Prosperity and the Gospel. - Brian Taylor
In recently reading the classical Systematic Theology by John Brown of Haddington, I ran across the following quote regarding the work of faith in our sanctification: It enables us to improve outward things as means of fellowship with God,–prosperity, for exciting our thankfulness to him, and desire of more full enjoyment of him…. Now I am sure that a prosperity gospel preacher or two could well go to town with a quote like that. Yet, what John Brown is here stating and what a prosperity gospel preacher advocates are two entirely different things. The good Rev. Brown is pointing to our, by faith, viewing our outward prosperity as a means by which to engender thankfulness in our hearts, as well as greater longing for a more full enjoyment of God in our lives. Yet, we cannot escape the fact that John Brown does speak positively of outward prosperity, and for good reason. Outward prosperity, especially of the prosperous type, is a good gift of God that should incite our gratitude toward the Lord. Sadly, I fear that some, who desire to practice faithfulness, have overreacted to the false teaching of the prosperity gospel. They have nearly gone to the opposite extreme by postulating a sort of modernized vow of poverty as the only way to faithfully follow the Lord.
Well, we must resist both extremes and have a more biblical view of the subject of wealth. One important chapter of the Bible that can help us to better appreciate both the gift and danger of wealth in Deuteronomy chapter 8. Specifically, in line with verse 18, we must view prosperity through the lens of the faithful administration of God’s covenant with his people: “You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” In approaching the subject of prosperity in light of chapter 8, with v. 18 helping to shape beliefs, we must observe that the prosperity Moses is speaking of relates to the corporate people of God and notnecessarily to each covenant member. We know this because under the Mosaic administration of the Covenant of Grace, the Lord, through Moses, provides instructions in how to deal with the poor among the people. So, we must recognize that during this present age, the Lord does call some of us to a more impoverished lifestyle (poor in possession, but rich in faith). Yet, we must also recognize that the Lord likewise calls some to a vocation which provides great prosperity. Both are valid callings from the Lord, and both require great care in approaching the subject of wealth.
For those of us lacking in earthly wealth (and I must include myself in this camp), we must condition our hearts to rejoice in the good blessings the Lord has lavished upon others. Our temptation is toward envy and anger over the prosperity of others. Rather, though, we ought to view such blessings, in line with Deuteronomy 8:18, as evidence of the Lord’s faithful administration of his covenant with his people. For it is by such faithfulness that we are ultimately assured that, in the restoration of all things, we will enter into our eternal inheritance, a rich and abundant inheritance. So, let us view the prosperity of others as an indication of what the Lord has in store for all of us and let us therefore be thankful for the Lord’s blessing upon their lives.
For those who are so blessed, you certainly should consider John Brown’s quote and follow his counsel. You should be thankful for your prosperity and desire a more full enjoyment of your God. Or as Moses states in 8:10: “And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.” As the Israelites of old were to bless the Lord for the prosperity they would experience in the Promised Land, so you who have been blessed with great wealth (as well as those of us with lesser earthly goods but possessing earthly goods nonetheless) should bless the Lord for such great provision. What you must be on guard against, though, is allowing your prosperity to puff you up, leading to your forgetting God and thinking that it is by your own strength that you have gained such earthly wealth. You must guard against forgetting the Lord, who has graciously redeemed you through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, by which he provided you with spiritual riches far greater than any earthly wealth a man may amass; namely the spiritual riches of justification, sanctification and glorification. Your participation in such spiritual riches were made possible because, for our sake, Christ became poor. Rather than forgetting your God, you must remember him and that he, not your own strength, has provided you with the wealth you now possess. Be wary of falling to temporary pride and forgetting your God. I say temporary, for, dear believer, as an expression of his parental love for us, the Lord will give us a good spanking in order to humble us and renew our faith and repentance towards him. Better, though, if we heed his instructions now and remember the Lord our God, “for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
The subject of wealth is a tricky one, the treatment of which involves nuance and caution. The Lord does provide such prosperity for individuals, but especially for his church, as his faithful administration of his covenant with his people. Yet, one sweet day, when we enter our eternal inheritance, all the people of God will know the Lord’s great riches, as they experience the delights of his bounty in the enjoyment of his glorious presence. Let us not forget that such a wonderful experience has been made possible because the eternal Son of God, who was rich,became poor for our sake that we might enjoy the riches of his redemptive benefits. Let us bless the Lord.