.

Temptation comes primarily from desire, we learned that in James chapter 1.

We are constantly fighting the desire, the want, the temptation [all synonyms] to do what’s wrong. How many times do we choose God out of loving obedience, yet our emotions and desires pull us toward sin? What would demonstrate greater love to God, that our desire is for Him and that we don’t desire evil at all, or that we have a strong pull towards sin yet out of love we still choose God? It seems to me the latter would be the most noble. Accidental goodness is not better than hard-fought righteousness. 

There’s no honor, no nobility, in resisting temptation if we aren’t desiring to do what’s wrong.

That’s what makes it a Temptation in the first place. And if Temptation comes from desire, desire itself cannot be sin. Because we know from Matthew chapter 4 that Christ was tempted. Therefore, Christ was tempted – that means that Christ experienced desire. Do you think after not eating for 40 days that He desired to turn stones into bread and eat? Certainly. Was the desire itself a sin? If it was, we have no hope for salvation. 

The discussion on desire and temptation is a linear path of logic that no one can deny. Therefore it is logically and morally incorrect to suggest that desire itself is a sin.

It’s not wrong to desire/want to do wrong. At times we have strange desires that pull us toward evil – but it is in our choices and our actions that we demonstrate that love to God.

There’s no nobility in doing what is right if there is no desire to do what’s wrong. It’s that war against nature that God demands – for he himself is a man of war [Exodus 15:3]. Therefore like Him, we should be people of war: at war with their own desires and temptations.

So when it comes to the alleged “secret desire to be seen” – it’s always going to be there because it will act as a temptation that must be resisted. Even the speaker himself will later acknowledge that it is human nature to want to be seen [1:04:17].

But what do we do with that desire? In other words, even the speaker himself acknowledges that it is the action following the desire that is the critical component of righteousness. We have the desire to be seen, and that’s true, but what do we do with it? What action do we take based on that desire? Do we give into it or do we fight? It’s in the fighting that we find righteousness – and as the speaker would suggest, and rightfully so, humility.

Again, I believe that this lesson was good overall. I just wanted to point out a few of the things that come out in these lessons.