The prosperity gospel in its simplest terms states that God always wants you to be wealthy and healthy and the means to achieving this state of life is to sow seeds of faith (money) to the televangelist or teacher that shares this gospel with you. In recent years this doctrine from hell has been popularized by individuals such as Kenneth Copeland, Oral Roberts, Marilyn Hickey, and Benny Hinn.
The saddest thing about this belief system is that it takes the focus off bringing glory to Jesus through obedience and sacrifice and places it on how we can obtain things for ourselves. It places our motivation not on doing things to advance the kingdom of God but on advancing our own priorities. The prosperity gospel is not Christ centered but me centered.
Yes, while it is true that we should give a portion of our finances to advancing the kingdom of God our motivation should not be to expect blessings in return. Yes, it is also true that when we give God will bless us, but there is no guarantee that we will receive financial windfalls and great health. We should always give of our finances to bless Jesus and others and leave the blessing that God will accrue to our account with the Lord.
You would have thought that Christ’s apostles, who walked and talked with Jesus, should have expected to all be wealthy and healthy since they had a direct connection with Jesus. However, when we examine the evidence, this clearly was not the case. Instead for their faithfulness in following Christ they received not financial wealth, but great persecution; with most of them being martyred for their faith.
Concerning the Apostle Paul, we read: “But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’” (Acts 9:15-16). Paul throughout his time serving Jesus learned the great secret of being content no matter what circumstances he found himself in. Far from reading about Paul’s financial wealth and health the Scriptures paint just the opposite picture and tell us in (2 Corinthians 11:22-28) how much he suffered. For we read:
“Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”
To be sure there were prosperity teachers in Paul’s day. However, Paul’s faith and obedience brought him a cross to bear not a fortune to accumulate. I like what Randy Alcorn shares on this point: “Paul faced off with these prosperity preachers, pointing out that they’d jumped the gun on reigning with Christ by living now as kings rather than as servants. Paul’s point is clear: Don’t try to reign prematurely! Dress like a servant. Let God put robes of honor on you when He brings you to His kingdom. Don’t put them on yourself now!”1
While there clearly are wealthy Christians and Christians in vibrant health, many Christians are not wealthy and sadly suffer from poor health. But the worst part of this fatally flawed prosperity gospel is that these false preachers blame these Christian’s weak faith as the reason why they have not obtained prosperity and good health. Christianity is about building up kingdom treasures above, not personal wealth here below. My advice is to steer clear of this false gospel and cling to Christ – He will never disappoint you!
1 Prosperity Theology Tells Us to Live Now as Kings, Not Servants – Blog – Eternal Perspective Ministries (epm.org)
Is it always wrong to expect blessings based on something we do? The devotion says, “our motivation should not be to expect blessings in return.”
In context, I believe this admonition was directed at blindly following televangelists that promise material wealth based on how much you give to them. However, when it comes to warnings about believing these charlatans, we don’t want to use too broad a brush by failing to see the relationship between obedience and abundant blessing. God’s covenant promise is the guide and it promises abundance for all the right reasons. Many servants of God sacrifice their lives just like first responders and soldiers who put themselves in harm’s way to secure our freedoms and blessings but this high calling is not the norm for the flock of the Lord.
The richest of blessings should be expected if we are obedient.
Deut. 28
And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
“The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The LORD will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. And the LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
The prosperity gospel discourages people in the long run. It runs counter to true Christian principles and puts the focus on this life and what’s I. It fir me.