Piety or Profit?

In the West most churches have adopted a prosperity principle, an ideology called “the prosperity doctrine” that Christ will give you an abundance of riches if you live righteously. Recently, a pastor wad chastised on social media for having 4,000 USD shoes (he has more than one pair). This display of vanity and decadence was contrasted with the reality that the congregation typically lives on lower means. The Church of the West, particularly the Evangelical and Charismata Churches are beginning to look like the Cardinals of the Middle Ages with their twenty pound golden crosses, silk outfits, lavish halls, and carriages. The corruption is evident to all. 

St. Clement of Alexandria confronted prosperity ideology when he said, “If God rewarded the righteousness immediately, we would soon be engaged in business, not godliness, we would be pursuing not piety but profit.” Those words perfectly sum up the churches of America, which in the 20th century sought out secular businessmen to teach them how to sell their brand of church, creating the Seeker Friendly Movement and Modern Worship Music geared to please infidels. (Church History in Plain Language, 4th Ed. Bruce Shelley). St. Clement’s words are supported by Christ’s own which declare, “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. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21), and “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24). Clement’s words echo Emmanuel’s, that we should be concerned with storing up treasures in heaven via piety not treasures on earth through business models! 

We are saves by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9-10, John 3:16). However, after salvation we are encouraged to do good works of piety. The Scriptures tell us that we shall as Christ said, “recieve treasure in heaven,”: 

“God "will repay each person according to what they have done,” (Romans 2:6)

“For the Son of Man will come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.” (Matthew 16:27) 

“Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds” (2 Timothy 4:14) 

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” (Revelation 22:12) 

“Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.” (Revelation 2:23) 

Upon inspection of the Scriptures it is evident that these works are not business, but godliness and piety! For many tainted by the stain of the prosperity gospel, their works shall be burned up, “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flame” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). 

It is time for the church to come out of Babylon the harlot and her merchandizing, “After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted: “ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. 3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “ ‘Come out of her, my people,’so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. 7 Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow;I will never mourn.’ 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

9 “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: “ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!’ 11 “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves. 14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out: “ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! 17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’ “Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: “ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’ 20 “Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you.”

21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. 22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. 23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. 24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth,” (Revelation 18:1-24), and to break free from Satan’s merchandizing, “11 The word of the LORD came to me: 12 “Son of Man (Jesus, see Mark 2:9-10), take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “ ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherubim (see Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4), for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. 18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. ” (Ezekiel 28:11-18). Amen.