Wealth is not a sign of faith.
God gives wealth to wicked and godly people alike.
The prosperity gospel has no Biblical basis. Those who teach it take Scriptures out of context and ignore passages like those below:
2. We're commanded to store up our treasures in heaven, not on earth (Matthew 6:19-21).
3. Christ was homeless (Matthew 8:20), and He said wealth often interferes with people's devotion to Him (Matthew 19:21-24).
4. Jesus suggested we sell our belongings and give to the poor because life isn't about possessions (Luke 12:13-34).
5. The Apostle Paul, a man of great faith, sometimes struggled to feed himself. He said Christ gave contentment, not wealth (Philippians 4:10-13).
6. Scripture says poor people often have more faith than rich people (James 2:1-7).
Our finances are in God's hands. We don't know what tomorrow will bring (James 4:13-16).
Bible Love Notes
I’ve been rich and I have been poor.
ReplyDeleteBeing content is most important!
Amen!
DeleteYou are so right! The world has it wrong and they teach that money is the sign of favor.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Roxy
I disagree, and have found just a few verses that speak the exact opposite of this message, and I thought I would share:
ReplyDelete1--Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and POUR OUT SO MUCH BLESSING that there will not be room enough to store it. (ALL CAPITALS ADDED BY ME)
2--Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. (We cannot pay debts and be debt free if we are in poverty)
3--Proverbs 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow. (This does not say that a person cannot have wealth on earth, it says DISHONEST WEALTH)
4--Exodus 22:25 “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest. (You cannot lend money when you are impoverished)
5--1 Tim 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who RICHLY PROVIDES US WITH EVERYTHING FOR OUR ENJOYMENT. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (ALL CAPITALS ADDED BY ME)
6--Matthew 6:1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Again the impoverished have a hard time giving to the poor, where the wealthy can and SHOULD be giving to the needy)
7--Proverbs 10:4 Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. (I AGREE)
8--Acts 4:34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales (THERE WILL ALWAYS CONTINUE TO BE WEALTHY PEOPLE WHO CAN THEN SUPPORT THE GOSPEL...IF NOT THERE WILL BE NEED PEOPLE BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE RUN OUT OF WEALTHY PEOPLE TO SUPPORT THE NEED)
9--2 Chron 1:11 God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.” (NOT ONLY DID THE LORD BLESS SOLOMON WITH WISDOM BUT HE GRANTED HIM UNTOLD WEALTH AS WELL)
10--Deut 28:12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. (YOU CANNOT LEND IF YOU HAVE NO WEALTH...THE LORD PROMISERS YOU WILL HAVE MONEY TO LEND TO MANY NATIONS AND TO BORROW FROM NONE)
11--Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops
Hi Unknown,
DeleteNone of the Scriptures you've quoted are promises for material wealth.
To come to your conclusions, you have to define “blessings” as “money,” take every verse out of context, and reject all of the passages I’ve linked above.
Your use of Romans 13:8 is especially twisted. That verse tells you not to be indebted to people. It doesn’t tell you to go on a spending spree because God will pay your debts. God expects us to live within our means, not demand that He pay for our extravagance.
God can and does bless some people with material wealth, but He makes it very clear that being wealthy is not a sign of faith.
This passage is addressed to Believers:
James 2:5-7: Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
I agree with you
DeleteGood afternoon Gail. I applaud you in remaining steadfast, unmovable and abounding in the Word of God. Quit often, unfortunately, well meaning followers of God take Scripture out of context. As a result, they create (a self-proclaimed) strange doctrine beyond Scripture. God demands that His people understand how to rightly handle Scriptures. I'm hopeful that "Unknown" meant well in his post, though the passages he used; do not subscribe to the same ideology he does about money.
ReplyDelete2 Timothy 2:14-17, the Apostle Paul states: (14)"remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. (15) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, acccurately handling the word of truth. (16) But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, (17) and their talk will spread like gangrene.
Regardless if we believe the Bible and its true interpretation of its words in correlation to our own personal interpretation of it; Christ is not letting anyone off the hook. Christians must be careful to Exegesis the word of God, rather than Eisegesis...meaning, "when someone interprets the Bible according to notions that were born outside the Bible." Or, "A process where one leads into study by reading a text on the basis of preconceived ideas of its meanings." Nevertheless, let every believer stand together as one, helping the other in love and in kindness to understand the Word of God. For we are stronger together than divided.
Gail, I agree with you and also agreed that the prosperity gospel misinterprets scripture to justify chasing after wealth. Like you, I also don't believe that wealth is a sign of God's favor or that someone has more faith or is more faithful. When I see scriptures like Proverbs 21:20
ReplyDelete"There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man swallows it up," I believe God is wise and responsible people tend to gather more financial security than foolish get-rich-quick schemers. However, I know that God never says to chase after wealth. We chase after God, His will for our lives, His kingdom (as Solomon vowed) and then God takes care of our needs. Also, I believe that when God blessed Solomon with wealth and wisdom, it wasn't for Solomon's sake but for God's glory. God was renowned because of Solomon. Prosperity seekers are seeking wealth for their own pleasures (which makes me recall so many more scriptures!)
I AGREE. WITH BIBLE. WORD OF MY GOD.
ReplyDeleteBUT WE NEED MONEY TO TAKE THE GOSPEL TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.
SO PRAY FOR MONEY.
AMEN