Last week, we learned about the importance of taking falsehood captive and rightly presenting Christ. This week, we want to look at some of the ways the gospel has been corrupted in the church. We will examine some false teachings that, over time, have quietly found their way into messages preached from the pulpit.
There is a type of message many people have labeled the “prosperity gospel.” While I understand the concern people are trying to address, making the word prosperity—as it relates to Christianity—sound inherently wrong is inaccurate. The gospel itself carries the promise of true prosperity. Scripture says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 Jhn. 1:2). Prosperity, in itself, is not contrary to the will of God. It is a part of the gospel.
The issue, therefore, is not the use of the word prosperity, but the imbalance in some teachings surrounding it. Many of these messages become so focused on physical and material gain that they neglect the prosperity of the soul, which is the more important thing (3 Jhn. 1:2). Some even go as far as teaching that if a person is not financially buoyant, then there must be something wrong with their faith, or worse, their salvation.
But God did not reveal Himself to us primarily by His hand, but by His heart. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” (Jhn. 3:16). The greatest expression of God’s love was not money, but salvation through Jesus Christ, and so the true test of faith is devotion to God, not accumulation of wealth.
One danger of this kind of teaching is that believers begin to measure their value by material possessions. Many start to feel inferior because of money, and some even begin to think that the fact that they are not wealthy is evidence that God loves them less. It has also encouraged a subtle form of competition in the body of Christ. You hear statements like, “Your blessing will be bigger if your amen is louder than your neighbor’s,” or “Tell your neighbor my blessing will be greater than yours.”
But if we rightly understand Scripture, we would know that the blessing of one believer is meant to benefit the body as a whole. In the early church, believers shared what they had with one another (Acts 2:44–45). While that exact structure may not fully apply today, it reveals the spirit believers are meant to have toward one another. We are called to serve one another in love, not compete for who can receive more from God. Such thinking reflects poorly on how we walk in the love Christ has called us to.
Moreover, the gospel—the true gospel—is the message of Christ dying for our sins and securing our eternity. The greatest display of God’s power was seen in salvation through Jesus Christ. As Scripture says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). His power is not revealed in material acquisition.
In the same vein, the mindset of giving to God only so we can receive in return needs to be corrected. We should not praise God merely because we want money, or serve in church only because we were told something like “When you serve God, God will serve you.” Giving should never become a transactional relationship with God.
Even though Scripture teaches that God blesses generosity (2 Cor. 9:6–8), it shouldn’t be the foundation of our giving. We are instructed to give cheerfully, “not grudgingly or of necessity” (2 Cor. 9:7). Our giving should come from love, gratitude, and devotion to God and not from greed.
John. 3:16 gives us the proper model for giving: “For God so loved the world that He gave…” God’s giving flowed from love. In the same way, whatever we give to God should come from a heart that loves Him because He first loved us.
In fact, it is a privilege to give unto God. King David longed deeply to build a house for God, yet was not permitted to do so (1 Chro. 22:7–8). So whenever we have the opportunity to give or serve, we should not reduce it to a money-doubling scheme or a spiritual formula for becoming rich.
And if there is anything God is even more interested in than our possessions, it is that we give ourselves to Him. Christ gave Himself for us even when we did not fully recognize our need for Him. The proper response, then, is surrender. That we live for Him with the understanding that even if all He gives us is Himself, He is more than enough. (Rom. 12:1)
Modern prosperity teaching can sometimes reduce God to a kind of magician, where declarations alone are expected to produce results regardless of His will. Confession of faith is biblical and important to the life of a believer (Pro. 18:21; Rom. 10:10), but our prayers and declarations must still align with the will of God.
There was a time Jesus rebuked the storm (Mk. 4:39). In Paul’s situation, however, wisdom required seeking safety instead (Acts 27:9–18). Faith is powerful, but it does not operate independently of God’s sovereignty or human responsibility.
We have, unfortunately, raised many discouraged believers through “name it and claim it” teachings that ignore these realities. Faith involves trust in God, obedience, and action. No matter how much the lame man at the pool may have believed, he still had to rise, take up his bed, and walk when Jesus instructed him (Jhn. 5:8–9). Some believers desire results while neglecting the obedience, discipline, or work required of them.
If you do not build capacity toward becoming a CEO of a multinational company, no amount of positive confession alone can make it happen. Faith does not eliminate responsibility, as Scripture itself says, “Faith without works is dead” (Jas. 2:17).
What we can confidently say from Scripture is that lack is not God’s desire for His people. God promises provision. “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Even when Jesus sent the disciples out with little, they testified that they lacked nothing (Lk. 22:35).
But to stretch this truth into the idea that God hates poor people is completely wrong. Scripture actually warns against dishonoring the poor (Jas. 2:1–6). If the church cannot receive the poor with love and dignity, then where else should they find comfort?
Paul the Apostle writes in Philippians 4:12–13 that he had learned both how to abound and how to suffer need. Whether in plenty or in lack, Christ remained his strength. The promise of God is provision, contentment, and sustenance, not necessarily worldly excess or overflowing riches.
And for those who think riches automatically destroy faith, Scripture gives examples of wealthy faithful people. Job was very wealthy, yet remained faithful to God even after losing everything. In the end, God restored him abundantly (Job 42:10–12). Likewise, God Himself gave riches and wisdom to Solomon (1 Kin. 3:13).
So, riches are not necessarily signs of compromise, just as poverty is not necessarily a sign of weak faith. The deeper issue is devotion. What is the condition of your heart? If everything were stripped away today, would you still remain steadfast like Job?
These are the things we should teach in church. Faith is ultimately about devotion, submission, and obedience to God. It is not materialism or endless acquisition.
The church must return to preaching Christ above all else. Not a gospel built on greed, competition, or material obsession. And whether in abundance or in just enough, the believer’s greatest treasure will always be Jesus Himself.
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