Prosperity Gospel
The health, wealth and prosperity gospel is a filthy rag. Now don’t get me wrong. I once believed it and I have friends that still do, so this issue for me is not a those people kind of thing. No, a big reason for why I hate this false teaching so much is precisely because I love these friends.
A question I wrestle with is “Why are Christians lured to this false teaching?” If we are honest about possible answers then an in your face obvious one is that this teaching, instead of combating, can exploit the greed and idolatry of materialism present in Gods sons and daughters. It hurts to think about that with relation to my friends, but I think it’s an obvious possibility.
Another one is the desire for healing from those who are desperately in need of it. This is one of the ugliest aspects of this theology. I’ve seen this theology wreak spiritual and emotional havoc on Gods children. When the promised healing does not come you are seemingly left with only two conclusions: 1) You are the problem – lack of faith or hidden sin or 2) God is the problem – He is a liar or He does not existent.
I have seen people embrace option 1 and 2 and the paths they lead to, though different, are equally devastating. That the eyes of those faced with this false dichotomy would be opened to the plain and clear truth of His word – The comfort that we seek in whatever this cursed world throws at us will not be found in made-up promises falsely attributed to His lips, but it is found in a simple faith that, no matter what is going on around them, clings to the truth that He is good.
January 26th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Those are some good thoughts. Thanks for sharing them. My last church was a prosperity theology church and while I believe that most of my friends who follow it focus more on spiritual prosperity than on material wealth, I agree that it is a very dangerous doctrine to follow. God does heal and he does bless us, but he also sometimes sees fit to allow us to learn to trust in him while we maintain a simple standard of living. Sometimes immediate physical healing would glorify man more than God, depending on the circumstances.
But most importantly, the prosperity gospel diverts attention from the cross when Jesus specifically told us that it is all but impossible for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom.
January 26th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Amen to your post. I too have friends that are caught up in this teaching. We need grace, humility and powerful clarity in dealing with our friends who believe this stuff. I am especially saddened by how America has exported this false message to the developing world.