Should We Always Have Faith For Health And Wealth?
Posted by: biblenotes <biblenotes@...>
From: Martin M Overfield
Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000
Should We Always Have Faith For Health And Wealth?
"Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick."
(II Timothy 4:20)
"Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and
are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; And labour, working with
our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:" (I
Corinthians 4:11,12)
"Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same
rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and
mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of
whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the
enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their
belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)"
(Philippians 3:16-19)
Under the inspiration of God, Paul writes that the Philippians were to
follow him and to use him as an example ("ensample" here means "a model [for
imitation]" - Strong's) of how to live the Christian life. At the same
time, He gives them a warning to beware of those "who mind earthly things".
The Scriptures are relevant for us today. If the early Christians were
to follow Paul's example, we should also. If the early Christians were to
beware of the "enemies of the cross of Christ", "who mind earthly things",
we should also beware.
HEALTH
While following Paul's example, we should note that even he did not
always heal everyone (nor did Jesus -- remember the impotent man and the
"multitude" at the Pool of Bethesda). He left Trophimus, a fellow worker in
Christ, sick at Miletum. Even the great apostle Paul, who sent anointed
pieces of cloth, which when taken to the sick were used of God to heal them,
did NOT heal a fellow laborer and Christian. (By the way, he did not send
out a plea for money with the anointed cloths in order for them to work.)
According to the teachings of some today, whom Paul would label as
"enemies of the cross of Christ", any Christian who is not healthy has
something wrong with him spiritually, or just does not have enough faith. I
dare say that it takes just as much faith, maybe even a greater quality of
faith, to accept sickness and death if they are in the will of God. Even G.
C. Bevington, who believed it is the Christian's privilege to be in good
repair physically, sought to know the will of God before praying the prayer
of faith for someone's healing.
I believe that we could see many more true healings in our day, if we
would pray earnestly and believe God, but I cannot find in the Bible that
sickness is always an indication of sin in the life or an indication of a
lack of faith.
WEALTH
As an apostle Paul was a leader in the early church. However, he never
took advantage of his authority for personal gain. This is why he had to
suffer the want of many earthly things. Those who teach that we must be
wealthy because we are children of the King are missing the clear teachings
of the Word of God on this matter.
Not only did Paul lack some things at times, but He also worked with his
own hands to pay his own way (tent making -- no easy task when we consider
that they made them out of goat's hair without the use of modern machinery).
One of the greatest of old time preachers of Biblical salvation and
holiness, John Wesley Redfield, M. D., would preach in revival meetings for
the poorest of churches. He would usually work during the summer to be able
to supply his own needs during the revival seasons.
Those who are truly called into the ministry and anointed of God do not
come preaching and leading the people in such a way as to make their own
selves rich -- by minding the earthly things. Rather the true ministers of
God, come as servants. Jesus said that he that would be great among us is
to be the servant of all. And, if the leaders are to be servants, what
about the followers?
Jesus acted as a servant to His disciples and said, "If I then, your
Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's
feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to
you." (John 13:14,15). "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through
his poverty might be rich." (II Corinthians 8:9).
I thank God for every wealthy Christian, who pays his tithes, gives
offerings according to his means, and does everything with his (or I should
say with God's) money that would please God. But, "Hearken, my beloved
brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and
heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?" (James
2:5). Remember that there were poor saints at Jerusalem for whom Paul took
up offerings (Romans 15:26). If he believed like some today, he would have
just told them that they needed to ask God to make them rich, and God would
have to do what they asked.
The modern day health, wealth, and prosperity teachers are leading
people astray from the true principles of the kingdom of God. Let us test
all teachings by the whole Word of God.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
(I Thessalonians 5:21)
Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield
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