Text:3 John 2, John 10:10, Philipians 4:19, 1 corinthians 3:23
Everything we see was created from the spiritual realm by God.Man's physical lack has it's roots in spiritual poverty. Any blessing outside God through Jesus Christ will ultimately destroy because the origin is darkness.The prosperity of fools(those who do not believe God or rely on self effort shall destroy them(Proverbs 1:23).
Our text tells us that man can prosper and be in good health in proportion to the prosperity of his soul.The prosperity of our soul is hinged on the fruit of righteousness we produce-holy living. Man that is born into this world is born into trouble according to Job.In fact man is in captivity and needs deliverance.That is no matter how educated or knowledgeable, rich or wealthy a man may be, he finds himself inextricably tied to some vices. Man desires and is in dire need of freedom of his spirit and soul , and needs help and power to remain in that freedom.
God saw the needs of man to be free and the need for [power to keep his freedom against the wiles of the enemy.
Man can therefore be said to have two great spiritual needs that will answer all other pecuniary needs of man.
1.One is Love through forgiveness.
After man fell from grace, it became difficult to be restored into his original glory. Man was bound by cords of sin (Proverbs 5:22), cords of affliction (Job 36:8-10), cords of wickedness of Satan and evil spirits (Psalm 129:4-5, Ephesians 6:12), cords of vanity through which iniquities are drawn (Isaiah 5:18, Acts 14:15). No matter what education, resources, ability, riches, and endowment a man has, he finds himself inexplicably bound to some vices. His inner being consciously or unconsciously longs for freedom from these vices. The soul of man is crying desperately for help to be free from sin; from sickness or affliction, poverty; from wickedness of evil spirits and Satan; from diverse vanities. The result of these bondages is that the former and latter rain of blessings reserved for mankind by the loving Almighty God and our Father in heaven are turned away and good things are withheld from man.(Jeremiah 5:25) The only way out of these bondages is for God to love us so much by taking away these burdens and breaking the cords, which holds us down through unforgiveness for our sins and we not forgiving others who have hurt us.
God heard this first cry for help, that cry for forgiveness and answered it at the Cross of Calvary through a Savior (Acts 13:22-23, 26, 38). God sent His only Son into the world to die for our sins, so that we might be forgiven. This is a gift for us-Gods’ gift of salvation. This gift is available for everyone who truly admits he has fallen short of Gods’ original glory for man and sinned; ask for forgiveness and repents (makes a choice and a decision to turn way from his sins) and puts his faith in the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary as representing his old sinful self crucified with Christ, died and buried with Christ, and the new man rising with Christ and by faith is seated in Christ Jesus at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty. It is for everyone who reaches out and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.Paul called it Gods’ indescribable gift (2Corinthians 9: 15)
2.Power to remain free and attain and enjoy God's goodness:
The second need of man is for goodness and blessings of good attitude, character, conduct, and manifestation of abundant life of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, faith, meekness and self control; provision-material (food, material, shelter, money), physical (good health, food, family) and spiritual, and protection from evil and wickedness in this world and finally for us to secure a place to LIVE with Him in eternity. All effort by man to attain this goodness and blessings failed, and met with hard labor and untold suffering yet with the inner longing of the soul remaining unsatisfied.
God heard our second cry for help, to attain goodness and blessings and answered it at Pentecost. At Pentecost God gave us another gift-the great gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2: 38). Our Father in heaven does not want us after receiving forgiveness for our sins to remain and live a life of defeat, discouragement and denial, but rather that we fulfill all our desires for goodness and the work of faith in Christ Jesus with power so that the name of our lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in us and we in Him according to the grace of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12). The Holy Spirit meets our needs to overcome our weaknesses to be really good and overcome our human frailties and live according to the Will of God as stated in the Scriptures in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives.
Any man that makes the choice and decides to appropriate these two gifts including the work of the Son of God for us; and the work of the Spirit of God in us would live a life pleasing to God here on earth and would be assured of a place in heaven with our Father. Such a person will not only be blessed, but also be a blessing to other families on the earth as God originally planned it to be.
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