In defense of Prosperity as a gift from God in light of Carnality, Greed and Avarice ...
Jesus set the priority order in this verse:
But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. -
What is prosperity? It is being successful. God wants us to be successful. In one place it is described as " Godliness with contentment is great gain". In another place it is called being rich:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich. -
I understand that traditional Christianity spiritualizes the promises of God but that is wrong. The reality is that in the New Birth, we receive Eternal Life becoming New Eternal Spirit beings who exist in Heaven with Christ and the Father. The New Spirit is perfect and has need of nothing. So, Heaven is a done deal.
Pretty much the rest of the Word deals with our Physical existence through our Soul and Body. The Soul needs transforming to the Mind of Christ and the Body needs Healing. The transformation and the healing happens to the extent that we operate under the influence of the Word and Holy Spirit.
Coming to understand that we are Sons of God, joint heirs with Christ, and have access to all spiritual blessings by Faith is the work of the Holy Spirit by the Word in us. To the extent that we understand the gift of God is the extent to which we can communicate the Gospel (good news) of the Kingdom.
How is it that the message of the Old Testament regarding serving God and prospering got lost to Christians? Jesus came to make it possibĺe for us to prosper by eliminating the penalty of Sin which cut us off from God`s blessings. Anyone who doesn`t grasp prosperity as a gift of God is going to remain poor because they don`t believe God intends for them to prosper. (Everything comes by Faith).
Now, here is some hard truth. Many Christians are lazy, wasteful and unbelieving and so do not prosper. As a result, they consider prosperity sinful simply because they are not experiencing it.
Every businessman that started and worked his business to a point of success did it in faith. Such industrious people amass wealth. They prosper.
Is wealth and prosperity only for the wicked?
James said that Faith without works is dead. Works are evidence of Faith. No works implies there is no real Faith. No success implies no Faith or no Works or neither one.
The law of Sowing And Reaping works for the Believer and the Unbeliever.
But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully. -
This spiritual law is meant for us to operate in this world.
Now, back to... what is prosperity?
It is being successful. Jesus had to die to be successful. Paul and other apostles were extremely successful and prosperous in terms of their accomplishments for Christ. But they could not have done what they did were it not for the financial support of believers. And the only way those believers could support the ministry was because God prospered them to have more than they needed so that they had wherewithal to give from their excess.
So, there is not one cut and dried definition of Prosperity just as there is not one cut and dried calling. One shoe does not fit all.
If we abide faithfully in our calling we will Prosper in that calling because Prosperity is of God.