THE HUNDRED-FOLD HERESY
Paul Mobil
In today’s evangelical community there is a movement underway that I will call the “Gospel of Many Blessings and Material benefits” or the “Hundred-fold heresy”. In listening to a recent radio program,
one of the major proponents of this teaching said to this effect: “God is a giver! God loves us and wants us to experience the abundant life as shown in John 10:10. Our prosperity glorifies God and shows the world His blessings in our lives – we all know that poverty is a curse, don’t we?! Second John tells us in chapter two that God desires, ‘above all things that you may prosper.’ We are the King’s Kids, and if we are not prospering financially, then Satan is robbing us of our inheritance in Christ. The real secret to prosperity is this: ‘Give and it shall be given unto you’ as promised in Luke 6:38. If you give to he Lord, HE promises you a hundred-fold return in this life – we look to Mark 10:30 for this promise. Invest in God, and be prosperous for God’s glory!”
Now the first verse I want to look at is First Timothy 6:5. What does it say there? Now look at Luke 14:33. What are we told here? We are STEWARDS of HIS POSSESSIONS! God desires that we have “Life and
life more abundantly…” but what does God mean by the term “Abundant” and how does it compare to the Hundred fold Heresy? READ LUKE 12:15 The Greek term in 3 John 2 is the same word Paul used in Romans 10:10. Prosper in the same context as “prosperous” journey. Was Paul hoping to make a lot of money on his journey? No – Paul and John were expressing a desire for success in what God sends us to do.
Now look at Mark 10:30. Take a special note of these FACTS:
(1) Jesus has just told the rich young ruler to sell everything that he had and give to he poor to have “treasures in heaven” and
(2) this promise is given to encourage those who had ALREADY given up their houses, brothers, sisters, land, etc. It was not given to those who wanted to use God’s promises for personal gain. Look at 2
Corinthians 6:10 to find out the meaning of Jesus’ word as to the nature of this “return.”
Now take a special note. The word MONEY and the word GIVING are not even mentioned in the promise of Jesus! Jesus was telling us that God would provide for our needs from “His abundant storehouse” and not that what we give up or give away will be returned to us IN KIND a hundred times over. READ Matthew 13:22; Matthew 6:21 Picture sitting at the throne of God and hearing these preachers and Christians going around “investing” in God and expecting, no – even DEMANDING a 100 fld return on the “investment!” I picture God crying. He who GIVES EVERYTHING and GAVE HIS SON seeing those few who behave as though they did something great because they tithed from their paycheck. They give their 10% (If God is Lucky and if…….).
The Spirit of God will not strive with a man forever, and in cases of this nature, I am certain that the grief caused to the Spirit makes HIM want to depart. The HERESY that God is the great LOAN OFFICER ON
HIGH or the GREAT SANTA CLAUS OF HEAVENLY HOUSE FINANCE is an abomination, and should be dealt with on such a basis. God does love each of us, and HE demonstrates His love in many ways to us. Scripture tells us that “all things were created for His Glory.” (Rev 4:11). All examples of Christ and His Apostles were ones of sacrifice THROUGH love without expectation of return. God provides our NEEDS. If GOD chooses that we should have Material Wealth, then HE provides it to us, NOT for our LUXURY, but
for our needs and, most clearly, to provide support to those who do not have such wealth. Guilt about the blessings of God are NOT OF GOD. God wishes, in HIS SOVEREIGN will to provide for us what He want
us to have.
Many times He wants to allow us responsibility for a little to prepare us to handle a lot. We CANNOT and MUST NOT make a demand upon God, and we are the CREATED and HE is THE CREATOR. This allows us, ONLY THROUGH JESUS, OUR LORD, to present our petitions to God. God chooses if we are to receive or not.
Computers for Christ – San Jose
