Blessed to Bless Others

The “prosperity gospel” is one of the great heresies of our time. It claims that God has promised wealth, health and success to His followers. It amounts to “Christian karma” – God rewards us in this life for following Him and withholds His favor if we are disobedient.

This error is not new; it was the basis of the accusations against Job. Job was accused of having unconfessed sin which is why tragedy devastated him (Job 8:6). God rejects the accusation against Job and restores him without Job repenting of any sin (Job 42:7).

Even the disciples thought that riches were a sign of God’s blessing. Jesus corrected them when He encountered the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:23-26). Their religious traditions had taught them material blessings were a reward for righteousness. They were shaken when Jesus said it was difficult for the rich to enter heaven. If it is hard for the rich to enter heaven (those who are being shown the favor of God on earth), how could those not blessed by riches ever hope to enter? “Humanly, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

God does bless some believers financially, but this is not a reward but an opportunity and a test. The opportunity is to be a channel of God’s blessing to those in need. The test is to see if we truly love Him.

God made a covenant with Abraham telling him “I will bless you and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; … and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3). God blessed Abraham with a family. From Abraham’s family came the Hebrew people to whom the blessing of God’s Law was given. Through Abraham’s family came God’ greatest blessing - the Messiah, Jesus.

In the Law we are taught, “You shall generously give to him [the poor], and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing Yehovah your God will bless you” (Deuteronomy 15:10).

Through His grace, God blesses us. He then observes what we do with the resources He gives us. When we use them to bless others and promote the Gospel, He gives us more so we can further help others and promote the Gospel. God never intended for us to selfishly use His blessings.

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to Yehovah, and He will repay him for his deed” (Proverbs 19:17). Similarly Hebrews 13:16 directs us, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Our blessings should also be used to used to promote the Gospel. “God be gracious to us and bless us, …that Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations” (Psalm 67:1-2). The support of the Thessalonian church for Paul’s missionary work is an example of this principle (Philippians 4:15-19).

Bless others through the blessings you have received.

Blessed to Bless Others – Part 2

The “prosperity gospel” claims that God has promised wealth, health and success to those who apply its teachings. This is contrary to what the Bible teaches. God is sovereign and works all things (blessings and trials) for our good (Romans 8:28). In this way, God directs the circumstances of our lives to fulfill His plans and to mold us into the image of our Savior (Romans 8:29).

God does bless some believers financially, but this is not a reward but an opportunity and a test. First, it is an opportunity to help those in need, “let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). Next, our resources should be used to share the Gospel and make disciples (Psalm 67:1-2). By helping others and promoting the Gospel, we fulfill the command to “honor Yehovah with your wealth” (Proverbs 3:9).

Finally, wealth is used as a test to see if we truly love God. A rich young man came to Jesus asking how he could have eternal life. The man stated he had kept God’s commandments but wanted to be sure nothing else was required. Jesus told the man to sell his possessions, give to the poor and follow Him. The man went away sad because he was rich and was not willing to do what Jesus commanded. (Matthew 19:16-26)

What Jesus was doing was showing that the man had failed to keep the first commandment – to have no other god than Yehovah. Jesus exposed that the man had made his wealth his god (Matthew 19: 16-26). “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matthew 6:24).

Jesus asked, “if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?” (Luke 16:11) He taught us to use financial blessing to help others and advance the Gospel so we would “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven … for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Paul warned that the desire for riches had caused some to “wander from the faith and be pierced by many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). “As for the rich in this age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”

“They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

Jesus promised His followers abundance and not prosperity (John 10:10). Jesus gives us physical life filled with meaning, purpose and joy; and eternal life in the presence of God and our Savior, Jesus.