The Prosperity Doctrine has greatly damages the church. Its preachers have convinced fellow Christians that following Christ equals prosperity, a peaceful life, and lots of possessions. That is a lie. Jesus meant spiritual abundance not fiscal, “I came in order that they [believers] might continuously have life, even that they may continuously have it all-around (4053 /perissós).” (John 10:10), that is eternal life! Your life is more abundant because it is without end. Jesus offers peace but not a peaceful life as the world gives, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid,” (John 14:47), He promises a sword, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household,” (Matthew 10:34-38) and that we will have tribulation, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
As for possessions, Jesus advises against them, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21), “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys,” (Luke 12:33). Our Lord warns against the pitfalls of pursuing wealth & possessions, “And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry, But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God,” (Luke 12:19-21), “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), “but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful,” (Mark 4:19). How can prosperity teachers ignore these red letters of Christ? It is clear that Jesus warns of the dangers of wealth and possessions, and yet prosperity teachers claim following Jesus will equal wealth and possessions, “name if ans claim it!” “Give and it will be given to you!” Yeah, so ignore all these words of Jesus that say the opposite..
There is a reason there was monastic orders. People wrestled with Christ’s call to “store up riches in heaven,” and not on Earth. That is why there have been monks and nuns for centuries, even a millennium. The fact they existed for so long proves Jesus did not preach earthly wealth and prosperity! Because they wrestled with the Scriptures where our Lord advocates for the opposite of the prosperity doctrine.
How are we to live out Jesus’ hard words? Should we all become monks and nuns? No. That is an extreme, just as the prosperity doctrine is the other extreme. The answer is in words, “This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:21). You must love God first with all your heart, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37). God must be first, the riches of heaven first, and your earthly riches second, and if they call you into conflict with a rich relationship with God, you choose God! But was is preposterous is saying following Jesus will equal worldly prosperity! You are suppose to keep God separate from trade and money!, “Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s,” (Mark 12:17), “And he taught, and said unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? but ye have made it a den of robbers,” (Mark 11:17), “And to those selling doves He said, "Take these things from here! Do not make My Father's house a house of trade,” (John 2:26), for trade was invented by Satan, “In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub(im), from the midst of the stones of fire.” (Ezekiel 28:16). The House of Prayer and the House of Trade ars to be kept separate! The Kingdom of Heaven and world are to be separate! God is to be first, and the reality of money must be second, for it is love of money that destroys, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows,” (1 Timothy 6:10) and the lusts of the world, “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. Alt translations: For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” (1 John 2:16).
“Render unto God the Things that are God’s.” Love Lord first and with all you are, and keep trade and the love of possessions and wealth out of the church and free of your own heart. It is fine to have riches if they are second to richness in God, and that you could lose it all to keep God first and follow Him. Amen.
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