PREACHING A FALSE GOSPEL
By W. G. Guy
Jesus warned us that before He returns there would come many false prophets, preachers and teachers that would bring deception into the church by preaching a false gospel.
Matthew 24:4-5 & 24 – And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. …. 24 For there shall arise false Christs (anointed ones), and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
The false gospel has great appeal to those that hear it causing many to be attracted to those churches that preach it. This false gospel, or fake good news, is the prosperity and success doctrine. What is false about this doctrine is that it focuses attention on material creation and self-enrichment rather than the Creator.
Note that in the three and half years that Jesus proclaimed the gospel He never preached on the prosperity doctrine as many do today. Jesus preached the kingdom of God, and the kind of spiritual life we can have more abundantly.
John 10:10 – The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
However that abundant life was not centered on material wealth and riches, it was centered on the kingdom of God with its love, peace, joy, righteousness and holiness. It was the devil, the thief, that seeks to take from us what God has provided, thus destroying lives, in which the pursuit of riches often accomplishes. In fact, Jesus gave repeated warnings about the pursuit and deceitfulness of riches of the prosperity doctrine.
Matthew 6:24 – 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.
Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God which is centered on love, truth, holiness and righteousness. He gave examples of the kingdom of God in the form of physical healing, deliverance from evil spirits, and calling for repentance, the forgiveness of sin, and walking in love. He even said that the pursuit of riches was a hindrance to spiritual growth and development.
Matthew 13:22 – He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
A wealthy man came to Jesus asking what he needed to do in order to have that abundant eternal life, according to the gospel that Jesus preached.
Matthew 19:16, 21-22 – And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?..... Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Why was he sorrowful, because he did not want to give up his wealth. Jesus then declares to His disciples how that focusing on obtaining and maintaining material wealth keeps a persons’ focus on the things this world, and blinds him from seeing what God offers though Christ and His kingdom.
Matthew 19:23-24 – Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
The apostle Paul also gave multiple warnings of what would come about in churches in the last days. In particular was the false prosperity gospel and how destructive to true faith that it is.
1 Timothy 6:3-10 – 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.
Notice what Paul advices us concerning those that preach this false gospel: ”from such withdraw thyself”. Then he continues:
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.
Jesus had a rebuke for the church that promoted the prosperity doctrine calling for them to repent, because it left Him outside seeking to get in. The reason for the rebuke is that their focus on riches blinded them from seeing the truth of their spiritual condition.
Revelation 3:14-20 – And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 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: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
The Laodicean church appears to be representative of some of the end-time churches of today. Jesus called it “lukewarm”
and its condition so offended Him that it made Him want to vomit: thus He called it to repent of such a carnal condition.
Jesus did preach on true riches, but these are not the worldly kind that appeals so much to the lustful carnal nature of mankind. He described this when telling how a wise carnal person manipulates his way regarding debt and wealth, that He referred to as “mammon“.
Luke 16:9-11 – And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
There is another element to the false gospel that appeals to the carnal ear. That is the doctrine that focuses on “self”, increasing one’s self-esteem and “having your best life now” doctrine that people flock to hear. This doctrine is filling lukewarm churches. This preaching is completely opposite of what Jesus preached. Such a doctrine produces disciples of men and not of Christ.
Luke 9:23-25 – And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
The question is: “What is Jesus’ teaching on the true riches”? It certainly is not about the world’s gold, silver, jewels, or any form of material wealth. The true riches are the very forms of wealth that you take with you when you leave this life behind: it is what you take with you to heaven that constitutes true riches. This is the wealth that is valued in heaven. It isn’t gold, because that merely paves the streets in heaven. The true riches consist of what Jesus said God commands that we all have in abundance – LOVE.
Matthew 22:37-39 – Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
1 John 4:7-8 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Love is the first listed Fruit of the Spirit which is of God’s own character and nature.
Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts…. (for earthly riches).
Having God’s love, along with the rest of the Fruits of the Spirit, is the evidence that we are the sons of God and belong with Him in Heaven. These are the true and eternal riches Jesus spoke about.
Matthew 6:19-20 – Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Please do not succumb to the preaching of the false gospel of the selfish “success and prosperity” doctrine: it focuses on creation rather than the Creator!
