Holiness and the danger of prosperity gospel

Holiness and the danger of prosperity gospel

Posted on June 3, 2008 Updated on June 3, 2008

Sentimental Gospel is the type of gospel that appeals to the audience feelings and emotions. It is the type of gospel that places emphasis on physical, material, financial, and marital prosperity, but absolutely void of convicting the congregation of sin and the need for urgent repentance.

It is the type of gospel being preached by modern day pastors today. As a matter of fact, thousands of pastors have been made millionaires as a result of their focus on this aspect of gospel.

They would preach about healing, prosperity, love, having a positive mindset, casting out demons, deliverance, and so on. They would tell their congregations that God love them no matter what, they would crack jokes and everyone is made to laugh throughout entire church service. Week after week, month after month, year after year: no messages on holiness, nothing is said about God’s impending judgment on sin, no mention of the need for women to dress appropriately, no emphasis on living a life of righteousness and godliness. What a shame!

Dearly beloved, if you attend a church that doesn’t challenge you to live a holy life, then you are in the wrong church. The building might look gigantic with custom made musical instruments and equipment. The pastor might appear very loving and charismatic; the members might look friendly and caring: yet you know that something is missing. You know that the messages haven’t helped you a bit to change your sinful lifestyle. You still live and dine in adultery, sexual immorality, hatred, evil thoughts and deeds, abortions, gossiping and so on.

Yet you feel comfortable in that church because your pastor, bishop, reverend or whatever he is called never mentioned those things. Of course, how can he preach on divorce when he himself is divorce? How can he preach on adultery when he is life is ravaged with lust for other women? You need to think twice if you really want to make it to Heaven on the last day.

I am reminded of the beloved Billy Graham who preached nothing but salvation from sin. His messages cut through the hearts of thousands of people on a global scale and many have been brought to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes, when I watched some of his classic messages I breakdown in tears and have to go on my knees for deeper recommitment to God.

That’s what I am talking about. That’s the kind of pastor and evangelist you want to be affiliated with. But guess what, pastors like that are very, very difficult to find. Churches like his are very difficult to find. Now, what is the danger of sentimental gospel? What is so wrong with preaching sentimental gospel?

Is it wrong to preach about healing, prosperity, love, having a positive mindset, casting out demons, and deliverance? Absolutely not! You see, the preachers of sentimental gospel tend to put the cart before the horse. They strip out the core or the center of God ultimate requirement: Holiness. The Bible explicitly and implicitly says “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

 Think about it and provide reasonable answers to these questions. Will your financial, material, marital, and academic prosperity take you to Heaven? Will you get to Heaven because you are healed or in the healing ministry? Can you get to Heaven because you are a positive thinker? Can you get to Heaven because you are a demon caster? Will you get to Heaven because you are a deliverance minister?

Of course we know that from biblical historical archive all of that will not take anyone near the gate of Heaven. The only guaranteed thing that would take any Christian, Pastor, Reverend, Bishop, Deacons, and so on to Heaven is nothing but Holiness. “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Dearly beloved, you can now see for yourself that sentimental gospel without holiness will prevent you from seeing God here on earth and over there in eternity. That is the danger! It would be very sad on that Day of Judgment, God will look at you in the face and say “depart from me, I never knew you.”

As a preacher, you need to start living right and making holiness the central core of all your messages. You might lose some of your members, but that’s okay. Then you know you are in the center of the will of God. If you attend a church that wouldn’t challenge you to live a holy life, maybe it’s about time to get out and pray for God to show you the right one. Remember, “…without holiness no man shall see the Lord.”

Blessed are your eyes for reading this message. Please, don’t let this message die: read it again and pass it to others. We will meet in Heaven if you do them.

By Evangelist Godwin, USA, “Rejoice Always”

deeperlife@hotmail.com