Christianity Has NEVER Been About Having Your Best Life Now!

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Joel Osteen preaches positive psychology and prosperity gospel. His followers can go ahead and brag that they're "right" because they have thousands of followers at Lakewood Church. They can go ahead and accuse those who stand by the Gospel truth as "bitter and jealous" individuals. But it's the truth that Christianity is never about having your best life now. The whole idea of "Your best life now." is nothing but speaking according to the lusts of the flesh.

Jesus already warned ahead that if you follow Him then expect that it won't be your best life now. Matthew 10:22 and 24:9 has His warning that if you follow Him, you will be wrongfully persecuted. Following Christ has never been about attaining worldly wealth. It may also mean losing your worldly blessings. 2 Timothy 3:12 warns that living a godly life means you'll be suffering wrongful persecution from the world. John 15:18-19 and James 4:4 contrasts the Christian from the rest of the sinful world. To be a Christian means to be an enemy of the world. To be a friend of the world means enmity with God. If the crowd chose Barabbas over Jesus, there's the tendency that they'll choose a wanton criminal to be spared while wanting a Christian who's done nothing but preach to be executed.

The idea that if you're financially prosperous and the world adores you that you're right with God isn't biblical. Many people today are financially prosperous and adored by the crowds but they're not right with God. Some people who have converted from whatever false religion they're in risked to lose their popularity and prosperity for the Gospel. For the unbeliever, the newly converted Christian's losses are because they abandoned their former religion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But again, where can we read in the Scripture that Jesus promised everyone who followed Him their best life now and that they won't lose material blessings? Losing material blessings may also be part of the risks of following Jesus. How hypocritical to use the example of the rich young ruler to add works to salvation yet many of them don't want to get saved because they may lose their prestige.

The great Baptist preacher Jonathan Edwards once said, "This world is all the hell that ever a true Christian is to endure, and it is all the heaven that unbelievers shall ever enjoy." Many people in the world today refuse the Gospel because they could lose everything. To stand by for Jesus means to go against the world. There's no reason to even think that's "Your best life now." It's the Christians worst life and it can be their worst life now. How can it be their best life now if they're going to keep getting accused for what they didn't do and they're going to be bullied for standing by for Jesus? If you'll march for Jesus then the world's going to hate you for the wrong reasons. Follow Jesus then expect the world not to love you.


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