One Way The Prosperity Gospel is Dangerous

Today in our series on Tough Questions we asked “Is the prosperity gospel dangerous?”

Here is one way that it is dangerous: it messes up our view of pain and suffering.

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If you are not familiar with the prosperity “gospel” turn on your television and watch TBN for about 15 minutes.  There you will be exposed to the damnable teaching that what the gospel is really about is securing our health, wealth, and happiness and our best life now.  Consider these words of Kenneth Copeland concerning Paul’s thorn in the flesh:

Paul's thorn in the flesh is a tradition that Satan has used to deceive and rob many people. Using it as an excuse, tradition says that God gets glory from sickness because the world sees how marvelously the Christian bears pain and agony. Tradition never adds up to the right answer - anyone knows that the world has all the pain and agony it can stand. The world wants a way out of sickness, not another way into it.

The typical mantra of these shiny watch-wearing, jet-flying, shysters is that God is in the business of blessing people.  If you want to see someone who is living in the favor of God you will not find it in a poor widow, a sickly orphan, or in a downcast soul.  You will find it in a first-class flyin’ preacher that spends his time helpin’ poor folk get their blessings by sowing their seed into his tailor-made suit pocket. 

Because of this belief Paul’s teaching on the thorn in the flesh is completely reversed.  Rather than Paul saying that he is glorying in an unremoved thorn and that the Lord’s grace is sufficient in the midst of hardship these prosperity teachers do a ton of gymnastics to get around what the text clearly says. 

Paul’s thorn

According to Copeland the thorn is an “evil angel”.  This isn’t any of God’s doing it’s all of the devil.  Pain, suffering, sickness, all of those things must not have anything to do with the work of God.  And according to Copeland “this evil angel was assigned to Paul for one reason—to stop the Word from being preached”.  Forget that Paul said it was “given me in the flesh” for the purpose of “keeping me from being too elated”. 

You see within the framework of the prosperity gospel God is not glorified in  our weakness.  God is glorified in our strength.  Or to put that another way the way that God receives glory is when my past is conquered and I live in victory.  If I am not living my best life now then I’m not giving God the glory that He deserves. 

Copeland even has the gall to say that Paul erred in pleading with God to take away the thorn.  As he says, “If you want results, do not ask God to deal with the devil for you…He instructs you to drive out the demons or evil spirits.”  Had Paul not pleaded with the Lord to remove it then he would have gotten the results that he desired. 

While you have a thorn in your flesh you aren’t able to glorify God as you ought because you are living in the devils defeat and not the Lord’s victory.  Therefore, you believe on what you want.  You unleash your faith on removing this thorn and you believe God for it.  You let go of it and you start believing God for victory. 

But what happens when “victory” doesn’t come?…

The Effect on Pain

The problem with this false teaching is that it tries to wipe away ever tear from our eye before we are living in the Redeemed Eden.  That sounds nice and some of these false teachers may very well have good intentions and believe every word of the garbage spewing out of their mouth.  Problem is, they sound more like Job’s miserable counselors than the counsel of the Lord.

What they are subtly communicating—and sadly I think many within the church have bought into this—is that God cannot use me until I have this thorn conquered.  I am a little less than acceptable until I get a grip on this depression.  Certainly people will rally around me and help me remove this thorn—that’s what Job’s friends did.  But what if this thorn is never going to be removed?  Am I supposed to hide this part of me?  Should I shoe my thorn?  Dare I walk with a limp? 

You see I’m becoming increasingly convinced that faith doesn’t look like a man living in success and victory in the Christian life, where everyday is better than the next.  I’m convinced that a better picture of faith is when a man is almost totally overcome by doubt, fear, anxiety but he still keeps a white-knuckled grip on the promise of future redemption.  I’m convinced that a better disciple is one who fixates his eyes on “things that are above” instead of trying to live his best life now. 

Of course we all want mountain moving faith but the faith as tiny as a mustard seed is just as miraculous.  So, why don’t we rejoice in feeble faith? Why don’t we celebrate those souls that are shamed and yet trusting, like Jesus does?  Can we celebrate a wound that isn’t yet healed?  Why do we have to wait for victory?  Why can we not dance with a limp? 

Maybe because we’ve bought into the lie that people with thorns are a little less than what it means to be a disciple.  And maybe we’ve made thorn removal the goal instead of dancing in grace. 

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Originally posted here.

What I’ve Learned From Prosperity Teachers

I’ve shared before my experience with prosperity “gospel” teaching. Early on in my Christian life I swallowed it whole. I woke up with TBN on in my house and I went to bed with folks like Benny Hinn preaching to me. I drank the Kool-aid they stirred. I smoked everything they rolled up for me.

Not all of it was killing my soul.

Consider these recent tweets by Joel Osteen. Statements of this sort pepper the speech of TBN throughout each day:

What I learned from prosperity teachers is that God is a really big God that can do anything…so long as we _______.

Such a belief of course is necessary to prosperity teaching. God must be big in order for prosperity teaching to work. Believing that He can turn my $20 seed of faith into a down-payment for a house requires a God that is able to do anything. It requires a God that is able to “call into existence the things that do not exist”.

The second half of that statement is equally important. God is a really big God that can do anything—but in order to get Him to act it requires our faith or our words. Yeah, God can turn twenty bucks into 2,000. But He will only do that if we put that twenty into the pocket of our favorite prosperity teachers tailor made suit coat.

Eventually I dropped the second half of that statement. That is the part that is untrue. The first part, however, that God is really big and can do anything is absolutely true. It was through prosperity teaching that I learned that God was big and can do anything.

What do we learn from this?

Some might take this and say, “see prosperity teachers aren’t all bad! We ought to thank God for them.” I partially agree. I agree that in as much as they do faithfully proclaim Christ I’m grateful that the gospel is preached. I also don’t believe they are all bad. Some of them have really nice hair, probably love their mothers, can teach really well, might even be good leaders, and stand for many biblical principles.

Yet, I still believe they are deadly. Satan parades around as an angel of light and so do many of these false teachers. Rather than thanking them for preaching a half truth I believe the lesson here is that we ought to thank God for being powerful enough to shine the light of Christ through substantial error. His Spirit is powerful enough to bring us through even the most shoddy of teaching.

That’s comforting for teachers too. I want to be as faithful as I possibly can in presenting the gospel. But I also know that the tongue is a fire and I’m not totally redeemed in either my theology or my heart. I agree with Craig Blomberg, “sooner or later every teacher will do damage.” That’s heart wrenching. But it’s also good to know that the Lord leads people through our errors. God can speak through donkeys, and that means He can probably speak through me.

It is also encouraging to know that God can use everything—even a season sitting under rotten teaching for His glory and our good. I’m glad that the false god of the prosperity teachers is subservient to Almighty God that can use anything to serve His sovereign purpose.

May we press on in being faithful teachers and thank God that He is more than able to bring us into full maturity.

5 Reasons “I Declare” @JoelOsteen Deadly

Earlier today I looked at Joel Osteen’s new book “I Declare”.  I closed by saying that I would give at least 5 reasons why Osteen’s teaching isn’t just smiley ignorance but is damnable serpent talk.  That might seem strong.  Other might wonder why I’m even bothering with an article like this.  I hope you see why by the end of the article. 

1. It tarnishes an actually good practice.  This is actually the main reason that I decided to tackle this particular Osteen book.  I speak frequently about the benefit of preaching the gospel to ourselves.  Though it’s as different as night and day Osteen’s practice could easily be confused with preaching the gospel to yourself.  I don’t want people to read Osteen’s book and think, “oh, this is what Pastor Mike is talking about”.  No, it’s not.  I’m talking about preaching the bloody-Cross gospel and not the smiley-prosperity non-gospel. 
2. It leads to a wrong focus.  Go here.  Look at all of the declarations.  Now match that up with biblical ambitions.  Jesus said, “you’ll know them by their fruits”.  It looks to me that for the most part the fruit of “I Declare” is turning God into a big magical genie that grants our wish in 5 years time.  I’ve yet to determine what would be worse, if these people actually get their wish or if their hopes are dashed.  Either way I hope that each of them are thrown to the merciful feet of the Savior. 
3. It kills missions and feeds American consumerism instead of crucifying it.  Jesus talked about the dangers of barn building.  Looking at all of the “I declares” it seems to me that these people will have really nice barns but very little eternal treasure.  The big “dreams” in the Scriptures dealt with extending the glory of God to the ends of the earth and often through suffering saints.  It had little to do with spreading American prosperity and extending our feeble man-centered individualistic dreams.
4. It’s idolatry.  The idolatry is so vast in this that it’s hard to really pinpoint the idol.  Honestly, I think the “idol” might be a jacked up view of faith and the bowing down is to a Santa Claus Jesus.  Just think about what the “glory” goes to in the midst of success.  Joel’s principles?  My faith?  These declarations?  It’s disgusting and robs the Lord of His glory. 
5. It mocks the suffering.  Awhile back Joel Osteen tweeted, “Your life will always follow your thoughts. If you always think positive, you'll be positive”.  Jared Wilson aptly responded “So suck it up, AIDS orphans”.  Jared’s tongue in cheek exposes the problem with Osteen’s serpent philosophy.  This junk doesn’t work in a land ravaged by AIDS and filled with orphans.  In fact it mocks them.  If only they would put these declarations in place then they could have American prosperity.

I know that Joel Osteen can make you feel really good about yourself.  He seems like such a nice and innocent guy.  But he’s not.  He’s an idolater and a false teacher.  I’ll close with a response that I offered to someone accusing me of throwing stones at prosperity teachers. 

…my intention is not to throw stones for the sake of throwing stones. But to throw stones at a wolf that is trying to convince the sheep to drink poison.

I Declare… “This is Whack”

One of my favorite moments from the Office is when a flat broke Michael Scott learns about the option of declaring bankruptcy.  If he only declares bankruptcy then all of his bills are gone.  So he does just that:

We laugh at this because it is ludicrous to think that just because we declare something that it will somehow be spoken into existence.  I love when Michael says, “I didn’t say it, I declared it”.  It’s silly to think that you can declare something and it will inevitably happen.  Right?

According to Joel Osteen, Michael Scott is on to something.  His latest book “I Declare” is a collection of the most powerful blessings in Scriptures.  According to Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”.  Osteen wants people to speak blessings into their future rather than curses.  If you want to know who you’ll be in five years just look at the words you say about yourself today.  If you buy this book you can “take charge of your future”.  For 31 days you can declare what God says about you instead of those negative words.  Your world will be changed.

Where He Is Right

What Osteen is really encouraging people to do is to preach to themselves.  And there really is value in preaching to ourselves (provided the content is correct).  Furthermore, we really ought to be certain that our identity is founded upon God’s view of us rather than a fallen view of ourselves.  The words we say really do matter.  They don’t have the same amount of power that Osteen wants them to have—but the Bible is clear that the tongue is a powerful instrument for good and for evil.  He gets that much correct.  But then…

He Totally Shanks It

While there is benefit in proclaiming the gospel to yourself and there is a benefit in seeing yourself the way that God does, Osteen’s muddy non-gospel taints every single one of these declarations.  His theology has no room for a blood-soaked Cross or disciples following the dangerous path of the Suffering Servant.  Woodbridge and Jones summarize Osteen’s “non-gospel” well when they state:

Osteen’s gospel, then, is that Jesus died in order to save man from a less than ideal life.  Absent from his preaching is a well-defined concept of original sin, as well as a biblical explanation of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Of course, within prosperity theology these omissions make sense, for negative thoughts impact your ability to gain God’s favor; thus, sin and the cross are omitted.  (Health, Wealth & Happiness, 77)

Consider Osteen’s version of preaching the prosperity gospel to yourself.  Here he encourages us to wake up and proclaim these words to ourselves:

“Good morning, you beautiful thing.  Good morning, you handsome thing.  Good morning, you blessed, prosperous, successful, strong, talented, creative, confident, secure, disciplined, focused, highly favored child of the Most High God.”  (emphasis mine)

Now let’s see how that gels with the Apostle Paul who declared himself to be the chief of sinners:

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
(Ephesians 1:16-23 ESV, emphasis mine)

See the difference?  Osteen has us looking within ourselves and calling ourselves amazing.  Paul (and I could have pulled in a host of other verses) has us looking outward.  Looks within always are met with declarations similar to “I’m the chief of sinners” but quickly followed by a “BUT, in Christ…”  And it’s not declarations of “since I’m in Christ I’m now promised prosperity”.  No it’s quite often “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…” 

The last time I checked the only One with the power to speak things into existence is the Almighty.  Our faith in Him doesn’t somehow give us the power to then look outside of Him and “change our futures”.  No, our faith calls us to look solely to Him and to trust the work of His hands, not conjure up a world of our own making. 

Why This Matters

Inevitably somebody will respond that I am being too harsh on Joel.  After all isn’t he a nice chap that is just trying to help people?  It’s not like he’s telling people to go out and throw kittens in wood-chippers.  He’s simply telling people to think more positively about themselves and consider themselves the way that God does.  What is so wrong about that? 

Quite a bit, actually.

Later today I’ll give you at least 5 reasons why this teaching of Joel Osteen isn’t just smiley ignorance but it’s damnable serpent talk. 

Review of Health, Wealth & Happiness by Jones & Woodbridge

I have really poor eyesight.

Not able to see the big giant “E” type of horrible eyesight.

Not even knowing that there are letters I’m supposed to see type of horrible eyesight. 

Nevertheless, I was planning on driving 45 miles without my contacts.  I wanted God to know I was serious about having my eyes healed.  It wasn’t really bugging me that I couldn’t see but my homeboy Benny Hinn was telling me that I needed to whole and complete and not have any sickness.  I felt fine, but these dastardly eyes were a problem. 

So I did what he told me to do. 

With trembling hands I touched the television.  I could feel the electricity coming forth from his hands.  It was amazing.  I prayed with him.  Yes, he knew what I was going through, I could feel it.  You want my money Benny?  I’ll give it.  Just let me see, Benny!  And then when he encouraged me to plant my seeds of faith I knew what I was supposed to do.  Go to sleep and then drive to school the next morning without my contacts in.

Thankfully for myself and the other drives on the road (or probably those walking on the sidewalk and the cows in the nearby field) I lost the faith.  I let Benny down.  I let myself down.  I knew that God could heal me but I just couldn’t conjure up the faith.  Same thing with some of the other things too.  People in my life that needed a good savin’.  Addictions that people needed broken from.  Financial problems that needed solvin’.  Unfortunately, I lacked the faith to get it done. 

I’m not sure when the turning point happened in my life.  Honestly, (and I don’t mean this snarky) I think it was when I began really reading Scripture and rubbing shoulders with broken people.  I also had a professor in college that graciously pointed out the errors of the prosperity gospel way of thinking.  Eventually (and thankfully somewhat quickly) I was rescued from its clutches and the gospel really began taking root. 

Sadly, many still buy into the false beliefs of the prosperity gospel.  46% of self-identifying Christians believe God will make them rich if they have enough faith.  That is a number that David W. Jones and Russell S. Woodbridge would like to see plummet.  That is why they have written Health, Wealth & Happiness. 

The book itself is only a little over 160 pages and six chapters long.  In the first part of the book the authors critique the prosperity gospel.  They look at the foundations of prosperity teaching and help the reader to understand that it has more in common with New Thought and Hinduism than it does with biblical Christianity. 

They also look at specific teachings and errors in the prosperity gospel.  They quote the sources themselves and often do so with painstaking accuracy and context.  Having come out of a season of devouring this stuff every night I truly believe that those within the movement would say, “Yes, this is what we believe”.  Jones and Woodbridge are not prone to caricature but they are rigorous in applying the Scriptures to the teachings of the prosperity “gospel”. 

At the end of the day they come to the conclusion that it really is no gospel at all.  “Simply put, if the prosperity gospel is correct, grace becomes obsolete, God becomes irrelevant, and “man is the measure of all things” (102).  It really turns the biblical gospel on its head.  Though prosperity teachers may seem sincere and even genuinely want to help people at the end of the day, “their message achieves just the opposite, for they do not proclaim the Christ of the Bible” (163). 

In the second part of the book Jones and Woodbridge correct the prosperity teachings.  They outline a biblical theology of suffering, wealth and poverty, and giving.  It’s clear through each chapter that these men have done their research on both the teachings of prosperity teachers and a thorough biblical understanding of the areas that the prosperity teachers are not faithful. 

My Take:

Even those that are familiar with the prosperity gospel, like myself, will be surprised to see some of it’s similarities to obviously non-Christian teachings.  Furthermore, I was shocked at the audacity of some of these teachers.  As a new Christian I swallowed this stuff because they were charismatic, spoke with authority and conviction, and I simply did not have a firm biblical foundation by which to analyze their teachings.  

I am thankful for the work of Woodbridge and Jones.  They admirably critique the movement (even sharing why it is at times appealing) and they set up a thorough and succinct biblical theology in its place. 

Should You Buy It?

I recommend it.  I do so because somebody (if not many people) in your church have swallowed this teaching.  This book will help you share the biblical gospel with them.  I am not saying that they are not saved but their growth will be ridiculously hindered. 

I pray that the Lord uses this book to rescue many from the teachings of the prosperity gospel.  Get this book, read this book, and spread this book.  It’s a much needed message. 

You can buy it here. 

Are You Prone to the Prosperity “Gospel”?

David W. Jones and Russell S. Woodbridge have served the church well by writing Health, Wealth & Happiness.  It is probably no secret to my readers and those within my church community that I absolutely abhor the prosperity “gospel”.  It’s not just some little error to be trifled with, it’s dangerous heresy that breaks people and churches.  I was even more convinced of this after reading the work of Jones and Woodbridge. 

One of the most helpful things in their book is in the conclusion they give five questions to diagnose our openness to the prosperity gospel:

1. Why does God exist and what does He control in the world?  Does God exist to serve us and grant our wishes?  Or is He about His purposes in the world?  Do I control my own future?  Or does God direct my steps?
2. What is the purpose of suffering and how do I react when I suffer?  Do you see suffering as your failure to utilize divinely designed means of blessing?  Or do you see suffering as the good purpose of God?
3. What do I deserve in life?  Do you believe you are entitled to a good life, good health, and overall success?  Or do you see that everything beyond condemnation is grace? 
4. Why did God save me?  Does He need you on His team?  Did He save you to fulfill your dreams and longings?  Or did God save you so that you might enjoy Him and extend His glory? 
5. Why do I give to God?  Do you give to get something?  Do you give out of guilt?  Or do you give out of love? 

I plan on reviewing this book tomorrow.  I can tell you today though that when I review it I am going to encourage you to buy it.  So, you can go ahead and purchase it today. 

The Effect of the Prosperity “Gospel” On Pain*

If you are not familiar with the prosperity “gospel” turn on your television and watch TBN for about 15 minutes.  There you will be exposed to the damnable teaching that what the gospel is really about is securing our health, wealth, and happiness and our best life now.  Consider these words of Kenneth Copeland concerning Paul’s thorn in the flesh:

Paul's thorn in the flesh is a tradition that Satan has used to deceive and rob many people. Using it as an excuse, tradition says that God gets glory from sickness because the world sees how marvelously the Christian bears pain and agony. Tradition never adds up to the right answer - anyone knows that the world has all the pain and agony it can stand. The world wants a way out of sickness, not another way into it.

The typical mantra of these shiny watch-wearing, jet-flying, shysters is that God is in the business of blessing people.  If you want to see someone who is living in the favor of God you will not find it in a poor widow, a sickly orphan, or in a downcast soul.  You will find it in a first-class flyin’ preacher that spends his time helpin’ poor folk get their blessings by sowing their seed into his tailor-made suit pocket. 

Because of this belief Paul’s teaching on the thorn in the flesh is completely reversed.  Rather than Paul saying that he is glorying in an unremoved thorn and that the Lord’s grace is sufficient in the midst of hardship these prosperity teachers do a ton of gymnastics to get around what the text clearly says. 

Paul’s thorn

According to Copeland the thorn is an “evil angel”.  This isn’t any of God’s doing it’s all of the devil.  Pain, suffering, sickness, all of those things must not have anything to do with the work of God.  And according to Copeland “this evil angel was assigned to Paul for one reason—to stop the Word from being preached”.  Forget that Paul said it was “given me in the flesh” for the purpose of “keeping me from being too elated”. 

You see within the framework of the prosperity gospel God is not glorified in  our weakness.  God is glorified in our strength.  Or to put that another way the way that God receives glory is when my past is conquered and I live in victory.  If I am not living my best life now then I’m not giving God the glory that He deserves. 

Copeland even has the gall to say that Paul erred in pleading with God to take away the thorn.  As he says, “If you want results, do not ask God to deal with the devil for you…He instructs you to drive out the demons or evil spirits.”  Had Paul not pleaded with the Lord to remove it then he would have gotten the results that he desired. 

While you have a thorn in your flesh you aren’t able to glorify God as you ought because you are living in the devils defeat and not the Lord’s victory.  Therefore, you believe on what you want.  You unleash your faith on removing this thorn and you believe God for it.  You let go of it and you start believing God for victory. 

But what happens when “victory” doesn’t come?…

The Effect on Pain

The problem with this false teaching is that it tries to wipe away ever tear from our eye before we are living in the Redeemed Eden.  That sounds nice and some of these false teachers may very well have good intentions and believe every word of the garbage spewing out of their mouth.  Problem is, they sound more like Job’s miserable counselors than the counsel of the Lord.

What they are subtly communicating—and sadly I think many within the church have bought into this—is that God cannot use me until I have this thorn conquered.  I am a little less than acceptable until I get a grip on this depression.  Certainly people will rally around me and help me remove this thorn—that’s what Job’s friends did.  But what if this thorn is never going to be removed?  Am I supposed to hide this part of me?  Should I shoe my thorn?  Dare I walk with a limp? 

You see I’m becoming increasingly convinced that faith doesn’t look like a man living in success and victory in the Christian life, where everyday is better than the next.  I’m convinced that a better picture of faith is when a man is almost totally overcome by doubt, fear, anxiety but he still keeps a white-knuckled grip on the promise of future redemption.  I’m convinced that a better disciple is one who fixates his eyes on “things that are above” instead of trying to live his best life now. 

Of course we all want mountain moving faith but the faith as tiny as a mustard seed is just as miraculous.  So, why don’t we rejoice in feeble faith? Why don’t we celebrate those souls that are shamed and yet trusting, like Jesus does?  Can we celebrate a wound that isn’t yet healed?  Why do we have to wait for victory?  Why can we not dance with a limp? 

Maybe because we’ve bought into the lie that people with thorns are a little less than what it means to be a disciple.  And maybe we’ve made thorn removal the goal instead of dancing in grace. 

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*This is actually part three in my series on thorn removal but I changed the title to make it more accessible. 

From the Pen of Newton: The Danger of a Prosperity “Gospel”

Watch this:

Now read this:

…I believe there may be a real exercise of faith and growth in grace, when our sensible feelings are faint and low.  A soul may be in as thriving a state when thirsting, seeking, and mourning after the Lord, as when actually rejoicing in him; as much in earnest when fighting in the valley, as when singing upon the mount: nay, dark seasons afford the surest and strongest manifestations of the power of faith.

To hold fast the word of promise, to maintain a hatred of sin, to go on steadfastly in the path of duty, in defiance both of the frowns and the smiles of the world, when we have but little comfort, is a more certain evidence of grace, than a thousand things which we may do or forbear when our spirits are warm and lively. 

I have seen many who have been, upon the whole, but uneven walkers, though at times they have seemed to enjoy, at least have talked of, great comforts.  I have seen others, for the most part, complain of much darkness and coldness, who have been remarkably humble, tender, and exemplary in their spirit and conduct.  Surely, were I to choose my lot, it should be with the latter.   -John Newton

My Point:

Everything Joel Osteen says above may actually be medically true.  It is true that we probably would be healthier if we would lighten up a little.  Laughter really is good medicine.  So, medically speaking he is probably not wrong.  There is even one sense in which what Osteen says is actually quite helpful.  Sometimes what really needs to happen with a depressed, anxious, insomniatic person is that they do need to chill out and smile. 

But at the end of the day Osteen’s preaching is meant to give you your best life now.  God’s aim is much deeper.  Those that buy into Osteen’s “gospel” inevitably undercut one of the greatest graces that the Lord gives us to bring about holiness; namely, suffering. 

The apostle Paul says in Romans 5:3-5, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame…” 

Who sounds more like the Scriptures?  Newton or Osteen?  Osteen is essentially saying above “hate your sufferings, run from your sufferings, laugh off your sufferings, whatever it takes keep yourself from pain.  Pain is the great enemy of God.”  Whereas Newton, is saying, “look to Christ in the midst of your sufferings, cling to grace when comfort seems to be nowhere to be found, whatever it takes throw yourself on the mercy of Christ.  Sin is the great enemy of God.”  Newton, rightly sees God working in the midst of suffering to root out of our hearts sin and unbelief. 

Most of Osteen’s stuff can fall under this rebuke.  I’ve heard many people swallow this stuff, confess that it may not be fully the gospel, and then ask, “what harm does it do”.  It seems like good advice.  If feels really good.  It matches well with our distorted view of God—that he’s around primarily for us and to make us happy. 

The problem is Osteen and all such prosperity theology actually undercuts the hope that it means to give.  It offers those suffering a best life now in a world of rape, starvation, greed, murder, slander, and all manner of God-belittling sin.  The gospel—as Newton faithfully preached—tells us that this is not our best life now and that God is in the midst of rooting out of our world all sin and unbelief (including our own).  There will be a blessed day when laughter reigns instead of depression.  But that’s accomplished through the triumphant Christ and not through making yourself laugh at the television.  In the midst of a broken world we ache—we don’t smile our way through life pretending like this is what redemption looks like. 

And that’s why the prosperity gospel is garbage.  Saying Osteen is harmless is like letting your children have a prostitute for a babysitter because she’s pretty, has a nice smile, and smells real nice. 

I’d also recommend this from John Piper:

Burroughs--Contentment Does Come From Addition

Last time we looked at Burroughs he helped us see that contentment comes not so much by way of addition but by the way of subtraction. This time Burroughs will teach us quite the opposite. "A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by getting rid of the burden that is on him, as by adding another burden to himself." This, of course, makes no sense to the worldly mind. Yet Burroughs continues, "the heavier the burden of your sin is to your heart, the lighter will the burden of your affliction be to your heart, and so you shall come to be content". Burroughs then continues to give several examples of how this seemingly ludicrous statement is actually the way to contentment.

It appears that what Burroughs is attempting to drive deep into our hearts is the notion that our sin before a holy God is so vile and treacherous that any ill situation is fitting. Contentment, it would appear, comes from realizing that every blessing is far better than we deserve. With a mind framed like this a man will quickly become contented. When we realize that we should have been cast into hell a thousand yesterdays ago we quickly feel our blessed estate. Burroughs challenges us to look at our broken estate and come away with a broken heart towards God as well.

This will sound like strange counsel to our 21st century ears. We are told quite the opposite. The prosperity gospel would have none of this teaching. If I am experiencing a trial then it can be directly linked to my lack of faith, says the prosperity teacher. If I would but believe harder and give more then God will pull me out of this mire due to my sin. Burroughs is telling the prosperity teacher that our redemption is enough. The Cross of Christ rescuing us from the burden of sin is all the prosperity that we need. When we feel the burden of our sin, and when the Lord graciously lifts it off, we will experience contentment.

This message will likewise sound foreign to the easy-believism of the 21st century. Simply pray this prayer and God will forgive you, only be sincere, is the cry of the proponents of cheap grace. An adherent to easy-believism will seldom be content when trials come. When the scorching sun comes they will wither away. He has never felt the burden of his sin. The roots of the gospel has never gone deep. He only considers Jesus as a band-aid or a get out of hell free card. The true offensiveness of himself and utter ruin he faces are blind from his sight. He was told to pray a prayer but never to feel the painful burden of sin. Burroughs is admonishing easy-believers to look to their sin. When they sense their utter depravity and hopelessness before God; and when they are opened to see the total justification of Christ; then, and only then, will they find contentment. The Cross is enough!