First, this “good success” is not money, cars, and houses; it isn’t even a nice family. God gives spiritual blessings to his children that the world cannot have. John 14:17, “This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” Anything an unbeliever can have - health, wealth, and a happy marriage - is not a spiritual blessing promised to us in Christ.

Our riches may wither, or our barns may overflow; it has nothing to do with God’s blessing. He may prosper us spiritually, and take away possessions. He may chasten us while our pockets increase.

People read the Bible wrongly. They have been taught that earthly prosperity is God’s promise. One day, I was fishing, and prayed to catch a fish. Nothing happened, and I was confused. I went home and searched the Scriptures. 1 John 5:14 taught me that God answers prayer ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. 1 John 5:14, “And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” He never promised that I’d catch fish. He promised to hear my prayers for holiness, godliness, and contentment. 1 Timothy 6:6 — "But godliness with contentment is great gain," He’ll hear our prayers to honor him.

Now, if you want spiritual blessings, then you may have them: Obey God. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.” Obey him first by believing the gospel, relying upon the righteousness of Christ. Obey him secondly by walking by faith. Romans 10:4 — "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

As we receive Christ, we are blessed! As we follow him, we are blessed and grow spiritually. As we believe, we are forgiven. As we believe amidst storms, keeping reconciliation near to us and using our access in prayer, then we are blessed in our deeds. James 1:25, “But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.” We walk in God's perfect will and realize that it is good!

Let us be zealous of spiritual things and walk in obedience to obtain them. Let us be gospel focused with our lives.

Secondly, take possession. Joshua 1:11 - "Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, 'Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.'"" Occupy. Take the land that God has given you. The promises are to be seized, and the gospel is to be lived out triumphantly.

This is not a matter for the head and the lip, only! This is for our life. Churches are to be planted, and believers are to be baptized. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The doctrine preached must be taken to the heart and confessed. Romans 10:9, “because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” We are to abandon false churches, even if we must meet by two or three in a house or under a tree. We are to look for other believers and evangelize. We are to be faithful to Christ without compromise.

Don’t sit home while the gospel is preached. Likewise, don't sit in a place that’s not preaching it. Organize, and band together. Titus 1:5, “I left you behind in Crete for this reason, so that you should put in order what remained to be done, and should appoint elders in every town, as I directed you:” Pray to God and pass out tracts. Talk to people and tell them. Share videos of solid preaching. Print sermons, etc. Do whatever you can for the gospel, so you can gain it. Luke 9:24, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.”

Don’t merely hear about riches in Christ. Obtain them. Don’t just say that God hears prayer, but war on your knees and conquer. Revelation 2:26, “To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end, I will give authority over the nations;” Don’t read biographies to admire Christians; get in on it yourself. We have God to live godly, Christ to obtain the promises, and the Spirit to give us the real comfort and joy that he’s promised. Do the hard things, and commit yourself to Scripture. Seek Christ early in the day, so you can live for his glory, rather than “tuning your instruments after the symphony,” as Hudson Taylor said.

Thirdly, if we’re not in the battle, then we’re not saved. Joshua 1:14, 18 - “Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan. But all the warriors among you shall cross over armed before your kindred and shall help them… Whoever rebels against your orders and disobeys your words, whatever you command, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.” A curse comes upon us, if we don’t help our brothers. We are strangers to the kingdom.

We don’t all have the same fruitfulness, but we all trust Christ and love each other. 1 Corinthians 16:22 — "If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!" We are not equally knowledgeable, but we know sovereign grace and good works. We are not all equally obedient, but we all forsake all to follow Christ. Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters —yes, even their own life —such a person cannot be my disciple.”

Reuben, Gad, and Manessah made the mistake of being happy outside the Promised Land, but they had to go into it and fight. Believers are unhappy outside of close communion with Christ, living off the husks of this world, but they all believe the gospel and cry out. We are not equally devoted, but we are brothers.

Therefore, if you’re in the bosom of Christ and advancing in grace, then do not look down upon the strugglers. Our job is to help them up. If you have been delivered from bondage, then it was grace, not works, and the glory belongs to God. If we have learned the hard way, then teach others who are yet to learn. Do not despise the thirty fold fruit bearer, because you can’t bear sixty or a hundred and hate them.

Grace is glorified for its consistency: All believe and love. Yet, grace is also glorified when one loves more than another. 1 Corinthians 15:10 — "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me."