Without a doubt, the prosperity Gospel has infected the church in America. It is a cancer that destroys lives, homes, and families. In its wake, many are left questioning their faith in Christ and the local church.
In an article on the TGC website, Stephen Hunt explains what the prosperity Gospel is, “In the forefront, it is the doctrine of the assurance of “divine” physical health and prosperity through faith. In short, this means that “health and wealth” are the automatic divine right of all Bible-believing Christians and may be procreated by faith as part of the package of salvation, since the Atonement of Christ includes not just the removal of sin, but also the removal of sickness and poverty.”
In a blog post like this, many would like to jump to the conclusion that I am saying God doesn’t provide or can’t perform miracles. I believe the opposite. God does as He pleases; He sits in the Heavens, as the Psalmist tells us. God can heal, provide, and do great wonders because He is a Sovereign God who controls all things. However, to make demands on God as if he is the cosmic genie in the sky, ready to meet our every desire, is beyond the biblical bounds of faith.
Honestly, I despise the prosperity message. I have heard stories of people giving their last to acquire a blessing. Faith healers are promising miracles they are not able to deliver. Families are destroyed from a message that is anti-christ. My desire is for a robust, Spirit-filled faith that glorifies God, a trust that sees God as the Sovereign ruler of all creation.
In my own heart, I must check it often to ensure, the American message of the Gospel has not infected me as well. While I am sure this list could be much longer, here are a few ways to tell if the prosperity Gospel has infected you.
1. Defending False Teachers
Jesus made it clear that false teachers are wolves in sheep’s clothing. To be clear, a false teacher is one that utilizes the Bible to either twist or teaches things that are against the orthodox Christian faith. We even see the Bereans in the book of Acts checking to see if what Paul was teaching was true. If you find yourself defending a teacher that is against the Scripture and the orthodox Christian faith, you must ask yourself why? To protect false teachers, many take Psalm 105:5 entirely out of context. So many have a fear of spiritual repercussions that they refuse to warn people regarding false teachers. Psalm 105:5 has nothing to do with speaking against false teachers/prophets, but more specifically, Abraham and the patriarchs. 1 John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
2. You Listen to False Teachers
In this day and age, most people have multiple Bible teachers outside their local church, in which they regularly listen. Look at your list of bible teachers. Does 80 to 90 percent of that list include folks that are heterodox in their theology? For example, after listening to a certain teacher, are you left more enamored with Jesus or yourself? If they are teaching the Scripture, but it is outside of orthodox teachings, why continue to listen? They may be great communicators, great illustrators, but the question remains, are they faithful to the Scripture?
3. Your Authority Rivals Jesus’
I always struggled with the notion of the believer’s authority. This concept, made famous by “teachers” such as Kenneth Hagin, seeks to go beyond the biblical bounds of Scripture. Many like Kenneth and Gloria Copeland would say you have the power to even control the weather. Where were these people during Katrina or any of the known disasters in the world? The Scripture tells us, all authority has been given to Christ, who has the name above all names. When Jesus told his disciples to pray, it was modeled as a prayer of humility and trust in the Lord. What has Jesus called his people to do? Go, therefore, make disciples. He has called his people to pray and love. We are not God and will never become God. Jesus makes us more like God in our moral character. Reliance on your ability to “do” is a rejection of the one who sufficiently “can”. While I may see a miracle take place, I can never take responsibility for it. All the glory is pointed to Christ.
4. A Desire for Wealth
I struggle with this in my own heart. I want more and many times find myself more withholding than generous. The lure of wealth leaves me praying for things I often don’t need and seeking more when I probably could do with less. There is nothing wrong with a Christian having wealth. God, in His Sovereignty, blesses as he sees fit. Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit, but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.”
The Scripture also teaches “godliness with contentment is great gain.” The prosperity gospel will always leave you wanting, desiring, and unfulfilled. In short, Jesus is never enough. How could he be, when your heart’s desires are to be filled with the treasures of the world? This is why Paul warns the elders, not to be lovers of money. We all need to check our hearts and ask: are our possessions possessing us? We need the Lord’s grace to be set free from being owned by things.
While many may desire to hear that which would tickle their ears, let us stay near to the cross, remain in His Word and seek to exalt Christ above the things of this world. In the end, our charge is to make disciples, not fulfill the American dream.
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