“Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (2 Corinthians 6:4-10).
Wealth, health, prosperity.
I want that. Who wouldn’t want that?
But it’s not about want. It’s about what is true. It is about what the Bible tells us.
So, what does the Bible say about our life here?
- Troubles
- hardships
- distresses
- beatings
- imprisonments
- riots
- hard work
- sleepless nights
- hunger
One of these is not like the other.
That’s the problem with the wealth, health, prosperity version of Christianity. It bears no resemblance to the truth revealed in the Bible.
None of the disciples or apostles lived a life of wealth, health, and prosperity. Every single one of them with the exception of one is tortured and put to death for their faith. Jesus did not live a life of wealth, health, and prosperity.
If the only way for Jesus to save sinners was through the suffering and death on a cross, why would followers of this Jesus think that our future is paved with wealth, health, prosperity?
Thank God that it’s not all troubles and hardship. There is much good and glory too. It’s just that when we exclude suffering and hardship from our Christian journey, we negate the faith.
You see, we will all receive health and absolute peace. That is our’s. But, that is our’s when Christ returns. We receive God’s total blessing in eternity. But here, we get both the good and the bad.
Got it?
Be wary of wealth, health, prosperity gospel. It is false teaching.
Praxis: Faith in Action 