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What is the greatest danger to the follower of Jesus Christ? What is the fiercest detriment to the cause of the gospel for the Church? Certainly, our enemy, Satan, can bring great attacks against us, whether roaring as a lion (1 Peter 5:8) or deceiving as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). The world in which we live vehemently opposes the message of the cross, considering it only foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18). The times in which we are living should certainly convince us that our culture hates the truth of the gospel, for it exposes the darkness (John 3:20). Thus, we will increasingly find believers being maligned for their faith and facing more persecution for Christ. Like Paul, most believers concur that the greatest dangers to our faith often lie within the believer himself (Romans 7:14-24). The old habits of the flesh die very hard, and so, until the Day of our unfettered union with Christ, we are waged in a war against the old nature, which opposes the will of God at every turn. If one were to listen to the requests for prayers which are so often raised, it seems our greatest enemies are disease, loss, or financial distress. Yet, as is often the case, Scripture denotes another insidious enemy to the follower of Jesus for which we must be wary, one for which we might never expect.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.—1 Timothy 6:9-10
It seems counterintuitive to good sense, but Paul instructs that one of the greatest dangers to faith in Christ is that of prosperity. It is often in times of ease, seemingly free from adversity, that our faith flounders rather than flourishes. As the old adage goes, the flowers typically grow in the valleys, not on the mountaintops. So, while trials and temptations would be longed for only by a fool, prosperity seems to have the greater potential for damage to our souls. We should not be surprised by such a truth, for it is a constant theme in Scripture. In the earliest days of Israel’s history, before they would enjoy the fruitfulness of God’s great blessings, they were well forewarned of prosperity’s inherent dangers.
Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery—Deuteronomy 8:11-14
It is in those times in which our pockets are seemingly full, our health is convincingly strong, and our prospects are compellingly endless that our memory of God tends be erased. Why would we need the Lord if everything is going in the right way for us? In these moments, we are seduced by opulence, even to the great harm of our souls. However, it is not just the individual believer which can be so greatly endangered by times of comfort. Charles Spurgeon once wrote the following:
There is no temptation half so bad as not being tempted….There is no season in which we are so likely to fall asleep as that of high enjoyment. The disciples went to sleep after they had seen Christ transfigured on the mountain top. Take heed, joyous Christian, good frames are very dangerous; they often lull you into a sound sleep.
Just such a warning was given to the church in Laodicea by Christ Himself. They were a church with many resources and shielded from difficulty. Yet, Jesus said of them, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17).
Do such warnings mean that we should abandon any attempts or longings for health, comfort, or prosperity? Absolutely not. We set our hopes upon that glorious Day in which God will wipe away every tear, fulfill every longing, and right every wrong (Revelation 21:1-4). We joyfully give God thanks for every blessing which comes from His hand of mercy and we resolutely determine to use every resource for kingdom causes. Yet, until then, we must know “that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
Let our greatest desire be not for the absence of difficulty, but rather to know more the One who has sent every tribulation so that we might also share in His glory.
Jason