the thirsty pastor ~ isaiah 55:1-2: November 2007

I know I don't do a lot of ranting on this forum, but those of you who know me fairly well will know that I do my fair amount. In recent years I have been on the watch out for a heresy so wrong, so devestating that if IS "another gospel" like Paul said in Galatians 1. It is radically spreading all over America, but is even stronger and gaining more steam in Africa, China, Central America.It is NOT the gospel of our Lord. It is NOT the gospel of suffering for his name. It is NOT the gospel of grace. It is a gospel of health, wealth, and personal satisfaction. It is ultimately wrong, and not only wrong - it is leading people AWAY from God.

It is the Prosperity Gospel and it is very dangerous.

Romans 1:18ff say:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

You see, the definition of SIN is that we exchange the glory of God (CREATOR) for the worship (CREATION). Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

In other words, riches are a possible HINDRANCE to the kingdom, not a sign of being in it. They do not provide life. God has given us things to enjoy - but NEVER to worship or to IN ANY WAY put before him or , even worse, to say that riches and health are signs of being in God's blessing. What about Job? What about Joseph? What about Paul? What about Jesus?

Romans 5
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Whatever happened to a good theology of suffering for the kingdom?

How did we ever let it be that we are "almost on the same page" as these people who are spreading the WRONG GOSPEL?

Why are we not "contending for the gospel (Jude 1:3) as we should to protect the church from this incredible wrong?

I don't know the answers to these question, but I do know that I have had an ilk and disdain for this theology for a long time.

Let me share with you my former mentor and friend, John Piper, as he states it much more elequantly than I can, but with the same disdain: