Today’s Bible Study, Authored by Arthur
Cincotti. 02/04/2024
Listen to our Bible
Study Discussion at: Success Bible Study Podcast
Or watch the Video Zoom Session of our Study on YouTube:
Success
What a defining word for our culture, perhaps even for the
world system which is driven by the pursuit of success. Michael Ramsden,
formerly of RZIM, once said that success has no meaning, (as a word) “a donkey
is successful at being a donkey.” In this we immediately recognize that,
conceptually, success requires a qualifier in order to have meaning. And
we have no shortage of qualifiers that we may place before or after the word in
order to justify our existence and to fit the equation.
The most practical expression of success is to achieve a
desired outcome or aim. You study for the math test. You get all the answers
right. You are successful in that sphere.
Jos. 1:8 says, “This Book
of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day
and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good
success.”
Read the Book, do what it says, have success; a sort of quid
pro quo with God. Interesting how the above verse blends prosperity with
success, which is something we are quick to recognize and agree with.
Gen. 24:12 is another
excellent example of practical success. “Then he said, ‘O LORD God
of my master Abraham, please give me success this day…’”
Job was a successful guy, by
the worlds standard but by chapter 6:13 he says, “And is success driven from
me?” Often success is not evaluated until it is lost.
Gen. 39:2 describes Josephs
experience with Potiphar, “The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he
was in the house of his master the Egyptian.”
In the New Covenant we
unveil a new equation.
Gal. 2:16 says, “knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus
Christ” Kind of contradicts Jos. 1:8.
Heb. 7:19 says, “for the
law made nothing perfect…” Or may I say “successful?” It’s not that the Law
was bad or imperfect, but our ability to keep it. Following Joshua’s injunction
Israel fails miserably.
So, what does success look
like in the New Covenant?
Paul says, in II Cor. 12:10, “For
when I am weak, then I am strong.” Seemingly an inversion of our
presupposition of what success looks like.
All the apostles, except for
John, died a criminals death. Doesn’t sound very successful. John was boiled in
oil and exiled to the island of Patmos.
Finding alignment with God’s
will for our lives is true success. Not
all of us will be called to the above experience, but alignment with
God’s will is often painful to our flesh and contrary to our sense of success.
How do we govern this
alignment?
I Th. 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice
always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
I Pet. 2:15 says, “For
this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the
ignorance of foolish men”
I Jo. 2:17 is very bold to
say, “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the
will of God abides forever.”
Awkwardly, I’m still seeing a
lot of qualifiers to determine success.
Non of us are one hundred
percent regarding the New Testament Scriptures either.
How can we be successful
with God? Can we be?
The good news of the
Scripture is that we are successful in Christ by default. If you are a
Christian, a Believer, born again, saved, or however you wish to frame it, you
are a success!
Let’s make it practical. What
is your goal?
Do you aim to be loved by
God? You are! Success
Eph. 1:6, “…He made us accepted in the Beloved”
Do you hope to go to heaven? You will Success
“whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved”
Do you wish you had help in
trouble? You do Success
Ps. 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever
present help in trouble.”
Would you like to access the
resources of heaven? You
can Success
II Pet. 1:3, “as His divine power has given to us all
things that pertain to life and
godliness, through the knowledge of Him
who called us by glory and virtue.”
Though I would caution my next saying by confirming that it
is never the will of God to sin, I will say that it is questionable whether we
can avoid the will of God. We are caught up in a great narrative, as small or
as great as our part my be is not the measure of our success, because it’s not
about us. It’s about Him! His will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven.
It’s unavoidable.
If you wish to “feel” successful, as a believe, the best
indicator is peace. That comes by embracing the above truths and
trusting Him with the outcome. He is the great Qualifier. He has
qualified us for sonship. We couldn’t do it on our own.
That sounds pretty
successful!
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My wife, TammyLyn, also offers Christian encouragement via her
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Encouragement for the Path of
Christian Discipleship
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