We live in a world where people are constantly seeking help for their problems, be it financial or health problems. This has now led people into seeking validation, answers and solutions to these problems in the wrong places. Unfortunately, some people who claim to be Christian leaders have taken advantage of this and started leading people astray for their benefit replacing the true gospel with the Prosperity Gospel. This has been very popular in Africa, but it is also popular in other places such as the United States. They are projected differently in each region but regardless they are similar.
The Prosperity Gospel Defined
So, for those who do not know I will define what the Prosperity Gospel is compared to the true gospel of Christ. So, the Prosperity Gospel is a belief that coming to Jesus Christ will give you solutions to all your financial burdens and your health burdens meaning that if you are a Christian, you are not supposed to be poor, but God has declared riches and abundance for the rest of your life. To get these blessings you are expected to give tithe, offering and service to your church and follow your leader religiously as if he is your god. This is why we see a lot of people in our generation worshipping their pastors more than they worship God.
So, this “gospel” takes a lot of scripture out of context and people who do not study their Bibles can be fooled by what the preachers tell them. In Africa we see a lot of false prophets claiming to be Godlike or even to be the Messiah Himself. Their congregations believe in the miracles that they perform, and they believe that their prophets can miraculously put thousands if not millions into their bank accounts, hence the term "miracle money."
In the West, mainly in America, preachers do not necessarily focus on miracles but rather they focus on the giving of tithe and that giving tithe will make their congregation rich. So, if you are a member of a church that believes this, you are expected to give a certain amount, let us say $100 and the preacher will tell you that if you give that $100 this week God will put a $1000 in your bank account at a given time. Some even dare to claim that giving tithe will heal the congregations of their illnesses.
From both the United Stated and Africa, a lot of people in these churches believe that their problems cannot be solved through other means that God has already provided. Such as getting a job to make money or going to a doctor when you are feeling sick. They genuinely believe that they are meant to be rich without working for their wealth. This can be harmful because if the church members do not become rich, they end up believing that God does not love them or recognise them at all. Usually, this is because they are taught that their faith is not enough.
The Gospel of Christ Defined
The gospel of Christ teaches about salvation from sin. From the beginning, Adam and Eve fell short of God's glory when they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Because of this everyone born after Adam and Eve was born in sin. Now because all of us have a sinful nature we needed a Saviour who could cleanse us from this sinful nature and save us from the wages of sin which is death.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, - Romans 3:23 NKJV
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23 NKJV
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16 NKJV
If you read throughout the Gospels, that is Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Jesus was emphasising the importance of salvation. He was teaching about the moral law that we have all broken (Matthew 5, John 1–3). Jesus did not come to earth to make us rich.
You can be rich and be a genuine Christian, and you can be poor and be a genuine Christian, because being a Christian is not about your bank account. It is about salvation, the recognition of your sins, and the need of a Saviour, who is Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Your worth in Christ is not defined by how much you give to the church or how rich you are or how healthy you are. God does not care about anything that you could offer Him. He cares about whether you want salvation, or you do not, and it is a gift that no one is forced to receive but some will deny it, and some will accept it. Which person shall you be? My number one advice would be that you study the Bible as Joshua 1:8 states and read it every day and night so that all may be well with you. And so that you may not be deceived and led astray by false teachers who are only looking to make their money and fame increase.
