What Is Gain?

My question today is this: Is financial and earthly abundance, in the lives of those who profess faith in Christ, an indication of faith and righteousness? Due to the fact that widespread teaching and belief among God’s people that the answer to this question is ‘yes,’ I feel to address the issue in short order. First of all, in very short order, the answer is absolutely and unequivocally, NO! To attempt to assess the spiritual state of anyone by ANY earthly means is totally unwise and presumptuous in the sight of God. The only way the spiritual condition of anyone is truly evaluated [by God], is by the moral quality of their life, the degree of divine love that they possess and show forth, and how much humility is in them (Mic. 6:8). Actually there is more evidence in the scriptures to suggest that the presence of worldly abundance in one’s life is evidence of unrighteousness rather than righteousness (Psm. 73:3,11,12; Job 21:7-15; Jer. 5:28; Jer. 12:1,2; Psm. 49:16-20; Jas. 5:1-5; Ezek. 16:49, etc.). In reality, riches do not denote faith and righteousness any more than poverty signifies unrighteousness. For that matter, poverty does not indicate righteousness, nor does abundance of means necessarily reveal unrighteousness in someone’s life. Again, it is all about where someone is in their heart with God. It would be wise to note however the words of Jesus, who said “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Lk. 12:34). The popular ‘prosperity’ doctrine that we see today is no new trick of the devil. The book of Job shows very clearly that Job’s erroneous persecutors were heavily steeped in this school of thought (Job 8:6,7; ch. 15:29; ch. 22:23-25; etc.). They believed wrongly, like so many are being told to believe today; that good things happen to the righteous, and bad things happen to the unrighteous. These would be wise to heed the wisdom of Solomon, who said that sometimes things go exactly opposite of that (Eccl. 8:14). One outstanding example of this reality is Lazarus, from the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, told by Jesus in Luke 16; where the man with nothing on earth was saved after death, and the man of means on the earth was lost after death; both being of the household of God.

Another prime example of this would be the leader of the assembly in Smyrna to whom Jesus sent His message by the hand of John, saying to this man “I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich…)” (Rev. 2:9). Shortly thereafter Jesus sent to the messenger of Laodicea, informing him that he was “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” though his earthly state was “rich, and increased with goods, and [in] need of nothing” (Rev. 3:17). But even more specifically to the point, the apostle Paul addressed this erroneous school of thought in one of the most powerful and vastly overlooked passages of scripture in the Bible; where he informed us that those who teach that “gain is godliness are perverse, corrupt, and destitute of the truth” (I Tim. 6:5). Again it would be very wise to note that he admonished us in the same verse to withdraw from such. He also went on to give us the true definition of divine prosperity, saying that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (I Tim. 6:6). Contentment with what? You might ask. “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (I Tim. 6:8). To these words agreed Jesus in Mat. 6:25-33 where He commanded us to put priority on the things which pertain to the kingdom of God, and all that we need on earth will be added unto us. It is also very interesting how that He mentioned only food and raiment as being “all these things.” The so called ministers of the Gospel who teach this indulgent prosperity doctrine have perverted the words of the living God, howbeit in the guise of promoting the work of the Lord, which also is no new thing (Hos. 4:18; Mat. 15:5). Philippians 4:19 tells us, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Through subtlety and cunning craftiness they have caused God’s people to believe that the scripture actually states, “My God shall supply all your WANTONNESS according to YOUR riches and glory in Christ Jesus.” What they should be teaching is the admonition of Hebrews 13:5, which says, “Let your conversation [lifestyle] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have.” My friend, it is high time for us to “Prove all things; [and] hold fast that which is good” (I Thess. 5:21). Amen.