Prosperity Doctrine -True or False?

Give Thanks!

In John 10:10, Jesus Christ made a statement about the benefits of understanding why he came:

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10

In the context of that section in John, Jesus used the easily relatable 'gate of the sheep' analogy. Jesus Christ is the door to the fold. He is the 'way' to the abundant life. On the opposite side there is a thief that steals, kills and destroys. God wants us to live abundantly and His word keeps us within his desire.

I have read many articles on the 'prosperity doctrine' both for and against. Each side has a propensity  to veer off biblical logic to the extreme of its own side. Christianity is not a 'get rich quick' scheme nor is it 'church mouse poor theology':

8 Remove far from me vanity (uselessness) and lies (deception): give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient (what is prescribed) for me: Proverbs 30:8 

The Bible is full of wonderful principles on prosperity that apply to many of God's promises in general. It is full of practical, sound, powerful and successful precepts that we can trust from the very heart of God:

2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2

God wants us to prosper!  Every individual is different in what he or she needs. What is needed by one person may be different from another person's need. Poverty, however, is like an armed robber on the highway of life. (Proverbs 6:11, Proverbs 24:34) God has given us the power to be individually successful through his Word and the gift of holy spirit.

18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:16.

God loves us! He gives us 'the power to get wealth' (makes us heroes of strength). Deuteronomy is written to the Old Covenant believers where the spirit of God was upon certain people who led God's people. A New Covenant came on the Day of Pentecost with the gift of holy spirit. The gift equips all believers with distinct power tools.  If a man or woman practically applies God's word  and utilizes the power God has given each one of us, he or she will be abundantly blessed in all categories, not just financial ones. Our effort as believers is to dig the gold of the Word faithfully and consistently apply it.

The world will try and talk us out of it. It is full of stumbling blocks that are thrown down to deter us.  Sometimes, when something breaks down or we hadn't counted on a certain bill for us to pay, our hearts may sink into thinking that we have done something wrong and fear rears its ugly head. Don't rely on the stock market, news media,  the 'experts' or government. It doesn't hurt to try to get the best information we can, but we should run it all by God, the 100% reliable source.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. I Corinthians 1:25 (Check out the rest of I Corinthians 1)

Things happen, but that doesn't change God's promises. Going to God and giving it to him is standing on the promise that perfect love casts out fear. We have God's ability to overcome and we are not to believe the lies of condemnation that we have failed somehow.  I used to think debt was sin. It is hard to believe that God wants us free economically when one is so worried about sin. When, in my own life, I dumped the sin conscientiousness and looked to God, the most amazing things happened.

  Going to God frees us.  Just knowing how much he loves us and how much he is willing to help us is the best place to be in our hearts. 

Falling Short or Overshooting God

The way I read verses today is different from the past.  I now remind myself of God's true intentions toward his kids as I read. The way I used to read Proverbs 28:13 was with fear.

 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13

Presently, I find a verse like this delightful! It is an opportunity to advance. Because of  previous teaching and differences in interpretation, it is hard to get to the heart of what it means to sin. When a person approaches the Word of God based on love and that there is no darkness with God, simple truth is refreshing and beneficial.  For us, it is like untangling a mess of yarn  to be able to use to knit together something we can use.

The 'covering of sin' is a natural human reaction. Yet that means that even though sin is hidden, it is still lurking about. Acknowledging sin and tossing it aside does more than cover, it brings freedom to our hearts.

Sin is falling short and maybe even overshooting the mark of God (this is a biggie because sometimes subtly we think we can do more; remember the serpent?).  Regardless, missing out on God's best for us is not what we should want to do. It limits God and it is faulty thinking on our part. God doesn't control us either; it is free will choice whether we check in with him or not. Our goal should be to hit the center of his will for us. He wants us to live in advancing abundance.

We see no greater example of what sin can do than that of what happened in the garden of Eden with the first humans, Adam and Eve.When they messed up, God sought them out and explained what had happened because of the serpent's influence and the consequences of listening to those influences. In Genesis chapter 3 there are various reactions such as,  arrogance, guilt, and blame, exposed. When God called out to them, Adam answered:

“I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Genesis 3:1

We should never be afraid of God. We don't have to hide from him either.  Sadly, that is just what people do. If it gets bad enough they just rearrange their righteousness for themselves and maybe even their thoughts on the existence of God altogether. That is tragic!

God is a God of compassion and mercy, he loves us better than we can love ourselves. When we are having difficulties, the remedy is just a prayer away. Instead of hiding or making excuses we can ask for help from God and at the very moment we have peace that  things will work out.