Adherents to the prosperity gospel generally believe and teach that salvation is by faith through grace alone, so it would be unfair to say that a person cannot be saved by believing in this false teaching. If someone is a believer in the true gospel by faith through grace, that person is saved whether they adhere to this false doctrine or not. However, it is fair to label this unbiblical idea that God wants everyone to be healthy and wealthy as a type of “gospel” in the sense that it does endanger faith and salvation by encouraging apathy toward the Christian life. That is to say, it can distract and lead away from true saving faith if said individuals take this teaching too far by putting wealth above their relationship with Jesus Christ. This process of apostasy results in idolatry where said individual no longer believes in, follows, and serves God but themselves and the Devil. This teaching promises things that cannot be guaranteed for the believer (good health and financial blessing), which should never be placed on the same level of spiritual riches accumulated by having a close relationship with Jesus Christ.
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
By itself, there is nothing wrong with being rich and having an abundance of possessions; it is fair to say that some great believers are exceptionally wealthy today. However, I would imagine that these individuals would be exceptions and that such cases would be rare for the simple fact that greater wealth with more possessions does lead to more care, worry, and distraction that makes committing to and serving the Lord far more unnecessarily difficult (“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” Matthew 19:24). Scripture is replete with so many warning passages about guarding ourselves against unnecessary greed and lust for material gain. Indeed, there are plenty of rich believers alive today whose love and zeal for the Lord are subpar because Christ and the treasures He offers now and later are not the priority because less essential things have pushed them out.
True, a Christian does not have to be rich to be lukewarm (one doesn’t even have to adhere to the health and wealth gospel to stumble in this area). But much of the problem with our modern church era of Laodicea mentioned in Revelation 3:14-22 is this idea that greater health, wealth (advancements in medicine and technology as well) means greater spiritual achievement, maturity, and blessing when that is not the case (as our Lord confirms in that passage). We are no better than all the other generations of believers before us, and our efforts are among the most pathetic despite all the advantages to learn and grow in the Word (time, opportunities, and resources available to us). It is safe to say that most believers in our modern day fall in the “thorny soil” category of our parable in Matthew 13:18-23 despite many of them not being rich or believing in the prosperity gospel (though this false teaching has highly influenced many other believers).
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
It isn’t as if it is wrong to want to make more money to support ourselves and our families better when struggling financially (although that can be a test from the Lord that He allows us to go through to strengthen our faith) because we all have to take care of ourselves and our loved ones (1 Timothy 5:8). Work is a necessary part of life for most people to earn their “bread and butter” to live and survive in this world 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 (God does supply us with all our needs so that there is no need to worry on that end Philippians 4:19). With that, it is worth saying that we should not take Philippians 4:19 or our Lord’s words in Matthew 6:25-34 to mean that “do not worry” implies we have no responsibility whatsoever and that trusting in Jesus means we can simply “sit on the park bench” without making any effort to help ourselves and others (some of the Thessalonians struggled in this area by being busybodies instead of working to provide for themselves). Some people, such as our persecuted brothers and sisters in third-world countries, don’t have as many choices or options for what they can do. But the principle is that we should do the best we can to provide for ourselves and our loved ones to the greatest extent we can with what we have available to us. That doesn’t mean striving to be rich or living beyond our means but doing whatever we can reasonably do to fulfill our responsibilities to God as loving, caring, and responsible people. That may mean asking for help in some or even many cases when financial gains are hard to come by (whatever that looks like), and there are many of our brothers and sisters to whom we owe our allegiance through financial offerings (whoever and wherever they may be) Romans 15:25-27.
Nevertheless, the goal is never to prioritize wealth but to use it as a tool to fulfill our obligations to ourselves and the Lord. That is to say, we do need money and possessions to some extent (and there is nothing wrong with having enough to live comfortably). Still, the Bible is clear that we need to be content with what we have and not strive to allow the world’s offerings to take over our lives and become our obsession. The dangers of serving wealth are many and grievous.
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
In all fairness, it is essential to note that making and having lots of money and possessions can be a provision from God for some people to fulfill their spiritual service to the church (even if this isn’t the norm). Significant wealth can be an asset for those whose spiritual gifts may be giving or helping. That, of course, does mean that said person(s) (assuming this is their spiritual gift and ministry God wants them to carry out) needs to use what they have for God’s glory and for the betterment of His bride (being rich toward God) instead of using what they have all for their own pleasure and comfort (such as the rich fool of Luke 12:13-21). Those whom God entrusts with great riches must be willing to suffer by passing the tests the Lord puts them through to retain and profitably use what they have (the prosperity test can be one of the most difficult to pass). This occurred with Abraham and Job, who were rich but passed the tests God led them through to show what they valued and treasured the most.
Additionally, one does not have to be rich to have the spiritual gift of giving or helping, so we cannot disqualify said individuals because what matters is how much we give in proportion to what we have. That is to say, giving from greater wealth doesn’t necessarily mean giving more in the spiritual sense. Therefore, there is no guarantee the more affluent person will receive a greater eternal reward for what they’ve done (see the example of the poor widow below). Believers of any financial or economic status can have the gift of giving and helping.
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Aside from a few other exceptions mentioned throughout the Old Testament and a small handful of mature believers since then up to our present time, very few have been able to handle great wealth without it causing them to stumble in some way. So whether a person is a believer or not, excessive wealth can and often does affect a person’s priorities, most times for the worst.
The ideology behind the health and wealth gospel is that the healthier and more prosperous one is, the more spiritually blessed and mature they are. Needless to say, this flies in the face of so much of what the Bible has to say about the subject (some of the passages we have already examined). One example is the true story of the rich man and Lazarus Luke 16:19-31 (it is NOT a parable). James 5:1-6 is another. It was more than often the case that many, if not most believers in New Testament times were those with a lower social and economic status. In other words, most were poorer and tended to be less educated and well-known. Some of the greatest believers of all time, such as the twelve apostles, were ordinary men with little or no formal education (whether secular or religious, excluding the apostle Paul since he was trained under Gamaliel).
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Regarding good health, it is good and godly to eat healthy and take care of our bodies to the extent that we can with what our circumstances allow. It is safe to say, especially here in the United States, that poor nutrition has become more of the norm than the exception and that Satan has been indirectly attacking the general society and the body of Christ through poor nutrition (such as what we see with many fast food joints and unhealthy food products in our grocery stores).
Yes, it is true that, in specific ways, we are what we eat, so good nutrition boosts our immune system and helps our minds and bodies function better. As a result, this can indirectly help us to function better spiritually by strengthening our spiritual resolve. For example, if we struggle with anxiety, eating foods that help relieve it to some extent can help us to trust in the Lord more by calming us down since Scripture tells us to be anxious for nothing and to allow the peace of God to rule in our hearts. Healthy eating is a good way to help strengthen our spiritual goals by allowing good habits to help make better spiritual decisions easier.
However, eating healthy does not make our free will decisions for us! Spiritual maturity (of which there are no limits for any given believer) is all based on free-will faith that stems from a pure attitude or disposition of heart. There are, as we know, plenty of unbelievers who eat very healthily but have no interest in God whatsoever. The point is that eating healthy doesn’t make somebody more spiritually mature than the next person, especially since there will always be varying degrees and differences in diets when comparing different people. It is good to have high standards with what we eat, but even better to have higher standards with the spiritual nutrition we’re taking in (found only in good, solid Bible teaching). To emphasize one without prioritizing the other is a grave mistake because the church is in the lukewarm state (a type of “spiritual sleeping sickness”) that it is for the very reason that good spiritual food is lacking as a result of little love for the truth in general (Revelation 3:14-22). Healthy eating is a godly approach and, like physical exercise, does profit us in some ways. But godliness profits all things in this life and the next!
8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
If we need healthier food and more exercise and sleep to function physically, mentally, and spiritually better, we should strive to eat well and get the rest we need. We should do anything we can to help strengthen our spiritual resolve. However, we need to point out that many of our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world (especially in third-world countries and in many persecution zones) do not have access to many of the healthy options that believers in more prosperous countries have available. Despite this, many of these brothers and sisters of ours are some of the greatest believers alive today despite lacking good nutrition and other health benefits because spiritual success is determined by how well we respond to God through free- will faith, not by the food we eat. It is also true that living in want and lacking physical sustenance can draw a person closer to the Lord by teaching them to rely more on Him and less on what they do! The problem with putting too much stock into healthy eating while downplaying and neglecting good spiritual nutrition is that it can lead to a self-righteous attitude of looking down on others by assuming a superior spiritual status based on diet alone.
Additionally, it is also true that God wants some people to lack these things (money included) for their own spiritual benefit to test and build their faith so that they learn to rely on Him more than the basic necessities of life (man does not live by bread alone Matthew 4:4 and see Matthew 15:11). There are plenty of spiritually mature believers who are poor, not because of their own doing (though there are plenty of poor people who are as they are because of their own bad choices) but as a result of things out of their control (possibly some of which may be the Lord’s doing for their benefit). God doesn’t care if we are rich, somewhere in the middle, or poor as long as our hearts are in the right place. The truth is, God wants some people to remain poor and possibly even in a sick and unhealthy state (whether short term or long term) to bring them closer to Himself by testing them 2 Corinthians 12:1-11 (there are also disabled, malnourished, and disease-ridden believers among the other examples we’ve provided). Some things can be alleviated and maintained but not permanently cured, and God does not guarantee a healthy and comfortable life for all His children. Despite this, our God is gracious and will supply all our physical, mental, and spiritual needs Philippians 4:19. The apostle Paul was a great example of this. There will be times when we need to make sacrifices whenever necessary.
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
The danger of the prosperity gospel is that it manipulates God’s grace by attempting to use faith for human goals. The worst part about it is that it threatens faith and salvation by detracting from spiritual growth and ministry (we are to be as salt and light to the world Matthew 5:13-16) by putting the believer’s focus on earthly things 1 John 2:15-17. One could go on and on about the risks and dangers that come with this false teaching but suffice it to say that we have covered enough of them so that the reader should get the point. We conclude that this teaching is unbiblical and one that all believers should avoid at all costs.
13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.