Value Truth

I want to share a major principle that is essential to your soul prospering. In fact, this is the only principle related to a prosperous soul mentioned in the one-chapter book of III John where I first received revelation about the importance of a prosperous soul: 

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (III John 2-4).

Notice the apostle John mentioned both the truth that was in them and the truth they walked in. It is not possible to walk in the truth until you first value it. The primary way to determine if one is valuing the truth is by observing if they walk in the truth.

Let me share two contrasting examples of this principle with you: 

In the first church I planted and served as pastor, there was a man I will call Bill, who was outwardly and publicly harsh, mean, and condescending toward his wife and children. After a number of times observing the mistreatment of his family before and after one of our church services, my wife and I prayed for them and the Lord impressed us He had sent them to us to disciple. 

I began to meet with Bill and teach him about his identity in Christ, the principle of spirit, soul, and body, and that his spirit man was just like Jesus: filled with the nature of Jesus and all the fruit of the Spirit. I appealed to him to draw on God’s grace to live from his spirit man and demonstrate love, tenderness, and kindness toward his family instead of living from his unrenewed mind and uncontrolled temper in his soul. He had never heard these things before and slowly he began to place value on the truth I was sharing with him. 

After a few months of meeting with Bill, he began to intentionally demonstrate love, kindness, and patience toward his wife and children. Though he did make mistakes as he was walking out living from his spirit man, he responded in humility and repentance instead of pride as before. Bill became a leader in our church and his family and home was filled with God’s love and peace instead of fear and strife as in the past. Bill chose to value the truth in his soul, and this motivated him to walk in the truth. His life and family were radically changed! 

The second example is in stark contrast to Bill. In the second church I served as pastor, a couple I will call Richard and Pam began attending our church about two months after they were married. Richard was a successful professional in our area, and this was his and Pam’s second marriage. Richard called one day after they had been attending our church for four months and asked for an appointment with me for him and his wife. He said they wanted to discuss some serious financial problems they were facing and the strife this was causing in their relationship. 

After exchanging greetings and pleasantries for a few minutes, Pam went right to the source of their problem. She shared with me how she and Richard both made good money, but they were having major financial problems because of Richard’s spending habits. According to her, Richard had a penchant for very expensive cars, houses, clothing, and jewelry and they were not able to meet all their financial obligations because of it. 

Richard’s response was he was in faith that God would meet all their needs according to His riches in glory like I had taught in one of my recent messages. According to him, Pam was the problem because she refused to get into agreement with him that God would meet all their needs in spite of his spending habits. I listened to each of them share their perspective for a little while. Then I spoke to Richard and read him: 

“The wicked borrows and does not repay,” (Psalm 37:21).

I let him know the lifestyle he was living according to the Word was wicked because he was borrowing more than they could afford to repay each month. I let him know that although he had believed the provision portion of the Scriptures, he had not believed and applied the stewardship portion of the Scriptures. His soul was not prospering because he only wanted to apply his favorite Scripture verses related to prosperity instead of valuing and walking in all the truth related to prosperity. 

Richard puffed up like a toad frog when I confronted him with this truth and he refused to move off his position. Unfortunately, Richard left the church, ended up filing bankruptcy, and eventually he and Pam divorced. What a travesty! None of this had to happen. But it was a result of his soul not prospering because he refused to value the truth more than his lust for expensive things. 

As this last example reveals, far too many Christians attribute having heard the truth to walking in it. Just because you have heard the truth your pastor or favorite Bible teacher has taught is no sign you understand it, are valuing or are walking in it yet. According to the following passage of scripture, it is possible to hear the Word and yet not apply it to your life: 

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does,” (James 1:22-25).

It is the doer of the Word—the one who understands, values, and walks in the truth—who experiences the blessings provided for us at Calvary. There should be a corresponding action born of faith when the Word is received. 

Some people get nervous and upset when they hear the word “work” taught or when they read it in the Bible. I have read several social media posts where individuals accuse anyone who teaches anything about “works” as legalists who are mixing law and grace. That may be the case in some instances but the New Testament is full of verses about works that are not references to law or legalism. 

Jesus spoke about works in the following passage: 

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father,” (John 14:12).

Paul talked about the labor and work he did in this verse: 

“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (I Corinthians 15:10).

According to both Jesus and Paul, all “works” are not to be avoided and do not bring us into legalism. In fact, Paul connects laboring (works) and grace together. Works to be avoided are those done in attempt to become the root of our salvation. Those works done as the fruit of our salvation are good and beneficial in manifesting the grace and love of God to others.

Just remember: the finished work of the cross does not exempt you and me from our part of fulfilling the unfinished work of the church! Walking in the truth, obedience that comes from faith, and good works that are the fruit of our salvation are similar terms for the same thing. It is not mixing law and grace, nor is it legalism to walk in the truth. It is simply walking out by grace what God has revealed in His Word or spoken to your heart. 

Whenever the Lord speaks to me or I see some principle from the Word that calls for my response, I simply draw on His grace to fulfill it. As Paul put it, “By the grace of God I labor.” I lean into His grace and draw on His ability in me to accomplish it. 

The reason walking in the truth is connected to a prosperous soul is you will only walk in the truth you value. And valuing the truth is a huge part of what constitutes a prosperous soul. If you value something more than the truth, your soul is not prospering and you will not fully possess all God has provided for you in the finished work of the cross in that area of your life.

Valuing financial gain or security over the Word keeps you from walking in truth and having a fruitful and prosperous life. When you choose to value truth above all else, you will begin to see the Word produce fruit in your life. 

 When you value truth, the truth will promote you. There is great promotion and soul prosperity to be found when you take hold of the Word of truth and apply it in your life! 

Adapted from Greg Mohr’s Book, A Prosperous Soul