Biblical Abundance Versus the Prosperity Gospel: What God Truly Promises
- Jack Selcher
- Oct 9, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 29
Summary
The prosperity gospel distorts Scripture by equating faith with material gain. God does not promise wealth but provides spiritual riches, daily provision, and contentment. Abundance is given to glorify God and bless others, not satisfy greed. Scripture teaches that judgment will focus on spiritual fruit and generosity, not possessions. True wealth is found in following Jesus and remaining devoted to Him.
Biblical Abundance Versus the Prosperity Gospel
Our hearts yearn for material prosperity and the security it promises. The prosperity gospel appeals to those desires by twisting the true gospel out of shape into something God never intended. When we consider biblical abundance versus the prosperity gospel, we discover that the latter wrongly teaches that:
· The Abrahamic covenant promises material wealth to Abraham and his spiritual children.
· Jesus’ death atoned for the “sin” of material poverty.
· Because God compensates Christians who give, doing so is the path to more material blessings from Him. It fosters a selfish give-to-get mentality.
· Faith is chiefly a means to material gain.
· Prayer forces God to prosper the one praying.1
Following Jesus Is Not a Path to Riches
Following Jesus isn’t a path to material riches. Even if it were, it wouldn’t make us happy. We desperately need the spiritual riches of God’s abundant grace, peace, mercy, and love (1 Peter 1:2, Jude 1:2). That’s what He provides.
God Is Not Predictable in Material Rewards
God tested Job by allowing him to lose his health, family relationships, and possessions. After he prayed for his friends, the LORD gave back twice as much as he had lost (Job 42:10). However, we shouldn’t conclude that God similarly rewards those who endure severe trials. He isn’t that predictable.
Abundance Is Given for God’s Purposes
King David’s prayer revealed the proper management of the abundance God provides is using it to fulfill His purposes (1 Chronicles 29:16). Some of the bulls, rams, and male lambs He provided for the Israelites were to be used for worship sacrifices (1 Chronicles 29:21). God blesses us in many ways so we can be a blessing to Him and other people. That’s our purpose.
God’s great goodness supplied the Promised Land and its abundant assets to meet the Israelites’ needs (Nehemiah 9:25). He abundantly blessed them and called them to live in such a way as to reveal and display who He is to a watching world (Psalm 36:7–9, 65:11, 66:12). We Christians have the same calling to let our lights shine so people will glorify our heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:16).
Agur did not want riches but only his daily bread. He knew rich people often forget God. (Proverbs 30:8–9). The prayer Jesus taught His disciples had a similar outlook. “Give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3 NIV).
Contentment Guards the Heart
God’s followers experience contentment that those who aren’t following Him don’t despite the latter’s greater material resources (Ecclesiastes 5:12). Only the former are truly rich with what money can’t buy.
God promised the Jews who had returned from captivity in Babylon to their homeland that He would bless them by sending rain and withholding the pestilence that had ravaged their crops. The condition was their repentance. Tithing was how they could demonstrate it (Malachi 3:10). God didn’t promise gold bars but abundant crops to meet their needs.
God promised in Matthew 6:33 NLT, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” In context, He promised to meet the basic needs of His followers. A similar promise appears in Romans 8:32.
God rewards those who have turned away from their God competing interests and self-centered ways to follow Jesus one hundred times what they lost, along with eternal life (Matthew 19:29). Those who voluntarily relinquish the relationships and property that Job lost involuntarily will, like him, be richly rewarded.
Those who manage their God-given abundance responsibly and return His investment in them will be given more. Those who manage it irresponsibly will be judged severely (Matthew 25:29). “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). Those whom God gifts greatly are more accountable than those with fewer gifts. Abundance brings abundant financial accountability.
Life’s purpose isn’t greedily collecting abundant possessions (Luke 12:15). Such abundance competes with God for our love. We must keep material things away from the driver’s seat of our lives.
Judgment Focuses on Fruit, Not Possessions
God values abundant spiritual fruit that results from remaining in vital contact with Jesus (John 15:5). Such fruit glorifies Him (John 15:8).
Judgment Day will be a fruit check, not a possessions check. What we give to others counts (2 Corinthians 8:3). What we keep for ourselves doesn’t (Luke 12:19).
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