Salvation vs. Success

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” Josh.1:8 [emphasis added]. 

Salvation has nothing to do with new behavior but everything to do with new creation. Success on the other hand has everything to do with new behavior. Salvation has nothing to do with new behavior. One cannot say; if I read my Bible more then I will be saved. Wrong! Or if I meditate more then I will be saved. Wrong again! There is nothing like a ten things to do list to get saved. There is nothing you can do that will save you except by the Blood of Jesus. Salvation has nothing to do with new behavior but everything to do with new creation. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” [2 Cor.5:17] – salvation. Success however has everything to do with new behavior. The fact that you have been saved does not mean you do not need to be changed. In fact, the grace that saves you and does not change you is questionable. In the simple things of life for example, it is possible to be really saved and die poor and go to heaven like Lazarus. It is possible to be saved and be emotionally tormented all your life. It is possible even though you can have a change in behavior that will make you overcome it. But if you do not change those behaviors, you will never overcome it and you will just remain like that even though you are saved and you are going to heaven. So while salvation has nothing to do with new behavior but has everything to do with new creation. Success on the other hand has everything to do with new behavior. “It is not human effort that makes miracles happen, but lack of effort can keep them from happening” –Mark Batterson. It is not human effort that brought down the walls of Jericho but lack of human effort would have kept the wall standing. If the children of Israel refused to match round the Jericho seven times, what do you think would have happened? If they refused to shout when God said they should, Jericho’s walls will still be standing. If Naaman had given up after dipping himself in water six times, said he was too tired to dip himself the seventh time and went home. What would have happened? He would have died with his leprosy. He needed to dip seven times because that is what the Lord has said. Just do it! Just obey Him!

So study, meditate, obey, and then success. It is a simple equation; study + meditation + obedience = success. For some of us, we are still blown. We finally see that salvation has nothing to do with new behavior but every thing to do with new creation. Open your heart to Jesus and He will cause all things to become new in your life today.

Prayer: Father, I commit to studying Your Word, I commit to meditating on it day and night, I commit to obeying Your Word, and I declare that I will prosper and succeed in all that I do, in Jesus Name.