Jesus warned us that in the end of the age, there would be many false teachings (Matthew 24:4). It’s important for us to be aware of this, so that we are not deceived.
One of the most dangerous teachings in the church today is the prosperity gospel. The prosperity gospel teaches that if you are faithful to God, then you will be rich and have good health. One popular prosperity preacher said, “God wants us to prosper financially, to have plenty of money, to fulfill the destiny He has laid out for us.”
The prosperity gospel has spread throughout the church in the USA. From here it is going around the world. It is taking over the church in countries in Africa and South America. India is also being affected.
It is important for us to measure the prosperity gospel by the Bible. Does God promise us lots of money if we are faithful to him?
When Satan tempted Jesus, he said he would give him the wealth of the world if he would bow down and worship him (Matthew 4:8-9). Satan is the god of this world. The devil controls many aspects of this world, and he can make people wealthy. Wealth according to this verse can come from Satan.
Jesus taught us to not lay up treasures on earth but treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21). Earthly treasures include money. Heavenly treasures are invisible, spiritual riches that we gain as we obey God.
Jesus told us we cannot serve God and mammon (Matt. 6:24). Mammon is a demon that represents and controls wealth. When people serve mammon, a demon gives them wealth. Jesus told us that this demon and God are opposites, and we cannot serve both of them. A prosperity gospel that teaches that God will give us money is a false gospel of mammon.
Jesus told a rich man that if he wanted to be perfect to sell what he had and give it to the poor (Matt. 19:21-23). He didn’t tell him that his wealth was a sign of perfection.
Jesus said it was very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24). He didn’t teach that the more money you have, the closer you are to heaven.
Jesus pronounced “woe to the rich,” because they already received their comfort (Luke 6:24).
He said a man’s life is not measured by the things that he has (Luke 12:15).
Paul said that Christians will face many challenges in this life. They will not experience lots of material comforts and pleasures. This is why Paul says if all Christians have is in this life, and if there is no eternal life, then they make themselves miserable for nothing (1 Corinthians 15:19).
When Paul defends his ministry and tries to prove that he is a true servant of God, he tells people how often he had been beaten. He was imprisoned. He was hungry, he was thirsty. He almost died in the sea. He was robbed, attacked, slandered, and weak. He didn’t boast of his money or possessions. He boasted in his weaknesses. (See 2 Corinthians 11:23-30.) Paul’s life was the opposite of the prosperity gospel.
The Bible says that Christians are appointed to suffer in this world (Philippians 1:29). They will suffer because they are living for Christ and the devil hates them. The world is full of evil and demons, and Christians are trying to live for God and bring his kingdom into this broken world. This is not going to be easy.
We are commanded to keep our lives free from the love of money (Hebrews 13:5).
The Bible says that the poor people of this world are rich in faith (James 2:5). It doesn’t say that their poverty is a sign of unbelief.
Peter warned against false teachers who would through covetousness make merchandise of Christians. He said they would be experts in greed (2 Peter 2:3, 14-15).
The church in Laodicea was rich, full of possessions, and needed nothing materially (Revelation 3:17). Yet Jesus said they were spiritually poor, blind, and naked. They had material riches, but no spiritual riches. This meant that they had nothing.
The Bible directly warns us against false prosperity teachers who “suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself” (1 Timothy 6:5) We are instructed to separate ourselves from prosperity preachers.
“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have staged from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:6-10).
What about the Old Testament?
Prosperity preachers often misinterpret the Old Testament. Abraham, Solomon and others were wealthy in the Old Testament. These material examples in the Old Testament represent spiritual riches for us. They got land, but we get the riches of the Holy Spirit. They got milk, honey, and gold, but we get the riches of the word of God. They had to defeat giants to get actual land, but we defeat principalities and powers in order to inherit our spiritual land of heaven. The blessings we are promised in the New Testament are primarily spiritual, not material.
There are many evil results that come from the prosperity gospel.
It leads Christians to believe that the success of their spiritual life is measured by the amount of money they have. This is false. God’s presence is greater than money. Spiritual blessings are greater than material blessings.
The prosperity gospel leads to excess. Prosperity preachers are known to buy luxurious mansions, gold toilets, jets, and fleets of luxury cars. These things are not necessary for Christians when there are poor Christians struggling in the world and true servants of God who need support. There should be a balance in the body of Christ, so that the body of Christ rises together or falls together. One part of the body should not monopolize material things at the expense of other members (2 Corinthians 8:14).
The Dangers of Overreaction
In recognizing the errors of the prosperity gospel, we don’t want to swing too far in the opposite direction. We don’t want to embrace a poverty gospel. God does not demand that all his children be poor all the time. We should not seek poverty or wealth. Rather, we should seek the will of God. When we seek God’s will, we will please God. Then we can know how to be poor and how to be rich (Philippians 4:12).
There are some verses that reveal that financial blessing will come to those who give money to the church and to God’s work.
Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).
According to this verse, what are we supposed to give? We need to give love, goodness, mercy and forgiveness, according to Luke 6:32, 33, 36, and 37. But we also need to give money according to Luke 6:30, 34, 35. Therefore, if we give money, love, goodness, mercy, and forgiveness, we will also receive these things. This promise includes money.
“He who sows sparingly, will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). This verse is talking about giving money to the church. It says that there is a principle of sowing and reaping that operates financially. When we give to God’s work, we will be blessed financially (2 Corinthians 9:10-11). But our primary motivation to give is not to get money, but it is to obey God. As we give, we will lay up treasures in heaven.
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2). Three categories of blessing are mentioned in this verse: spiritual blessings for the soul, health for the body, and material blessings in our lives. God wants us to be healthy and successful in other ways beyond the spiritual. However, we must always remember that spiritual blessings are paramount, and if we don’t have spiritual blessings, we have nothing.
We must beware of the prosperity gospel. It is a false teaching that causes Christians to focus on money and measure their spiritual lives by money. It leads to other false teachings, excess, and scandal. It contradicts many verses in the Bible.
At the same time, we must also recognize that there are a few verses that reveal that if we give we will be blessed financially. We cannot ignore this.
In all things, we need to primarily seek the will of God for our lives, so we can be spiritually blessed. In the New Testament age, we need spiritual blessings. These blessings be with us forever, and these things will bless the world now with the presence of Christ. And he is more valuable than all the gold in the world.
Lincoln House Churches 