Today we continue our series entitled, “Pursuing Grace-Based Success!”
Here are our foundational scriptures:
(Ephesians 2:8-10 ERV)
8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.
9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about.
10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.
(1 Corinthians 1:30,31 NLT)
30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.
31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”
(2 Timothy 1:9 NKJV)
Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
For the last few days we have also been looking at this verse:
(3 John 2, AMP)
“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.”
A few days ago, we started to walk through the passage I provided for you from Ecclesiastes 5. Let’s go back to it this morning. King Solomon, a man who had access to both divine wealth and divine wisdom, said this about wealth, health and life:
“Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past” (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 NLT).
So what does this mean for you today? I will focus on the phrase “It is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it.”
1. While this series is about success, and I have made it clear that our success is based on our divine purpose, I also want to clarify that God is not opposed to wealth and health. Solomon said, “And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it” (Ecc 5:19).
2. It sometimes takes church people to confuse clear issues. If you ask any person on the street if it is better to have or not have money, anyone with any sense will tell you that having money is better than not having it. Likewise, if you ask anyone on the street if it is better to be sick or healthy, any person with any sense will tell you that being healthy is better than being sick. But for some reason, in the church, some preachers have confused people. Some have vilified money to the point where they think it is somehow “holy” to be poor as if there is a connection between poverty and piety. That’s not Biblical.
Others have told people that God put certain sicknesses and diseases on them to teach them something. But then, these same people pray to God for Him to take it away. That does not make any sense. That is not God’s heart at all. I would not want to serve a God who makes me sick only to turn around later and heal me later so I can praise Him for it. God is not this way, and sickness is NOT of God!
These non-Biblical teachings have confused people when it comes to health and wealth. But Solomon was clear. He said, “It is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it.” (Ecc 5:19).
3. The Bible says, “It is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it.” (Ecc 5:19). It’s hard to misconstrue that.
God made Solomon the richest man to ever live, he used the wealth to advance God’s Kingdom on this planet, and he did not see anything wrong with it. He also did not see anything wrong with enjoying God’s blessing. And then, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote what he wrote in this text. I also have to tell you that the sentiment expressed by the Holy Spirit in this passage is congruent with a wealth of scripture.
You can fight against it if you want, and you can say that health and wealth are part of some “prosperity gospel,” and, therefore, not God’s will, but doing so will require you to ignore or reject a good portion of the Bible. In the end, God is not opposed to blessing you financially and then also blessing you with the health to enjoy your divine assignment while you are on this planet.
4. Anyone who thinks poverty is a blessing is someone who has never actually been poor. My wife and I both grew up poor, and I can tell you from first-hand experience that poverty is far from a blessing. When you look at everything associated with The Blessing, you see increase, abundance, favor, and success. You don’t see need, lack, and failure.
Anyone who thinks sickness is a blessing has obviously never been sick. It only takes a few moments at the bedside of a sick person to know that sickness is not a blessing.
5. God does not need to make you sick to teach you a lesson. God has given you His Word, His Spirit, and His leaders to teach you.
If you believe God put sickness or disease on you, then you shouldn’t go to the doctor because you should want everything God gives you. If you really believe it came from God, then keep it, but I can tell you that your belief is not based on scripture.
6. Sickness is NOT of God.
The Bible says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8 KJV). It also says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him” (Acts 10:38 NIV). The KJV says Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
— Jesus went around destroying the works of the devil because God the Father was with Him.
— Part of that work was healing. Jesus healed people because sickness is of the devil!
— Those who were sick were under the power or oppression of the devil. So what did Jesus do? He healed them!
— If sickness was of God, and Jesus went around healing people, He would be fighting against the Father!
7. The Bible is pretty clear on what is part of God’s blessing and what is part of the curse brought into the earth through Adam. As part of The Blessing, God has promised to:
— Satisfy us with long life (Ps 91:16).
— Forgive our sins and heal our diseases (Ps 103:3).
— Renew our youth (Ps 103:5).
— Keep us from deadly diseases (Deut 7:15).
— Heal our sick through the prayer of faith (James 5:15).
— Use us to lay hands on the sick in order for them to get well (Mark 16:18).
So while I know bad things do happen to good people, let’s not confuse the issue by attempting to claim that something bad is actually something good. Sickness is bad, period. Poverty is bad, period. Don’t let any Christian confuse you. This was clear in your mind before you came to Christ.
8. While your life should not be about the pursuit of “things,” let’s be clear that God is NOT opposed to health and wealth. The Bible is full of examples of God making people healthy (during the 40 years the Israelites spent in the wilderness, not ONE PERSON got sick), giving them a long and satisfying life, and also giving them all the resources they needed to complete their divine assignment before they die. God made many people rich in the Bible. He is still doing it today.
While worldly riches should NOT be your focus, I just want to be clear that riches are not evil. God is opposed to lack. God will see to it that you have everything you need to do what He sent you to this planet to do. For some, that will require more earthly resources than others. This is where I need to remind you to “accept your lot in life.”
Some people are called to impact their local community. Others are called to impact their region. Some are called to impact their entire nation. Some are even called to impact the world. To be clear, the person who is called to impact the world is going to NEED things the person who is called to impact their local community DOES NOT NEED. So God will not release PROVISION where His VISION is not present. But where the VISION is, the PROVISION has already been stored up.
The greater the VISION of God for your life, the more PROVISION you will need. And God has signed up to provide it. But just know that prosperity comes with persecution. People criticize what they do not understand. Just do not allow the criticism of others to keep you from the calling on God. Run your race, at your pace, with your grace! Accept your lot in life, knowing that health and wealth are PART of it!
Note: I teach on this in great detail in my book, “Level Up Your Life.” If you don’t have a copy, get yours at https://rickpina.co/.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for teaching me about grace-based success.
I am here for a reason, and that reason is my divine purpose. I am determined to maximize my purpose and potential BEFORE I DIE!
I will complete my divine assignment by Your grace. To do so, I will need resources, and I trust You to get them to me.
You can open doors of favor for me, where people fund my projects entirely by grace, without me having to earn anything.
You also give me wisdom and insight to earn resources and generate the wealth required to fund what You have called me to do.
So whether the resources come by me earning them through the power and wisdom You have given me or completely by grace through the favor You give me with others, I trust You to ensure I have everything I need to be successful in life.
Part of it, Father, is divine health. You give me the physical health and strength to do what You have called me to do. You grace me to live long and strong.
I will remain on this earth as long as I need to accomplish what You birthed me to accomplish, and I will do it by Your strength. I agree with Your Word and say, “It is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it.” This shall be my testimony.
I boldly declare: GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
