Following Judah's Lion

True Riches

There are many heresies being taught today. Some are obvious and attack the deity of the Lord Jesus. Some teach a works salvation while others suggest a universal salvation. One of the most prevalent deceptions is a relatively orthodox theology but in practice they are shallow, carnal, and lukewarm. Activity does not reflect God’s presence nor does wonderful worship music. But I would like to address a certain and vicious heresy which is called the “health and wealth” gospel. This theology advocates that God desires all believers to be rich and healthy.

This “gospel” was spawned by a hedonistic culture in which believers desired to gain wealth and not feel any conviction about it. It is appealing to the flesh and is alluring to the poor and rich alike. It is the love of money all dressed up as Biblical teaching, but nothing could be further from the truth. The immediate hurdle these false teachers must ford is the lack of ecclesiastical history. Most prosperity teachers suggest that this “revelation” has been hidden through the centuries and that Satan has deceived us so we would not gain the wealth it takes to spread the gospel and that provides for us the lifestyle that God has always desired for us.

As we will see one must be Biblically illiterate in order to espouse such nonsense, or allow your fleshly lust to manipulate the Scriptures into conforming to your carnal desires. But let us understand that many western believers who would reject such a theology do exhibit it in practice on some level. We have become blind to our own hedonistic practices and we sometimes soothe our consciences by confronting this health and wealth gospel. It is often easy to camouflage our own compromises by magnifying more grievous compromises by others.

To diminish the sufferings of our Glorious Savior and distill them into some personal financial scheme is an unusual heresy and deserving of public exposure and rebuke. Who would have ever suspected that the church would become so enamored with Babylon that it would construct a theology made in its very image? In effect, that theology has taken the cross and made it into a hedonistic idol and called it God’s will. And because the church at large is so compromised and so captured by the culture it exists in peace with such falsehoods even if that particular church does not believe it.

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It is impossible to be rich and not have the love of money on some level, and many poor people have the love of money as well. How do advertisers create a hunger for their products? They place their products before you in enticing ways. And so does this culture bombard us with money, entertainment, and things. And much of the church has succumbed to the cultural sirens, even creating a theology that is compatible with this fallen culture.

I Tim.6:9-11 - But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Heb.11:25-26 - Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Ja.1:9-10 - Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

Ja.2:5-6 - Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

Ja.5:1-3 - Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Rev.3:16-17 - So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Matt.6:24-33 - No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

I Tim.6:3-11 - If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

II Tim.4:3-4 - For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

These are just a sampling of the New Testament teachings that show us how we should view money. It is a necessity, but it should never be what we seek. And to suggest that when someone donates money to a particular ministry that God will give that person more money is not only preposterous, it is blasphemous.

Imagine the Lamb of God suffering upon that bloody cross. The scene is repulsive and violent and reveals the extent to which God loved and sought us. Watch Him lift up His body by using the nails in His hands and feet and gasp for air. Listen as He asks the Father to forgive His executioners. He bears the pain for all sin, and He suffers the indignity of surrendering His life to the hands of wicked men who He Himself had created. The scene removes our breath and brings forth tears of worship.

But now men have taken this holy altar of sacred redemption and have made it a cash register. It makes the sin of the temple money changers seem like a misdemeanor when compared to this unspeakable spiritual felony!! Let all those who follow the Risen Lamb reject and rebuke such spiritual treachery, and let us commit to a consecrated life that comes out from among them and allows our earthen vessels to be broken so completely that the unmistakable fragrance of God’s Son goes before and after us. All the gold and silver, and all the money in the world cannot be compared to one tiny drop of blood that came from Emmanuel’s veins.

Matt.16:25-26 - For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

I Pet.1:18-19 - Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Halleluiah to the Eternal Lamb of the Living God!!