“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” -II Timothy 2:15.
When I look at symptoms or causes of this great “falling away” period, the prosperity gospel is right at the top of the list. It is ANOTHER GOSPEL, and is therefore accursed (Galatians 1:6-9). It is also a prophetic fulfillment of II Timothy 3:1-5, 4:3&4, and II Peter 2:1-3, 17-21.
The Prosperity Gospel isn't only about material wealth, but it also would promote self & ego; it will pull away from the idea of mankind being sinful, and needing a savior. It tells the individual that he/she is already "good" in God's eyes, and has no need of repentance.
But every false Christian teaching will still have scriptures it is built around, and misuses. One verse I keep hearing within prosperity circles is Jeremiah 1:5. Because of Jeremiah's particular calling, prosperity teachers push the idea that Jeremiah had a DESTINY; and by this they falsely claim that God has a “wonderful plan,” or destiny for everyone, prior to salvation. This is how they attempt to allure people to Christianity! It is all about realizing our destiny, and not at all about redemption from our sins. Let's look here at the scripture in question;
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
Truly, I do love the Word of God, but we have to recognize that the devil spends a lot of time twisting it in order to deceive. You will notice that the destiny doctrine is built almost entirely on this one verse (there are 1,364 verses in Jeremiah alone), and there is nothing within it to support the claims of a pre-planned destiny for every person. But to say such a thing boosts a person's ego and self-worth, rather than requiring a brokenness over sin. That's why it is so popular.
The truth about the human condition, and our needed response to it will be found in the New Testament of the Bible. That is where we live today, and you will find nothing in it about a pre-birth destiny for every person. The following might better describe our natural, unsaved destiny; and what God did to change it;
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” -John 3:36.
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." -Romans 5:8,9.
We know that God uses prophecy, and so some things are deliberately orchestrated by Him for His own purposes; such as with the arrival of John the Baptist and Jesus. Fulfillment of prophecy testifies for God, and through it we can know if a thing is of Him or not. The message that we get from scripture is that all of the law & prophets were brought by God as a foundation for the gospel; the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah was a part of that. If this was the plan God had all along, it only makes sense that individuals would be specially selected to carry it out.
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:" -Luke 1:68-70.
"To him (Jesus) give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." -Acts 10:43. More supporting scriptures will follow.
There is no question that the promotion of "destiny" implies positive rewards for those that adhere to it. One prosperity teacher quotes the 2nd half of Proverbs 11:9; "...through knowledge the just shall be delivered." Then he claims that the just will not only be delivered from trouble,, "but into his inheritance: prosperity, health, healing, deliverance and all the other blessings of salvation."
And so it is that the concept of each person having a "destiny" like we see for Jeremiah really falls short of the intended goal. Jeremiah was heavily persecuted, and nearly killed several times! To get an idea of how bad it was, just read Lamentations 3. The truth is, even without knowing the clear purpose of God in it, the Old Testament itself doesn't support the promoted view of Jeremiah 1:5. A) God made Jeremiah's purpose clear to him; so why do we have to "discover" ours? B) God doesn't say that He deals with everyone like He did with Jeremiah. C) Jeremiah was already an Israelite, one of God's people. D) Jeremiah suffered E) Nothing like it in the New Testament.
Isaiah seems to have had a call similar to Jeremiah, but most of the others didn't. Psalm 58:3 & Hosea 9:11 both tell of rejection by God from the womb. Amos 7:14 &15 tells how God chose him as he followed the flock. David's call sounded similar to Amos in II Samuel 7:8. Elisha was plowing when Elijah came and threw his mantle upon him (I Kings 19:16, 19-21). What about Samuel's call? His mother Hannah first had to bargain with God before even getting a son. Jonah fled away from God's mission to Nineveh, but was truly brought back the hard way! And the Apostle Paul? He was the Lord's enemy, until God moved. These examples greatly take away from the concept of destiny, and seem to fall back into the realm of CHOICES- whether it be God's or our own.
So when we look at the Old Testament of the Bible, all roads were leading to Jesus, and the work He would accomplish for our salvation. This easily explains why some were specially chosen to carry out God's plans for preparation. Here are a few more scriptures supporting this;
"Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." -Luke 24:25-27.
"Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." -John 1:45.
Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles." -Acts 26:22,23
"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:" -Romans 16:25,26.
See also Luke 18:31, Acts 3:18, 15:13-18, 24:14,15, Romans 1:1,2, Ephesians 2:19,20, I Peter 1:10.
It is a dangerous thing to make additions to the Word of God. Let us take the time to search the scriptures diligently for what they actually say; it is well worth it.
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