Chapter Eleven

Principles of Prosperity in the Kingdom of God

The Principles of the Kingdom of God in terms of Prosperity and Power are in direct opposition to the principles of this world.  The whole cosmos is considered as one unity and works in consonance one part supporting the other.  It is like a vast network where each is linked to the other.

1. THE PRINCIPLE OF SOWING AND REAPING

One of the basic principles of the world created by God is the Principle of Sowing and Reaping

The most direct exposition of this principle is found in 2 Corinthians.

2 Cor 9:6 -7

Remember this:

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,

and

whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Each man should give

what he has decided in his heart to give,

not reluctantly or under compulsion,

for God loves a cheerful giver

  Paul is here talking about money and financial help to saints. There is therefore no question of interpreting it as simply connected with spiritual help only. Verse 8 probably is the best definition of Prosperity in Biblical perspective.

*That you may have enough of everything

*and in plenty

so that there is enough and more to provide in abundance for every good work. God’s abundant blessing has a double purpose,

* to provide in abundance everything for his children

* to provide in abundance for every good work.

These are the two sides of the same coin of the Principle of Sowing and Reaping. You sow to reap and reap to sow. So Paul continues:

2 Cor 9:9 As it is written:

"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."

[You have received, not because you deserve it. But because God is merciful and his righteousness is everlasting]

Before God expects you to sow, he provides you with the seed necessary for the sowing. He gives because he wants to receive back thanksgiving.

2 Cor 9:10-11

Now he who supplies seed to the sower

and bread for food

will also supply

and increase your store of seed

and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

You will be made rich in every way

so that you can be generous on every occasion,

and through us

your generosity

will result in thanksgiving to God.

Give

Simply put the principle states that:

If you do not give, you will not receive. That is a negative statement. Let us be positive. Then it reads as: If you give, you will receive. This principle is universal and is true in all spheres of life. If you want love, give love.  If you want honor and respect, give honor and respect.  

Extend this over to finances and to all our daily affairs and we have the core of Jesus’ teachings as Jesus conceived exists in the Kingdom of God. In the sermon on the mount Jesus clamped down on the practical application of this principle. Thus in Luke 6: 27 on wards we see Jesus advising thus:

Luke 6:27-29 Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.

Luke 6:30  Give to everyone who asks you,

and if anyone takes what belongs to you,

do not demand it back.

Luke 6:31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Luke 6:34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.

Luke 6:35-38

But love your enemies,

do good to them,

and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.

Then your reward will be great,

and you will be

sons of the Most High,

because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged.

Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.

Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Give,

and

it will be given to you.

A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over,

will be poured into your lap.

For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

 We receive the same measure, of course , pressed down and multiplied. So if you give in thimbles, you receive back in thimbles. If you measure in sacks, you receive a hundredfold in sacks.

There is a beautiful story illustrating this idea by the poet Laureate of India Rabindranath Tagore in his collection of short stories, "The King and the Beggar". The gist is as follows. One day a beggar heard that the King was passing through the place where he was standing. As the chariot passed by, the beggar stretched out his begging bowl expecting a coin at least from the great King. But the King stopped his chariot and he stretched out his hand begging the beggar. The beggar was first perplexed. But the King insisted. Finally the beggar took out his begging bowl and took out a pinch of his little rice - three grains of rice- and placed it in the palms of the King. The king withdrew his palm and he stretched it out once more and placed a pinch of rice back into the beggars bowl. Lo! There were three grains of rice in gold. And the King went his way. The beggar looked at the three golden grains and cried. " What a fool I have been, I should have placed by entire bowl of rice in the hands of the King."

Gal 6:7-10

Do not be deceived:

God cannot be mocked.

A man reaps what he sows.

The one who sows to please his sinful nature,

from that nature will reap destruction;

the one who sows to please the Spirit,

from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Let us not become weary in doing good,

for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people,

especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Prov 11:24-25

One man gives freely, yet gains even more;

another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

A generous man will prosper;

he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

These may seem so unrealistic and contrary to the wisdom of this world.  But these are the Kingdom Principles and these are eternal laws on which the entire cosmos is built.  Anything contrary just destroys yourself and the world we live in.

WHY GIVING FIRST IS NECESSARY

In the logic of sowing and reaping, we need to sow before we expect to reap. Even the vary fact that we live, relies heavily on it. If we want to live, we must breathe. If we want to remain alive we need to exhale before we could inhale again. If we insist only of inhaling, we will simply suffocate. If we insist on exhaling only we will still suffocate. Both are part of the process. If we exhale we will inhale fresh air which will invigorate us. We in turn provide for the cycle of distribution and balance of nature. Accumulation is motivated by selfishness and leads to death.

 Consider a farmer. He needs to put his most perfect seeds in sowing , if he has to get the best harvest. Better the seed, better will be the harvest. In fact all farmers keep their choicest seeds at the time of harvest for sowing as seeds. Every farming community knows the meaning of eating the seed. It is the last resort. Because without the seed there will be shortage and famine in the future. The money and other resources in your hands are therefore the seeds of the future prosperity. Don’t just eat it in selfishness.

In knowledge all teachers know that teaching a subject is the best way to learn it. By giving what you have you multiply it. This is also true in the spiritual realm. Your fellowship and spiritual encouragement strengthens your maturity in Christ.

 What I am trying to establish is that this principle of sowing and reaping is a universal principle of growth and abundance. Not only in the areas of agriculture, knowledge and spiritual realm but also in the social and financial realm. Every money lender knows that you give first to multiply your money. If you want to keep it in fixed deposits it hardly grows. 

4 THE SEED DECIDES THE CROP

 Another important fact is that it is the seed what you sow decides what you receive back.

 * The crop is decided by the seed you sow.

Mat 7:17-18 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

 This is because, God created the universe with the law that like produces like. This is the law of multiplication. This law is also found in inanimate world. A single crystal will grow into larger crystal surrounding the seed crystal. Beautiful ice crystals form by chains.

 John 12:24-24

I tell you the truth,

unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.

But if it dies,

it produces many seeds.

 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

 Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.

Hosea 10:13 But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors,

This is simply the essential teaching

Luke 6:38

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Want to try?  This is the Kingdom Principle and it still work even in this fallen world, simply because it is the basic law of the cosmos that God has created. Kingdom of God is with us.

We are all knit together as one body