The Soft Prosperity Gospel, Parts 1-3

The Soft Prosperity Gospel, Part 1

What comes to your mind when you hear the words, “Prosperity Gospel?” Your stomach may turn as you think about the preachers on TV who speak to very large crowds and appeal to even more people in their books.

An uneasy gut feeling is the reaction one should have to the brand of Christianity trumpeted by prosperity preachers. This is because the prosperity gospel is not a gospel at all but rather a damnable perversion of the true gospel. Its preachers herald a message of self-improvement that runs painfully contrary to what the Bible teaches. They minimize the purpose of suffering, discourage self-denial, and make the Christian life about the accumulation of material things. To do this they turn Jesus from the self-giving, sin-atoning, wrath-satisfying, guilt-removing Savior into an eager butler who fetches all of our desires and gives us our best life now.

Let’s be clear: The prosperity gospel is about us rather than God.

Down through the centuries many have tried to avoid the clear instructions of Jesus that are forever etched on the doorpost of the church: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Jesus’ call to discipleship is a call to deny self. It’s a costly call that expects and embraces suffering.

Martin Luther contrasted the “theology of glory” with the “theology of the cross” and pointed out fundamental differences in the starting point for Christian thought and experience. Theologians of glory build their theology on what they think God would be like, while theologians of the cross form their knowledge of God in light of the cross. On the one hand, the theology of glory will craft a god that looks like the theologian. On the other hand, the one who stares intently at the cross will learn about God through the lens of Calvary.

But be careful:  Do not limit your thinking into believing that prosperity ideology is limited to those who cruise around in their expensive private jets or overtly speak in self-help platitudes fit for fortune cookies. No, prosperity thinking is very subtle and in many instances it has infiltrated many churches of unsuspecting leaders. Being more subtle than you may think, prosperity thinking is very active in the church. And because it undermines our understanding and application of the gospel, its effect is cataclysmic. Like a computer virus, it drains the vitality and productivity of the covenant Christian community. And you know the worst part? We may not even recognize where we’ve been affected by it.

That’s why it is referred to as the “soft” prosperity gospel. It is not so loud and ostentatious. It is more mainstream, polished, and even American.

What are some clues that can help us discern whether the “soft” prosperity gospel is operating in our church?  More on this in Part 2.

End of Part 1

The Soft Prosperity Gospel, Part 2

Since elements of the prosperity gospel has already infiltrated the church without being properly discerned by its leaders, what are these elements that we need to recognized so we do not distort the gospel of grace?

First, what does your church teach about the Place of Suffering?

When you encounter suffering, do you have an unresolved answer to the question of why? Do you find yourself beginning to question God’s goodness?  The Christian, of all people, should know that suffering is part of the Christian life (John 15:20; Phil. 1:29). Let’s not forget that we follow a Savior who was crucified and suffered.

The soft prosperity gospel has shaped our thinking to see that suffering is an intrusion in our lives. We ask questions such as, “Why is this happening? How could God let this happen?”

We fail to comprehend that we live in a fallen sinful world.  Suffering is the result of sin, starting way back with Adam and Eve. But, suffering is also happening because God uses suffering to strengthen and sanctify His people. He makes us more like Jesus through our suffering (Rom. 5:3–5; Heb. 5.7; James 1:2–4; 1 Peter 1:6–9). As Luther observed, it is suffering that God uses to fashion our understanding of the gospel. Far from an intrusion, suffering is an instrument from God for our good and His glory.

Second, what does your church teach about The Role of God?

The soft prosperity gospel teaches that if you work hard for God, then He should work hard for you. Many have bought into this lie. We go to church, keep our noses clean, and do whatever extra we can. Then we hope God will do His part and bless us with good kids, a nice house, a steady job, and plenty of money.

But then the company downsizes? The kids start taking drugs? The 401(k) shrinks? We go into private litigation in our minds because God has not kept His end of the bargain. We want to sue God for the prosperity promises that we have signed on to. The trouble is, God does not stand behind this soft prosperity thinking; He stands behind His Word. And He has shown us how to understand His Word through the work of Christ. Do you think (even subtly) that God owes you anything?

Third, what does your church teach about The Shape of Worship?

Let’s be honest, in one sense, Sunday’s gatherings for the church are very unspectacular. We sing, read passages from the Bible, and respond to God’s Word together. We probably don’t walk out of church like we walk out of a movie saying, “Wow! That was spectacular! I can’t believe how it ended! I never saw that coming.” No, we do the same thing every week with some variation of songs or Scripture. We do this because God tells us to do it; He says it is good for us (Heb. 10:25). We trust Him. But sometimes we want a little more of the spectacular.  We want more entertainment.

Dissatisfied by preaching, prayer, and singing, we want worship to be a little more “our style” and to fit “our tastes.” Soon, we find ourselves looking for that perfect place for us rather than the faithful place to God. Somehow it becomes our show. This subtle shift shows that we are at least susceptible to soft prosperity thinking, if not fully on board with it.

Rather than expecting God to entertain you, why don’t you do something out of the box – such as, entertain God with an obedient life!

End of Part 2

The Soft Prosperity Gospel, Part 3

In Part 2 we began by asking questions that help us to define the elements of the prosperity gospel.

1.   What does your church teach about the Place of Suffering?

2.   What does your church teach about The Role of God?

3.   What does your church teach about The Shape of Worship?

4.   What does your church teach its focus of devotion is on?

Let’s get right down to it: Christianity is spiritual before it is physical. If you are restless about what you see, you will never be content in the God whom you cannot see. There is an epidemic of Bible negligence and prayerlessness in the church today. It is not because we are too busy, too smart, or too sophisticated—it is because we do not want to have communion with God. I believe this is a outcome result of soft prosperity thinking. You see, it is hard work and a real demonstration of faith and discipline to read your Bible and quiet your heart before the Lord in humble adoration, confession, and petition. We become very distracted by so many things, that our craving for excitement and entertainment do not draws us to God.  Having or wanting material blessings does not in itself indicate that we have accepted the prosperity gospel, but if we make the gospel and our faith all about material blessings on this side of heaven, we have bought into the prosperity heresy.

5.    Who or What does your church teach is its Object of Affection?

When so much of the emphasis is on the here and now and so little is placed on the glorified city that awaits us, we have to ask the question, “Do you even want to go to heaven?”

Let’s say I had the ability to make you a deal where you could stay here on this world forever. You would never die and the ability to enjoy this world would not end. You could play all the video games, watch all the sunsets, drink and eat whatever you wanted; there would be football, hunting, shopping, and whatever else you would want. You could just ride the merry-go-round of this world forever without ever having to put in another quarter. The only catch is this: no God. That’s right—you can’t pray, read the Bible, go to church, or anything. It is on the shelf. Would you take it?

I am afraid that there are scores of professing believers in the church who would not hesitate to take that offer. The very thing that makes heaven so heavenly is God. That which makes Christians long for heaven is the lack of God here on earth. Ultimately, we don’t want more rides on the merry-go-round; we want fellowship with God unhindered by our sinful flesh. Soft prosperity thinking has sold us a way of life that is so seemingly improved by their “gospel” that we don’t even want to go to heaven.

Many of us have been unwittingly been lulled to sleep by prosperity thinking. In its subtlety, the soft prosperity gospel wears the uniform of honor, happiness, and achievement. These can be good things but not necessarily the nature of the gospel. The entry point into following Jesus is a call for self-denial and cross-bearing. This is to be our ongoing expectation and priority. To the extent that we have dozed off and have taken hold of the assumptions of the soft prosperity gospel, we need to be awakened once again by the theology of the cross.

End of Series