One of the largest and more popular movements in the last 30+ years in the Christian Church is a form of theology called prosperity gospel. Let’s define what it is first. According to the website, Wikipedia; prosperity theology is a religious belief among some Protestant Christians that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one's material wealth. This form of theology is preached by many present day Christian pastors and televangelists. Some of the pastors that are involved with this spiritual movement are Joel Olsteen, Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, and Jesse Duplantis, as well as many others.
These men are pastors of large mega churches and are well known multi-millionaires with million+ $$$ dollar homes, private luxury jets and imported luxury cars. Their form of theological thinking is that the more money that you give to us, the greater increase that God will give back to you in financial wealth and better health. In their twisted theology, God’s blessings and grace are there for you but they come with an attached price tag first.
Our Lord’s blessings cannot be bought. His blessings and grace are not determined by how much money a pastor needs or how much volunteer time we give to the church. God’s grace is also not earned by doing good works. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Grace is given to us as a free gift from God when we believe that His Son, Jesus died for our sins. God gives us His grace simply because He cares for us and loves us unconditionally.
The concept of prosperity gospel is not biblical. Jesus never taught this doctrine any time during His earthly ministry. Jesus even said in Matthew 19:21 ESV Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Jesus and his disciples were never rich with worldly wealth and they had very few material possessions. Jesus never promised us that we would be wealthy in this life or would always be healthy. Jesus never promised us that we would become successful in our life’s endeavors. What Jesus does promise us is love, compassion, understanding, and most importantly, eternal life.
So then, my fellow Christian, please beware of false prophets. The Bible warns in Proverbs 28:20 A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished. Beware of church pastors who are money hungry and like to preach, “we need more, give us more, and in return God will give you more.” Also, be very aware of church leaders that use your offerings for personal profit and gain. These evil people will be dealt with harshly by God.
Now onto the idea of finances. One important Christian principle regarding money is what the Bible teaches us about giving to the Christian church in Leviticus 27:30 NKJV which says, And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord. and in Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. These two passages of scripture talk about giving a portion of your income to the local church in the form of tithing and offerings. You might now be asking how much do I give? Well in Numbers 18:26 it says Speak to the Levites and say to them: When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering. Now, this scripture passage from the Old Testament still applies to us today. God will bless you if you unselfishly give 10% to help further His kingdom. When pastors do say, “we need more,” remember God only commands 10% and nothing more (in terms of money).
Now to Christians who are already financially wealthy, this is not a bad thing in the eyes of the Lord as long as these individuals are wise, responsible stewards of their finances and are using their wealth to help the poor and to advance ethical causes. The Bible says 1 Timothy 6:17-18 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
God hates lovers of money; people who selfishly flaunt their wealth. These so-called prosperity pastors that I mentioned earlier, perfectly fit this description, getting personally wealthy from the open wallets and hard working hands of their devoted followers. Church pastors that own Bentleys, Gulfstream jets, and custom built $5 million homes are not advancing the kingdom of Christ. Instead, they are just selfishly glorifying themselves. We, as Christians, should never emulate or follow these unholy men of God.
You see, living a materially expensive and luxurious lifestyle can really complicate a person’s life and make one very selfish, arrogant, and puffed up. There are many wealthy people who own everything on the outside but at the same time are unhappy and empty on the inside. As, Christians, we should follow the lifestyle of Jesus who was simplistic, humble, and unselfishly loving. The Bible says in Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Living a simple un-materialistic Christian lifestyle can bring glory and honor to God. We can be assured that our Heavenly Father will provide for our basic needs. God will make sure that we don’t go without. So then, we just need to be happy and content with the things in life that He does provide for us.
The Bible says in Matthew 6:19-20 ESV Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on 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 and steal. Acquiring earthly gain and luxurious wealth is fruitless and will be worthless to us after we die. We can’t take anything with us into the afterlife except for our souls. The good news for us Christians is that the spiritual treasures waiting for us in heaven are beyond glorious and everlasting.
Now, back to the prosperity pastors that I mentioned earlier in this message; all of their custom tailored Italian suits, luxury cars, yachts, mansions, and expensive jets will turn to rust and to dust after they're gone. The only thing left remaining of these prosperity pastors will be their tarnished and empty legacies. For the rest of us, let’s all live simple and fruitful lives that bring glory and honor to the Lord. AMEN
