PROSPERITY, IMAGINATION, SELF-LOVE, AND KRIS VALLOTTON

 

 

Kris Vallotton is recognized as the head prophet at Bethel Church where he heads their school on prophecy reaching thousands. However, he holds several unbiblical beliefs characteristic of the Word of Faith movement:

 

·       I’d like to propose that the revelation of your true identity and learning to love yourself will destroy the spirit of poverty [worthlessness] in your life!

 

Although the Scriptures acknowledge that we ordinarily love ourselves, it never instructs us to love ourselves—something we do naturally by eating, drinking, and sleeping—but to humble ourselves:

 

·       “…For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)

 

Seeking self-exaltation and self-love (building our self-esteem) takes the inevitable path of exalting our value above others, self-righteousness, and prideful arrogance.

 

The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and the Prosperity Ministry also exalt man to unwarranted heights. Vallotton has written:

 

·       …you used to be a “sinner,” someone whose nature it was to sin and to do evil. But when you received Jesus into your life you became a saint! It’s no longer your nature to sin because you are a holy person and a citizen of a holy nation.

 

While we are saints in the eyes of our Savior, we still have a sin nature, along with our new nature, and we don’t always act like saints:

·       Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:25)

 

·       For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:17)

 

By Vallotton assuring his students that “It’s no longer your nature to sin,” he gives them a false expectation that they will not sin. What does this do? It promotes doubts:

 

1.     That they are saved.

2.     That repentance is a normal daily reality for the Christian.

3.     That there is a merciful remedy for our sins (1 John 1:9-10).

 

Vallotton also promotes “becoming wealthy”:

 

·       Loving yourself is the key to a prosperous soul, which is the foundation for becoming wealthy and walking in your royal identity in every area of life.

 

While there is nothing wrong with having wealth, the pursuit of wealth is opposed by the Gospel:

·       Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. (1 Corinthians 10:24)

 

·       Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3–4)

 

·       As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, (1 Timothy 6:17–18)

 

The love of money is a trap that leads to destruction:

 

·       But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)

 

If our love is money, and we obtain it, it is unlikely that this is a blessing of the Lord:

 

·       You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:3)

 

Vallotton also claims that we can get what we want by envisioning it.

 

·       I discovered a principle in the Kingdom that simply says, “If I can envision it, I can have it.” The wisest king in the world articulated it like this, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.”(Proverbs 23:7) There is something very powerful about your imagination. What you imagine has a huge impact on who you are becoming. https://www.krisvallotton.com/stepping-into-your-royal-identity-8-steps-to-live-a-prosperous-li

 

The Bible regards the use of imagination in service to God is opposed to the Word of God:

 

·       Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (Romans 1:21 (KJV)

 

Whenever we substitute our imaginations for the Word of God, we are going in the wrong direction. Instead, the Bible claims that all good things come from God rather than from our imagination:

 

·       Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17)

 

·       For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? (1 Corinthians 4:7)

 

Kris Vallotton is highly influential and seems to be sincere in his beliefs. However, his errant beliefs must be exposed to minimize their damage to his many admirers.