Subject: Can we agree? |
Bible Note: Greetings Kelkat! Thanks for providing some Scripture for us to discuss. Let's look briefly at each one! 1) Psalm 35:27 - "27 May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, ‘‘The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.” " This Psalm is David's prayer for vindication. He prays that all those who are for him will be blessed (v. 27) and that all those who are against him will be cursed (v. 26). However, there is no promise from God that this will be the case for every believer. It is simply David's prayer. 2) 3 John 2 - "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." Again we have a personal prayer. John is greeting his friend Gaius. Much like we would say over the phone "I hope everything is going well for you", John says that he prays that Gaius will prosper and be in health even as his soul prospers. But, this is not a promise from God for every believer. 3) Deut. 28:12 - "The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none." This verse is a promise. However, it is a promise to the nation of Israel. I do believe that the general principle behind this promise is true for every nation. If a nation obeys God's commands, God will bless them. However, this is not a promise of individual prosperity for everyone who "claims" it. 4) Deut. 8:18 - " 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." Like above, this verse refers to the blessings of the covenant which God made with Israel, not to individual believers. 5) Phil. 4:19 - "19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." This verse is definitely a promise for believers. But, the promise is that God will meet all of our needs, not our wants. A fancy car, a rolex, a mansion, and a million dollars may not be part of God's plan for our lives. He never promised that it would, but He did promise to meet our needs. 6) Ps. 84:11-12 - "11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. 12 O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you." This verse is probably a reference again to the covenant. David makes the case in this Psalm that the worst God has to offer is best than the best of this world. 7) Mal. 3:10 - "10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, ‘‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." This verse is a reference to God's command to bring a tithe into the temple. If the people of Israel would obey that command, God would bless their nation. They were not obeying the command, thus they were not being blessed. But, this is not a command or promise addressed to believers (for those who want to discuss tithing, please start another thread). :-) 8) 2 Cor. 9:8 - " 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." This verse definitely applies to believers, but like Phil. 4:19, the promise is that God will meet our needs. This refers to the necessaties of life, not the extras. In summary, while there are many examples here of promises to the nation Israel and promises that God will meet our needs, these fall far short of what "faith" teachers claim for us. No where do these verses say that it is God's will for everyone to be rich or even healthy. No where does it say that we can get whatever we claim by faith. We are Christ's slaves according to Scripture. We are commanded to spend our lives in anyway that He see fit. If that means that God desires for us to prosper, than so be it. But, in many cases, God's will is that we demonstrate our faith through the difficult times. Through death, loss, sickness, proverty, we are sometimes more able to demonstrate our faith in God. The point is that God is under no obligation to give us whatever we want, but we are under an obligation to trust Him and obey Him in whatever circumstances He sovereignly places us. What do you think my friend? Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |