By: Randy EllisSpring in the beautiful hills of West Virginia brings a sense of nostalgia for me. I love seeing life being restored to the trees and plants, and the sound of birds filling the air. I love seeing the farmers work the land as the soil prepares itself, through God’s goodness, to give a harvest. It’s as if nature is being awakened from a long slumber. All of this brings a sense of nostalgia because it calls to mind a very important part of my life. Not necessarily memories of years past of a wonderful childhood in the country, although I have many of those memories. No, the awakening that comes with Spring brings to mind my own awakening—a spiritual awakening. When a Holy God opened my blinded eyes to the dangers of the “Prosperity Gospel.”
The Prosperity Gospel goes by many names. “Word of Faith,” “Name It and Claim It,” and “Health and Wealth,” are some popular ways this doctrine has been tagged. It's a belief that has been popularized by innumerable televangelists, and it boils down to this: financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for Christians. Sickness will have no place in your life, and you'll always have nice things as a reward for your faithfulness—faithfulness in giving financially or “planting a seed.” Material prosperity is seen as a sign of God’s favor. However, if things don’t go as planned, many people are told it was due to not having enough faith or the presence of sin in their life. Friends, the wells of the Prosperity Gospel are filled with poison.
Now, you may wonder why the Prosperity Gospel is so prevalent today. The answer is quite simple. We live in a culture that pushes health and wealth as signs of success. Advertisements for get rich quick tactics and the latest health fads are everywhere we look. It’s engrained in us from early on to do what’s necessary to maintain our health and take the steps needed to obtain financial stability in our lives. So why wouldn’t this false theology be enticing? It has Christ involved so it has to be safe, right? That couldn’t be further from the truth. The Prosperity Gospel is the Instagram of false theology. Much like our own Instagram habits, only the best of life is posted or mentioned. Never trials or suffering.
Turn on any mainstream news network and you will most likely hear stories of pyramid schemes or other financial scams going on every day. From the Enron scandal to Bernie Madoff, people have been using malicious, scandalous schemes and tactics to swindle their honest investors out of billions of dollars throughout history. Now turn on most of the mainstream Christian television networks and you will find many of these same schemes being used against honest believers by many televangelists with a Bible in their hand and the name of Christ attached to their scheme—and it’s disgusting.
Many of these scam artists, some of which include Jesse Duplantis, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Todd White (who claims his mentor is Copeland), Joel Osteen, Rod Parsley and Steven Furtick, rake in millions and millions of dollars on the backs of people with far less, all the while flying in their private jets and living in lavish homes (often having multiples of both). One might think, “These guys are no threat to me. They are not my pastor and just on TV.” I can assure you that the Prosperity Gospel is likely being preached in your small town or local pastors are inviting these hungry wolves in to feed on their own flock in your area (with a very hefty speaking fee attached of course). The keys to the gate of their sanctuaries are being handed over to charlatans.
I was raised in a wonderful Christian home here in West Virginia. I was a PK (preacher’s kid). It’s often said that PKs end up being one of two things: a preacher or a convict. It’s safe to say I’m not a convict, but in my early years of adulthood, I started to listen to and follow a few of the “ministers” previously mentioned. Their words are enticing and scratch the sometimes-sinful needs of humanity—the desire for power and wealth. I listened, often hearing claims of how the power was in my hands and words, to how I could declare victory with my words over illness or any situation and it would happen. I was taught that a “breakthrough” (personal or financial) was waiting to be released for me, or that “God can’t release what’s in His hand until you release what’s in yours” (meaning money). I was unknowingly becoming the victim of a spiritual pyramid scheme.
Even though I was “invested” physically and spiritually, trials and periods of suffering continued to occur in my life. Was I the problem? Why were these things continuing to happen? Did I not give enough money or have enough faith? Why was this happening? What was wrong? I watched as many, like me, were left discouraged. Some continued to invest in this false gospel, planting financial “seeds” in the infertile soils of these “ministries,” but many were also leaving the faith altogether.
Over time, I saw many false claims of healings, many false prophecies, many people that had been declared healed that later died, and many situations over which victory had been claimed that later fell apart. Here’s my admission of guilt—I fell prey to these wolves because of two things: I didn’t read Scripture and my prayer life was nearly nonexistent.
Friends, once I established prayer and opened up the Scriptures, I quickly began to have my eyes opened to the fact that the seeds I had been planting were in dead gardens. Here is the main problem with this theology—it’s completely anti-biblical. The Bible does not teach that God always wants his people to be wealthy. In fact, Scripture teaches that there will be both rich and poor in the world, and it does not teach that it’s always God’s will to heal everyone. Many in Scripture were healed, and many were not. From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, we don’t see a narrative of health, wealth and prosperity—we see a narrative of suffering in a fallen world. The apostles themselves suffered and died horrific deaths. Most importantly, we see a narrative of redemption from the power of sin and death through the sacrifice of a slain, but risen, king. The gospel is not about being served by the King, but about serving the King. We hold no power. Christ holds all power. We hold no authority. Christ holds all authority. He does all things according to his will.
Health and wealth are never promised in Scripture, yet suffering and trials are the result of a fallen world. What’s also promised is a sovereign and holy God’s assurance that he’s in control and will never leave nor forsake us, and eternal healing and joy await those that believe on the other side. Saints, Christianity is not a “pay to play” program. The price has been paid; paid on a blood stained cross at Calvary. As He took his last breath and the last drop of his precious blood poured out, the waves of grace and mercy were set into motion freely and forever! That promise is beautiful and one that we, as believers, can find great rest and peace in as we await the return of our good and faithful king.