And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Genesis 15:5
As we have embarked on this series of defining prosperity in the light of Christianity, we know that biblical prosperity is scripturally laid out in 2 Corinthians 9:8-11,
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
Now He that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
KJV
Biblical prosperity is to abound in the grace of God, that in all things, you might have all sufficiency (having enough for your own needs, aka "bread", plus extra "seed" that you may give.) When one prospers biblically, he or she experiences God's prosperity via the following scriptural laws:
Blessed -- to Be a blessing
Has Bread -- And Seed to Sow
Has Enough -- And Extra to Give
If those principles do not entirely make sense to you, go ahead and check out our previous blog entitled "The Purpose of Prosperity."
Prospering God's way, is to have all sufficiency, in all things. But what do "all things" consist of? Does this apply only to spiritual things, such as peace and joy, patience and humility? Or does this apply to things such as homes, lands, cars, and groceries? Well, let's start with the foundation:
When a person believes on the LORD Jesus Christ, and confesses Him as their LORD and Savior, they become born again of the Holy Spirit of God. Once being previously dead in spirit, their spirit is now joined with the Spirit of God, making them one.
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:17 KJV
Now that this person is made alive in Christ, they are a new creature in Christ Jesus. Formerly nothing but body, soul, and a dead spirit, the born again believer is now a new creation, made alive with the Spirit of God. Before receiving Jesus, a man is only known and identified by his carnal make-up. But after accepting Christ, the Born-Again Christian is now known by God, and other believers, by their spirit- which is now perfect, whole, righteous, justified, and glorified because the new creature has God's entire Spirit living inside of them, joined and united and overtaking their spirit! This perfect spirit is what God sees when He looks at believers, and it is how He communicates with them- Spirit to spirit.
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
John 3:3-8
Carnally speaking, all humans are born of physical water in the womb. What happens just before a baby is born? A woman's "water breaks" which signifies the baby is ready to come forth into the world. One must be born of this physical water in order to enter the kingdom of God, because things such as robots or AI cannot enter the kingdom. Only a human can become a child of God. However, being a human is not enough. One must also believe on the LORD Jesus Christ and receive the Spirit of God within them, in order to enter the kingdom of God. Born of water, and of spirit, is the essence of a born-again believer. In addition, Jesus relates the WORD of God to water throughout scripture which washes us and cleanses us and renews our minds. Think of it like a literal washing of the brain: our minds get conformed to the ways of this world before we come to Christ, and once we are saved, we need our way of thinking to be cleansed by the waters of God's WORD.
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:24
This shows us that God communicates to us Spirit to spirit, His Spirit to our spirit. Before being born-again, we are separated from God and cannot receive communication from Him because His Spirit is not within us. But once we are saved, and His Spirit becomes one with ours, we worship Him and hear from Him within our perfected spirit.
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Hebrews 12:23
That's us! We are just and made perfect, because of the just and perfect Spirit of God living within us. Talk about the best trade-off ever.
He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Titus 3:5 NIV
This points back to the cleansing waters of God's WORD and Spirit that literally wash us clean from all sin and death, making us new. Once again, we see that we are renewed and cleansed not because of any of our own works or righteous deeds, but because of the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. Like I said, the best trade-off ever.
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2 Corinthians 5:16-18
So here we have the accumulation of "all things." When born again, all things become new, and all things are of GOD. The prosperity that God's grace lavishes upon us, is in regards to all the things that are of GOD. And yet the only way to know in detail what all of these things consist of, is to know the WORD.
God's WORD makes provision for many carnal needs, including but not limited to:
Protection
Psalm 91; Psalm 121
Provision- food, water, house, lands
Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:19; Luke 18:29-30
Health and healing
1 Peter 2:24; Acts 10:38; 2 Peter 1:3-4; Jeremiah 33:6
There are many more scriptures on such topics, these are just a few. However, I understand that there are many doctrines that do not believe that these things are promised by God. To those, I quote Jesus: "According to your faith be it done to you" (Matthew 9:29). There are zero cases in the Bible where Jesus decided to leave some people He encountered, sick or lame or in need. I know people have many questions regarding this topic, but according to scripture, my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Php. 4:19). That is the Truth that we live by here at VIA, and we do not stray from what the WORD says. So it is written, so it is.
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:
2 Peter 1:3
Having sufficiency in all things, is to have all things pertaining to life and godliness in the amount of enough, and then some to share with others. Does this mean everyone who is born again will be a billionaire? No. Does this mean you should go ask Pastor Frank to give you a horse, since he already has two? No. All things that pertain to life and godliness, will specifically pertain to God's call on your life. Remember what is written? All things are now new in your life, and all things are of God. But this will look different for everyone, because God has a specific call for every single person.
There was a man who had a pregnant wife and two kids. He needed a new car, as his old one was breaking down on a weekly basis. He went to his pastor, understanding that God would supply all of his needs and provide him with a car so that he could drive to work, drive his family church, and so he and his wife could drive the kids to school, and wherever the family needed to go. This man went to his pastor and said, will you pray with me? I am believing God to provide a new car for me and my family? Right away the pastor agreed, as he had seen the shape of this man's car. And in his heart, the pastor was already prepared to take that day's church offering and sow it into the man for a new car. Before they prayed, the man said, I heard a preacher say that when you ask God for something, to be specific, so I want to pray for a cherry red corvette. The pastor looked at the man, and immediately realized that this guy was not utilizing prosperity God's way. Here was a man with two kids, a wife, and a baby on the way, and he was asking for a car that only seats 2 people! What was he going to do, put the newborn in the trunk? Set his kids in the hood? The pastor told the guy to come back when he wasn't being so selfish. Unfortunately, he never came back, the man was offended and coveted a cherry red corvette more than he desired to prosper God's way.
This is a perfect differentiation between prosperity vs. covetousness and greed. Are you wanting God to supply your needs, or your greed? Covetousness is an enemy to prosperity, and it will hinder you from receiving God's prosperity, just as it hindered the man who wanted the corvette. He could've left the church that day with enough money for an SUV or a mini-van, but he was not willing to let go of his own lusts.
Biblical prosperity will look different on every believer when it comes to the details, but it will always speak of having enough, and extra.
The man who is called to be a CEO of a fortune-500 company while discipling young men in how to live and lead as godly businessmen, will have a different manifestation of prosperity than the one called to be a missionary in the Congo. But both will have enough to provide for themselves, and extra to give to others.
The woman called to be a housewife and homeschool 4 children while living on a farm, will have a different manifestation of prosperity than the woman called to singleness and evangelism all over the world. But both will have enough for their own bread, plus seed to sow into others.
The one called to be a light as an artist that glorifies the LORD, will have a different manifestation of prosperity than the one called to be a light in the arena of investing and trading. But both will be blessed, to be a blessing.
The bottom line is this:
All believers are promised the blessing of God's Prosperity to have all sufficiency in all things, no matter their calling. It is not due to how good believers are, but due to how good GOD IS.
Don't limit God.
To prosper in the Kingdom of God is to be the waitress, the mailman, the inventor, the painting contractor, the pastor, the CEO, the health coach, the truck driver, the sailor, the construction worker, the salesman, the teacher, the doctor, the dentist, or the fisherman that knows,
I have the favor of God upon me. My job is not my source, but my God is my Source. HE supplies all of my needs, not my employer, not my clients. If I don't have it right now, then I don't need it, because God prospers me and doesn't let me lack any good thing, so that His covenant is established in the earth. So if I don't have it, and I am being obedient to His WORD, then it's not good and not needed right now. Jesus faced lack every day, and He overcame it every single time by trusting in the Father, being thankful, and never worrying. And He always came out with enough, and extra to give to others. I am the head, and not the tail, because I am one-third, wall-to-wall Holy Spirit. The whole Spirit of God lives in me, I am a new creature in Christ Jesus, and all things are new in my life, and all things are of God. Therefore I do not fear, because all things are of God in my life. All things that I need, are given to me by my God. And He never fails me. I don't limit God to only supply me with just enough to get by. I don't expect God to see me as more "righteous" if I am poor. I expect my God to give me all things pertaining to life and godliness, as I grow in the knowledge of Him through His WORD, because He loves me. There may be seasons where I have more, or where I have less. But in every season, I am content. In every season, my God prospers me, because my GOD prospers and His WORD prospers no matter what. And by His grace, He makes me abound with all sufficiency in all things according to His will and His call on my life. Freely I receive from God, and freely I give. I do not limit His goodness. Thank You Jesus.
Prosperity is a blessing of God. It is part of His covenant. He prospers us, because HE IS SO PROSPEROUS. Just as He loves us, because HE IS LOVE. God blesses us, because HE IS BLESSED. So to be a believer and yet say prosperity is evil, is to ignorantly call an attribute of God evil.
Because prosperity is a characteristic of God and it is in His very nature, receiving God's prosperity starts in the heart. If we cannot believe God to be prosperity in Himself, then we cannot believe ourselves to ever be prosperous. For we are created in the image of God, and are being conformed into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29) every single day. His nature, is our true nature as born-again, new creatures in Christ Jesus. When we want to know who we are, we no longer look at our flesh, but we look at Him, and we look at the WORD. We are no longer merely carnal beings, but we are now spiritual beings by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and we are created after righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24.) This is why it is written that we are given all things pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of God.
When we don't have knowledge of God through His WORD, we don't know His nature, and then we can't receive what He has given us because we don't even know who we truly are.
To know God's nature as prosperous, is to know our godly nature to prosper.
Thus, to prosper is to be in the image of God. To prosper is to be like Christ. To prosper is to have more than enough in order to fulfill the call of God on your life, to abound in every good work that God has planned for you, and to have extra to bless others. Prosperity is knowing that El-Shaddai lives inside of you, and every time you walk in faith and obedience to His WORD, He fulfills and prospers His WORD in your life, and thus establishes His covenant in the earth through your life.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am El Shaddai; walk before Me and be blameless."
Genesis 17:1
El Shaddai is one of the Names of God, and it means:
"Almighty; More than enough."
God presented Himself to Abraham using this name, to emphasize His power to fulfill His WORD and all of His covenant promises. The LORD is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) and thus He is El Shaddai in the lives of all believers everywhere, now and forever!
So what is it to prosper?
To prosper is to know God's nature to prosper, and thus know your nature to prosper in Him.
To prosper is to never limit God.
To prosper is to be a steward of God's blessing, and not a slave to money.
To prosper is not to never face lack, but to never fear it, and to trust your God to make you overcome it and prosper you through it every single time.
To prosper is to know who you truly are as a new creature in Christ Jesus, because you know who your God is.
To prosper is to know and understand that Prosperity Himself- El Shaddai, the God of More Than Enough- lives inside of you by the Spirit of the Living God, causing you to abound in all sufficiency in all things that God has called you to in your life, so that you may glorify Him, and help others.
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