Is The Prosperity Gospel Biblical?

[Dave Slayer]

Is the Prosperity Gospel Biblical?

 

[Imagican]

ONLY if you BELIEVE that YOU are able to COMMAND God to perform at YOUR WILL.

Blessings,

MEC

 

[shad]

Is it biblical? Absolutely not!

1Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.[a] 6You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.James 5:1-6

 

[Rick W]

I honestly believe God wants to bless us. But we don't always get what we want.

If one professes to follow Christ with the intent of being prosperous then that's the wrong motive entirely. We serve God, not the other way around.

But there most definitely can prosperity when following Him with a true heart. Before being saved the friends I had weren't really friends at all. Many stole from me, lied to me and a couple of them made advances toward my wife. Not what I'd call friends. Yet, that was the crowd I circulated in.

I was always trying to please the world and spent much time and money doing things, buying things to get the world's approval. Add to that the money spent on Alcohol/drugs, jobs lost due to being stoned/drunk, money spent on fines, wrecking several cars (you get the idea) so I was pretty much constantly broke.
After being saved I was abundantly blessed.

Following the desires of the flesh can be very costly in more ways than one.

I suppose I could have walked the straight and narrow and the results may have been the same but it still wouldn't be what I wanted to do and my life would have been nothing but a grand "put on". And a false facade is very difficult to maintain and it constantly eats at you.

With the proper motive of repentance I don't think prosperity is on one's mind anyway. Sure, there may be prosperity concerning belongings, relationships... the more worldly things but our greatest prosperity is the gift of eternal life through a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What greater prosperity can there possibly be?

 

[Sinthesis]

Is the Prosperity Gospel Biblical?

The prosperity gospel is for those fools who so despise their birthright as children of Christ that they would, for their immediate gratification in this world, bargain away the everlasting reward of the next.

Genesis 25:29-34 Once when Jacob was boiling pottage, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished.
30And Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red pottage, for I am famished!" (Therefore his name was called Edom.)
31Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright."
32Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?"
33Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.
34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

 

[guibox]

I agree with Rick. God does want to bless us but according to His will, not ours. Abraham and Job were wealthy and blessed by God because they served Him. There is nothing wrong with wanting and desiring health and success, be it financially or non-financially.

There is nothing wrong with wealth, but I believe that if this wealth would cause us to cause harm to ourselves and others or forfeit our eternal life, God will not allow us to experience that wealth.
Having a spirit and attitude of gratitude and abundance is a positive thing.

The problem is when we start to think we can control God and make Him our personal genie and feel we deserve God's blessings and expect them for our 'loyal' service.

And Shad,your biblical quote seems to be in a certain context of the people James was speaking to who happened to allow their wealth to cloud their priorities. This should not be taken as a blanket application for all rich people. What are they doing with their wealth? That is the key.

 

[Imagican]

Allow me to offer this in understanding. We have been TOLD that is beneficial to 'build our TREASURES in HEAVEN'. This is an outright offering that having riches here on this earth is MOSTLY only able to CORRUPT. God DOES bless those that He loves. He also PUNISHES those that He loves. And, since there is LITTLE use for riches other than the appeasement of those who wish to obtain it, there is litttle if ANY reason to BELIEVE that God MAKES 'rich people'.

Satan, on the other hand, is well aware of the inherent dangers of WEALTH, (not spiritual but MATERIAL), and uses it to corrupt even those of the very elect. We can plainly SEE the examples of such each time we pick up a news paper.

God KNOWS what one WILL DO when offered riches BEFORE they are ever offered such. Therefore, those that He loves and KNOWS love Him do not NEED wealth. He would NEVER TEMPT anyone with riches. This is a FACT. He would never TEMPT anyone period.

So, can a rich man PLEASE GOD? The question HAS been answered Biblically ALREADY. For the words of CHRIST HIMSELF OFFER that, "it is EASIER for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven'. No matter HOW much hemming and hawing one does over this issue, the WORDS ARE CLEAR. How much CLEARER COULD THEY BE?

God DOES bless people. But these type blessings are more about faith, LOVE, security, and PEACE. To DEMAND that God deliver MONEY is like telling your doctor that you NEED OPIUM. Hmmmm.......What do you THINK your DOCTOR would say to such a request?

Blessings,

MEC

 

[giveback]

The prosperity Gospel is NOT Biblical. (Ask John on the isle of Patmos). Sure God can and will bless people, and Christians CAN be wealthy, but the Bible does NOT say anywhere that every Christian is destined for financial success in this life. It does say that the Christians who have a lot of money should be very willing to share...

 

[desert693]

I think John Piper sums it up extremely well. Probably the best sermon I've ever heard on this topic.

[youtube:2zdqv3ke]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTc_FoELt8s[/youtube:2zdqv3ke]

 

[kingdavid]

Is the Prosperity Gospel Biblical?

know, it is the diabolical cunning of carnal men deceiving the people.

if that was the case, then God would have given the apostles gold 100 miles high and a 100 miles wide.