(Jos 1:8) This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ESV
It may occur to some that I may be preaching so hard against materialism. But we need to digest this thing so that it gets deep into our spirit, it gets into our sub-conscious and become our natural way of thought.
Joshua 1:8 is a very popular verse and I believe it is nowadays being misused. It is really a "come on" for new believers. It is a very attractive verse because of the promise of prosperity and success. And indeed it has been used by many Churches to attract people to God. And so this very same verse can be used by Satan to deceive many. The Scripture is all pure and all true. But Satan can use this verse so that you become focused on the prosperity part and the success part. The true focus of this verse is the Book itself! For it says, "This Book of the Law.." The passage is emphasizing on the importance of the Book of the Law, the power of the Book of the Law, the ability of the Book of the Law to produce results in our lives! The passage is not about the prosperity and the success but it is about the Book.
And so the passage is encouraging us to focus onto this Book and live what it says. The focus is right there, living according to the Word of God! And then the result of that is our unavoidable prosperity and success. But the carnal mind is immediately taken to the prosperity part and the success part and all the gains that are made available. It is not astonishing why many, later on in their Christian life undergo financial trials. It is for our own good.
Albeit, we are now in the New Testament. Our blessings are not derived from our performance of the law but through a close and personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. We are joint heirs with Him. Whatever He owns, we own also. And so we own all things together with Christ.
It may occur to some that I may be preaching so hard against materialism. But we need to digest this thing so that it gets deep into our spirit, it gets into our sub-conscious and become our natural way of thought.
Joshua 1:8 is a very popular verse and I believe it is nowadays being misused. It is really a "come on" for new believers. It is a very attractive verse because of the promise of prosperity and success. And indeed it has been used by many Churches to attract people to God. And so this very same verse can be used by Satan to deceive many. The Scripture is all pure and all true. But Satan can use this verse so that you become focused on the prosperity part and the success part. The true focus of this verse is the Book itself! For it says, "This Book of the Law.." The passage is emphasizing on the importance of the Book of the Law, the power of the Book of the Law, the ability of the Book of the Law to produce results in our lives! The passage is not about the prosperity and the success but it is about the Book.
And so the passage is encouraging us to focus onto this Book and live what it says. The focus is right there, living according to the Word of God! And then the result of that is our unavoidable prosperity and success. But the carnal mind is immediately taken to the prosperity part and the success part and all the gains that are made available. It is not astonishing why many, later on in their Christian life undergo financial trials. It is for our own good.
Albeit, we are now in the New Testament. Our blessings are not derived from our performance of the law but through a close and personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. We are joint heirs with Him. Whatever He owns, we own also. And so we own all things together with Christ.
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