Resisting the Prosperity Gospel in Student Ministry
I’ve had the pleasure of serving in both student and college ministries as a pastor, and I have noticed that students are particularly vulnerable to the prosperity gospel. This distortion of the gospel claims that physical health and prosperity are the spiritual birthrights of every Christian through faith. In short, “God wants me happy and healthy, always.”
As ministers and teachers, we must understand this false gospel and seek to train our students how to identify and respond to it as they seek to live out their faith. I believe there are three reasons why students are vulnerable to the prosperity gospel and three ways to combat them.
Three Reasons Students are Vulnerable to the Prosperity Gospel
Because they are young in their faith
A common example that’s used in apologetics is the illustration of how to identify counterfeit money. Agents in financial institutions are extensively trained to identify what a true piece of money looks and feels like by noticing certain markers so they know when they have encountered a counterfeit bill.
Students’ spiritual immaturity makes them vulnerable to the prosperity gospel. This is why Paul writes in Ephesians 4:13-14 that we are to "attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine…” Students, because they are young in the faith, are vulnerable to counterfeits that mimic the real thing.
Because it appeals to their desires
In our modern world, instant gratification is everywhere. There is an endless stream of tips about how to get rich and become an influencer. This is the air students breathe, and it’s hard to resist being pulled into the pursuit of fame, fortune, or fun. It comes in waves via social media likes, retweets, shares, etc.
This struggle is often reflected in their relationship with Christ. Students may desire to obey Jesus, but after not being instantly rewarded, they may gravitate toward a counterfeit with seemingly better promises. Or, if the excitement of Christian hope wears out quickly, they may begin to question whether the costs of Christianity outweigh the benefits.
Because they live in Rome
The Western world, spiritually speaking, is akin to Rome in New Testament times. In Rome, there was a pantheon of gods and gratifications. The economic, political, and spiritual climate lent itself to a culture of peace, prosperity, and pleasure. Today, the prosperity gospel easily sanctifies the benefits of the so-called “American Dream.” After all, why choose a gospel of suffering and sacrifice when you could have everything you ever wanted and God?
Despite this allure, there is still hope! As youth workers who desire our students to know and love Jesus Christ, we must learn how to train students to identify and respond to this false gospel.
Three Ways to Resist the Prosperity Gospel
First, proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Just as mentioned above, the way financial analysts are trained to spot counterfeits is to know every facet of the true dollar bill's markers. For student ministers, we must continue to train our students in every facet of the gospel of Christ. The gospel is already good news, it doesn’t need worldly additions to become appealing. Its riches abound far more than any of the riches of this world, as the apostle Paul wrote, “this grace was given [to me], to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ…” (Ephesians 3:8) The true gospel of Jesus captures all the affections of our students: their wants, hopes, and dreams. Then it directs those things toward the advancement of the Kingdom.
As their love for Christ abounds the allure of this earth begins to fade. This is why Paul was able to say that despite his suffering he is content in all things because he has found something of surpassing value: Jesus (Philippians 4:11-13). We gladly proclaim the true Gospel, because it truly fulfills our desires and is the only hope for students surrounded by lies, half-truths, and deceptions.
Second, remind them of Jesus’ suffering for future glory
The unanswerable question of the prosperity gospel is this: “What do you do with Jesus Christ?” The Son of God, who was most deserving of prosperity and the easy life was beaten, mocked, and crucified for our salvation. The writer of Hebrews says, “Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
Jesus’ suffering and obedience resulted in his glorification and our salvation. The gospel does not avoid suffering; it redeems it. Students need to be reminded of Jesus’ sufferings as an example of what the true Christian life looks like.
Third, we model the Christian Life as Living Examples
Students are impressionable, in good and bad ways. As youth workers, we are called to prayerfully set a godly example for students, showing them what it looks like to forsake the empty promises of the prosperity gospel. We repeat along with Paul, "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him…" (Philippians 3:8-9)
It is one thing to describe the Christian life as forsaking the world. It is an entirely different thing to model such a life before students – not to make an example of ourselves, but simply because we are genuinely following Christ.
How do we live such a life? We are careful in the expression of our thoughts, how we talk about others, and how we treat them. We enjoy the physical things we have as God’s blessing without believing we’ve received them because of our obedience.
We who are jars of clay have received the surpassing riches of God in Jesus Christ. He has poured out his love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit for all who would believe in their heart that God raised Jesus from the grave and confess that he indeed is Lord. Christ promises that, by his word, he will return, and we will then enjoy an eternal life free of pain and sickness and death, with no want and every desire fully satisfied – not by the things of the creation, but by Jesus Christ himself.
While the prosperity gospel is dangerous, we have something far greater, more glorious, and richer than what the prosperity gospel could ever offer any of us: the Gospel of Jesus Christ.