The “Prosperity Gospel”

Published October 5, 2011

The “Prosperity Gospel”

What Is The Prosperity Gospel?

The “prosperity gospel” is a false doctrine about material prosperity. The people who promote this doctrine misuse various Bible verses to convince their followers that God wants Christians to be materially prosperous. But Jesus said:

Matthew 6:19-20 – “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal”

A Focus On Material Riches Instead Of Spiritual Riches

The prosperity preachers preach that God wants his children to be materially rich and that if you tithe or give even more than a tenth, God will give back to you even more money than you gave. But Jesus said:

Luke 18:22 – “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”

Matthew 8:20 – “And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”

A Self-Centered Faith

The prosperity preachers preach that if you have enough faith God will give you whatever you ask for. But the Bible teaches quite a different Gospel:

James 4:3 – “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

1 John 5:14 – “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us”

A Gospel Promoted By Modern Day Pharisees

People who promote the prosperity doctrine are often like the Pharisees whom Jesus condemned:

Matthew 23:4 – “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.”

Luke 11:46 – “And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.”

If you are more interested in following people who promote this worldly prosperity message, than in following the Lord Jesus Christ and His command to pick up your cross and follow Him, then you need to seriously worry about your salvation because a true child of God is focused on holiness, soul winning, Bible study, ministering to others and on pleasing the Lord Jesus Christ and not focused on material prosperity. — RM Kane

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