BETTING, COEFFICIENTS AND PROBABILITY OF WINNING
In this world, there are many
things we try to obtain. Some pursue a car, others a house, others a beautiful
spouse and others a summer house. On the other hand, some can daydream about winning
a sports event, about a world championship or about succeeding as actors or
singers. There are also many other things about which people daydream and which
they hope to attain. Sometimes these things will come true, sometimes not.
One area in which many have hopes is gambling. Here, we refer to
gambling games, such as football pools, tote-betting, the lottery, betting or
generally different forms of the betting. Many may study the backgrounds of the
games for several hours, seek information about whether someone is away from
the game or hurt, or to find out information about former games and starts.
They may plan systems, examine coefficients and ponder on probabilities; all
this only to win as much money with as small a bet as possible.
An area that is not thought very much, however, is eternal life
and Jesus. If life continues after this life, and the words of Jesus about it
and about Himself are true, how stupid are we if we do not invest also in
these, especially if the probability of them is much higher than that in
several gambling games! The probability in the lottery and in other similar
games is less than one millionth, and yet people try to win these prizes,
but isn’t the possibility of eternal life and damnation much higher? Isn’t it possible
that the following verses are true? How probable does each of us deem them? If
the probability of them to come true is only 20%, it is still more than that of
throwing the dice and getting a six on the first go:
- (Matt 6:19-21) Lay not up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay
up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
- (Rev 21:1-8) And I saw a new heaven
and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and
there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw
the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a
great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with
men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God
himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away.
5 And he that
sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, Write: for these
words are true and faithful.
6 And he said to
me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will
give to him that is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that
overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my
son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death.
PROBABILITY
When people gamble, bet, play the
lottery or gambling games, they have one goal: trying to guess the final score.
Or they try to conclude already before the match or the event what is the most
probable conclusion. Therefore, they may study plenty of different alternatives
so that they would hit the nail on the head and get money.
As far as the spiritual life and eternity are concerned, the
final score is important as well. If our soul is eternal and valuable (or as
Jesus said, For what is a man
profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what
shall a man give in exchange for his soul?, Matt 16:26), it is good for
everyone to take care also of them, and not only of earthly issues, especially
if the best final score is eternal life in heaven where there shall no longer
be any deficiencies and sorrows.
So, if you believe and deem the previous
verses possible, it is not worth your while to stay a mere onlooker, but you
can be saved and to get to heaven. You can get a better prize than from any
earthly game. The following points are important in this issue:
1. Turn to Jesus Christ and
give your life to Him
The first phase in being
saved is naturally turning to Jesus Christ. You can tell Him that you are a sinner
who needs salvation and that you want the plan of God to come true in your
life. At first, there is no need to try to become better, just go to Him as you
are with all of your faults. According to the Bible, there is eternal life only
in Jesus and therefore we must turn to Him so that we can get it:
- (John 5:40) And you will not come to me, that you might have life.
- (John 6:68,69) Then Simon Peter
answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal
life.
69 And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of
the living God.
- (John 10:9) I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved...
2. Receiving
The second issue is simply
receiving. As eternal life can be received as a gift through the Son of God,
Jesus, you must receive Him into your life (in other words you can simply
say, " Lord Jesus, come into my life!). According to the Bible, He
already stands behind the door of our heart and waits for a chance to step into
our lives:
- (Rev 3:20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man
hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
If you have done this, you
have then, according to the Scriptures, taken on God and eternal life. You have
this in spite of how you feel at that moment. Do not base your assurance of
salvation on your feelings that can change, but on the word of God and on Jesus
Christ, just like the anchor of a ship is never thrown inside the ship but
always outside.
- (John 1:12) But as
many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name
- (1 John 5:11-13) And this is the
record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his
Son.
12 He that
has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life.
13 These things have I written to you that believe on the name of the
Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may
believe on the name of the Son of God.
THE PRAYER OF SALVATION:
Lord,
Jesus, I turn to You. I confess that I have sinned against You and have not
lived according to Your will. However, I want to turn away from my sins and
follow You with all my heart. I also believe that my sins have been forgiven
through Your atonement and I have received eternal life through You. I thank
You for the salvation that You have given me. Amen.
