PART 18
By
Pastor Roger Anghis
May 1, 2011
NewsWithViews.com
Our next verse is 1 Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertaine riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; This is a verse that not many preachers speak on because it Paul is speaking to the church here and he is speaking specifically to those that have wealth. The Greek word used for “rich” Notice that he is not condemning the wealth. He’s not telling them that they are going to hell because they have all this filthy lucre. NO. He is addressing their character as part of the body of Christ in their position of authority. Do not be high minded. The Greek word for “highminded” is hupselophroneo (hoop-say-lo-fron-eh-o) and it means to be arrogant, lofty in mind, proud. This is a description of a type of character. I have seen people that have nothing, yet they are arrogant and proud. A lot of people that have money look down their noses at those that have little. They believe that they are better than those who have less than what they have. In the movie Titanic, Molly Brown was looked down on even though she had money, because it was ‘new money’. She didn’t come from a family that had been well established for many generations.
This is what Paul was warning against as well as the dependence that many people of wealth put on money. Paul warns of the worlds economic system by referring to it as uncertain, doubtful. God is the only dependable source He wants us to have. Paul even states that when we act in a moderate manner and trust in Him, He will give us all things abundantly. The Greek word used for “all things” is pas and it means all, any, every, the whole. The Greek word used for “richly” is plousios and it means abundantly, copiously. Webster defines copiously as abundantly; plentifully; in large quantities, largely; fully; amply. Paul is stating that God has given us all things of this world, abundantly, to enjoy. This includes goodly things. Houses, lands, houses filled with all good things, plenteous in goods, nice clothes, nice cars. (Deuteronomy 28:11). Notice that Paul states that we are to enjoy these things. Enjoy good things!! Why hasn’t the church expounded on this? Why hasn’t the church let the believers know that good things are for us? There has been what seems a concerted effort to keep this information OUT of the hands of believers. This is the time for us to take hold of these promises and do what God needs us to do.
Our next verse is Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises This is important because we saw in the Old Testament that all of the patriarchs that followed God’s commandments were rewarded greatly. Job was the wealthiest man in the east and he was a man of God. Abraham was very rich in silver, gold and cattle. Isaac inherited all that wealth and added to it gaining 100 fold in one year because of his obedience. Jacob inherited all of Isaac’s wealth and had become wealthy on in his own right. David gave $5 billion of his own money to build the temple. Solomon was the wealthiest man that has ever lived. All of these men acquired this wealth under the old covenant. Paul writes that we now have a better covenant with better promises. That means everything that God did for them, including everything related to finances and wealth, He will do that and MORE for us.
Advertisement
Our next verse is James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. This verse also is important to understand the gifts from God. This verse speaks of many things but encompasses all things including finances. James calls them ‘good’. The lexicon defines good as pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent, distinguished, upright, honorable. James also used the word “perfect’ which is the Greek word teleios which means completeness. The lexicon states wanting nothing necessary to completeness. I can remember when Oral Roberts began stating that God is a good God. He received so much flack for that statement. But the flack came from the church, not the world. Jesus’ half brother is the one writing this. If all good gifts and perfect gifts come from God, then God is a good God.
James 5:1-3 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. (2) Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. (3) Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. I point out these verses only because it is used by many preachers to claim that wealth is bad. But they fail to make note of who James is talking to. He is talking to the corrupt men of his day. If you keep reading this chapter you will find that he talks about men who have by fraud cheated their laborers out of their proper wages. They have killed the just to make a profit. These are not followers of Jesus. He is speaking about those who are storing up wealth for the last days wealth transfer.
In conclusion I want to discuss what may be the most important aspect of this study. As I have stated many times in this study, material wealth is not the main or most important aspect of being Born Again, but it is part of the whole salvation gift from God that we need to have in play as we grow in Christ. Without this part being activated in our lives we will be saved and going to heaven but not be able to help anyone or show to anyone that God is willing and able to care for His children.
3
John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and
be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. This verse covers three areas
of our lives. Two address our earthly needs, health and prosperity,
and the third is our spiritual need. Notice that John connected them
all together with our spiritual needs being the prominent one. This
means that if we are not growing spiritually then the other two areas
will not properly mature. The Greek word used for “wish”
is euchomai (yoo-kham-ahee) and it means to pray to God. The phrase
‘all things’ is the Greek word pas and in this verse means
as respect to all things meaning that the most important thing to consider
of all of your needs is the prospering of your soul; and though the
very next subject he brings up is wealth it is subjugated to the condition
of the last item listed which is a person’s soul.
The word used for prosper is the Greek word euodoo (yoo-od-o-o) and
it means to succeed in business affairs, to prosper, be successful.
It is obvious that God wants us to be successful in what we do for a
living. As stated before our job is our seed bin but that is not our
source, we are to live off of our giving. The next area of life that
John speaks of is our physical health. The Greek word used here for
health is hugiaino (hoog-ee-ah-ee-no) and it means to have sound health,
to be well in body, be whole in body. This, of course, simply means
that he wished that we are to walk in divine health at all times. Then
he places the success of these two areas on the success of the soul.
He is basically stating that it is most important for the soul to prosper
in the things of God. Because when a person prospers his soul, the other
areas of his life will follow to the extent that his soul is prospering.
Advertisement
I am not saying that one cannot become wealthy if your soul isn’t being properly nourished as many have proven that you can, but what these people gain is not eternal nor is it fulfilling. How many people have we heard about that are wealthy beyond most people’s imagination, yet are lonely, miserable and many have committed suicide because of the hopelessness they feel. When you prosper in your soul the other areas of your life, your health and your financial prosperity will come into line. Again the Amplified Bible brings the full meaning of this to light: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.
In this study we have seen how God prospered all that were obedient and sought His face. He did not treat one different from the other. The more they sought His face the more He would prosper them. Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. When God establishes a principle, He does not vary from it. He established that He prospers those that seek His face. He may bring that prosperity in different ways, but that prosperity will still come. What He has done for those that have gone before us, He will do for us as long as we do what they did. We can’t live our life the way that we want to live it and expect God to pour out His blessings on us. We have to dedicate our lives to Him and His ways, not to our ways.
The one key point about all of this is the ones that God has prospered have all dedicated their lives to Him. They put His wishes before their wishes. God can only prosper those that follow the rules that He has put forth in His Word. Also, we have to remember that God knows our heart and if we are not doing things for the right reasons God will know the truth of our intentions. We may be able to fool fellow man, but not God. God knew David’s heart and prospered him. He knew Solomon’s heart and prospered him. He will know your heart and will prosper you.
All of the promises of God are not automatic. We are told throughout the Bible to hearken unto the voice of the Lord our God and then He will bless us. You must have ongoing fellowship and relationship with God to hear His voice. The Word tells us that we are to seek first the kingdom of God and then all of these things will be added unto us. We must be obedient to God’s commands and be tithers and sowers of seed in His kingdom. We must renew our minds with the word of God on a continual basis for the image inside of us to change from lack and poverty to prosperity and abundance. Becoming wealthy in the kingdom of God is a process and involves many tests of obedience to pass on the part of the believer. God must be first place in our lives and we must make Him our source and the only one who supplies all of our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. And handling vast sums of wealth requires God’s wisdom and much responsibility on our part.
| Subscribe to the NewsWithViews Daily News Alerts! |
If we are not ready for it God will not let it happen or else it would destroy us. We must rightly divide the truth of the Word concerning all matters of life, especially wealth and prosperity in the area of finances and material goods and all the wealth in the earth and on the earth. I have never seen anywhere in the bible where God wants us to barely get by, be poor and have nothing. I see just the opposite throughout the whole bible. In fact, we are told in Deuteronomy that poverty and sickness are a curse, not a blessing. And Jesus redeemed us from the curse according to Galatians 3:13. In Deuteronomy 30:19 God tells us to choose this day whom you will serve, life and blessing or death and the curse. We receive from God according to our faith. If you do not believe this part of God’s word then you have no need to be concerned with abundant material wealth and prosperity because you will never have it. So whom will you serve? I choose life and blessing!
Click here for part -----> 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
� 2011 Roger Anghis - All Rights Reserved
Share
This ArticleSign Up For Free E-Mail Alerts
Pastor Roger Anghis is the Founder of RestoreFreeSpeech.org, an organization designed to draw attention to the need of returning free speech rights to churches that was restricted in 1954.
President of The Damascus Project, TheDamascusProject.org, which has a stated purpose of teaching pastors and lay people the need of the churches involvement in the political arena and to teach the historical role of Christianity in the politics of the United States. Married-37 years, 3 children, three grandchildren.
Web site: RestoreFreeSpeech.org
E-Mail: editor@restorefreespeech.org
