PEDDLING WITH THE WORD OF GOD
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans : Handeldryf met die Woord van God
Translator: Lynda Botha
I have written about this topic in the past, but after reading something, I feel like sharing more with you in this regard.
Certain preachers sometimes use the Word of God to show that we, as Christians, must always prosper, for example in physical wellbeing, financial wealth and have everything in abundance if our life with our Lord is faithful. In my view, it is not entirely true. In other words, it's actually an evil lie.
For example, I do not know of a single apostle with whom it always went prosperous. Jesus said about Himself the following:
MAT 8:19 "Then one of the teachers of religious law said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow you, wherever you go."
MAT 9:20 “But Jesus replied: “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”Don’t sound to me like the prosperity preachers talks of abundance with lots of money.
Paul writes on occasion:
2COR 4:8-9
“We are pressed on every side by troubles,
but we are not crushed.
We are perplexed,
but not driven to despair.”
“We are hunted down,
but never abandoned by God.
We get knocked down,
but we are not destroyed.”
This also doesn’t sound to me, like the prosperity preachers talks, of abundance with lots of money life.
Now, I am not saying that Jesus' followers must or need to always have scarcity – Not at all.
What I do say is that, in my opinion, prosperity in the Word of God does not guarantee finances or any such related matters – and therefore, like Paul, I have a problem with people who are trading with the Word of God, to get money for themselves or for anyone else.
For example: "If you want our Lord to bless you in your finances, you must first give in return."
You cannot bribe our Lord with things which in anyway belongs to Him. For me, teachings like these are to trade or peddle with the Word of God to make money.
2COR 2:17 “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.”
Then what is the meaning of prosperity in God’s Word?
PSA 35:27 But give great joy to those who came to my defense. Let them continually say, “Great is the Lord, who delights in blessing his servant with peace!”
The New King James Version translates it as:
PSA 35:27 “Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor My righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
David also wrote in another place:
PSA 23:5 “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies; You honor me by anointing my head with oil; My cup overflows with blessings.”
Just after David chanted this out: “My cup overflows with blessings” he tells us what he experienced with his cup that overflowed:
PSA 23:6 “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”
The Amplified reads as follows:
PSA 23:6 Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord (and His presence) shall be my dwelling place.
You see, I have to get to that place in my relationship with Jesus where my cup overflows, not from money or wealth. Although it could be a blessing given by His mercy, but my cup must overflow with His goodness, favor, peace, joy, victory and love that when I meet people it can overflow to them.
Jesus says:
JOH 10:10 “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
We must never confuse Jesus' prosperity with that of mammon or any other worldly pleasure.
Jesus says in this regard:
LUK 12:15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
The New King James version translate it as follows:
LUK 12:15 “And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
So, if you ever again listen to someone who preaches money or prosperity, listen carefully if he/she isn’t preaching for himself or someone else which can be construed as peddling for money.
Or put it differently, whether he doesn’t sell the Word for money or any other worldly thing. Because you and I shouldn’t have anything to do with such a practice.
2COR 2:17 “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.”
Greetings,
Sakkie