Showing posts with label 3 John 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3 John 2. Show all posts

Monday, July 9, 2007

Understanding Prosperity

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)
Alongside every country road there are usually two ditches, one on either side. Controversial issues are generally like that; there are extremes and reactions on either side. I find this to be true about how Christians react to the Biblical teaching concerning prosperity. In 3 John 2, we see the will of God, as expressed in the prayer of the apostle John, is for His people to prosper in all things and be in health, according to how they are prospering in their souls.

That seems pretty straightforward, and it is just one of many equally clear Scriptures in the Bible concerning prosperity. But, oh how Christians can get into the ditches concerning this.

On the one hand, there are some Christians who, by their preaching, seem to think that it is all about money, and who appear to live it out as greed and self-aggrandizement. Some of the televangelists fit into this category and very often earn the harsh criticism they receive.

On the other hand, there are some who react so vehemently to this first group that they actually fall into the same error: They think that prosperity is about money and greed. They see the ditch on one side of the road and back so far away from it that they stumble into the ditch on the other side. Since, to their reactionary way of thinking, prosperity is all about money and greed, they wonder God could possibly want prosperity for His people? Or as one fellow asked, “How does that benefit the kingdom of God?”

Show them the Scriptures which reveal God’s desire to prosper His people, such as Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-3, Psalm 35:17, Psalm 112 or Proverbs 3:9-10, and the response will likely be, “Oh, but that is Old Testament.” As if God has somehow changed His mind and that the new and better covenant that was instituted in Jesus Christ and which is based upon better promises is in some way inferior to the Old Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). Not so.

Others will resort to the old standby, “Yes, but that is spiritual prosperity” when the Biblical context reveals that it is about all kinds of prosperity. (Part of the error I see here is the mistake that sees the spiritual realm as good but the natural realm as evil. The Bible, however, teaches that the natural realm derives from the spiritual realm, because God, who is Spirit, created the natural realm. But that is a discussion for another time.)

Many of those who oppose prosperity teaching from the Scriptures and who reject the Old Testament promises of prosperity, when it comes to the same teaching in the New Testament, they are oblivious to it. They have learned how to gloss over, ignore or otherwise explain away. It is not intentional, but reactionary. They do not mean to do it, but their disgust with those who think prosperity is all about money and greed causes their eyes to be blinkered to what the Scriptures actually have to say.

So what does the Bible really have to say about prosperity? Simply put, to prosper means to do well. What is the extent of the prosperity God has for us? I think the apostle John said it pretty well: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” Note, first, that God wants us to prosper in ALL things (even as He already said so many times and in so many ways in the Old Testament). Since John adds, “Just as your soul prospers,” we can see that this is not only about inward, spiritual prosperity but about outward, physical prosperity as well. Truly, it is prosperity in ALL things that God desires to release into your life and mine. It is not limited to finances — that is probably the least of what it is about—but finances are by no means excluded from the promise.

Second, and this is very important, the measure and qualifier of outward, physical prosperity is inward, spiritual prosperity. Again, we see that when John says, “Just as your soul prospers.” It is a comparative statement. If you are not prospering in your soul, in your inward man, you will not truly be able to prosper in anything else. But when you are prospering in your inward being, you are positioning yourself to receive prosperity in all things.

Prosperity of soul, as we learn from the context (3 John 3-5), has everything to do with walking in love. So, greed and self-aggrandizement are out. Jesus taught us that when we make the kingdom of God our priority, everything else will be taken care of (Matthew 6:33). That’s prosperity!

Paul gives us a good description of prosperity in 2 Corinthians 9:8, which happens to be in a financial context. In exhorting the Church about giving, Paul gives this promise:
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
When we put God first in all things, He will cover all the bases — even the financial ones — with plenty more besides in order to support good works. For His desire is not only to bless us, but to bless others through us. Or as it has been so frequently expressed, “We are blessed to be a blessing.”

Prosperity is not something to be feared, not when it comes from God’s hand. And that is exactly what He has promised for you and me. It is not just about you, but about God and what He wants to do in and through you.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Believing the Prosperity of God

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)
The will of God for His people is that we prosper in all things and be in health, even as our souls prosper. From the context, we see that prosperity of soul is about walking both in truth and in love.
For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. (3 John 3-6)
To prosper means to “do well.” When the Bible says “prosper in all things,” that means His purpose is for us to do well in all things. This echoes His promises from the Old Testament:
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
(Psalm 1:2-3)
Prosperity, or doing well, in “all things” is by no means limited to finances, as some seem to suppose, but includes every aspect of life. By the same token, “all things” by no means excludes finances, as others seem to suppose, but are included as much as anything else. God wants to prosper all His people in finances as well as in everything else. Again, this is all related to soul prosperity — doing the truth and walking in love.

To those who love and trust in Him, God promises, among other things, that He will command the blessing on us in our storehouses and in all we set our hands to (Deuteronomy 28:8). He also promises that wealth and riches will be in our houses (Psalm 112:3). He promises that, when we honor Him with our possessions and with the firstfruit of all our increase, our barns will be filled with plenty and our vats overflow with new wine (Proverbs 3:9-10). Psalm 35:27 tells us that God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His people.

So, there is no question that God wants all His people to prosper in all things, including our finances. His Word confirms it repeatedly. This is not some extraneous “prosperity gospel,” but the consistent teaching of the Scriptures. These promises, being the Word of God, who cannot lie, are therefore sure and true, and can be fully relied upon.

Now, along with all that, Jesus promised that there would also be persecutions. We see this in the promise of hundredfold return:
Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions — and in the age to come, eternal life. (Mark 29:30)
Because Jesus has said this, it would be foolish for anyone to think that there are not going to be persecutions. But by the same token, it would be foolish to think that there is not also going to be the hundredfold return of all that is given up for the sake of Jesus and the Gospel. Jesus explicitly states that such return is to be received “now in this time” as well as eternal life in the age to come.

You can confidently rely upon the promises and prosperity of God.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)
Here is the heart of God revealed in the prayer of the apostle John. God wants His people to be healthy, wealthy and wise.


HEALTHY. “I pray that you may … be in health.” Jesus came to remove our infirmities and bear our sicknesses (Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:16-17), and by His stripes—the penalty He suffered in our place — we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). He did that so that we could be in health.

WEALTHY. “I pray that you may prosper in all things.” To prosper is to do well, to have success in whatever you do. In Deuteronomy 28:8, God gives this promise to all those who walk in His ways:
The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
For those who delight in His ways and continually meditate on His Word, He says,
He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
(Psalm 1:3)
Prosperity and wealth are not just about finances and success in material things, but they are included.
 
WISE. “Just as your soul prospers.” This is the true measure of prosperity. You may have a lot of money, and success in many things, but if you miss it here, you have missed it all. Jesus said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). In God’s economy, as you prosper in your soul, that is how you will prosper in life.

In this letter, which the apostle John wrote to his disciple, Gaius, we see what soul prosperity looks like.
For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 John 3-4)
Did you spot the key? Prosperity of soul is about walking in truth; that is, walking in the ways of God. It is walking in the wisdom and revelation of the Holy Spirit, as Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit and wisdom of revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Ephesians 1:17). Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

But John also speaks of another key in his letter.
Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. (3 John 5-6)
Prosperity of soul is about walking in love. Paul tells us that faith works “through love” (Galatians 5:6). Gaius believed the truth. He was “faithful” to it, or we might say that he was full of faith in it. Because he was full of faith in it, he lived it out, expressing it through love and hospitality. As John wrote in his first letter, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:1 8).

This may come as a surprise, but God wants you to be healthy, wealth and wise; to walk in His ways, be set free by His truth and experience the flow of His love filling you up and blessing others. That’s why Jesus came.

Monday, January 15, 2007

The Prosperity of God is Also Financial

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
(Psalm 1:3)

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)
The Scriptures are clear that God wants His people to prosper. The Hebrew word for “prosper” means to push forward, break out, come mightily, go over, excel, be profitable, advance and make progress. The Greek word means to have a good journey, be successful, even to succeed in business. That is what God has for all of His people.

It is important to note that the prosperity God has for us is, first of all, a prosperity of soul — a matter of the heart. That is clearly stated in 3 John 2, but we also find it spoken of in Psalm 1 in this way: “Blessed is the man … His delight is in the law of the LORD and in His law he meditates day and night” (v. 2). As we have seen, the result is that whatever he does shall prosper.

But does this prosperity include money? Many Christians believe it does not. But what does the Bible say? “Whatever he does shall prosper” and “I pray that you may prosper in all things.” All and whatever are inclusive terms — they leave nothing out. Certainly prosperity is more than just financial and material wealth, but it does include them. They are part of “all” and “whatever.”

We see this stated even more directly elsewhere in Scripture. For example, Psalm 112:3 says of the righteous man (that is, one who lives in awe of God and delights in His commandments), “Wealth and riches will be in his house.” Though some might try to say that this is referring only to spiritual wealth and riches, it is clear from the context that the psalm writer is talking about material wealth and riches.

Is God interested in our possessions? Yes, He is. Look at the word of wisdom He gives us in Proverbs:
Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
(Proverbs 3:9-10)
When we honor Him with our possessions, and with the firstfruits of all our increase — that is, the first and the best, not the last and the least — then He will also honor us in kind: Our barns will be heaped up with plenty and our vats will overflow with new wine. This is not just having just enough, it is having more than enough.

We find something similar in the New Testament, in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. He is preparing to receive an offering from the believers there to take to the believers in Jerusalem. In other words, it is a financial context. Now, notice what Paul says:
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)
That is wealth indeed: always have all sufficiency in all things, and abundance for every good work! You see, that is what financial prosperity is for, and why God wants it for all His people. It is always having everything we need to take care our families, ourselves, and whatever God has called us to do, PLUS having abundance — more than enough! — so that we can give to every good work. As Leroy Thompson calls it, it is “Money with a mission!”

The clear word of Scripture is that God wants all His people to prosper in all things, and that includes finances. He does not want us to love money, serve money, or trust in money, but He wants to prosper us financially so we can use money for His kingdom purposes, and to supply every good work.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

How to Develop Solid Expectation

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15)
We can have confidence in God, that when we ask anything according to His will, He hears us and will grant what we ask. This is solid expectation — but where does it come from? How can we know what the will of God is? Consider Paul’s words to the church at Rome:
But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach … So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:6-8, 17)
In this context, Paul is speaking about the will of God as the “righteousness of faith.” That, in essence, is what the will of God is always about. And it is not hard to know what the will of God is. We don’t have to die and go to heaven or pass through hell on earth before we can discover it. God has already revealed it, very simply. It is close by, “in your mouth and in your heart.” It is the “word of faith.” For, as Paul adds, faith comes by hearing the Word of God. That is where we discover the will of God.

We often think of the will of God as something we must learn to resign ourselves to, as if it were some terrible burden. But the will of God is His delight, desire and purpose for you and the world. It is not a negative thing, but a very good and positive thing. Consider the word the Lord delivered through Jeremiah to the people of Israel in the midst of their captivity in Babylon:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me, and I will listen to you. (Jeremiah 29:11-12)
No matter what your need or circumstance, God has made some wonderful promises to you concerning it. His great desire for you is peace, to give you a future and a hope — solid expectation! Here is how you can develop that expectation:
  • Get into the Word of God and begin learning His heart.
  • Make note of those Scriptures which speak particularly to your situation.
  • Let these Scriptures fill your heart and stir up your faith.
  • Let them fill your mouth, also, declaring and decreeing the will of God over your life.
  • Then ask God whatever you desire, according to His will, knowing that He not only hears you, but that He will give you what you ask.
God desires the very best for you—peace and wholeness, a future and a hope. You can know His wonderful will for your life, ask Him to fulfill it, and have a solid expectation that it will be done.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Mightiest of the Mighty

“Faith is mightiest of the mighty. It is the monarch of the realms of the mind; there is no being superior to its strength, no creature which will not bow to its divine prowess. The want of faith makes a man despicable, it shrivels him up so small that he might live in a nutshell. Give him faith, and he is a leviathan that can dive into the depths of the sea; he is a war horse, that cries, aha! aha! in the battle; he is a giant who takes nations and crumbles them in his hand, who encounters hosts, and at a sword they vanish; he binds up sheaves of scepters, and gathers up all the crowns at his own. There is nothing like faith, sirs. Faith makes you almost as omnipotent as God, by the borrowed might of its divinity. Give us faith and we can do all things.”
~ Charles H. Spurgeon, The Victory of Faith

Have faith in God.
~ Jesus (Mark 11:22)

Sunday, August 7, 2005

God’s Desire for You

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)
This verse perfectly expresses God’s will and desire for you. It was written by the Apostle John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34), that is, He is ready to show equal favor to all who come to Him. That includes me and you.

In this verse, we see three things God desires to bring forth in your life:

1. Prosperity of soul. This is key, for out of it flows everything else. The Bible says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

2. Prosperity in all things. Not just spiritual things, not just physical things, not just financial things, and not in everything except finances — but in all things.. Listen to what the Lord says about those who delight in His Word and make it their constant meditation: “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).

3. Health. Not just healing, but health. The Greek words means wellness, soundness, wholeness. Some Christians try to make a deal with God: “Heal me of cancer, Lord, and I’ll keep the diabetes.” That misses God’s will — He wants to heal us of everything, not just some thing, so that we can walk in divine health. God has identified Himself to us as “The LORD Who Heals You” (Exodus 15:26).

Wow! Consider what this means:
  • God does not want you to be soul-sick: full of anger, envy, jealousy, bitterness, unforgiveness, fear and doubt. Instead, He wants you to be full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control (the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23).
  • God does not want you to be broke. Poverty and lack do not come from Him. His plan for you is just the opposite — full provision and prosperity. Paul said, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8, study this passage and carefully note the financial context).
  • God does not want you to be afflicted with sickness or disease. He does not send them to punish you, teach you or humble you. In fact, they do not come from Him at all. He can certainly teach you in the midst of sickness, to help you overcome by faith, but He does not send them to you.
Now, some Christians (especially those afflicted with a religious spirit) are so blown away by these promises that they feel they have to explain them away. “Oh, that’s John’s way of greeting people. He doesn’t really mean all that.” Or, “John simply means spiritual blessing, nothing more” (as if the spiritual realm has nothing to do with the natural realm — see The Connection Between Spiritual and Natural). Or “It is just John’s wish, not God’s will.” They are not ready to give themselves fully to the abundance of God’s grace.

But the Holy Spirit does not use words lightly. Neither does John. John’s prayer is given to us precisely because it reflects the heart of God for His people. You and I might say, in a very perfunctory manner, “Hi, how are you? Hope you’re doing well,” and not really be thinking about what we’re saying. But God is not like that. He does not use words lightly — what He says, He means. He will do all that He promises, and if we are willing to believe, we shall receive it.

John much more than spiritual prosperity in mind. He covers that aspect under “just as your soul prospers.” The health he prays for is the health of the body. Prosperity in all things includes physical, financial, family, business, ministry and every other kind of prosperity — in addition to prosperity of soul. As we have already seen, prosperity in all other things is actually based upon prosperity of soul.

Of course, there are many Christians who do not experience prosperity in all things, in their bodies, or even prosperity in their souls. That is because, although God desires to bring these things forth in their lives, they are not automatic. We must receive them by faith and resist the devil. You see, it is the devil, not God, who sends sickness, lack and failure into your life. But the Bible says that, if you submit to God and resist the devil, he will flee from you (James 4:7).

You submit to God by believing His promises and obeying His Word. You resist the devil by refusing to accept sickness, lack and inner turmoil in your life. This does not mean that you deny their reality, but that you deny their right to be in your life. If you have somehow given those things a right to afflict you, you can deal with that by repenting, confessing and renouncing whatever has given the devil a place in you. God is faithful both to forgive and to cleanse you from all everything that is not right in your life (1 John 1:9). Then keep speaking the promises of God over lack, sickness and confusion. The devil will flee and the abundance of God will begin to come forth.

God’s desire is for you to prosper in all things and be in health, even as your soul prospers. So submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you, taking his afflictions with him.



Healing Scriptures and Prayers

Healing Scriptures and Prayers
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

Thursday, April 7, 2005

The Order of Prosperity

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)
There is an established order to prosperity. It begins with the soul, for John said, “even as your soul prospers.” Then there is health, the prosperity of the body. Finally, there is prosperity in all other things, including, but by no means limited to, financial prosperity.

Financial prosperity will not lead you into soul prosperity, but soul prosperity will lead you into a place where you can receive financial prosperity.

Focus on the prosperity of your soul, then you will be ready to prosper in all things. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Thursday, March 3, 2005

Laying Hold of Prosperity

It is quite possible for a person to prosper in their soul and yet not be experiencing prosperity in all things. We see this in John’s prayer for Gaius: “I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2).

Gaius was, apparently, very prosperous in his soul. And yet, here was John praying for him to prosper in all things (that is, material blessing and success in earthly endeavors). Gaius had soul prosperity, but still needed the prosperity of health in his body. Prosperity of soul, though necessary to sustained health and prosperity in all other things, does not make them automatic. They must be appropriated. That is, we must lay hold of them.

God has provided these things — soul prosperity, bodily health and prosperity in all things—for all His people. For He is no respecter of persons. What He desired to do for Gaius, He desires to do for you and me, as well. But we must know how to receive them as our own.

But first, let’s deal with a problemof thinking that often blocks us from receiving, the question of our worthiness. Many Christians think that they are simply unworthy to receive the blessings of the Lord. But they should not feel that way at all. If they have received the Lord Jesus Christ, then they are accounted as righteous before God, not with their own righteousness, but with the righteousness of Jesus Christ Himself. This means that when God looks at us, He sees Jesus. There is no question in His mind about our worthiness before Him, for Jesus is completely worthy. So there should be no question in our mind either, not if we are trusting in Jesus.

Now, just as the salvation of our souls is a matter of faith, not of works, so it is with our prosperity. We receive it by faith. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. For the Word of God reveals the will of God, God’s plan and purpose for His people. As an apostle writing under divine inspiration, John, in his prayer for Gaius, reveals the heart of God for all His people — He wants us to prosper in all things and be in health. Therefore, prosperity is about what God says, and not about what we do. We do not need to somehow come up with our own prosperity. All we need to do is believe the Word of God and do what He says. Then the prosperity of God will start to show up in our lives.

Are you ready to believe God’s Word and His desire to prosper you in all things, as expressed in 3 John 2? Then begin to lay hold of that prosperity by faith. Instruct your soul, “I have the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, I am worthy of God’s blessing and prosperity. I now receive His prosperity in every area of my life.” In this way you will begin to bring your heart and mind into line with the promises of God. Then watch with expectation for you prosperity to begin to manifest.

Wednesday, March 2, 2005

Matter and Matters of the Spirit

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)
Many Christians seem to have an either/or mentality when it comes to prosperity. Either you can prosper in the world and in material things, or else you can prosper in your soul — but you cannot do both. They pit one against the other.

The apostle John, however, very conspicuously brings them both together. “I pray that you may prosper in all things … just as your soul prospers.” Expressing the heart of God, he links them together, laying one on top of the other. There is a priority, prosperity of the soul, but they both work together.

You see, there is no conflict between the material world and the Spirit, as some suppose, for the material world comes forth from the realm of the Spirit. The problem occurs when people focus exclusively on one side or the other. On one hand, there are people who believe that reality is completely and only about the material world, that which we can experience with our senses. On the other hand, there are people who think that the material world is inherently evil and that only the spiritual realm is good, or of any value.

Both views miss the mark completely — they do not represent Biblical truth. They utterly miscomprehend the purpose of God and the nature of the universe. There is no contradiction between the natural and the spiritual, or between heaven and earth. Notice how Jesus brought the two together in the Lord’s Prayer when He taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God is not out to eliminate that which pertains to the earth, to do away with the material world. Rather, He is out to bring the earth into line with the prosperity and wholeness of heaven.

God has blessed the natural world with His presence. This was the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ — the Second Person of the Godhead taking on human flesh to dwell in the material world. His purpose was not to destroy, but to redeem. In Romans 8, Paul tells us that all of creation is groaning together, waiting for the revelation of that redemption to unfold.

In the early Church, there was a group of people who taught that spirit is good, but matter is evil. These were the Gnostics, and they were roundly condemned as heretics. A similar group taught the Jesus was spirit, but did not really come in the flesh. These also were rejected by the early Church because they were not consistent with the apostolic witness.

The apostle John, in his first epistle, dealt with an early manifestation of such teachers when he wrote,
Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. (1 John 4:2-3)
So John is fully consistent with the will and purpose of God when he says, “I pray that you may prosper in all things.”

God wants you to prosper in the world as well as in your soul. He wants to bring His redemptive work into all things, and He wants to do it through you. So embrace His grace, believe His Word, and come into agreement with His wonderful plan for you, your family, your home and your business — these are your ministries.

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

Material, Earthly Blessing

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)
The Greek word for “prosperity,” euodoo, literally means a good journey, that is, one that goes well and successfully reaches its destination. In its general application, it means to be successful, to do well, to be fulfilled, even to abound.

Hear the words of two venerable Bible teachers from the past, on the meaning of prosperity in all things in 3 John 2:
It would apply here to any plan or purpose entertained. It would include success in business, happiness in domestic relations, or prosperity in any of the engagements and transactions in which a Christian might lawfully engage.
Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Prosperity in secular affairs. That thou mayest Prosper and be in Health, even as thy Soul Prospereth. These three things, so necessary to the comfort of life, every Christian may in a certain measure expect, and for them every Christian is authorized to pray; and we should have more of all three if we devoutly prayed for them.
Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible
Prosperity “in all things” refers specifically to prosperity in material things and in earthly endeavors. John does not ignore the prosperity of the inner man, the soul and the spirit. Far from it! Rather, he teaches us that prosperity of soul is the foundation for material and physical prosperity. There is no true prosperity which does not first bring the soul into line with the will of God.

Let God set your heart in order, then boldly believe Him to prosper you in all things — in your home, your family, your finances, your business. He is not a God of failure, but of success, and He will cause you to fulfill your destiny of blessing on the earth.

Monday, February 28, 2005

Prosperity in All Things

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)
John was not merely being cordial in this statement. He was the most contemplative of the Gospel writers, and did not use his words loosely. He meant exactly what he said.

Nor should we assume that John’s words have no bearing on the will of God for his people. For John was writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Everything he wrote in his epistles accurately represents the will of God for His people.

Nor should we assume that this prosperity was intended only for Gaius, the recipient of John’s letter. John did not include this prayer in all his epistles. He opens with it here by the leading of the Holy Spirit, no doubt, and probably because this represented a particular need in Gaius’ life.

God is not respecter of persons. That is, He does not do for one what He is not willing to do for all who come to Him. If God wanted Gaius to prosper in all things, and be in health, just as his soul prospered, then that is what God desires for you and me, as well.

God wants us to prosper in all things. This is because everything is a spiritual issue. There is not one single thing in the universe that does not relate to the spiritual dimension. That is because everything in the world comes forth from the spirit. The heavens and the earth were created by God, who is Spirit, and they were created by the Word of His mouth.

So, prosperity in every area of life is a matter of the spirit. That’s why John said, “That you may prosper and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” If you are not prospering in your soul, the basis for prosperity in every other area of your life has not yet been established within you. First things first. Attend to the matters of the heart, your inner man, you spirit being, and then you will be prepared for prosperity in everything else.

How is your soul? Are you walking in faith, which expresses itself through love? Have you forgiven all those who have wronged you? Forgiveness is a requirement of both love and faith. Are you learning how to hear the voice of the Father and obey Him quickly? Is your heart troubled, or are you trusting God to take care of you in all things? My prayer for you today is that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Monday, January 17, 2005

No Rules, Just His Rightness

(with thanks to Outback, from whom I have adapted this title)
Beloved, I prayer that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2).
God wants us to prosper in all things and be in health. That is His will and desire for you and me. Even more than that, He wants us to have prosperity in our souls, for that is how all other prosperity comes forth.

Some people look at “just as your soul prospers” and think, “Aha. Rules !” But that is not at all what God is talking about here. Prosperity of soul is not about keeping rules and tallying points to see if you can somehow be good enough to merit.

Forget rules, forget merit, forget trying to earn something from God — you’ll never make it. You can never tick off enough accomplishments, never perform enough maneuvers, never change yourself enough to earn true prosperity.

As in all things in the Christian life, so it is with soul prosperity: Its not about you, its about Him. No rules, just right. But it is not about your rightness, it is about His. It is not about your life flowing through you, it is about His.

The Apostle Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Soul prosperity is not about keeping rules, or even about trying to do right. It is about giving up. It is about quitting from all that and surrendering to Jesus Christ. We do not live by rules, requirements, systems or scorecards. We live by relationship with the Son of God, living this earthly life by faith in Him, believing all He has said, trusting all He has already done for us, and letting the life of His Spirit flow through us. That is true prosperity of soul — no rules, just His rightness.

Monday, November 15, 2004

Faithful, Full of Faith

Reading in the book of Third John this morning, I was struck by this passage, where John commends Gaius, an elder in the church:
“Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church” (3 John 5).
The word “faithfully” impresses itself upon me. We usually think of faithfulness as being loyal, dependable, consistent, and thus, trustworthy. But I believe that those are actually the by-products, or benefits of faithfulness, but not its essence.

In the Greek, the word is pistos, the word for “faith.” In the adjective form, we simply say “faithful.” Yet somehow we fail to see that the real meaning here has everything to do with having faith. The essence of faithfulness is faith. Turn the word “faithful” around and you can see that it is about being “full of faith.”

When we are full of faith, trusting God and His Word, our words and deeds will correspond with that faith. They will line up and be in agreement with that faith. Then we will find a consistency in our manner of life, because God never changes and His Word never fails. When we are full of faith in God, we ourselves will be seen as dependable, loyal, trustworthy.

The Bible says that faith expresses itself through love. Gaius was faithful. He believed God and was full of faith. His faith was full of love and his love was full of action. The church gave witness to his love, and John commended his faith-filledness.