Reading God has a Wonderful Plan for your life by Ray Comfort in preparation for reading the Blessed Life that no one really wants by Troy Dobbs. Came across these gems in Chapter 3, the Happiness Dilemma where the big idea is "Jesus solves problems" or "Jesus provides Happiness" doesn't work for people with only 24 hours to live. Ray's over-arching point is the result of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection is this; now the Holy Spirit has been given to all men, to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment - pointing the world to Jesus Christ the only mediator between God and mankind. This is the free gift of God (Eph 2:8-10), faith that comes by hearing the good news about Jesus (Rom 10:17). The gospel call is love, heavenly relationships and effortless power (Romans 1:1-17) for all who believe.
So here are the gems that reminded me of what our pastors are going through with the prosperity gospel defined as "Jesus solves your problems and makes you happy."
The gospel is a promise of righteousness, not happiness; "riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death (Proverbs 11:4)."
Often the gospel has been thought making good of the "poor, brokenhearted, captives, blind and oppressed (Isaiah 61:2, Luke 4:18,19)." In our therapeutic culture we think of people beset with life's difficulties and challenges. But Jesus was speaking primarily in spiritual terms not only physically. Note the clarity of "poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3) - these who are meek, humble, lowly are the blessed ones whom the kingdom of heaven belongs. When Jesus speaks of broken-hearted it's not being jilted by a sweetheart but those who are contrite and sorrowing over sin, who realize that the sacrifice God desires is "a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17)." The captives are taken by the devil, to do his will (2 Tim 2:26), the blind are those whom the god of this age has blinded from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Cor 4:4), the oppressed are those who are oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38).
Jesus came to give a new and abundant life (2 Cor 5:17, John 10:10), doing more than we could ever think or ask (Eph 3:20). Romans 1:5,6,7; Through Christ, God gave us; grace/privilege authority apostles to tell gentiles to believe/obey bring glory to his name.
- The good news of God comes with privilege and burden (authority and work)
Other resources: what does it mean to have an abundant life?
So here are the gems that reminded me of what our pastors are going through with the prosperity gospel defined as "Jesus solves your problems and makes you happy."
- It wears out pastors who find themselves forever-counseling those who only hear the word but don't do what it says.
- It tyes up laborers who spend time propping up "problem people" who really just need repentance
- It hinders the furtherance of the gospel because unbelievers see rampant hypocrisy within the Chruch.
The gospel is a promise of righteousness, not happiness; "riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death (Proverbs 11:4)."
Often the gospel has been thought making good of the "poor, brokenhearted, captives, blind and oppressed (Isaiah 61:2, Luke 4:18,19)." In our therapeutic culture we think of people beset with life's difficulties and challenges. But Jesus was speaking primarily in spiritual terms not only physically. Note the clarity of "poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3) - these who are meek, humble, lowly are the blessed ones whom the kingdom of heaven belongs. When Jesus speaks of broken-hearted it's not being jilted by a sweetheart but those who are contrite and sorrowing over sin, who realize that the sacrifice God desires is "a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17)." The captives are taken by the devil, to do his will (2 Tim 2:26), the blind are those whom the god of this age has blinded from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Cor 4:4), the oppressed are those who are oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38).
Jesus came to give a new and abundant life (2 Cor 5:17, John 10:10), doing more than we could ever think or ask (Eph 3:20). Romans 1:5,6,7; Through Christ, God gave us; grace/privilege authority apostles to tell gentiles to believe/obey bring glory to his name.
- The good news of God comes with privilege and burden (authority and work)
Other resources: what does it mean to have an abundant life?
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