“This, I command you, that you love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me” (Jn 15:17-21).
One last thought on prosperity and adversity. At a fundamental level, prosperity teaching is a slap in the face to the persecuted church. Think about what the persecuted church has lost. They have lost their wealth. Their land, a common source of income, has been taken away. There homes have been burned to the ground. They have been fired from their jobs. In short, their ability to earn a living has become all but impossible. If we say, “God wants us to be rich,” what are we saying to the persecuted church suffering for their faith?
Secondly, they have lost their health. They have been beaten. They have been starved. They have been killed because of their allegiance to Christ. Can anyone with a lick of common or theological sense fit their situation into a prosperity theology?
Pray for the persecuted church. Support the persecuted church. And where possible, provide rescue to our brothers and sisters in Christ. But don’t talk to them about a health and wealth gospel. It is a slap in the face to these heroes of the faith.
Amen! I couldn’t agree more with this post and the last one. Thanks for your clarifying insight, Jay. The comments about affliction were especially meaningful to me, and plenty to chew on for some time to come.