The Dark Light Inside is Prosperity Gospel (Edited with ChatGPT)

 

Matthew 6:19–21 urges us to store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth, for where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. Then Matthew 6:22–23 speaks of the eye as the lamp of the body — if the eye is full of light, the whole body is illuminated; but if the eye is dark, the whole body is filled with pitch-black darkness. Matthew 6:24 follows by telling us plainly that we cannot serve two masters — God and money. We must choose one. From Matthew 6:25 to the end of the chapter (verse 34), Jesus explains how God provides for our needs when we choose Him over wealth.

 

Does Jesus jump from one topic to another, unrelated idea and then circle back again? No. He is preaching one coherent message — it is all connected. We just need a new lens and a different angle to truly see it.

 

Jesus came to open our eyes and give us spiritual sight, and to blind the eyes of the evil one. Before Him, we walked in darkness, blindfolded, fighting unseen forces determined to destroy us. But when Jesus died for us, He gave us the heart of God — the Holy Spirit. Now we do not judge by what we see or hear, but by the heart of Jesus within us. We move like the wind — unpredictable and unseen — yet guided by the Spirit. From that vantage point, let us read the passage again.

 

If we set our treasure in heaven and fix our eyes on God’s kingdom, all else will be added to us. If God is truly our Lord, we must despise earthly riches and serve Him with undivided devotion. Then the light in our eyes — the Holy Spirit in our hearts — will fill our entire being with light. We become children of light. Many look to the outward manifestations of grace like miracles, but miss its most important fruit: becoming like Jesus. Thinking like Him. Walking like Him. Becoming light from Light. That transformation is the greatest miracle. And then — after seeking the kingdom and holiness — earthly needs are added to us. But by then, we have become heavenly beings. The world may be beneath our feet, but we are walking on clouds in the footsteps of the Lord. We do not seek the Lord to gain the world and then shift focus back to it. We seek Him to become less earthly and more divine.

 

But when you chase after material things as the goal of your life — when your treasure is rooted in this world — your heart follows. Now money has become your master. The light within you turns to darkness, and your whole body is consumed by it. You may pretend to love God, but in truth, you hate Him — because you love money.

 

With God, you have light, salvation, and provision. All else is added to you. But if you choose the world, you may gain temporary success here — and suffer eternal loss in the fire of hell. The difference between the two is not about poverty or prosperity — it is about treasure and heart. Is your heart in heaven or on earth? That depends on where your treasure lies.

 

When you wake up each morning, what fills your mind? Do you think about the work of heaven? About God? Or do you immediately focus on earthly matters? Do you think night and day about saving souls, making disciples, and shining as the salt and light of the Lord — or are your thoughts consumed with worldly concerns?

 

The sin of the prosperity gospel is that it turns the light of the faithful away from God and toward the worship of money. Earthly people and fleshly minds cannot please God. What delights Him is when the Holy Spirit ignites our spirit, and our spirit, in turn, illuminates our whole being — body, soul, and spirit.

 

Prosperity gospel, on the other hand, preaches money as good news. "You will be rich because your faith will make you prosper" — this is their message. Yes, the Bible says the faithful are blessed, but it says much more than that. The same law that promises blessings also commands us to help the poor and lend without expecting repayment. Do you read the blessing without reading the responsibility? Do you assume that grace covers your inaction, but that blessing must still be expected by law? And when the blessing does not come, the answer becomes: “Claim it!” So now your job is to declare that you are rich, wealthy, and healthy — and call that faith? If your mouth is full of earthly things, then the light within you is darkness, and your worship is for money and the world.

 

Let us assume for a moment that your declarations work — that you speak it and it comes to pass. Why not declare holy things too? Why not say: “I am just. I am honest. I am kind. I am holy. I love my enemies. I love God unconditionally. I will die for Jesus. I will preach the gospel even to those who want to kill me for it. I will give my life to Christ.” Why is your focus always on “me” and not “us” or “them”? Why not say, “My brother will accept Jesus”? Why not proclaim, “I will teach him the gospel,” or “I will share my food with the poor”? If you seek the kingdom and holiness, all else will be added to you — because God cannot lie.

 

Why does prosperity gospel tell us to declare what we want from God, but not what we want to be for God? Why not say, “I will give my life to God,” with a humble plea for the Spirit’s power to sustain that vow — so we do not fall like Peter? Prosperity gospel is the kind of light that is truly darkness. It is from the devil. It does not turn our eyes toward heaven and holiness — but toward earth and vanity. Just look at the followers. Where is their treasure? Earth or heaven?

 

Are those who follow this false teaching all children of the devil? Some are. I know this. But I also know many others — some of the best among Jesus’ people — who also fall into this trap. What is the difference? These good people belong to Jesus in every part of their lives. Even when they have money, it does not pull them away — it makes them better servants. They have love, even if they lack understanding. Though they unknowingly teach falsehood through prosperity gospel, the fruit of their lives is pure Jesus. They make Christ visible even in their error — because they are so full of Him. Their folly is still holy, because their hearts are holy. They are good people — Jesus' best — who drank from the wrong river. Yet, they destroy others because their errors take root in the hearts of people who neither know nor love God with proper knowledge. I pray God forgives them and opens their eyes. Others, however, are wolves — gangsters in Jesus’ skin. Judgment is near, but even they should understand: God disciplines those He loves. His rebuke is not hatred, but a call to repentance. If He could forgive people like us, He can forgive anyone — except the devil and his tail.

 

Some do not make money off prosperity gospel and do not reject it either — but teach it as theological fact. Yet they forget that what is missing is not a good book — but a good heart. Love is greater than knowledge. Only when the law is read through the lens of love does it bear good fruit. The scribes of Jerusalem never understood Jesus or the Father because they sought legal knowledge, not divine love — for God or His people.

 

Every law must be read with good intentions. Otherwise, you will twist its meaning. When you read the Bible, ask: What is good for God? For the faithful? For the assembly? For the earth? Why is love greater than knowledge? Because people of love do the right things even when their theology is flawed. Many devout believers with broken doctrine still serve God beautifully. They may speak wrongly, but they do not serve themselves — they serve God. They may unwittingly mislead, but their hearts are still God’s. I pray God opens their eyes — or takes them home before they destroy themselves. Reading the Bible like a scribe — without Spirit and love — leads to evil theology. And that is now visible to even the blind. I know the blind can see it.

 

The first thing you must do is know God. Know Jesus. Ask what Jesus loves, and what He hates. Long to be filled with Jesus, to overflow with His Spirit before you ever study the law. Once your heart, mind, and soul are full of Jesus, the Bible becomes a new book. And it is nothing like the prosperity gospel. You will not cry out for wealth, but ask how you can be poor so that others may prosper. You will not crave dominance, but seek weakness so others may be strong. Even if money and power were the goal, I would still do it God's way — not yours. But what is this world worth, fool?

 

As someone who came from a life of hardship, I do not expect everyone to understand — but I do. And know this: even after you have wasted your inheritance on a false gospel, your Father still watches and waits. He is outside looking for you. You are the one lost sheep — and when you return, a feast will be held in your honor. You were dead and now you live. When you find yourself in the pit, it is not rejection — it is proof of love. You are not a bastard child left to rot in your rebellion. You are His, and His discipline proves it.

 

We are not earthly creatures who love our brothers only in their success and abandon them in failure. No — we love them unconditionally and rebuke them with the same love. Why? Because Jesus is watching. And we must be just like Him. That is why our rebuke never cancels our love. Even toward the gangsters of faith who rob people with prosperity gospel — not just the lost scribes. Our love must remain.