Spiritual And Material Prosperity

Spiritual And Material Prosperity

(3 John 2-4)

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. 3 It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

INTRODUCTION

We saw in our previous study that Third John is an epistle addressed to Gaius, a man whom John would have prosper: "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers" - 3Jn 2

In this verse, John alludes to two kinds of prosperity:

a. There is spiritual prosperity ("just as your soul prospers")

b. And there is material prosperity ("that you may prosper in all things and be in health")

The manner in which John mentions and compares these two kinds of prosperity is interesting, and raises several questions worth considering:

a. What are the signs of spiritual prosperity?

b. What is the propriety of praying for material prosperity?

c. Would we want John to pray such a prayer for us?

[These questions we shall attempt to answer in this lesson. Beginning with the first question, we need to go no further than the context of Third John...]

I. THE SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL PROSPERITY

A. THE TRUTH IS ABIDING IN YOU

John rejoiced greatly when he heard from others of how the "truth" was in Gaius - 3Jn 3a. That was one indication that his soul was prosperous. What does it mean to have the "truth" in you?

Two possibilities:

It could refer to the abiding of Jesus in one's soul, as He is the truth - cf. Jn 14:6

It could refer to the incorporation into our very heart and soul the teachings and principles of the gospel of Jesus

B. THAT YOU ARE WALKING IN THE TRUTH

John could also joyfully write of Gaius "walking in the truth" - 3Jn 3b-4. In a sense, there is a mixing of metaphors here, The truth abides in Gaius and Gaius walks in the truth. -- Perhaps that simply illustrates the limitation of human language to describe spiritual realities

The point to be made, however, is this: for there to be prosperity, there must be progress. It is not enough to simply sit and say "I have the truth in my soul". One must be acting upon it, living according to it, as illustrated by Jesus in His sermon on the mount - cf. Mt 7:24-27. True blessedness comes in being a "doer" and not just a "hearer" - Jm 1:22-25; Jn 13:17.

[Spiritual prosperity occurs as one feeds upon the truth of God found only in His Son Jesus Christ, and lives his or her life in harmony with that truth. So Gaius prospered in his soul, and so can we!

Gaius' need was not spiritual prosperity, it evidently was material prosperity. This brings up the question of...]

II. THE SUITABILITY OF PRAYING FOR MATERIAL PROSPERITY

A. JOHN'S PRAYER

John thought it proper to pray for things other than spiritual needs - 3Jn 2, "that you may prosper in all good things", "and be in good health". Whether it be family, business, or personal health, it is proper to pray that God might bless us in these areas.

B. JOHN’S PATTERN

The example of the Psalmist - cf. Ps 144:12-15. The example of our Lord - Mt 6:11 ("Give us this day our daily bread")

C. JOHN’S PERSPECTIVE

If our desire for material prosperity is for personal gain, then we should not expect God to answer favorably - cf. Jm 4:2-4

But there can be humanitarian reasons for praying for material prosperity: We can pray for health, that one might live longer to serve the Lord in this life. We can pray for success in business, that we might have the means to help others. We can pray for peace, that we might further the spread of the gospel. Of course, it is much easier to pray with proper perspective when it is others we are praying for, and not ourselves (that is the case in our text!).

[That brings us to a few final observations I would like to make concerning...]

III. THE SPIRITUAL VERSUS MATERIAL PROSPERITY.

A. "...JUST AS YOUR SOUL PROSPERS"

John prays that Gaius prosper materially just as he does spiritually. In view of Gaius' spiritual prosperity (the truth abides in him, he walks in the truth), this prayer if answered would be a blessing to Gaius.

Would we want God to answer such a prayer on our behalf? To the degree that our souls prosper... Would we want Him to bless our physical bodies? Would we want Him to bless our families, our homes, our jobs, our nation?