This title is misleading on purpose. I've not gone "Health and Wealth," a doctrine I believe is completely and utterly false. And yet, at the same time, I believe God gives people exactly what they want, one way or the other. I'm not speaking of the physical (and thus perishing) riches of this life. I'm speaking of the Spiritual riches, or lack thereof. One way or the other, people find what they seek. If you're seeking after the wealth of this world, you have no place with Jesus. Yep. I said it. If you're seeking the wealth of this world, you've absolutely no place with Jesus. Let me define that a bit more in detail: if your family, your job, your friends, your stuff, and whatever else stops you from being with God and His people, gets in the way of Jesus, you don't have Him at all. In the end, every tongue shall confess, every knee shall bow, and you're saying by your pursuits in this life exactly what you want. I'm not saying it's a sin to have nice things, wealth, friends, or a good family. I'm saying that they're not God, and eventually will all perish. God is eternal. Pursue God, gain eternity with Him. Pursue all else, gain forever apart from Him. So, you see, one way or the other, we all get what we want; we get Jesus completely forever, or we get life away from him. Forever. There is no better time than now to put aside worldly riches, and pursue Christ alone.
2 Timothy 2 English Standard Version (ESV)
A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus
2 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men,[a] who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!
10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.
A Worker Approved by God
14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God[b] not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,[c] a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,[d] he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord's servant[e] must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Timothy 2:2 The Greek word anthropoi can refer to both men and women, depending on the context
b. 2 Timothy 2:14 Some manuscripts the Lord
c. 2 Timothy 2:15 That is, one approved after being tested
d. 2 Timothy 2:21 Greek from these things
e. 2 Timothy 2:24 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
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