The prosperity gospel has recently gained lots of attention from Christians and non-Christians alike because it is exciting and appealing to many people. This gospel, however, is a cause of concern for many believers and pastors, because many people are being led astray. Coming up are 9 things biblically wrong with the prosperity gospel for you to consider next time you listen to such a sermon.
9. The prosperity gospel undermines any attempts to alleviate poverty and empower the poor
- Leviticus 23:22 states, “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the LORD your God.” (NIV). This scripture notes that the poor and the foreigner actually go to the field to pick up what is left over, i.e. they would need to work to get something to eat. Poverty alleviation involves teaching the poor how to work for themselves to meet their needs, even as they continue to trust God. The prosperity gospel however encourages people to sit back and wait for the Lord to hand them material blessings without them having lifted a finger.
8. The prosperity gospel causes those who are still poor to feel guilty
- Can you imagine how you would feel if everyone around you was receiving material blessings except you? That’s what the prosperity gospel does. It makes those people who are still poor feel like there is something wrong with them or their lives that makes them remain poor. On the contrary, the Bible does not say that the poor are unloved, and neither does it say that the Lord does not provide for them. This gospel puts unnecessary pressure on poor people, causing them to feel guilty and to doubt God.
7. The prosperity gospel encourages discontentment
- The next of the 9 things biblically wrong with the prosperity gospel is the fact that it encourages discontentment. If you hear messages every day telling you that you should be rich, or have a new car or house, will you really appreciate what you already have? The prosperity gospel makes you desire more and more material wealth, even when you should be content with what you already have. This gospel also makes you jealous of other people who already have what you desire.
6. The prosperity gospel says that you should give in order to get.
- The verse “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38 NIV) is a verse that is commonly abused by prosperity preachers. They tell their followers that the more they give, the more they will get! This is however not Biblical, because Christ showed the perfect example of giving – He gave of His life for mankind, expecting nothing in return. Also, giving to the Lord should not be done with a manipulative mind, but with a grateful heart for all that He has provided. Sadly, many prosperity preachers use this principle to enrich themselves.
5. The prosperity gospel undermines the relationship between work and wealth.
- The prosperity gospel encourages people to claim what they want, rather than work for it. This is in contradiction to the following scripture – ‘“For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”’ (2 Thessalonians 3:10 NIV) God has given every person the ability to work hard and get wealth, and He expects these abilities to be developed and used for His glory.
4. The prosperity gospel teaches that the Abrahamic covenant is an avenue for material blessing
- Another of the 9 things biblically wrong with the prosperity gospel is that this gospel teaches people that the Abrahamic covenant is their ticket to wealth. In Genesis 17:6, Abraham was told by God that “I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.” (NIV) Prosperity preachers take this to mean that believers should be able to possess the land and receive all kinds of material blessings based on this covenant, which is far from the truth. In addition, these preachers quote this section of scripture out of context to excite their followers into believing that everything that Abraham was promised can be theirs as well. This covenant was however specifically given to Abraham because he was called to leave the land he knew, follow a God he had never seen, and be the father of the great nation of Israel.
3. The prosperity gospel teaches that prayer forces God to unlock material blessings
- The Bible teaches that prayer is a tool for communication with God, where the believer comes into God’s presence with an attitude of worship and reverence towards God. God cannot be coerced or forced to unlock blessings. He is a holy, just, and fair God who gives to His children what they need, not what they want. Using prayer as a manipulative tool to get God to give you what you want is dishonoring and displeasing to God.
2. The prosperity gospel teaches that the faith inside you will generate prosperity
- “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Romans 10:17 (NIV) The faith spoken about in this verse is faith in God that is fueled by the knowledge in His word. This faith is different from the faith that prosperity preachers talk about, which is a self-generated faith. Self-generated faith believes that whatever you want, you can get. This faith does not take into account God’s will or God’s purposes, making it the wrong kind of faith to have!
1. The prosperity gospel discounts the doctrine of grace
- The prosperity gospel teaches that people only need to name and claim what they want, and they will get it. They do not need to rely on God. This teaching puts aside the doctrine of grace, i.e. the fact that you need to rely on God for everything that concerns your life on earth. It also causes people to believe that though they are Christians, there are some things that they can do without God, putting to shame the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross to establish a relationship with His people. It’s either prosperity or grace – the two cannot co-exist.
Consider the 9 things biblically wrong with the prosperity gospel listed above. Are you still sure you want to listen to prosperity preachers? Hopefully not!