Priorities for Success

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

First Things First

Success in any endeavor requires careful thought and planning. Goals must be established and then there must be a strategy put in place to achieve our desired outcome.

In order to have Biblical success requires Biblical priorities. There must first be an understanding of the Truth of God in order to gain any scriptural knowledge of how to become successful.

First, we cannot understand the Truth of God unless we are led by the Spirit of God.

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13

Second, we cannot have access to the Spirit of God if we do not first have a relationship with the Son of God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:9

It is then reasonable to conclude that the first step in our quest for biblical success is to receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour.

So stick with me for a few short pages and I will explain to you how to gain more wisdom and insight from the Bible than if you had spent a hundred years in a university.

But before we go any farther I want to have your undivided attention about something. Turn off the T.V. or radio. Go to a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for the next few minutes. Trust me, it will be worth it. Because what I’m going to tell you in the next few paragraphs is really the key to unlocking the greatest treasure trove of success and prosperity on earth.

In order to have a true understanding of Divine wisdom of the Scriptures we must become acquainted with the author. In the book of 2 Peter 1:21 We find that “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Timothy 3:16 Tells us that: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, …”.

The Spirit of God Himself moved the writers of the Bible and inspired (breathed into them), the very words which God wanted them to record for us. It is therefore reasonable that God would give us His Spirit to guide us in the understanding of these words. And, apart from the presence and leadership of the Spirit of God we cannot unlock all the treasures that God has for those who seek to understand His word.

You can’t do it on your own

The Bible makes a clear distinction between those who can and cannot understand the things of God.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor. 2:14-17

Here we see two types of people, the natural man and the spiritual. The natural man is what you were the day you were born. You know, the kind of person who grows up, goes to school, and has hopes and dreams of success and a family. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they do not. Think of it as being thrown into the game of life without knowing the rules. Just doing your best day by day and hoping for a good outcome.

The spiritual man, well he’s different. You can’t put your finger on it, but you just feel like he has an advantage that others do not. You might even feel a little resentment. No need for bad feelings. It is the Creators’ desire that all of His creatures come to know Him in this super -natural way.

You see we have been given this amazing instruction manual called the Word of God, and it reveals to us the secrets of success that God wants each of us to know. Here’s the catch: To know the secrets of the Bible you must know the God of the Bible. You must become a spiritual man. In the next few paragraphs I will tell you exactly how.

People are often described as being “spiritual” because they act a certain way. You cannot pretend your way to spirituality. It is just not possible for the “natural” man to become anything else by his own effort but what he is. The good news is that while there is nothing we can do to make ourselves spiritual, the work has already been done by our very own Mediator.

You see the natural man lost intimate contact with God due to sin entering into the world way back in the Garden of Eden. Yes, that’s right, with two people you’ve probably heard of, Adam and Eve. And because we are their descendants, their sin has also tainted our relationship with God.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Romans 5:12

In fact sin made us the enemies of God and removed from us the blessings of success that God intended for us to have all along. The Bible teaches that it is our sin that keeps us separated from a loving Father who desires more than anything to reconnect with His children.

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2

A Supernatural Plan

So if God desires to have fellowship with us why doesn’t He do something about it. Good news, He did!

If the only way for us to pay for our sin was to forever be cursed from God, He had to find a scapegoat, a substitute for us. So He determined to send His own son Jesus Christ into this world to pay for our sins so that we might go free.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Cor. 5:21

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

How do we gain access to this pardon, this gift of God? Do we join something? Or do we have to do some great work? No, there is nothing you can do or give that can satisfy the wrath of God for our sin. So God gave the only sacrifice that was acceptable, His own Son.

And it is only by faith that we can receive this gift.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

You see, God determined to forgive those who repented of their sins and put their faith in His Son Jesus Christ for salvation. Not only did God give us the gift of His Son; but he also gave us the faith with which to believe in Jesus.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it, (faith,)is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

When you receive the gift of God’s Son you receive the Spirit of Christ as well. The Apostle Peter said:

“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 2:38

Peter makes an even finer point of it when he states:

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” Acts 3:19

Conversion makes you a “new creature” in Christ. The old you has “passed away” and all things between you and God are made new. God explains to us how this is possible. We are told in the book of Romans that if we believe in our hearts that Jesus is resurrected from the dead, and if we invite Jesus to be our Lord, then our sins will be forgiven and we are adopted as the children of God by receiving Christ as our Saviour.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:9-10,13

When you receive Christ as your Lord you also receive His Spirit. This Holy Spirit indwells you and guides you from within enabling you to now understand the word which He himself inspired so long ago. This is the same Holy Spirit that moved the writers of Scripture.

When you receive the Spirit of Christ at the time of salvation you cease to be a “natural” person. When the Spirit of God moves in you become spiritual, or, influenced and guided by Him. It is at this point that you are able to begin to learn the teachings of God’s wisdom and apply them to your life.

An Answer To Prayer

All this happened to me in August of 1980 in a living room in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I had been invited by a friend, Bill Montgomery, to come to dinner at his house. After dinner that night we went into the living room to visit a while before I went back to Fort Carson.

It was then that Bill asked me if I knew whether or not I would go to heaven when I died. I hesitated and made excuses such as “I hope so” or “I’m trying to be a good guy”. Well, Bill did not seem very convinced and neither was I. His next question was a new one for me, “have you ever called on the name of the Lord?”

The truth is, that after years of practicing “religion” I never really knew what the Bible said about salvation. Bill Montgomery’s questions had caused me to realize that I did not know my destination and I did know that I was not “saved”. I remember kneeling down and asking God to forgive my sins and asking Christ to be my Saviour. I remember the joy I felt and the assurance I had that I was now a child of the King and Heaven was my Destination. There was an immediate change in my being. I knew I belonged to Him. I had peace like I had never known before.

I began to read the Bible. This time with a real desire to know the God that loved me so much that He gave His son for me. To my surprise it seemed that the Bible opened up to me. As if scales had been removed from my eyes, I read and understood things that I had never grasped before. I had become that “spiritual” man.

I had received the Spirit of Christ when I had received Christ as my Lord and a whole new world opened up for me. My life has never been the same. I see things differently and I react to things differently as well. People are different to me also. I give them more grace, more deference. Situations in my life are approached from a new point of view. Problems no longer seem devastating and insurmountable; but rather they are another opportunity for me to see the power of God in my life.

My greatest hope is that as you read this you will get your priorities in order in your life. That you will call upon God for mercy and upon Christ for salvation so that you also may be led by the Spirit of Christ, God’s comforter. And by the leadership of the Holy Spirit we will search the riches of the Bible for true success and prosperity to the glory of God. Join me each week as we delve into the Scriptures topic by topic in a search for heavenly treasure and earthly blessings