The Prosperity gospel,
Is it wrong?
Written by: Ted Parks servant of Jesus Christ
Content:
Introduction
Why is it important to deal with the prosperity gospel?
Shinning the light on worldly wisdom
The Bride and the Thief
Cleansing the temple
The desires of the flesh
Godly use of finances
Living with contentment
Conclusion
Introduction:
Why is it important to deal with the prosperity gospel?
a. First, I want to protect believers from the wrong heart towards money and help them understand godly use of money. In this writing I will give many scriptures that deal with money and how God wants money to be used. Satan works through deception and often quotes scriptures himself though usually out of context. Therefore I want to share the truth as shared in the Holy Scriptures to dispel deception and set people free.
About thirty to forty years ago I heard of evangelists going around from city to city using the pulpit as a means for making money but few were open to their schemes. Today there seems to be a big openness to embrace these teachings. There is a trend in history that I see over and over. First there is the rejection of false teaching. Then over time, the teaching becomes tolerated. Last of all, if not corrected, it will become accepted as truth by many. Therefore, to bring loving correction is very important.
*All scriptures are taken from the NASV Bible.
b. Second, in the Bible the love and worship of money is referred to as idolatry. “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” Col. 3:5, 6. This is a very serious thing and cannot be taken lightly. If this was only a minor difference in doctrine that is nonessential, it would not need to be dealt with. Yet, this is a very serious heresy and can destroy the faith of many who profess it. The Bible says the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. Money itself is not evil and having money is not evil, but the love of it is and is very dangerous spiritually. “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.” 1 Tim. 6:10.
I. Shinning the light on worldly wisdom
Jesus talks a lot about money and its use in the New Testament. So what does He have to say and what can we learn from His wisdom? First we will look at a parable of ‘the bride and the thief’. Second we will go with Jesus as He cleanses the temple. Third we will expose worldly wisdom.
The Bride and the Thief:
A righteous man took for himself a bride that he loves very much. She was in love with him and very happy to be his wife. He took care of her in every way. The family had a nice place to live. They never went hungry and had good medical care whenever needed. They were not rich by the world standards yet inwardly they were completely blessed. In their life together they had many happy as well as difficult times. Yet, he was always there for her.
After time the bride began to envy the riches and pleasures that the world had to offer. Then along came a thief who offered her everything that her heart desired and that the world had to offer. He told her that to gain these things it takes money and lots of it. He promised to make her rich if she would be his lover. She decided to be his woman so she could fulfill every lust and passion that she had. He gave her a large bank account that she could rest in for her security. He promised her no more sickness or difficulties if she would only trust him.
She would often return to her husband just to satisfy her conscience but would then take money from her husband and give it to her lover the thief. The thief convinced her that her husband would be very happy with their new arrangement.
In time her husband found out that she was seeing another man. He told her that she would have to choose between him and the thief. He asked her how she could be his wife and also be in love with another man. He told her that she needed to return to Him and him alone. Concerning the thief He said, “I will bring about justice in due time”.
Jesus Christ is like unto the husband. We as Christians are the bride of Christ. The thief is the prosperity gospel and its love for money. The thief (doctrine of demons) has been trying to steal away the bride of Jesus Christ. What will God do with this thief and those who promote this deception? Jesus cleansed the temple before and wants to do it again in the Church today. “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17. The prosperity gospel is teaching people to love and seek the things of this world with its lusts and passions and is stealing people’s hearts away from total devotion to Jesus Christ.
Cleansing the Temple:
In the Gospels Jesus cleansed the temple because He was very zealous for the temple to be used for prayer and devotion to God. The Bible says, “And they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple. And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”? But you have made it a robbers’ den.” Mark 11:15-17. In Jesus time leaders and businessmen were using God’s house as a means for financial gain and to exploit people for money. They were using people’s love for God in order to make financial profit. The temple is where God’s people came together to worship and pray to God.
Today there are leaders doing the same things. “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” 2 Peter 2:1-3. They are preaching another gospel in order to fulfill their lusts and greed.
They teach about another Jesus, but not the Jesus of the Bible. “But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches “another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.” 2 Cor. 11:3, 4. Today this scripture is also being fulfilled in our time through the prosperity gospel.
The desires of the flesh:
We will look at three areas in relation to the ‘prosperity gospel’. We will look at the motive, the means, and why it is accepted.
I will first look at the motive for this deceptive teaching. Many deceptions have some elements of truth in them, which makes these deceptions easier to be received. God does delight in meeting his people’s needs financially and there is great blessing in giving to God’s work. Yet, I will try to expose some of the deception of this prosperity teaching. The leaders who came up with this teaching needed a good plan to help finance their expensive ministries. Many were on TV which is very costly. The more money they could bring in means they can be on more TV stations and get their message out to more people resulting in even more finances coming in. Also, if they could convince people that God wants His ministers and people to be rich, and to have luxury items, then people would not question their luxurious lifestyles and would give anyway.
I was talking to a young pastor over lunch and mentioned that I was concerned about the prosperity teachings. He quickly interrupted me and said that he truly believes in the prosperity gospel and was not open to ever changing his mind. He told me that he believes God wants Christians to have the most expensive houses and the most luxurious cars and everything else that comes with the wealthy lifestyle so that when unbelievers look at how much God has blessed us they will want to become Christians also. I was in shock since I had never heard that idea expressed before and it is definitely not scriptural in any way. I realized latter that this is a common teaching with those who teach the prosperity gospel. They have come up with a formula and teaching that works great to fulfill the above mentioned desires.
Many of these teachers teach that one of the reasons Jesus died on the cross was so that we could be rich. They believe that riches are promised in the atonement. Because of this, some teach that it is even a sin to be poor. This is definitely teaching a different gospel. Today many suffer for the work of the Gospel. Especially in countries where there is little religious freedom. I live in that part of the world where thousands of Christians have been imprisoned for their faith. Many others lose their jobs or can’t get a job because they are a Christian and actively share their faith. In many countries pastors and evangelists have little more than the clothes on their back and food to eat yet they complain little knowing that they have true riches in heaven being stored up for them that will never fade or perish. Others pay big fines and have their finances drained by those who are trying to deter Christians from their faith. Many have their house and property burned to the ground because of their faith. The list is endless of those who have suffered need as a result of persecution for the sake of Jesus Christ. Their financial need did not come about as a result of ungodliness, but rather because they were serving Jesus with their whole heart and when they received Christ Jesus they died to this world and all its lusts and desires so they could fully serve God no matter what the cost. These are heroes of the Faith and examples for all of us of Biblical Christianity.
The problem goes beyond just those teaching this false doctrine. If there were not so many believers embracing this teaching it would not get very far and would cease to be popular. Unfortunately, the love of money has crept into the church and is being justified as a godly thing and something Christians should pursue. This is fulfilling prophesy of scripture that was shared in 2 Timothy 4:2-4, “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.” When those who profess to be God’s people desire the love of money and the pursuit of the things of this world, instead of repenting, will look for teachers who are justifying their greed and even go as far as to teach that this is God’s plan for us.
In the book of Revelations in the Bible, Jesus has harsh words to say to the wealthy Laodicea church. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” Rev. 3:15-17. Jesus had nothing bad to say about the church that was mentioned as being poor but rather that this church had true riches. “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Rev. 2:9, 10.
Next I will share the means to support the above motive. Though it is true that giving finances to God’s work opens the windows of blessing if given correctly, these teachers took this truth to its extreme and dove into heresy. They began to teach that if you sow seed (money) into their ministry God will give you an abundant harvest of money in return. The harvest is often equated to be a 100 fold return. So the more money you give the more you will get in return. Give $100 and God will give you $1000 in return.
I was attending a church that had invited a guest speaker to speak in our evening service. He was a prosperity teacher and went into detail how that whatever we give him that night, God would return to us 100 fold in the type that we gave. If we gave money, God would return to us money and so on. The whole message was on the benefit of investing in his ministry. One of the assistant pastors of that church came up to me after the message and told me that he believed what this preacher was saying and that he was going to go get all his money and give it to this preacher so that he could get the 100 fold blessing. If this were true it would be the greatest investment that one could do with their money. Yet, this is not true and tends to motivate people to give so they can get. The ones becoming rich off of this teaching are the ones teaching it, not the ones giving in most cases.
The Bible teaches us not to pursue riches. “And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 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 pain. But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.” 1 Tim. 6: 8-11.
Third I will look at why this prosperity teaching has been received by many. This teaching goes right along with one of the greatest desires the world seeks after. Most people in this world want to be rich so they can have whatever they want as well as providing power, control, and security. The Bible refers to this as adultery. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ” James 4:3,4.
This teaching says you can have everything the world is seeking after and that this is what God wants for you. Today, many do not want to sacrifice their lives for the sake of Christ. Yet God said you cannot love Him and this world also. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matt. 16:24-26.
II Godly use of finances:
Now I would like to share God’s plan for the use of our finances and the kind of heart we should have in relationship to money as may relate to the prosperity gospel. Making money and having money are not evil. It is the love of money and the improper use of money that is not good. The poor can love money and misuse it just like the rich and middle class can. I would first like to look at the blessings of giving. Second I would like to cover good stewardship. Third I will share about seeking God’s kingdom first.
There is a great blessing in giving to the right cause with the right heart. I will now look at one of the clearest scripture sections in the New Testament that shares clearly God’s plan for giving, which is 2 Corinthians chapter 9. This scripture is talking about giving money unlike many other scriptures used by the prosperity teachers that do not refer to money.
First I will share this scripture and then explain it verse by verse. “6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. 7 Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written, ‘he scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, his righteousness abides forever.’ 10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.” 2 Cor. 9:6-11.
In verse six we are told that we will reap in proportion to how we sow which is talking about giving. If we give abundantly we will also reap abundantly having an abundant harvest. The prosperity teachers often say one will reap 100 times as much as one sows since the harvest is always more than the original seed. I agree that the harvest is much greater. Where the Bible disagrees with the prosperity teachers is concerning what the harvest is. They say the harvest is money so that we can be wealthy. The Bible says the harvest is our righteousness in verse 10 and not money. This would also agree with Jesus’ teaching where He says we are to store our treasures in heaven in Matthew 6:20.
In verse 7 we are told not to give grudgingly or from compulsion but as we have decided in our hearts. God likes a cheerful giver which comes from a giving heart in freedom. We do not need to be afraid to give worrying that we may end up in need.
Verse 8 and 9 let us know that to those who give bountifully, God is able to meet all their needs sufficiently and even give us an abundance so we can give more to help people in need. It continues in verse 10 sharing that God will multiply our seed for sowing so that our righteousness may increase. This seed is not for putting into barns and as it increases building bigger barns. This seed is for sowing or giving to needs wherever they may be. Put these verses together and add verse 11 and we see that God wants to bless us abundantly and enrich us not so that we can be wealthy, but so that we have plenty to met needs as God leads us. Yes, God does want us to meet our needs as well in all sufficiency!
It is important that we become good stewards of what God has given us. We are not to be giving to prosperity teachers so that they can buy another luxury home and finance their private jet or jets on their private airport. I believe that when God sees this He must want to throw up. These teachers are also spreading much heresy around the world through their expensive TV ministries and so on. If we support these teachers financially we become partakers in their deception and will have to give an account before God for our bad stewardship.
Good stewardship would definitely do what we can to help the needy of all types. We also have a responsibility to help meet the needs of our local church so that they have all their needs met. After giving to our local church and the needs of people that God has put on our hearts, it is also a good thing to help support other ministries that are doing the work of Jesus Christ. We do need to make sure these ministries are spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not preaching another gospel.
Jesus told us where we should store our treasures and where not to, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matt. 6:19-21. God blesses us not so we can become wealthy but so that we can meet needs and store our treasures in heaven. What we do with our treasures is a clear indication of where our heart is. If our hearts are heavenly focused we will store our treasures in heaven. If our hearts are earthly focused we will store our treasures on earth.
We are to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness first and then whatever we need and extra to give will be added unto us. Jesus taught, “Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we cloth ourselves?’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matt. 6:31-34. We are called to seek after God’s kingdom and His righteousness first and not provisions or riches. We are not to worry, God will take care of us; maybe not as we desire but according as we need in all sufficiency. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches).” Matt. 6:24.
The Bible does not condemn those who have money but tells them to not trust in it and to always be ready to share, which is the result of true love for God and people. In 1 Tim. 6:17-19 we read, “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. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share. Storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”
Living with contentment
I believe Paul in the scriptures shares one of the greatest secrets to living a satisfied life in relation to God’s provision. He wrote that he had learned to be content in whatever circumstance he was in. “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:11-13. This flies in the face of those who teach the prosperity gospel. They teach that the only way one should be content is when they are wealthy. They say the poor man should never be content in his poverty, but rather they should be unsatisfied until they become wealthy. The Bible says one should be content in whatever circumstance one is in; whether poor or prosperous one should be content.
Different people are called to different circumstances that may vary at different times. Not everyone is called to be rich just as not everyone is called to be poor or anywhere in between. At one time you may have an over abundance and be able to give abundantly and at another time you may be in need and on the receiving end. God has a purpose in everything. He is more interested in our maturity and spiritual growth than us being prosperous and without trials or difficulties. The Bible says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4.
Conclusion
Most people in the world are in pursuit of financial riches. The Bible tells us not to pursue temporal riches but to pursue God. As we pursue Jesus and His kingdom, God will meet all our needs as well as give us extra so that we can help others. There is a great blessing in giving when we give generously and cheerfully. Our focus should be storing treasures in heaven and not on earth. Let us love God with everything within us and our neighbor as ourselves and our money will flow where our heart is. As God blesses us, He expects us to be good stewards of that blessing. Beware of those who out of greed try to rob you. They say, “Will you rob God?” and in the next moment they rob you and take God’s money that you were given stewardship of, which God wanted to be used for something else. Let us be good stewards of all the resources that God has given us. Jesus loves us and desires only the best for us, yet He is the one to decide what is best for us. His focus is more on the eternal rather than the temporal.