Prospering in God’s Truth

In 3 John verse 2 we read, “Beloved, I desire that in all things thou shouldest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers”.

‘Even as thy soul prospers’ can also be written, ‘according as thy soul prospers’,

The dictionary states that ‘according as’ means, ‘in proportion as’.

The word ‘prosper’ signifies to have a prosperous journey.

We are all on a journey in life but are we on that journey which God created us for?

John’s desire was that Gaius would prosper and be in health in proportion as his soul fulfils the purpose it was created for.

Revelation 4 v 11 says, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure (will) they are and were created”.

So, we were created for God’s will, which is, “rejoice always, pray unceasingly, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1Thessalonians 5 v 16-18).

David said in Psalm 103 v 1, “Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name”.

Ephesians 3 v 20 says that God, “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to (in a manner consistent with) the power that works in us”.

Whose is the power that works in us?

Philippians 2 v 13 says, “For it is God that works in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure”.  This sums up what we were created for, His pleasure.  As the soul functions according to the word, blessing, thanking, rejoicing in, and glorifying God which is the purpose it was created for, then God will prosper us according to His word.

What blessed John about Gaius was that he held fast to God’s truth and walked in the truth, which was shown in his love for the assembly (3 John v 1-6).

The way his soul prospered was in the Truth.  John’s wish for him was that the truth that he walked in would become effectual in his life and body.

An excellent article on this subject can be found at   

http://www.lightofword.org/prosperity.htm

There are many extremes of Biblical truths.

The prosperity gospel which puts an emphasis on victorious Christians being prosperous Christians and which teaches the name it and claim it doctrine is one of them.

There is often a lot of truth to be found in doctrines of heresy.  This is the same with the prosperity gospel.   God has promised to supply our need and promised to prosper those who walk in His paths.  However those who set their heart on obtaining riches and prospering materially in this age will find it is a snare to them and they will not enter the Kingdom of God.

For God to answer our prayers we need to ask according to His will and not for our pleasure, to ask in faith nothing doubting, abide in Jesus, and seek first God’s kingdom knowing that He will supply all our need.

Is ‘name it and claim it’ legitimate then?  I would think not.  What the Lord is concerned  about is a relationship between a Father and His children.  Name it and claim it, is more of a demand that has got to be met.

To demand something puts us on an equal footing with the one to whom the demand is made.  To demand something from a loving Father is what a naughty child does.

God wants to answer our prayers but it is more important  that we learn how to ask and in what attitude to approach God.

E. W. Kenyon who is often looked to as the originator of ‘name it and claim it’, and whose teaching on the all important  doctrine of the atonement is wrong, actually said that “claiming the promises is not faith”.  He said that pleading the promise and claiming them is the language of unbelief.   (The Power of the Positive Confession of God’s Word by Don Gossett and E. W. Kenyon, page 72)

God has promised to supply all our need, faith accepts it and gives thanks, leaving the timing of the manifestation in God’s hands.   Doubt names it and claims it because it hasn’t got it.