Error of Perk Focus Business firms offer benefits that are referred to as perks to attract and keep reliable employees. Perks consist of the likes of health insurance, incremental additions to yearly paid vacations, profit sharing bonus, cost of living increases, and generous contributions to retirement plans. Membership in the Kingdom of God also has perks. Among them are divine healing and prosperity. Many have added that trouble free lives are guaranteed for those who live uprightly. In some instances this has evolved into what I believe is nonsensical doctrinal error. It asserts that the presence of trouble equates to the absence of God. Supposedly, if one is not experiencing health, prosperity, and appearance of a trouble free life; it is indication that there must be hidden sin somewhere. This is tragic. I know an exceptionally godly and gifted pastoral couple who had a grown son who took his own life. The congregation and its board demanded the couple’s resignation. The basis was that had they lived in righteousness, their son would not have been suicidal. This presence of trouble - absence of God doctrine is as unscriptural as it is cruel. If it were a litmus test for experiential holiness, the Apostle Paul would have been suspect of being the worst of sinners. His apostolic ministry was launched in 48CE and ended with his martyrdom in 66CE. During his 18 years of active ministry, he experienced the following: Frequent riots against him. He was stoned to death in one and had to be resurrected and in another was almost beaten to death until Roman soldiers intervened. He was flogged with 39 lashes on 5 occasions and with rods 3 times. The whips had varying numbers of cords with bits of metal and glass tied into them. The rods were long and limber to generate velocity. Victims were stripped naked for floggings. It was customary for whip lashes to leave strips of flesh hanging from the back, abdominal area, and legs. Rod beating included the head and face. Broken ribs and noses were not unusual. Paul was in 3 shipwrecks. He often spent days in hunger and thirst; and shivered from cold due to lack of proper clothing. He also spent years in 2 separate prison terms. To say that Paul was likely underweight, that his body was scarred from the floggings; and dented from the stoning and rod beatings would be understatement. Yet, even though his ministry was trouble ridden, there was no indication of God’s absence from it. The proof of this is the many churches that he fathered through the Lord’s attestation of the signs, wonders, and mighty deeds performed in his ministry. I believe Kingdom perks are available and that it is appropriate to acquaint believers with how to apprehend them by faith. However, it is wrong for anyone to assert that the perks are measurement of godliness. I call all true believers to gently and convincingly refute this doctrinal error whenever and from whomever it raises its ugly head. Expressions of the nasty tempered anger of man cannot accomplish the will of God. Nonetheless, it is permissible to carry indignation against hurtful errors.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 07:25:11 +0000