False Teaching on Wealth
The very basis of the Word-Faith doctrine on money is that it is a God-given guarantee. It
is supposedly guaranteed because of God’s covenant with Abraham. It is argued that we
are under that same covenant. All we need to do is look at the covenant God made with
Abraham and we will see that wealth and health is not even mentioned. God made a two-
fold covenant. Look at these passages:
Genesis 15:
18 On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your
descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the
River Euphrates --
Genesis 17:
2 "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you
exceedingly."
3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:
4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of
many nations.
5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham;
for I have made you a father of many nations.
6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings
shall come from you.
7 "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants
after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and
your descendants after you.
8 "Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a
stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their
God."
Even the casual reader can see the promises of this covenant: your descendents will
inherit the land and I will make you a great nation. God renamed him from Abram, which
means ’exalted father’ to Abraham, which means ’father of a multitude’. When God
called Abraham at the beginning, God did give him a command and promised that
obedience would produce blessing. However, we can’t mistake the covenant as being
God’s promise of blessing because of obedience. God’s word is filled with promises of
blessing to those who obey. God’s blessings are not obtained by claiming it with words
alone. Every blessing has a command and every command is a blessing. God deals with
individuals. Because God promised to make Abraham’s name great and produce a great
nation does not mean that each of us will have that same promise.
The bread and butter of the Word-Faith movement is the message of wealth. It is out of
desire for gain and the promise of wealth that millions flock to Word-Faith ’revivals’ and
send in their money. Word-Faith teachers use the allure of money to convince money-
seekers to send in their donations. As Faith teachers flood the airways with petitions for
’seeds of faith’, the world sits by mocking. Christianity has been turned into a marketing
scam instead of a lifestyle focused on Christ. He is an example:
Tonight I want to speak that hundredfold increase. If you will call right now and
you will say to your counselor, I want to be involved in the hundredfold. I want
the hundredfold prayer prayed over my giving tonight. I will at the time God leads
me to do it, lay my hands on everyone of those cards and will speak the
hundredfold increase into your life. The phrase to say is ’the hundredfold’.
Look at Luke 6:
34 "And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is
that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
35 "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and
your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind
to the unthankful and evil.
If you lend hoping to receive back, the Bible says that this is not credit to you. God
blesses those who give out of a desire to love, not out of a desire to gain. Of course the
true church understands that Christianity is not a quest for money, but in the world’s
eyes, the Word-Faith movement is the same as Biblical Christianity. Word-Faith teachers
claim to be mainstream and the church does not challenge their doctrines, therefore no
distinction can be identified. If anything, we are seeing mainstream Christianity shifting
toward the Word-Faith movement instead of calling people out this movement and into a
relationship with Christ. Before we examine some of the key doctrines of the Word-Faith
movement on money, let’s take a moment to consider the purpose of money.
Is Money Evil?
Money is not good nor is it evil. Money is completely neutral. It becomes good or evil
depending on the heart of the person possessing or seeking it. Look at 1 Timothy 6:
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.
It is the love of money that is evil and creates a desire that leads to sin. Greed and a love
for money is just as much idolatry as bowing down and worshipping a statue of Buddha.
Since money is a necessary part of life, loving money is easy to justify. Loving money, I
believe, is an affection for wealth that puts it above God in our lives. Loving money is
when it no longer is a tool, but the priority in our life. Loving money is when I consider
myself the owner of it rather than the God’s appointed steward of it. Colossians 3:5 tells
us that covetousness is idolatry. In the passage above, we are warned that many stray
from the faith because of greed. Instead of finding the ’blessings of God’, they are headed
for sorrow and pain.
God is not against money; however, God is against loving money. People are not wealthy
because they are not able to handle wealth and keep God on the throne of their lives. The
Bible teaches us that God will not give us more than we are able to handle. If my life is
already so crowded that I cannot find time for God, how can I ask God to give me more?
If I struggle to find consistent prayer time, consistent Bible study, and a consistent walk
with God, what will wealth do to me? Wealth produces opportunities that can be good,
but it also produces opportunities to become busier and less focused on the correct
priorities. Ironically, if getting wealth is a priority, it shows that God’s will is not.
Money is not the standard of faith or godliness, but it can reveal a lot about me. For
example, what I do with my money reveals what is important in my life. We frequently
hear about giving our tithes to God, but this is only part of the picture. Giving tithes does
not make me righteous; it only sheds light on my relationship with God. If I cling to my
money, I show that I don’t trust God. Everything that I have belongs to God. I am only a
steward - or caretaker - of what God has entrusted to me. If I don’t give to God what
already belongs to Him, it reveals that I don’t understand my role in this life. Possessions
become my fulfiller instead of God. If my spiritual life has the right focus, the natural
result is that I will give to God out of love. That is why the Bible says that God loves a
cheerful giver. A grudging giver doesn’t have any more understanding about their
relationship with God than a non-giver. My relationship with God affects every area of
my life. If I exclude God from any area, I am not making Him Lord.
This doesn’t just apply to money; it applies to my entire life. I give my time, my praise,
my finances, my desires and everything I have to God. The greatest commandment is to
love the LORD your God with ALL your heart, mind, soul and strength. Nothing in our
life is excluded. Of course it is a growing process of learning to surrender each area one-
by-one and making Him Lord. It does not happen automatically in every area. Spiritual
maturity is learning to love God and make Him Lord. If I am struggling to make Him
Lord, how can I expect God to give me more? Wealth opens many doors that crowd God
out. I may say that I can worship God on a boat, but in reality, boats, cars, things and
activities can easily become my god. If God is not on the throne of my life now, He won’t
be even if I have everything that I think I need.
Apostles were rich
In order to persuade people to accept the wealth ’gospel’, Faith teachers must first
persuade people to believe that Jesus and the Apostles were teaching the same things. As
we look at this Word-Faith doctrine, you will see that they knowingly and willingly
contradict scripture. Begin by looking at John Avanzini’s claim to the wealth of Paul:
"People say the apostles didn’t have money. Man did they have money! Paul had
the kind of money so that people would block up justice just to get a bribe out of
old Paul". - John Avanzini
I find this quote disturbing. What man of God would pervert justice by bribing officials?
This quote attempts to transform Paul from a minister of the gospel to someone who is
powerful and wealthy and willing to bribe justice to get what he wants. Consider these
passages:
Exodus 23:8 "And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and
perverts the words of the righteous.
Deuteronomy 16:
19 "You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe,
for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
Proverbs 17:23 A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back To pervert the
ways of justice.
Psalm 26
9 Do not gather my soul with sinners, Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 In whose hands is a sinister scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes.
Is the one who provides the bribe innocent? If the Bible calls the person who receives a
bribe a wicked man who perverts justice and the one who gives the bribe sinister, could
the Apostle Paul be a man of God and a briber at the same time? Is the one who
encourages sin any more innocent than the one who actually commits sin?
If officials blocked up justice to get a bribe, this clearly implies that Paul had a reputation
of bribing justice. What a shame it is to rewrite the work of God into a perversion of
justice. No scripture references were given to back this claim. There reason is because
there is none. No one can read the book of Acts and draw the conclusion that Paul was
bribing officials. In fact, we see just the opposite. Paul was unjustly imprisoned. The
Romans were going to deliver Paul to the Jewish leaders that were plotting to kill him. To
prevent this, Paul had to notify officials that he was a Roman citizen and then he
appealed to Caesar. In Acts 16, officials were afraid when they found out Paul was a
Roman because they had beaten him unlawfully. Let’s go deeper into this false teaching.
Avanzini also claims:
I don’t know where these goofy traditions creep in at. But one of the goofiest ones
is that Jesus and His disciples were poor. Now there’s no Bible to substantiate
that. You can’t become like Him until you understand what He was. He was
anything but poor.
In the next section we will examine the claims that Jesus was rich. In this section, let’s
examine the claim that there is no Bible to substantiate that the disciples were poor. In
reality, there is no substantiation that they are rich. We know by their own words that
they lived in poverty. Look at 1 Corinthians 4
9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to
death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but
you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!
11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and
beaten, and homeless.
12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being
persecuted, we endure;
13 being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the
offscouring of all things until now.
Does this sound like a proclamation of wealth? Paul said in unmistakable terms, "to this
present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and
homeless". Homeless? Hungry? Poorly clothed? Does this sound like Paul bribes justice
and has high living in wealth? In 2 Timothy 4, Paul sent a letter asking that someone be
sent to bring his cloak and come before winter. Why didn’t Paul ask for his money? Why
didn’t Paul just buy a new cloak? Let’s look at Philippians 4 to get more details:
14 Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress.
15 Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I
departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and
receiving but you only.
16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities.
Paul thanked the Thessalonian church for sending him aid and meeting his needs. Why
was Paul in need? Philippians 3 answers this:
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count
them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Paul clearly states that he has lost all things. He is not grieving in his poverty, but
rejoicing because of the greater inheritance that he has in Christ. It is not only Paul, but
the early church suffered severe persecution and many lived in poverty. Look at Hebrews
10:
34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the
plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring
possession for yourselves in heaven.
35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
Like Paul, this church suffered the loss of their possessions. They were plundered by their
persecutors and Paul reminds them not to lose confidence in God but to look ahead and
know that they will have greater possessions in heaven. God will restore abundantly more
than anything that can be lost in this life. Romans 8:18 tells us that the loses in this life
are not even worthy to be compared to what will be gained in heaven. In Christ, there is
no such thing as a loss. Every loss in this life is a reward in heaven. There is a
tremendous testimony to substantiate that Jesus and the apostles were willingly poor.
They were poor because they chose to count the things of this life as trash compared to
what lies ahead. There is not, however, any Bible to substantiate the wealth of Jesus and
his followers. Not everyone will be poor, but we also know that not everyone will be rich.
The truly rich are those who chose sacrifice in this life knowing that what awaits in
heaven is incomparable. It is easy to pursue earthly wealth because we can see and touch
it. It is hard to put aside worldly possessions and pursue heavenly wealth because we
can’t see it. We can only believe God’s word. That is the choice everyone will make.
Jesus was rich
To justify their teachings, Word-Faith teachers must convince you that Jesus was as they
are trying to become. John Avanzini tells us that John 19 shows that Jesus wore designer
clothes. There are only two mentions of clothing in John 19. The first reference is where
the Roman soldiers dress Jesus up in purple to mock His claim to be King of the Jews.
They bow down mockingly and then beat Him. Was the purple robes designer clothes?
The second reference is when Jesus was hanging on the cross. The soldiers gambled for
His tunic. It was seamless and could not be torn apart. A tunic is the undergarment worn
during this time in history. Either example shows how ludicrous it is to use Jesus as an
example they are following by wearing golden watches and designer suites. Wearing
expensive clothing is not necessarily wrong in itself, but rewriting scripture to justify
spending is wrong. The pursuit of wealth as the meaning to life is also wrong. Here is
John Avanzini refuting Jesus’ claim to be homeless.
John Avanzini - (Regarding Luke 9:58 - foxes have holes and birds have nest but
the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.) Is not a declaration that Jesus didn’t
have a house. If you read a few verses above that, it means the Samaritans
canceled the meeting. In those days there wasn’t a Holiday Inn on every corner. If
your advancement got canceled, you walked to the next city. It’s very clear that
He had a house. The Bible states He had a house.
Let’s take John Avanzini’s advice and read a few verses above this:
Luke 9:
52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village
of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.
53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to
Jerusalem.
54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You
want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as
Elijah did?"
55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of
spirit you are of.
56 "For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them."
And they went to another village.
57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him,
"Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."
58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but
the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
When we read this in context, the conclusion Word-Faith teachers draw becomes absurd.
This passage does not say ’the meeting was cancelled’; this passage tells us that the
Samaritans would not allow Jesus to come into the city. They were treated with hostility.
Otherwise it would not make sense for the disciples to ask Jesus to destroy them with fire
from heaven. A mere cancellation of a meeting would not cause the disciples to seek
judgment against the city. Even if there was not a Holiday Inn on every corner, there
were Inns in most cities. However, if you read through scripture you will see that the
most common way to treat a guest was to house them in your own home. Only strangers
needed an inn. If Jesus and the disciples were a walking caravan of wealth, do you think
that no one would want to give them lodging for a night?
John Avanzini said, "The Bible states that Jesus had a house". I challenge anyone to find
a single passage that even implies that Jesus had a house. Consider the facts surrounding
Jesus. Every event in Jesus’ life was with borrowed property. He was born in a borrowed
stable. His first miracle of turning water into wine was with borrowed jugs. He fed the
5,000 twice with borrowed fish and bread. To get the money to pay taxes, Jesus sent
Peter to catch a fish that would have a coin in its mouth. His triumphant entry into
Jerusalem (the greatest prophecy in the Old Testament) was done on a borrowed donkey.
He had the last supper with his disciples in a borrowed room. He was buried in a
borrowed tomb. Because there were no servants to perform the traditional lowly task of
washing the feet of guests, Jesus humbled Himself to do this task. Where is the wealth?
The Bible carefully paints the picture of Messiah with humility, but Word-Faith doctrine
attempts to recreate him into what they want themselves to be. Here is an example:
I’m trying to get you out of this mealy of thinking that Jesus and the disciples
were poor and then relating that to you thinking that you as a child of God have to
follow Jesus. The Bible says that He [Jesus] has left us an example that we should
follow His steps. That’s why I drive a Rolls Royce. I’m following Jesus’ steps.
You can talk about me all you want - while I’m driving by in my Rolls Royce. It’s
a lot easier to be persecuted when I’m driving around in my car with the pick slip
than it is when I am riding in my car and owe my soul to the company store.
- Fredrick Price
The problem is that people don’t want a Jesus that says, ’Anyone who desires to come
after Me must deny himself. For whosoever loves his life will lose it, but whosoever loses
his life for My sake will find it’ (Luke 9:23-24). People want a Jesus who promises them
heaven on earth and instant gratification.
I am sick and tired about hearing about streets of gold in glory, I gotta have it
now. - Benny Hinn
Esau said the same thing. He could not wait and he sold his inheritance to Jacob for
instant gratification. Jesus taught not to seek the things of this life. In John 6:27, He said
not to labor for food that perishes, but for what endures for eternal life. In Matthew 6:19
Jesus said not to lay up treasures on this earth which is perishing, but work for that which
is in heaven. Wouldn’t this be hypocritical to teach others not to pursue wealth while He
was doing the opposite?
One of the defenses for the wealthy Jesus doctrine is Judas. Word-Faith teachers asked
why the disciples did not know Judas was stealing. After all, the Bible says that He was a
thief from the beginning. Frederick Price says that if there were only three oranges in the
purse and Judas took one, then they all would have known. If there was a lot of money, it
could have gone unnoticed.
The question I have is, ’how did they know Judas was a thief in the end?’ Why would
Judas have to steal if they all were lavished in wealth? Why would 50 pieces of silver
entice Judas to betray Christ if he was rolling in the dough? If all the apostles were
wealthy and they found out that Judas had a stash after he died, no one would have been
surprised. But if they were not wealthy and they found Judas’ stash, they would have all
known that he must have been stealing from the beginning. Considering that Judas was
the treasurer and they often used their money for the poor, it would have been relatively
easy to pilfer during his errands. We know from John 13:26-29 that it was not unusual for
Judas to go out alone to buy necessities or to give to the poor. After Judas’ suicide, if they
found a substantial amount of money in his belongings, they would have known that he
was a thief from the beginning.
Not only do faith teachers attempt to transform Jesus into the money man, but they insult
grace by claiming that poverty is a sin. Look at this quote:
Robert Tilton - That’s the Bible! That’s the word of God! There is prosperity. Not
only is worrying a sin, but being poor is a sin.
Every Christian in impoverished nations are condemned by sin according to Word-Faith
teachers. We have already seen that the apostles themselves declared that they were
plundered, lost everything and were homeless and in need. According to Word-Faith
doctrine, the apostles were guilty of sin. You cannot find one passage in the Bible to
support this claim that poverty is a sin. On the contrary, look at 2 Corinthians 8:
1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the
churches of Macedonia:
2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep
poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.
3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability,
they were freely willing,
4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the
fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
The background of this passage was that the churches of Jerusalem were in desperate
need. They were under heavy persecution and did not have the money to meet their basic
needs. They were on the verge of starvation. The apostle’s took up a collection from
various churches to meet this need. They did not come to the church in Macedonia. The
reason was that Macedonia was also in deep poverty, though not as severe as the church
in Jerusalem. Macedonia heard about the collection and they gave beyond their ability.
Was this church a bunch of sinners because of their poverty? This church will be a
witness in judgment against the Word-Faith teachers who claim poverty is a sin. They
were poor in wealth, but rich in joy and the grace of God. Also notice who they gave to.
They did not give to someone driving a Rolls Royce and claiming that God would make
them rich. They gave to those who had less than they had. True giving is giving to those
who are in greater need than you are. Look at Luke 14
12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, "When you give a dinner or a
supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors,
lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.
13 "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.
14 "And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be
repaid at the resurrection of the just."
This passage flies in the face of faith teaching. We are not asked to give to the wealthy
who have ’mastered faith’. We are to give to those who have need. Also contrary to Faith
doctrine is the time of repayment. It is true that God may indeed bless us in this life so
that we can be instruments of His grace to others, but your reward is at the resurrection
not in this life. Blessings in this life are for us show faithfulness and to become a blessing
to others. Each of us must decide how much we are willing to sacrifice. Some people who
could be wealthy commit themselves to poverty so that their reward will not be in this life
alone. Some sacrifice a little, some a lot. I believe that there must be a continuous self-
examination to determine how much we will give and how much we will absorb into our
own life. We should never be bound to the 10% tithing rule. We are to be givers, not
tithers. Tithing is good and is needed for the finances of the church, but if I don’t
consider all that I have as God’s property, then I have missed the big picture.
Asking of God
What does the Bible teaches us about asking? Here is the Word-Faith doctrine on asking:
Hickey
"If you need money, start speaking it into existence. Speak to your billfold,
checkbook. Speak to your body, God will create the fruit of your lips. Speak faith
and God will create what you are speaking".
Avanzini - (from Mark 12:44) But she [the widow] gave out of her want...she
wanted something. Even though she was a widow, she was smarter than the
apologists. She was smarter than the theologians. She knew how to get God’s
attention. She cast it in. She threw it in because she wanted something from her
God.
Is God bound by the ’fruit of your lips’? Is it our wants and desires that gets God’s
attention? Before we look at the Bible’s teaching on want, let’s take a moment to
examine Avanzini’s comments about the widow’s want. This is poor exegesis of the text
of scripture. The word ’want’ in the KJV is the Greek word ’husteresis’ which means
poverty. Today we rarely use the word ’want’ to mean poverty. However, in context the
intent it is still clear in the KJV. The poor widow, out of her want (poverty), cast in all
she had. This passage is not saying that she wanted something, but that she was giving
something. Word-Faith doctrine has taken this teaching and reversed the meaning. The
intent of the passage is to show that a poor person like this widow can give more in God’s
eyes than the abundance of the wealthy. It is not the amount that God looks at, but the
sacrifice that comes from the heart. It is also an irrelevant illustration for the Word-Faith
doctrine. She was praised for her giving, but the Bible never tells us that she received
anything in this life. In true Christianity, the illustration serves to show that God deals
with us based on our heart.
1 Timothy 6 addresses the issue of using God as gain:
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even
the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with
godliness,
4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over
words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,
5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who
suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.
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.
How does the Bible command us to respond to those who claim that godliness is a means
to gain wealth? "From such withdraw yourself". We ask of God to show our dependence
on God. When I don’t pray, I reveal that I am proud and don’t see my need for God. We
are commanded to take all things to God in prayer - even the little things. We are
commanded to ask God for His will, wisdom, our daily bread, our sins, our enemies, and
every need that we have. In Matthew 6, after Jesus taught His disciples to pray for these
things, then He taught them not to worry about their needs. Your heavenly Father knows
that you need these things before we ask. Yet we are still commanded to ask so that we
understand that He knows, we understand that we need God and so that we do not get
lifted up with pride and take God’s provisions for granted.
Our motives are found in Matthew 6
33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added to you.
Most people have no concept that they are in fact seeking their own kingdom and not
God’s. People think that whatever you ask, God must do. This is not true and the Bible
does not teach this. We can take one verse out of context to create these doctrines, but the
Bible is a complete revelation. We must allow scripture to interpret scripture. Look at
John 14:
13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son.
People love to quote the first half of this verse and ignore the second half. The purpose of
asking is that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you are asking for self-centered
motives, you can claim this passage all you want but you can’t expect God to honor it.
Jump down one chapter to John 15:
7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire,
and it shall be done for you.
8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My
disciples.
Once again, there are guidelines to the promise. If you abide in Christ and His words
abide in you, then you will ask for God’s glory and it will be done. The purpose of asking
- that you bear much fruit. You are laboring for God’s kingdom and not your own. Look
now at 1 John 5:
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the
petitions that we have asked of Him.
Once again, if we are asking according to His will, we can have confidence in our
petitions. The Christian life is a life that is focused on eternity. We may get sidetracked
and lose focus, but when our focus is on Christ, we will have the right motives and will
inherit the promises of God. There are many more passages, but I believe these clearly
show that our motives must be examined in light of God’s word. In the book of James,
the Bible says that we can ask and will not get because we ask with world-centered
motives.
Conclusion
The reason why this issue is important is that Word-Faith teachers are trying to recreate
Jesus into their image. Jesus chose to come - not as a king to be served - but as a
suffering servant who willingly chose poverty. If God chose to identify Himself in this
way, what right does any man have to declare this as wrong and then chose to make God
fit his ideals?
Look at 1 Peter 2:
20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it
patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is
commendable before God.
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an
example, that you should follow His steps:
Word-Faith doctrine teaches that Jesus’ example is luxury, but the passage they pull this
phrase out of tells us to endure suffering as He did. If Word-Faith teaches that our
example is a carefree, self-indulgent, self-centered life and the Bible teaches that Jesus’
example is to endure patiently the suffering of this life knowing that the reward that lies
ahead is incomparable to a moment of suffering, then we have a serious discrepancy. If
you are following the Word-Faith Jesus, then you are not following the Biblical Jesus.
The Word-Faith Jesus has got to have it now; the Biblical Jesus suffered and endured
patiently. He endured the cross for the joy before Him that lay beyond the suffering.
It is important that we understand fully the choice that we are making. If we choose the
Jesus modeled after the world, then we have no reward in heaven. That is a great sacrifice
to make for a temporary life. If the Bible says that the suffering of this life is not worthy
of comparison against the rewards of heaven, then the benefits of this life are not either.
If you are following Jesus’ steps, you must know what steps Jesus took.
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
