”Ignorance is bliss” is a common saying. Another way of saying that is, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.”  There are many expressions like this that we grew up with but that are wrong.  For instance, with the first expression, if you are ignorant of God’s Word, does that make for a blissful life?  On our deathbed, would it hurt us to have no knowledge of Jesus Christ and everlasting life?

Ignorance is not bliss! What you don’t know will hurt you. Ignorance of finances from God’s perspective can lead to a life of frustration and despair.  It is much better to know how God says to handle finances than to be blissfully ignorant of His instructions and wisdom.

Here is another one: “God helps those that help themselves.” This is not true. God sent His son to deliver mankind when mankind could do nothing about his fallen position because of Adam’s sin. There are many examples of people whom Jesus Christ healed that could not help themselves.  What we can do is learn what is available from God and learn how to access God’s promises. Then we can go to the Throne of Grace to find strength and His HELP in time of need.

The world has taught us that: “What you see is what you get.”  God says we are to live by faith and not by what we see.  Jesus Christ said, “Blessed are they that have not seen and yet believe.” We did not see Christ in his resurrected body, and we cannot see the promise of Christ’s return, but we believe both are true. We will receive this promise of Christ’s return at the appointed time. When you bring the tithes into the storehouse, can you SEE the windows of heaven open? No, but we live by trusting the promises of God (faith) not by what we see.

“You made your bed; you sleep in it.”  No, God made us a brand, new bed.  His “bed” gives us body, soul AND SPIRIT as well as everlasting life. I no longer have to live in the “bed” the devil helped me make.  I am now a citizen of the kingdom of God, and I will sleep in the bed, in the life, God has prepared for me.

Many Christians believe the idea that God is to keep the preacher humble, and their job is to keep him poor. Chapter and verse, please.

None of these sayings are found in God’s Word. These expressions and many more are the ways of the world.  They sound good, but they are not valid. Romans 12 tells us to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are to put on the thoughts of Christ, the mind of Christ.  We are to live by faith and not by sight.

Once you learn that what you have believed is not true, and you have learned the truth, you may be left with a set of negative emotions. Sometimes emotions may have more power over us than truth.

Here is an example of what I mean.  When I was a small boy, about five or six years old, my parents took me to a tent revival.  I heard the preacher say that even if you are born again and ask God to forgive you for your sins or a certain sin, and if you sin again and die in a car wreck on the way home that night before you can ask for forgiveness, God will send you to Hell because sin cannot be in the presence of God.  I also heard that when you die you will stand before the Great White Throne for judgment. The books will be opened and if you have too many sins, God will send you to Hell. This scared me to death. I felt I could never be good enough.

However, I learned as I got older that Jesus Christ paid for all our sins. He is a complete redeemer. We may sin while we are here on the earth, but when Jesus Christ comes back, all that are born again, all of God’s children, go home with Jesus Christ. We have already been judged and declared righteous by the work of Jesus Christ, so we will never stand before the Great White Throne. Instead, we as believers will stand before the judgment seat called The Bema to receive rewards for our labors of love while we await the return of the Son of God.

The problem I had for years was that even though I knew the truth that I am God’s child forever no matter what, I emotionally felt that God was cold and uncaring. Once again, emotions can be more powerful than our understanding and belief of truth. The wrong teachings from my youth left me with the feeling that God did not care at all whether you went to Heaven or spent eternity in Hell. I felt He just did not care.

Now, I knew that was not true.  God says in His Word that He is a God of love. The truth is that once we are His children, we can never be separated from God and His love no matter what.  But the emotion of His not caring was a struggle to overcome.

I talked to God about that many times and asked Him to show me what to do about that problem.  I thought to myself, if He paid off my bills would I then believe He loved me? No, because in 10 years or less, the bills would be back, and then what? He would have to do it again because it did not last.  Finally, one day He caused me to realize my problem was that I did not believe properly. Although I had learned and taught the verse that says God introduced His love for us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, I did not believe it. As I worked on that verse to believe it, the problem quickly left. I saw that God did not have to “do” anything to convince me of His love because He already had given the proof.   I was amazed at my own unbelief. If you would have asked me, ”Do you believe that verse?,” I would have said “Yes.”  But, apparently, I did not.

I gave the above example to say this:  You may find that what you were taught about money, or what you learned from the culture, your church, or family left you with the feeling of not being good enough before God for The Prosperous Life or a sense of hopelessness for example.  The way to deal with those emotions is to decide to believe and trust that what God says is the truth, not your feelings.  Ask God for help in that area, and He will.

So, when it comes to your money, don’t be content to be blissfully ignorant. What you don’t know or believe will hurt you.  Instead, go to work, begin to study what God has really said in His Word, and then read and study how other enlightened Christians have applied those truths in our day and time. Watch your life and finances begin to change as you apply the principles. Then you will see more of The Prosperous Life open up in your life.

 2 Kings 4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

The relationship between the master and the bondservant or slave was much different than the images we may have of slaves in the United States years ago.  The following record tells how Israelites were to be treated that were sold into slavery because they could not pay off their debts.  In the case above, they were having to pay off their father’s debt. They were in our terms, bankrupt. God’s law allowed them to be sold into slavery to pay off the debt.  Better than debtor’s prison! Situations are much different than the times we live in.  In the following record, which is part of the law, they should have learned not to go into debt!

Deuteronomy 15:12-18  And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day. And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise. It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

In some cases, the servant’s life was so much better as a slave/servant/bondman than the life he had before that he wanted to stay working for his master. At times, these people were relatives and became the main steward or manager of the master’s affairs.

To get an idea of what the servant’s duties could entail, we can read about Joseph. He was sold into slavery by his brothers not because of debt but envy. Who needs enemies when you have such a loving family?

 Genesis 39:1-6 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

These servants, stewards, or slaves were well-trained. In today’s time, we might call them a manager. They were to always keep their eye on the master when he was around. Remember the record in the gospels where Jesus says you cannot serve two masters. You cannot keep your eye on two masters at the same time. We either serve God or the systems of the world. We cannot serve both.

Psalm 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a female servant to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious to us. New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 6:13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

Although this verse is in a negative context, the servants were trained to keep their eyes on their masters so intently that all the master had to do was give a signal, and the servant would respond. This is similar to how we as God’s children are to keep our eyes on our Father. The first step of keeping our eyes on our Father is to believe and walk on His Word.

Another example of stewards in the Bible is in Luke 16.

Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

The emphasis in all these records is their service to their master. In some cases, they ran the business affairs of the master as in the case of Joseph. Part of their job would be to see that the household ran smoothly and to see to it that the master prospered in his business affairs. Their service was to their master.

Now the master was obligated to take care of his servant. The care of the servant was all part of the culture in the lands and times of the Bible. God did not record much about the care of the servant because the Bible is an Eastern book, and Eastern people were familiar with these customs. He provided them with a home, income, a donkey to ride, medical care and school for their children. But the emphasis in the Bible is not on how well the master took care of the steward but, the emphasis is on the steward’s service to the master.

Some have said it is God’s obligation to make sure we prosper in our relationship with God as sons. This is interesting because that attitude slightly twists things so that we are absolved of responsibility when it comes to prosperity. Many people buy homes that are at the maximum that the bank will loan. If they lose their job and can’t find another, they are out on the street. The average car payment according to experts is $500-$600 per month and some people make two payments. In addition, their credit cards are charged to the max. Is it entirely God’s responsibility to make sure all the payments are made on time? Is this being a good steward of the funds God gives us by paying so much of our income as interest to the bankers? NOT! This is serving the systems of the world. This is how people get into financial trouble and go bankrupt.

Others have said you can tell how close to God a person walks or how great a servant they are by how God has prospered them. Really? That is how the Pharisees felt in the gospels. They were so concerned about their prosperity; they were willing to rob widows of their money. They thought by being very prosperous it showed God’s favor on their lives. Yet God said they were covetous, lovers of money, and lovers of the praise of men more than lovers of God. Think about the great apostle Paul. He obviously walked close to God, yet he said he had to work so he would not be chargeable to others.

In the Old Testament times, including the gospel era, the closest relationship a person could have with God was that of a servant. It was a similar relationship to that of a master and a slave. These servants were expected to work in service to God. This servant relationship with God would be for all people that wanted to serve God and would have included the prophets, the priests, the Levites, and many other believers. They worked in service to God in many different ways including with their finances.

Now with the slave sold because of their debts, the master would have had to take the time to train the new slave/servant on how to manage the master’s business. Remember, they were sold into slavery because they were bankrupt and were sold as slaves to work off their debt. The slave obviously had violated many financial principles that God put in His Word. These people were full of bad financial habits and wrong thinking. The master would have had to educate them on the fundamental principles of handling money in a godly manner and the fundamental principles of business so that there would be good profit at the end of the year when the books were opened. The servants could have been trained by the master in a face-to-face setting or by some of his already trained servants or perhaps by being with the master day after day. There would be a lot of changing of the mind and changing of the heart. Sometimes changing the mind is mentally painful.

It turns out then that being sold into servitude could be a great benefit to some in Israel. In this process, the new servant could learn how to manage money responsibly. They may have learned many things about running a profitable business.

This process can take quite a while, but the new servant had six to seven years in which to learn. He would have had to learn new thinking patterns about how money works. For instance what to do when emergencies arise. He would have had to learn not to borrow money, to tithe and give, to save some of the income, and he would have had to learn how to invest or trade so that his master’s money increased. He would have to learn how to reorganize his financial life. He may have had to learn how to interact with business clients better, and how to dress appropriately. Many of these things are spoken of in the book, Braker’s Rules for Contractors. These processes sound simple but are not part of most people’s everyday lives. They are of the most benefit if the servant humbles himself and becomes teachable.

It is one thing to sit through a weekend seminar and learn. It is something else to have a complete change of mind and heart, where you would never go back to how you conducted your life before. That takes time. That takes growing to where you can actually “see” the benefit. It takes being there with the teacher and seeing how these new processes work and their results.

During the seventh year of servitude, he could decide to stay as a servant if he felt his life was far better with this master than the life he had before, and the master agreed that the servant had learned enough to now be an asset to the master’s business.

It reminds me of one of the parables in the gospels where the goodman of the house left for a while and gave four of his servants certain amounts of money. It was a test time to see how far they had come. Three did very well; they showed themselves to have learned and were faithful with the master’s money. So, he gave them more responsibility according to their ability. One had not learned anything and was worthless. Arrogance, self-will, or pride are self-defeating when it comes to learning.

At the end of his servitude, the servant could go out free.  Remember, God has said: And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.

This is interesting because according to Eastern culture the master was to give the servant enough to last a year or go back into business.

When God set Israel free of their servitude in Egypt, He gave them cities and towns and homes already built in the promised land. Crops were already planted and there were barns to put the crops in. God expected these masters to treat these servants the same way.

So servitude was not just about being a slave and paying off debts. But God set it up to be a great benefit to the bankrupt man where he could learn how to prosper and not get caught in the same trap again.

1. His debts were cleared up.
2. He had the opportunity to learn how to truly handle money and finances and how to run a business.
3. He now had it available to go back into business again.
4. Or he could continue to work with the master as a trusted servant, marked out with an awl by the elders at the gate.

This was actually a reproof and correction process for wrong thinking. As it says in Timothy, “all scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof and correction which is instruction in right living.”

If he humbled himself and paid attention, he could learn and start a whole new prosperous life.

Now our relationship with God is not that of a servant.

Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

We are sons and daughters of God, not servants like they were before the Day of Pentecost. We are heirs of God through the work of Jesus Christ. We have God’s gift of holy spirit born within us making us His children rather than servants.

When it comes to money and finances that God gives us to manage, because it all belongs to Him anyway, we cannot sit down face to face with our Father and be taught by Him. We receive our instruction from God’s Word. This would be far better than the Old Testament system. God’s wisdom is great and, when it comes to money, He is the best to learn from. We can also learn from others that have been down this road before. Some of the best authors on Christian prosperity learned after they went bankrupt.

Some of the instructions our Father has given us are:

1. Be a tither or giver
2. Also have some to give to those that are in need
3. Stay out of debt
4. Save some of all the money that comes in
5. Learn to invest that saved money and see it increase and grow as Joseph did.

Now our service is the same as in the old days. We still serve God in the family business, but our relationship is that of children not servants. Our relationship is far better than that of servants, and we should do far better than they did as servants. If we as sons and daughters are to be good stewards of His blessings, we need to learn how He expects us to handle His business and the funds He blesses us with.

Many of God’s children, because they have not been taught or have been taught wrongly, are not good managers of the funds He gives. I have known people, myself included, that have tithed all their lives and are still broke or that go bankrupt. The way out of the wrong thinking that leads to these situations is to start with the instructions our Father has left us in His Word.

The Bible says God makes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on the just and the unjust (agricultural examples). In other words, He provides for all, and all prosperity belongs to Him in the end. God left us with an instruction book, the Bible, on how to properly handle the funds He gives. Learning how to properly deal with money is partly how we participate in the family business of our Father. It is hard to concentrate on the things of God when we are buried in bills and bill collectors. God’s way is much better. His wisdom is the finest. As Jesus said, “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The systems of the world lead to despair.

As we show ourselves faithful in the little matters in life, including money, then as the masters in the Old Testament gave their trusted servants more responsibility, God can trust us with more understanding and the true riches of Luke 16.

The learning process can take time. This learning process is all part of learning about how to live The Prosperous Life.

There are perhaps many reasons why most Christians live from paycheck to paycheck and do not see the prosperity God has promised in his Word.

We don’t think we are worthy of prosperity.

We don’t believe it is God’s will for us to be prosperous and wealthy people.

We don’t want to fall into the category of the filthy rich.

We don’t know the fundamental nature of our Father.

We are ignorant of the promises of God in His Word.

We are ignorant of God’s instructions in His Word on how to handle money.

We as Christians for far too long have taken our attitudes about money and finances from the world and from those in the church that, although well-meaning perhaps, have only taught what they were taught.  Much of what has been taught in the secular world and the church has been the opposite of what God has declared in His Word.

What they have said God is like many times — He is not.  What they say God has said, when you look in His word, He did not say at all, or they have taken His words out of their context. We might be well served to do as those in Berea did.

Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so

In these blogs, we want to know what God really said.  To find that out, we need to sit and read His Word for ourselves.  Then we need to compare what we read with what we have been taught by the world and the church.  If we can get back to just what God has said and believe that, it may change our lives.

For instance, I came across this verse many years ago and I never forgot it.  I had never heard this before. The verse was contrary to what I learned growing up.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

That verse alone should arrest our attention when it comes to prosperity and wealth.  He gives us the power to get wealth, and then He tells us why; that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto the fathers.  The Church of born-again believers often needs money, so God gives His people the power to get wealth.  But He needs faithful people to store up the prosperity as it comes in so they can give to every good work. God does not usually ask you to give it all away.  That is important to remember.

In our search to learn what God really said and what He is really like, Hebrews 11 has some insight.

Hebrews 11:5-6  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith (believing-trust) it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him

Believing or trusting God is pleasing to Him AND God says He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.  That is what we are doing here in the area of prosperity. This searching of the scriptures will bleed over into every aspect of our lives.  He also tells us that believing is what is really pleasing to Him as opposed to how we feel about money or what the world finds acceptable.

In diligently seeking God, keeping God first in our lives and heart is a great key.  How do we keep him first? By obedience to His Word from our heart.

Here are a few verses that can help you get started:

Proverbs 3:8-10  It (the wisdom of God) shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Proverbs 8:21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures (storehouses).

As EW Bullinger, the great researcher of God’s Word, said, “Practical Christian Life and walk will be in direct proportion to our knowledge of God.” In our search to understand prosperity from God’s point of view, we need to increase our knowledge of God – increase our knowledge of what God has really said. This is truly the Christian’s greatest need.  The lack of this true knowledge of God is the basic reason so many of us lack the prosperity our Father truly desires for us. In the opening verses of both Ephesians and Colossians, God speaks to our great need for a true knowledge of Him.

Ephesians 1:17-19  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Colossians 1:9-10  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 

If we would please Him (as we read in Hebrews) in all things, we must know what will please Him. We need to sit down before God’s Word and get to know Him through it.  He has given us His Word and revealed Himself therein so that we may find out what it is that pleases Him.  What He loves what He hates.  What it is He does.  We are to get to know His will, His love, and His almighty power. We need to get to know His faithfulness, His truth, His goodness and mercy, His patience, His gentleness, His care for us, and all His other attributes.  As we get to know Him, we cannot help but trust that He will do as He has said. (Some of the above was paraphrased from The Christian’s Greatest Need by EW Bullinger).  Trusting God and believing what He has really said is pleasing to Him and He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him!

Deuteronomy 28:8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

As we see His will in His Word is for us to prosper, then we would want to search out how God has said to bring that prosperity to pass in our lives.  The first step is to believe His Word and then to learn about the law of giving and receiving which, Lord willing, we will cover next time.

Always remember “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet…”

It teaches me how to live and how to walk with God in this adventure of walking in The Prosperous Life.

Part of the challenge in understanding God’s Word is to rightly apply the verses in the right context in our lives. So, it is with the subject of prosperity. If we jerk a verse out of its context and apply it in the wrong area, we have taken what was the Word of God and changed it into the word of men – religion. This causes confusion and frustrates our understanding of God’s will for our lives.

First, there are a considerable number of instructions God gives about how to prosper to those who seek Him and love Him above all else. Abraham is a worthy example. God gave him great wealth, but Abraham loved God more than even his own son. God was first in his life above all else.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Deuteronomy 28:2,3 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

Proverbs 8:21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Jeremiah 17:7,8 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 (Part of keeping God first would also include then, the verses on giving.

Those that keep Him first would naturally obey His Word.)

Second, the Pharisees and others were the opposite. They were covetous, they loved money, prosperity, prestige, and power more that they loved God. God was not first in their lives, money was. Money in and of itself is worthless if all you do is sit and look at it. It is what comes because of the money, or what the money brings you — power, position, prestige, etc.

Luke 16:14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

Luke 12:13-15  And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

To take someone to court to get what they have is not necessary. It would be envy – you want what they have. God is more than able to supply you himself with a great abundance – just ask.

To Abraham and his offspring, the children of Abraham, believers that keep God first, God gave promises of prosperity. To the Pharisees and their like, God gave the warnings or cautions against loving money more than God.

So, the challenge is to learn to keep the promises or the warnings in the category God put them in while rising up to claim and believe the promises of God. We practice our relationship with God by keeping Him first. This is us growing in godliness while being content, not anxious about tomorrow, or what others have, as we expect to see our Father bring His word to pass in our lives, and fill our treasuries.

First Timothy has some instruction and two of the great warnings in the sixth chapter.

(WTJ) I Timothy 6:3-5 If anyone teaches something different and does not approach healthy words (those of our Lord Jesus Christ) and the teaching [what was taught] according to godliness, then he is puffed up with pride, knowing nothing but having an ailment of the mind relating to controversies and word battles. Of these come envy, strife, slander, evil suspicions, constant quarrels from people corrupted in the mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

These folks want what you have, envy, they want to end up on top in the argument and to be seen as the best around. If you slander someone, it implies you are better than they are. God says these people have a lot of pride, are corrupted in the mind, and are deprived of the truth. They believe that winning arguments and/or being wealthy shows they walk with God.

Vs. 6 Now godliness with contentment is a great means of gain. (Promise – correction and instruction)

This verse is commonly used as a warning to anyone trying to rise up and believe the promises of prosperity God has placed in His Word. But actually, it is instruction on the proper means of great gain. Contentment and walking with God as opposed to pride, envy, strife, etc. This verse sets, in contrast, the proper means of gain, developing godliness in your own life as opposed to what the ungodly do because of pride.

So, the challenge here to us is to be content with what we have while we are endeavoring to rise up and believe the promises of God. God is not saying in this verse to be content – in your poverty – when you cannot pay your bills – with large credit card debt. That would be like telling us to not rise up and believe that God is the Lord that heals but be content with your sickness.

In the discussion of prosperity, one needs to make a distinction between the promises of God about prosperity and the warnings of God to not get out of bounds.

Vs. 9 However, those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful cravings, which cause people to sink into ruin and destruction. (Warning)

 Rich in power, prestige, or wealth

Vs. 10 Certainly, avarice is a root of all the evils, to which some have aspired and have been led astray from the [right way of] believing and have wounded themselves with many sharp pains. (Warning)

Covetousness is translated here as avarice from an online dictionary: The meaning of “avarice” is excessive or insatiable desire for wealth or gain: greediness. This translator used the same word avarice in 1 Timothy 3.

1 Timothy 3:3 not a drunkard, not a pugnacious bully but forbearing, disinclined to quarreling, not avaricious,

The King James here says, “not covetousness.”  Many translate this as “not a lover of money.”

Many times, in His Word, God shows us how godly wealth is acquired. This thinking about prosperity may be different than what you have understood for years. But read the scriptures for yourself; read them in the context and see for yourself if this is true. It may take a while to wrap your mind around this way of thinking, but once you do, it will change your life. By rising up and keeping the promises of prosperity and the warnings against covetousness in their proper places, you will grow in godliness and in your journey of The Prosperous Life.

Note:  There is more on this topic in Poverty vs Wealth, Chapter 4.