Should Believers Expect Blessings in Regard to Finances, Health, and Success? (Part 2 of Interaction with the Belief Statement of a Prosperity Gospel Church)

While giving a sermon at a local SBC church in Shreveport, the pastor mentioned his joyful willingness to partner a local church called the Word of God Ministries. Honestly, the name alone drew my attention as it suggests affiliation with the Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel movements. Given this concern, it made sense to tour their website (See link in 1^st endnote) and determine whether or not grounds existed to support my suspicion. On their website, I accessed their belief statement which included the following words:

It is the Father’s will for all believers to become prosperous, healthy and successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God’s will and blessing while on earth. However, this should never prevent all believers from seeking the full endowment of God’s Blessings offered through Jesus Christ. Biblical wholeness affects at least four areas of one’s life:

Spiritual (John 3:3-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-13); Mental or Emotional (2 Timothy 1:7; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3); Physical (Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24); Financial (Joshua 1:8; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19; 3 John 2)[i]

In Part 1 of this series, the initial part of this belief statement was considered.[ii] After reviewing the teachings of Scripture, this statement was found to be in error essentially because it directs believers to maintain an earthly focus on temporal blessings instead of pointing believers toward Christ and the fellowship of His sufferings as Paul did. While it is true that believers may experience some earthly blessings, these blessings are never to serve as objectives that should be sought after and expected in the Christian life. With this in view, Part 2 of this series will consider the promises of God to believers in relation to spiritual blessings using the verses provided in this statement.

John 3:3-11 NASB – “Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus responded and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you people do not accept our testimony.

The appearance of this verse in the aforementioned belief statement seems unwarranted. Here, Jesus is teaching Nicodemus that true converts to Christ must be born-again (i.e. made a new creation and given a new heart). Such a person must be born of water and the Spirit. To put this another way, this person must repent of sin and receive the indwelling of the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NASB – “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

In this passage, Paul informs the Corinthians that believers are indeed a new creation. They have been reconciled to God through Christ and made righteous. Given this, all believers are blessed with a calling to serve God as ambassadors in this life. In other words, their lives should be lived in such a way that Christ is glorified.

Romans 10:9-13 NASB – “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Paul’s teaching here is largely in line with the previous passage. He adds the assurance that God is no respecter of persons.

Final Word on Spiritual Blessings:

It is rather surprising that this belief statement focuses primarily on soteriological (i.e., relating to salvation) Scripture references when outlines promised spiritual blessings. Afterall, the Bible promises many spiritual blessings to the faithful believer in this life. For example, believers who are walking in obedience to the Lord and thereby allowing themselves to be filled by the Spirit can expect the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. Those spiritual fruit include “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). In their daily lives, such Christians will exhibit a cheerful heart, a thankful spirit, and humility (Eph 5:18-21). Perhaps the best picture of the spiritual fruit of a true believer can be found in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount where he describes the blessed:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3-10 NASB).

[i]Available at: http://wogm.com/about-us.

[ii]Available at: https://battlehardenedbeliever.com/?p=859.