Day 2 - June 7, 2011

Here is a question, why is the lottery so appealing? It doesn't appeal to me because the few times I played I did not win. But my guess is that the risk vs. reward ratio is so disproportionate many will play the odds, or the risk is so small compared to the hope of a huge payoff I will ignore the odds. Now about the odds of winning, your chances are 1 in 195,711,536, or to put it another way you are 6-45 times more likely to die of a lightning strike (some years are more lightening prone) than of winning the lottery. Still, in the US alone, it has been estimated that in the year 2010 over $58 Billion was spent on lottery tickets, by more than 45% of the American population. Therefore, if the U.S. Populations is say 300,000,000 then 45% of them would be approximately 135,000,000. If you divide the $58 Billion spent by 135,000,000 people you would get an annual expenditure of $430/person on lottery tickets. I admit that there are some gross generalizations in these calculations, but the point is that a lot of people spend a lot of money on the lottery.

The reason that I bring up the lottery is because many in our society would like the reward without putting in the effort. I want to put in a dollars worth of effort and reap millions in rewards. That why people play right? In the case of the lottery, it would be much more effective to apply yourself, work hard, and earn your money the old fashioned way (the biblical way), than to waste your money. This principle is true in the case of economics, but it is also true as it relates to salvation.  Salvation being defined as deliverance from the power and affects of sin, and as Christians being restored from our acts of sin to a state of righteousness through grace and given the gift of eternal life in heaven.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

New International Version (NIV)

The Need for Self-Discipline

 ²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.


There are many people who want to receive the prize, but have no intention of competing in the race. We all know the simple fact that in order to win, we must train, we must work, we must compete. How much more so, as Christians must we participate, must we obey, must we choose righteousness, in order to receive the prize. For me the prize is heaven, an eternity with my Father in heaven, a crown that will last forever.

On Day 1 I shared Matthew 6:33.

Matthew 6:33

New International Version (NIV)

³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

I have taken this passage out of context for many years. Matthew 6:33 commands us to "seek first his kingdom AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS..." I have focused on going to heaven so much so that I have neglected to actively seek first his righteousness. That is the basis for this discussion, choosing righteousness, pursuing righteousness, not just heaven.

Romans 6:13

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.

I know this is a bold statement, but if we think that we can go to heaven while completely neglecting God's call to righteousness, it is the same as a man betting a dollar on the lottery, or a man watching a race from the sidelines hoping to win the prize! I don't know about you but I do not like those odds. I would much rather live according to God's word, the bible, and base my hope of receiving the prize on God's great and precious promises also found in His word. Tomorrow, the discussion will cover more on what righteousness is.