Deceivers, Bluffers, Swindlers, and Wagers

Before we go any further lets define the words from our heading.

Deceivers:
Comes from the word deceit; meaning to deceive, an act of deceiving; Falseness; leading by deception, a trick; To falsely pretend without truth; To mislead by action or words.

Bluff:
To deceive by putting on a bold front; to obtain something by bluffing; Acting in a way that is false.

Swindler:
To cheat out of money or property by deliberate fraud; to obtain by deception; a scheme to convince by deception.

Betting:
To stake or pledge money.

Wagers:
Many passages in Proverbs warn of this.
6:1-5
“My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, Have given a pledge for a stranger, If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, Have been caught with the words of your mouth, Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor.  Do not give sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids; Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter's hand, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler. “
17:18
“A man lacking in sense pledges, (bets) And becomes surety in the presence of his neighbor. “
22:26-27.
“Do not be among those who give pledges, (betting) Among those who become sureties for debts.  If you have nothing with which to pay, Why should he take your bed from under you?”

Many have lost every thing to gambling.

Playing cards, as in the form of poker, etc, or gambling as we know it, is trying to make others believe, through deception and bluffing, that you have a hand that will win the money bet, “pledged” in the game.  One who does not have the cards must bluff his or her way to get the others to think he or she has a good hand.  This is deception, bluffing, or as the Scriptures declare it; swindling.

As Christians we are told to put away all lying, and deception.

Ephesians 4:25:
“Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.”

You have heard people say it’s a white lie.  What do you think God thinks of your white lie?  Why would you lie to your brother and deceive him by trying to make him believe you have something in your hand when you don’t.  It’s simply the art of bluffing and deception.

Some say it’s only a game, but it’s a game of deception, and Christians are warned by God not to be involved in deception.

Proverbs 20:17:
“Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.”

Money earned through deception, bluffing, and lying is falsehood, and unacceptable behavior for a believer.

2 Peter 2:13-15:
“suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong.  They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime.  They are stains and blemishes,  reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery and that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children;
forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness,”

They are making money by deception, and lying, and bluffing.  Christians are never to lie, or bluff, or deceive in any way shape or form.

Romans 16:18:
“For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. Deception through bluffing, upping the betting which in most cases is to increase the pot, and also falsely communicate to others you have the good hand by deception.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-10:
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, (gamblers) shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

1 Corinthians 15:33:
“Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."

Ephesians 5:6-7:
“Let no one deceive you with empty words,  for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  Therefore do not be partakers with them;”

Bluffing is a means of conveying empty words, literally.  It’s a form of deception and lying, and all these things are done in the game of gambling.  Are we not as believers to flee all forms of evil?

Colossians 3:5-6:
“Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.  For it is on account of these things that the wrath of God will come,”

Colossians 3:9:
“Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,”

Raising a bet by deception to bluff your way through; knowing you don’t have the cards, violates many of Gods principles in godly living.  This is again unacceptable for the saved.

1 John 2:26:
“These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.”

Gambling is a game of bluffing, deception, and swindling, and a believer must not be involved in these practices.

1 Thessalonians 5:15:
“See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men.”

Taking another persons money through deception and bluffing is falsehood.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22:
“But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.”

Paul told believers not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler not even to eat with such a one.  The whole idea of gambling is to deceive by bluffing, deception, or lying to increase the pledge, wage, or bet.  We must see this as God sees it.

Paul warns the saved about money in 1 Timothy 6:9-11.
“But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang.
Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.  But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.”

Gambling has ruined and destroyed many homes.  There are over 35,000 problem gamblers in Wisconsin alone.  Gambling destroys a local economy, destroys marriages, and robs from the children.  Many friendships are broken by gambling as well.  Hard earned paychecks are lost by the billions, annually in America alone.  It’s a cancer that destroys everything it touches.

1 Timothy 6:18:
“Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,”

If you as a believer gamble, you are violating Biblical principles; God’s law.  You say, “But I’m not under the law.”  We as believer’s are under the moral law, “Thou shalt not lie, deceive or falsely bluff thy neighbor.”

This is an apostate hour.  Many Christians are involved in the sin of gambling.  I pray that your heart will be sensitive to His admonishment on this issue.

The Lord commands us as believers not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler not even to eat with such a one.

Perhaps you never considered yourself a swindler.  If you gamble, you are practicing the sin of swindling and will one day have to give an account to God.  Does that not concern you?