03/10/2009
Christ has won the ultimate victory on the cross. The word of God enlightens us as to what areas that victory applies. As a matter of fact, it applies to every area of our lives. However, here is where a lot of us error today. Even though the victory has been won in every area including everything that pertains to the natural, many of the saints mentioned in the word of God chose to forego the natural for rewards in heaven and for the sake of their love for Christ (one example is in Heb 11:35). This balance is much needed in our modern times.
We’ve tried to run as far as we can from a poverty mindset but as a result have fallen into the ditch on the other side. This has produced selfishness and an arrogance that God hates. Some have even gone to the extent of criticizing people like Hudson Taylor for their lack and in all that they underwent for Christ, saying that they did not know the word of God on prosperity and that is why they suffered. This exposes us to our true state as to how blind and miserable we are for we claim to see more than those saints. Even if some parts of it may be true, our attitude must be one that of honor for the saints of the past and not of arrogance and a ‘better than thou.’ mindset.
If we claim to have been blessed by God’s word and it may be true, then we have received our reward indeed on this earth. However, do we have treasures stored up in eternity? Have our teachings created people who are rich toward God or rich toward the world?
Let us ponder a moment on the basis God rewards us in heaven? There are several criterias and suffering for Him is one of them. In highlighting this point, it is not with the intent that we should be poor or even look to be poor (or look to suffer) but that we come to a place where we are willing to give away anything for Christ. It is from this foundation we will look into the following point.
Having gained a proper perspective, let us look at the other side of the coin.
3) Stand firm on your ground.
As said earlier Christ has won the victory for every area of our lives. So when we are facing lack in a particular area we have the legal right to take our stand in Christ in that particular area.
Ephesians 6:11 talks about standing our ground against the demonic forces that might come against us. We stand our ground against them by having the whole armor of God on (Click to read on the armor of God in Spiritual Warfare).
In the context of our article and its relation to our times, we can take our stand against any lack that comes our way when we have been walking in God’s will. One of the ways is through the word of God. We have the promises of God to our backing. The scripture is full of them. When we declare them in the spirit or act on them releasing faith, we will surely see positive results in the natural.
It is even better when God has specifically spoken to us about a particular situation. We can use that word to do warfare against whatever that might oppose that word of promise. It is in this context Paul exhorts Timothy in his first epistle (verse 18 of chapter 1)
This charge I commit to you, my son Timothy, according to the prophecies, which went before about you, in order that you might war a good warfare by them,
So if we are facing challenging times in our lives, let us stand firm through his word in the victory Christ has already accomplished. He will definitely come through for us for He is not a man that He should lie.
