By Rev. Mark H. Creech
March 13, 2003

(AgapePress) - I rarely ever respond to letters to the editors of newspapers, editorials, or other public responses to what I pen. It's just too difficult and nearly impossible to debate everyone's views via the media. Besides, in most situations it's a useless exercise.

Recently, however, I have received so many public responses, as well as private contacts, about my editorial, "Should the Church Accept Lottery Winnings?" I think in this case, some sort of response on my part may prove to be helpful.

Unfortunately, most people who argue against the position that the church should not accept lottery winnings have done so largely out of a genuine misunderstanding of what I actually said. I never said the church should run investigations of people to see if their money came from a pure source. I never said God in his providence never orders that something, which someone may have gained unjustly, should be given to another who will use it charitably. Hardly! What I said was the credibility of our witness for Christ is in jeopardy when we "knowingly" become associated with evil. The church should never knowingly and deliberately allow its testimony to be tainted by that which is worldly.

For instance, you may remember the story of Genesis 14. Lot had separated from his uncle Abraham and lived in the wicked city of Sodom. But four Babylonian kings attacked Sodom and Lot was captured. Abraham set out with 318 of his own men, and some help from his neighbors, and by a midnight attack defeated the Babylonian kings, delivering Lot and the other citizens of Sodom who had been captured with him.

Later, the king of Sodom reappeared from the slime pits where he had fled from the armies of the four kings. He knew that Sodom's recovery was due entirely to Abraham. So he said to him, "Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself." The king of Sodom wanted the souls, Abraham could have the spoils! How clever is Satan at getting us to trade souls for spoils!

Nevertheless, the response of Abraham was a dynamic one. Abraham said, "I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread to a shoe latchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abraham rich" (Gen. 14:22-23). Abraham wanted nothing from Sodom or from Sodom's king, and no part in anything tainted with Sodom's name. He would not knowingly and deliberately accept one thread from the filthy hands of Sodom's king. What a tremendous stand!!!!

Here was a believer truly living the separated lifestyle, absolutely victorious over the world, the flesh, and the devil, exulting in the provision of his Lord. And there went Lot -- back down to Sodom to be enriched by Sodom's king, to accept what Abraham refused, and ultimately to completely lose his witness for the Lord.

No doubt, the king of Sodom left rubbing his hands over the recovery of all his goods, at no cost to himself, and of course scratching his head over the insanity that seemingly possessed Abraham to refuse his share of the spoils. But Abraham knew all to well what he was doing -- he knew his righteous testimony would be compromised if he were associated in any way with the king of Sodom. Abraham was committed to the straight and narrow way. He was concerned about becoming "the father of all them that believe" (Rom. 4:11).

The biblical teaching of separation has fallen on the worst of times in our day, perhaps in part as a reaction against isolationism. But true biblical separation is not isolation, but insulation. Like a live wire, insulated against all that might short-circuit its effectiveness, the believer makes contact at one end with the source of his power and at the other end supplies a purity of flow to the world's need.

We forget this world is at enmity with God. It has shown its hostility in the murder of God's Son. Archimedes said he could move the world, were he given a long enough lever and a point far enough out in space for a fulcrum. In the same way, the believer can lift the world, but only if he remains far removed from it.

Churches may take lottery winnings if they want. But you can be certain when they do, the world will say, "Ah hah, you see that? They rail against the evils of gambling. Yet gambling enriches them. They say their faith is in God alone, but it looks as though their trust is in money! Let them talk their God-talk, all that really matters is what you can see and touch."

How sad when we trade souls for spoils.