Reformed preachers—among whom I count myself—are outspokenly critical concerning those preaching the prosperity gospel. But do you know what I’ve heard my Pentecostal friends say when I engage them? Challenging them about the prosperity gospel that plagues our continent? A response I’ve heard more than once has stunned me: at least they live what they preach, but many Reformed pastors don’t; in fact, Reformed pastors unconsciously preach the prosperity gospel, while those in other traditions or churches do it knowingly, with integrity.
There is a serious need for those in Reformed circles to walk their talk.
While it would be all too easy to jump to my, or our, defence, I’ve laboured to know more; to investigate the issue. What were they claiming? Well, asking for an explanation, these friends have told me that however loudly we criticise and condemn the prosperity gospel, we preach it by our lifestyles. And I struggled to dismiss their claim, because the lifestyles of many Reformed preachers has bothered me in recent years. My Pentecostal friends’ have a point.
I’m not sure what we might call this: hypocrisy or some fundamental failure to understand reality. Either way, it’s quite chilling and not a little disturbing. It raises a crucial question for every preacher: is my life consistent with what I preach. Applied to the prosperity gospel: do I preach against it while also preaching it in the way that I live and the comforts I pursue?
There is a serious need for those in Reformed circles to walk their talk. For if actions speak louder than words, our lives might just preach the very gospel we oppose. This is what many preachers in the Pentecostal church have concluded about the Reformed.
Faith Doesn’t Guarantee or Prohibit Wealth, Health
In the Bible, God calls us to a holistic life, one that is both spiritual and physical. The last time I checked my Bible, I didn’t find any texts that explicitly condemn attaining wealth or desiring good health. We only go wrong when these pursuits become the hope of what we believe; when we substitute those blessings for the blessed gospel. Crucially, we can do that both in our preaching and in our living.
The prosperity gospel says believers will only be blessed, never suffering.
Let’s be clear, God does say he’ll bless his people, throughout the Bible. He says they will blessed if they obey him (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Deuteronomy 30:9-10; 6:25; Isaiah 48:18; 1:19; Acts 5:32; Romans 2:13; 1 Samuel 15:22; John 9:31). Only, this isn’t health and wealth preaching. This isn’t the prosperity gospel. It’s the simple reality of God’s gracious, good benevolence towards his people. Yet God calls his people to costly, sacrificial living and self-denial. He exhorts faithfulness. And part of that faith is both giving things up and enduring through hardship and suffering.
Where things get confused is when faith is treated as insurance against loss, sickness, and poverty. That’s the prosperity gospel. It says believers will only be blessed, never suffering or being tested. And the reason this message is so popular is because our hearts are desperately sick and deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). They make our ears itch for gospels about living our best lives now (2 Timothy 4:3). They might also mean we say one thing with our lips but preach another with our lives.
Why Those Who Preach Prosperity Have Integrity
If we’re honest, preachers of the prosperity gospel have some integrity. That is, they strive to live what they preach. Their gospel majors in material blessings so this becomes their goal. On the other hand, many preachers in the Reformed tradition loudly oppose the prosperity gospel, publishing articles and books. Only, are we lacking integrity in this area? Do we preach against it yet work hard to live it?
Are we lacking integrity in this area?
Our idols are evident both in what we proclaim and by what possess or pursue. Therefore the Reformed camp must revisit and rethink its living. Perhaps our failure to do so explains our relatively low impact in combatting the prosperity gospel. Because people struggle to hear our teaching in light of our lifestyles.
We Must Walk the Talk, Live What We Preach
Just as our preaching shouldn’t fixate on material blessings, neither should our lives.
We must faithfully preach texts that encourage our people to work hard at wealth creation and good stewardship of their bodies. So we must exhort them to integrate their spiritual and physical lives. All the while we must keep reminding them that “God who gives us power to get wealth that he may confirm his covenant” (Deuteronomy 8:18). Ultimately our health isn’t in our hands. Nor is making in our power. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:18).
Just as our preaching shouldn’t fixate on material blessings and wealth, neither should our lives. Let us walk the talk. If we condemn the prosperity gospel from our pulpits let’s not pursue it anywhere else.
