In 2006 a movie came out that quickly became popular among Christians. Facing the Giants tells the story of an unbelieving football coach who struggles with a losing team and a bad marriage. Along the way he is saved and through changes in his life his marriage is renewed and his football team goes on to be undefeated.

The undertone of this movie is that if you are saved everything in your life will get better. You will be happier, your wife will get pregnant, your football team will win.

I was reminded of this when reading the recent edition of our state Baptist newspaper. Below is a snippet:

When the East Prairie Eagles defeated archrival Charleston 46-21 on Oct. 17, it was their first victory in Charleston in a half-century. The first words East Prairies coach Jason Aycock heard were from his pastor, Jon Archie, who yelled, “This is exactly what happens when your coach gets saved.”

The Bible makes no promises about a person’s physical success once he is saved. Salvation secures a relationship with God, forgiveness of sin, a regenerated life, and hope that transcends the grave. Nowhere are we promised that salvation will bring happy marriages or winning teams.

Granted, once a person is saved they may well begin to live their own lives better and so sew seed for a better relationship with others. But it always comes across as distasteful, unbiblical, and even deceptive when some claim that being a Christian will bring success in all areas of life. These are not just the name-it-and-claim-it folks. Facing the Giants was popular among many Evangelicals across the board even though what it offered was a more subtle form of prosperity theology.

If you want a successful life, serve Christ. Follow him faithfully. Measure success by how well you have yielded to him, living in the example of his Son. If physical success follows, praise the Lord! That is a cause for rejoicing, but it is not a promise. Winning football teams is not exactly what happens when your coach gets saved.