Will Jesus Make Me Rich?

This is referred to as "The prosperity Gospel"
Prosperity gospel often cherry-picks verses that promise blessings, wealth, or health, while ignoring or downplaying passages that emphasize suffering, sacrifice, or the cost of discipleship. For example, Jesus himself said in Matthew 16:24, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." This suggests a path of sacrifice, not prosperity.
The prosperity gospel tends to equate material wealth with spiritual blessing, which contradicts many teachings of Jesus. In Matthew 19:23-24, Jesus remarks, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." This implies that wealth can be a hindrance to spiritual growth rather than a sign of divine favor.
Prosperity gospel often focuses on what God can do for you in this life, particularly in terms of wealth and success. However, the Bible frequently speaks of storing up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21) and not being conformed to the world (Romans 12:2). The emphasis in scripture is often on spiritual wealth and eternal life rather than temporal, material prosperity.
The Bible acknowledges that suffering and trials are part of the Christian life. James 1:2-4 says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." The prosperity gospel might lead followers to believe that faith should eliminate all suffering, which is not supported by scripture.
The prosperity gospel can imply that humans can manipulate God through faith, giving, or positive confession to receive blessings. This contrasts with the biblical view of God's sovereignty, where God's will is not subject to human manipulation but is done according to His wisdom and purpose (Isaiah 55:8-9).
While the Bible encourages giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-7), the prosperity gospel often promotes giving with the expectation of receiving more in return, which can turn giving into a transactional act rather than a selfless one.
Jesus lived a life of humility and sacrifice, not wealth. The early church, as described in Acts, shared all they had, not for personal gain but for communal support, reflecting a different kind of prosperity—spiritual and communal unity.

The prosperity gospel can lead to a distorted view of Christianity, where faith becomes a means to an end rather than an end in itself (relationship with God and obedience to His will). While the Bible does speak of God's blessings, these are often understood in a broader, more spiritual context rather than material terms. Most prosperity preachers are thinly veiled fraudsters living a life of luxury and decadence on the backs of well meaning believers in their congregation and around the world.