Beware of the Prosperity Doctrine

The prosperity doctrine is everywhere. It’s like a spiritual virus floating in the ether. That means that all of us should watch out that we are not infected by this insidious doctrine. Some will say, “Well, I don’t follow those TV evangelists who promote the prosperity doctrine.” That’s a good start. But just examine your prayers. See if they are petitions for material things instead of spiritual things.

God spoke about this false doctrine through the prophets of old. He allowed false teachers to bring in terrible heresies. And one of them is “supposing that gain is godliness,” or the prosperity doctrine.

A good example is found in John 6:26, where Christ tells the people that they are only seeking Him to get material things, things like the earthly bread He provided for them. They did not seek Him because of the spiritual miracles that He had performed. They wanted earthly bread, things for their own earthly life, not spiritual things.

Nothing Has Changed

And so it goes today. The masses have been lured into the prosperity doctrine. This doctrine teaches them to “Get all you can get from God.” Get more money, houses, cars, phones. Get anything in this 3-D material world.

“God wants you to prosper!” the preacher will tell them. All you must do is give to this ministry, and God will pour out a blessing to you one hundredfold! More money than you know what to do with!” This is a perversion of the spiritual law of harvest. The 100-fold that Christ promises in the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 is spiritual increase, not the earthly increase of things in the third dimension.

These purveyors of material prosperity promote God as a genie, who is there to meet all their wants and needs. They do not exalt God who has a plan for those who trust Him.

They will quote III John 2: “I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health…” The false teachers usually stop there and don’t quote the rest of the passage: “… even as your soul prospers.” The apostle John makes it clear in all his writings that it is the spiritual things and not the material things that we should seek. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things [earthly things] shall be added unto you,” Christ said.

These false shepherds promise prosperity and charitable blessings to the flock yet leave them trapped in their sin. While portraying themselves as benefactors, they funnel millions into their own ministries. They preach abundance but fail to lead the sheep to the cross—where true transformation begins, and the old sinful nature is surrendered in exchange for a life led by the Spirit.

Instead of guiding the flock toward God’s eternal purpose, these shepherds appeal to the carnal instincts like self-gratification and material desire. They encourage the sheep to chase worldly gain, rather than walk the narrow path of truth and glory that leads to redemption.

This teaching reflects what Scripture warns against—“perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, who suppose that gain is godliness” (1 Timothy 6:5-6). It promotes the idea that material wealth is evidence of divine favor, suggesting that if you’re prosperous as a Christian, it’s proof that God is actively blessing your life. Furthermore, it claims that by supporting or participating in their ministry, you too will become wealthy because you’re advancing God’s work. Such a doctrine is deeply misleading and spiritually dangerous. We are clearly instructed to turn away from those who preach it. It is not of God—it is a deception born of darkness.

The prosperity doctrine is insidious and evil, for it seems so right, and yet, it ultimately leads to destruction. “There is a way that seems right unto man, but the end thereof is the way of death.”

The followers of Christ need to take heed because “many have been slain by her.”

What are  your beliefs concerning these sheep in wolves clothing and how they operate in the 21^st century? Leave a comment.

[And please forgive me for being “out of touch” lately. I have been dealing with roadblocks in the material world, like building and moving to a new retirement home. No stairs to climb but having trouble finding anything. Hitting a bit of writer’s block for the first time in 28 years. I asked our Savior the other day, “What do you want me to do? Immediately, as fast as a ray of light, this thought crystalized and came back saying, “Tell them who I AM.” I will endeavor to do that.] kwh