3rd John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers.
In order for us to understand our first passage in its entirety, it would be necessary for us to remove far from us any preconceived ideas and personal biases or preferences for certain interpretations and allow the Bible to speak authoritatively for itself.
The gospel, which is often referred to as the good news does not push anyone down, as is so often the case when persons go for healing by false prophets, for it is designed to lift up souls, and bring out the fullest potential, and the very best in us, whenever it is properly received.
Devils will have persons believe that having Christ as Lord and Savior puts us at a disadvantage, but in reality, this is absolutely not the case, for wherever the laws of God, and the principles of His kingdom are adopted and practiced, the human agent would experience very great change for the better, not the worse.
Persons who truly receive Christ and His gospel of salvation become better persons on all fronts, for this is what the gospel is designed to accomplish in all who submit to its teachings. True Christians are to become better at whatsoever they do; they are to become better workmen, better citizens, better in health, better stewards, and better in their social relationships.
The gospel of Christ has never set a single soul on a downward trajectory in any area of life. Believers do have their struggles, and challenges like everyone else but when their lives, before and after accepting Christ are evaluated, it will always be found that the good news made persons better off, not worse.
After searching the scriptures from cover to cover, we have not discovered any evidence that the good news of salvation causes individuals to retrogress in life. On the contrary, real progress in every area of life, as well as character development is to be made for if it were otherwise then there would not be any motivating factors for persons to switch leaders.
Hence the reason why our first passage in John is so important, because it presents both the ideal, and the fine balance that should be found in those who have espoused the person of Christ. Prosperity in every aspect of life, including growth in holiness is a completely Biblical teaching, and not to be feared.
And even though it has been severely distorted by the false prophets of the day, yet we should never allow that which was meant for our good, to be so overrun by evildoers, that it causes us to go to the opposite extreme. The Bible teaches us balance in all things, which includes prosperity of the soul, the physical, and the temporal aspects of our existence. Let’s read:
Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law does he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Deuteronomy 29:9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.
Job 36:10 He opens also their ear to discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
1st Chronicles 29:11 Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.
12 Both riches and honor come of thee, and You reign over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
When ancient Israel was to be formed into a nation, God specified that they were not to be reckoned as being an average nation, for they were not serving an average God. His peculiar people should have at the very least, something peculiar about them, and that’s why throughout the Bible, God seeks to bring about that fine balance that the gospel offers.
Indeed, it was, and it still is the will of God that His people should shine radiantly as lights in the world, not coming up short on any front so that the people and nations of earth would then be attracted to the wisdom that comes from God alone. Let’s read:
2nd Peter 1:3 According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus, in the last days of earth’s history, God desires that all the fullness of the gospel be manifested in the persons of the saints, just as He had purposed for Israel. In times past there were imbalances in some of His people, either on account of a lack of knowledge or a lack of practice.
But now, with the wealth of knowledge, the wisdom and understanding passed down through the many generations of saints; now, with the additional info granted through patriarchs and prophets, we who are living in our generation are to experience the culmination of all what it means to be a peculiar people.
The peculiar people of Christ are to be leading the charge, not only in correct scriptural interpretations but also in health and well-being, as well as in good financial management. For us to be enslaved in debt and drugs in our day, and for us to be at the mercy of lenders, after all God has taught us in His word, is to sell the good news short. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth.
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
8 The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto.
9 The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.
10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.
11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods.
Furthermore, God would have us understand that poverty isn’t a virtue, neither is it a virtue to be rich. The prosperity that the Bible speaks of always leads us to place the eternal above the temporal, and it is when the latter is held subserviently to the former, that God can do great things through His people.
God is actually itching to bless His people, but there are things that often stand in the way, which could produce what is termed as a dangerous blessing. It is often the case that the human agent manifests a level of humility in the valley, but on the mountain- top, where God grants prosperity and success, folks too often become puffed up.
To put it plainly, we might wait for God’s directions when we believe we have no choice, but as soon as we can afford not to, we go our own way, thinking, and acting independently of His guidance. This is the most common failure in the Christian which in turn prevents God to a large extent from prospering those who are called by His name.
Thus, even though it is God’s will that folks should prosper and be in good health, even as our souls prosper, yet there are pros and cons to prosperity, of which we should be aware. There’s usually not a problem in carrying an empty cup, it’s the one that is full which needs balancing with care. Let’s read:
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Proverbs 23:4 Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Proverbs 13:11 Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathers by labor shall increase.
Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
1st Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
If when God blesses us with riches, the first thought that comes to mind is to build, purchase, or procure temporal things, then we can fall into the snare of Solomon, who became overly obsessed with adding materials and home improvements, while the cause of God and the salvation of his fellowmen were held in subservient positions.
As prosperity from God came to Solomon, he at first was humble, but bit by bit, he started to add a host of material things to his inventory, and the more he added, the more he desired, until he became quite addicted to the temporal.
Purchasing a whole lot of stuff, just because one has the wherewithal to do so is not an upright ambition, and often results in the emptiness, and frustrations experienced by Solomon who sought for joy in the abundance of things which he possessed.
In like manner, those who are now showered with financial blessings should be very careful, lest their priorities become so mixed up, that the temporal or material things of life usurp the place of the eternal. Indeed, the joy of life comes not in the abundance of material things, but in the service of God and of our fellowmen. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 2:4 I made me great works; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards.
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits.
6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees.
7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me.
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I got me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 So I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem.
10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
What is of great interest is that Abraham was also a very prosperous man, but he never experienced the lack of fulfillment that Solomon suffered. So, what’s the difference? Solomon used wealth to please and build up self, but Abraham used wealth to build up God’s kingdom, and that is what will make the huge difference between the two schools of thought.
Solomon used God’s riches to foster the principle of pleasure, while Abraham used wealth to foster the principle of service, and anyone who God prospers, who follows in Abraham’s footsteps will never come to that low point in life where they become suicidal because of prosperity. Let’s read:
Genesis 13:1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
[Patriarchs and Prophets pp 141] Abraham's household comprised more than a thousand souls. Those who were led by his teachings to worship the one God, found a home in his encampment; and here, as in a school, they received such instruction as would prepare them to be representatives of the true faith. Thus, a great responsibility rested upon him. He was training heads of families, and his methods of government would be carried out in the households over which they should preside.
Solomon in contrast, started to gradually trust to his own wisdom, and every departure from God’s word and His instructions, caused him to become more entangled in the snare of self-indulgence. God had given written instructions on how any king of Israel should comport himself, so that the prosperity and wealth incident to power would not ensnare him.
But little by little Solomon disregarded one principle and instruction after the next, until he’d lost sight of his need to seek God’s wisdom. And whereas in the case of Abraham he looked to God for the most part Solomon allowed pride and riches to distort his view of the world, and the temporal allurements became his undoing. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 17:14 When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee.
16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
2nd Chronicles 9:25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
28 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.
Deuteronomy 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away.
1st Kings 11: But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.
2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
Deuteronomy 17:17 Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
1st Kings 10:14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,
17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pounds of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the best gold.
21 And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones.
Deuteronomy 17:18 And it shall be, when he sits upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites.
19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them.
20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
1st Kings 11:9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.
11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
Thus, we can clearly see that the fine balance in our first passage, where the apostle John says “I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health, “Even” as thy soul prospers”, was not materialized in Solomon’s latter days, and wherever there’s such an imbalance in any of God’s people, they would be in danger of missing the ideal set forth in the text.
Solomon had much clothes and fine linen, but he became naked in his soul, he was rich as far as the material wealth goes, but he became spiritually poor, and because he lost sight of his dependence on God, he lost the ability to clearly discern right from wrong, and the rest is history.
But according to the scriptures, we who are living on the brink of eternity are in danger of becoming dizzy with the material things of this world, and like Solomon of old, some are becoming obsessed with the accumulation of wealth and material things, to the neglect of our own souls. This is not merely the opinion of “crazy”, it’s the condition of the church in our day. Let’s read:
Revelation 3: 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind, and naked.
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Thus, while prosperity is not a sin in itself, God is calling on us to track a different course to Solomon, even the course which Abraham took. There is now more than ever a great need to fund the everlasting gospel to all the world, now that so many are going down into Christ-less graves.
Efforts are to be made in reaching the less fortunate and helping to blunt the incessant blows leveled at humanity by the adversary. Should we like Solomon be consumed with houses, and lands, and material things? Or should we be using the prosperity of the gospel to further the interests of God’s kingdom as much as possible, especially as the countdown to eternity is in full gear? The Lord Himself gives us the answer. Let’s read:
Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him;
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day.
11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
Let us therefore make the necessary adjustments to our priorities, wherever warranted, for if we seek to fulfill the call to service in our neck of the woods, God will be able to trust us with means, knowing that the urge to splurge will not be driving us to spend wantonly on things that do not satisfy.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture that will help us in refocusing on the commission given to us by Christ, and all those who will step up to the plate by putting the interests of God’s kingdom first, will be accounted as faithful stewards, and God can be trusted to provide all that is needed. Let’s read:
Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
God Bless!