The Standard May 3, 2025
Predictably, the popularity of the “Health and Wealth,” “Prosperity,” “Name It and Claim It,” or “Feel Good” Gospel continues. These preachers typically appeal to audiences with a message that God wants them to be rich, healthy, and/or happy. Some focus on sowing seeds of faith, or giving money to one particular ministry, thus earning God’s favor. These so-called “Prophets for Profit” tend to live lavish lifestyles with designer clothes, luxury cars, mansions, and perhaps even private jets. Listeners facing health or financial challenges are exploited with messages that monetary donations result in blessings. What is implied is that one’s lack of faith and giving is at the root of their problems, a dangerous and wrong implication.
These and other false teachers typically avoid in-depth study of Scripture in its entirety, often misinterpreting God’s love as a license to fulfill desires for pleasure and comfort. The words and lives of Jesus and the Apostle Paul stand in vast contrast to these ideas.
“And he [Jesus] said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.’ Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?’” Luke 9:22-25
“Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” Matthew 20:25-28
In Matthew 7 Jesus also warns of the wide gate and broad road that leads to destruction. In Matthew 23 he laments the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, noting their good-looking exterior, but greedy and self-indulgent interior.
Paul writes about a “thorn” in his flesh that God uses to humble him. He pleaded three times for the Lord to remove it. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’” 2 Corinthians 12: 9a, 10
Paul also warns against the danger of greed. “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10
Why in the world would any Christian leader encourage a temptation and a trap? Why would they suggest that God exists for us, when in actuality, we exist for God? Jesus promises that in this life we will have trouble, and Paul says that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Corinthians 4:17
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies…” “Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.” “Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!” 2 Peter 2:1a, 2-3a, 13b-14
It might never be popular to follow Jesus’ model of self-sacrifice and self-denial; Christians should not expect a bandwagon of orthodoxy. “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” 2 Timothy 4:2-3
celiastone 