Are sports evil, are they equal? Q & A

Before we get into the meat and potatoes, here's a simple recipe for success we have found helpful. When determining where/how to invest your time, first take everything to prayer, second to the scriptures, third back to prayer, lastly follow the Holy Spirit with shoes of Peace. Now, let's put those words into practice, "Lord Jesus, give us ears to hear."

1.) Does the bible forbid sports?

NO...for the most part. The new testament does not forbid anything that goes against the ceremonial law, but DOES forbid actions that go against the moral law. As Christians we are commanded to follow the law of the Spirit which is in step with the moral law.

Romans 13 and 14 clarify this biblical concept and they are great reminders to read the bible in context, line by line. For example, many pastors, priests and influencers will say you have freedom to do Philippians 4:13 "all things through Christ" (minus a few extreme sins). While that sounds nice, it is not accurate. Let's dig into Romans 14 to discern:

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. ¹⁴ I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean."

Let's keep reading...

¹⁵ If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. ¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, ¹⁸ because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval".

Romans 14 is about eating, drinking, and celebrating the Lord's feasts and the liberty we have as believers to do such. It is not a license to sin or a get out of righteous judgement card. While Romans 14 DOES give us freedom in how we choose to celebrate the Lord and what dietary rules we follow (ceremonial law); Romans 13 DOES NOT give us a license to sin (break moral law). In fact, Romans 13:11-14 teaches the opposite. Let's get the context:

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

Ephesians 4:31-32, reads with similar language confirming this truth:

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

Galatians 5:22-23 (in line with Ephesians 4 and Romans 13), provides the solution:

 ^"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

In summary, any sport is permissible if we are keeping in step with the law of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:2-4). Now, here’s where "for the most part" comes in. If we are honest, it’s impossible to maintain all 9 fruits of the Spirit in sports where violence is encouraged and or rewarded. Fits of rage, dissension, anger, harsh words clearly break the moral law and are wrong to practice, no matter how many prayers and "to God be the glories" are thrown in. It is worth stating, tossing a ball around is different than repeating an action that stirs anger and is proven to cause brain damage. The final admonishment here is to discard any sport that breaks moral law (how we love God and others). Once that's done, take it all to prayer in surrender. The Lord may have a good, better, and best “sport option” for you; or a new way to think about investing your time like music, business, serving etc. where you truly come alive in a fresh way.

2.) What about very popular sports with violence like UFC and Football?

WE HAVE TO DISCERN THE WORD AND THE FRUIT. Let's start with (1 Cor. 9:26-27)

"Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 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."

This is one of the primary verses used to justify all sports, but notice how Paul does not talk about striking his neighbor for fun or sport in that verse. In fact, that would contradict his Romans 13:10 teaching, "Love does no harm to his neighbor". What he DOES do is turn boxing into an acceptable spiritual exercise by teaching about discipline and self-control without the sin of striking your neighbor in the head for sport. This would be like saying you can beat the bag until you get tired, but you don't want to beat the temple of the Holy Spirit (another man). We must remember, the Lord hates violence for violence's sake, and the violent...we will get into King David shortly....for now, let's read his son, Solomon's wisdom, "Don't pick a fight without reason, when no one has done you harm. Don't envy violent people or copy their ways." (Proverbs 3:30-31)

Now to David in Psalms, "I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war." (Psalm 120:7)

The man of God is not to pursue violence or be entertained by violence, and yet, He is not to be afraid of it. David was a trained worshiper and tender-hearted shepherd who pursued God's heart of peace. Goliath was a trained fighter from youth. David had no man to man combat training, just training in trusting God, and Won. He beat the Champion from youth.

Here's where sports come in…I’ve seen sports used as a crutch to justify all kinds of sinful actions in Christian circles. We must refuse to leave our holy bible and our relationship with Christ at the door or at the locker room...For example, if a game is training the youth to trust God and obey his commands (or at least not disobey His commands) there is freedom. The problem with UFC and Football is violence and fits of rage is trained, fostered, and profited from youth to adulthood (Goliath's way vs David's way). In UFC violence is celebrated, in football it's rewarded, and when a human gets damaged in both activities, it's not an accident it's a foreseeable consequence of the game/match.

In baseball, soccer, basketball, etc. when someone intentionally strikes their competitor out of anger, it is a red card, a foul, and or an ejection. Violence for violence's sake is penalized. That's in line with biblical discipleship. In violent games, that same action is rewarded, praised, and even cheered by the masses. It creates a double standard, and frankly, is confusing for discipleship. With that topic in light, it helps explain why in society we are seeing revolving news headlines of ex-football players and retired UFC fighters being found guilty of murder, reckless driving, and domestic violence. These guys from a young age have been taught/trained that violence for violence's sake is acceptable, and recklessness is often rewarded in cages and on fields. The years of training are hard to turn off in a high stress moment, especially with any cognitive damage from the sport. Never Shake a Brain (@Truth4Church) / X

*Violence in the military is a topic worthy of dissecting more closely. To stay on task, we will only briefly cover. The first major difference to take note of is Government and military are God ordained institutions to carry the sword. David was called to step up and defend the Lord and His holiness as a soldier and future king...Entertainment and sports are not God ordained spheres to carry the sword...The testimony of David and Goliath was never about our selfish ambition to win a game...That’s what taking God's word/name in vain looks like in practice. That said, it's necessary to remind that even in government sanctioned combat there are biblical mandates and moral boundaries for the believer when determining courses of action when lives are at stake (Luke 3:14, Ezekiel 18:23, Romans 13), and possibly a higher calling to rise above the violence and go against the grain in humility (see the movie Hacksaw Ridge).

**Scholastic Wrestling...want to rightly divide the word of God on this nuanced sport…It could be a possible exception because the brain is typically free from repeated blows, it is monitored in a tight space by an umpire, and self-control is rewarded over fits of rage. In the Old Testament, Jacob did wrestle with “a man” in Genesis 33:22-32. The scripture lets us know this event was not for entertainment, sport, or war, and Jacob did dislocate his hip in the process. All that said, it's key to remember; he was wrestling with God because he desperately wanted God to bless him, not because he wanted street credit. In view of the previous scriptures above, in order to keep wrestling as a valid option the believer would need to get rid of rage, slander, jealousy, sexual immorality and function within the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Not sure how gentleness fits in (maybe not being harsh and proud toward opponent), but if that's your passion, take it to the word and prayer...God has the answer.

***Lastly, remember any sport can become an idol and you must guard your heart against the sin of idolatry. However, a handful of sports clearly rebel against God's heart and His moral law revealed in the scriptures (with or without the idolatry being considered)...those "sports" need to be discarded and "put aside" as Romans 13 and Ephesians 4 commands.

3.) Why did the bible not include much on the Roman Gladiators and going to the arena (even though it was the talk of the town)?

They were too busy spreading the gospel and getting eaten by the lions. Some early Christian fathers did address the issue head on with Augustine, "While the pagan watches the games the Christian should be listening to the word of God." and Tertullian with the C. Dodgson, Tertullian Vol. 1. Apologetic and Practical Treatises. (1842). pp.187-219.  De Spectaculis. Paul briefly mentions it in the town of Ephesus, where there was a large gladiator arena, but again he was not fighting men or praising the games (1 Corinthians 15:32), "If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised..."

In Closing: Religious leaders, politicians, and school administrators often mask/hide the truth due to community idolatry, perceived financial gain, fear of lawsuits, and or lack of knowledge. Believers must wake up to the facts...Regardless of what your coach, pastor, administrator, family member, and or local booster says...football is not the same as soccer, baseball, swimming, golf, or basketball.

In summary, not all sports are evil, not all sports are created equal, and not all are called to be teachers, because they (and we) will be judged more strictly (James 3:1).