There is something you must do or a condition you must meet. Today we will discuss these prerequisites.
The promises of God are for His people. But that doesn't necessarily mean that they will automatically come to pass in your life. You must meet the conditions.
You might say to me, "When you start talking about conditions, you are talking about getting back under the Law."
No, I'm not! The Bible says in Hebrews 6:11-15 that we are to show forth the same diligence as our father Abraham. Nowhere in the Word of God will you find any statement suggesting that you can lie around doing absolutely nothing and expect God to bless you.
In fact, God tells us that if we do nothing we will not succeed. Proverbs 6:10,11 and 24:33,34 emphasize that fact: "Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man."
Use God's Spiritual Laws
The Word of God is spiritual law. God's Word is the perfect law of liberty (James 1:22-25). Once you begin to see these laws in the Word of God and to put them into effect in your life, they will produce the desired results. For instance, God's Word tells us how to achieve success. It says:
This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.The spiritual law in the above verse is simply this: Talking the Word + Meditating the Word + Acting on the Word = Prosperity, Dealing Wisely, and Success. I have used this spiritual law in my personal life and ministry, and it has brought about great results.
(Josh. 1:8 AMP)
Four Prerequisites To Victory
- Decision—Make a decision to win. The Spirit of God said this to me: "Son, if you are not willing to make a decision to win, then you are not going to win." Success begins with your decision to succeed.
- Determination—Be determined to back your decision to win. Many people make a decision to succeed without being determined to back that decision. Once you decide to win, you are making an unwavering commitment.
- Discipline—Discipline yourself to do only what the Word says and to say only what the Word says about every situation. You cannot be moved by what you see, feel, or even hear.
- Diligence—Always make a steady, consistent effort to accomplish your goal. Never give up.
In John 5:1-9 we read an account of a man who had an infirmity for 38 years. This man was in the midst of a multitude of people who were withered, halt, blind, and lame. In fact, society had called these people hopeless cases. Today medical science would write them off as incurable.
The man described in this passage had a defeat image in his heart. He had formed that image after being sick for 38 years. Out of the abundance of this man's heart, his mouth spoke defeat (Luke 6:45).
When Jesus asked him, Wilt thou be made whole? he spoke from the abundance of his heart and said: "I am a cripple. I can't get up by myself and get into that pool. I don't have anybody to help me. Every time I try to get into the pool, somebody steps in before me."
The phrases hopeless, incurable, no way out, beyond repair, and too far gone are not in Jesus' vocabulary. Jesus was in the middle of those "hopeless cases" right where He wanted to be.
He began dealing with this man with the defeat image; and after He ministered to him, the man was made whole. But first the man had to make a decision to be made whole. When Jesus asked him, Wilt thou be made whole? He was demanding a decision from him.
Wholeness was available to the man; but as long as he sat there without making a decision to receive it, he never would have been made whole.
Decide to Win
Man has a will. He has the right to make decisions. By his own will, he chooses God. God doesn't force man to choose Him. It is man's decision. As Kenneth Copeland says, "You can go to hell if you want to, and God will protect your right to go."
But you don't have to go to hell if you'll make the decision to allow Jesus to become Lord of your life.
God puts it this way: I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live (Deut. 30:19).
God said, "Here is life and blessing, and here is death and cursing. What is your choice?" It is your decision. You can have life and blessings or you can have death and cursing.
Whose decision is it to have life? Yours.
Whose decision is it for you to prosper? Yours.
Whose decision is it for you to be in health? Yours.
When Jesus said to the man, Wilt thou be made whole? He was telling the man that the prerequisite to being made whole is to make a decision to be made whole.
Jesus is the same yesterday, and today and forever (Heb. 13:8). The question that Jesus asked in His day is still the heart cry of Jesus to humanity today. He is still asking: "Wilt thou be made whole? Wilt thou live above the beggarly elements of this world? Wilt thou be redeemed? Wilt thou be in health? Wilt thou prosper? Wilt thou be fruitful? Wilt thou be blessed?"
It is your decision! Jesus is saying, "I have already made it available. What I want to know is, will you have it?"
Wholeness hinges on your decision.
Christians have had the idea for too long that our healing is up to God only. We have prayed, "Heal us if it be Thy will." We thought if we squalled and bawled and talked "religious" that God would feel sorry for us, finally, and might give us about half of what we needed.
All this time God has been standing at the throne saying, "Come boldly and obtain all these love gifts that I have for you. Wilt thou live in health? Wilt thou prosper? Wilt thou be above and not beneath? Wilt thou be the head and not the tail? Wilt thou be blessed? Wilt thou have life? Wilt thou have all of thy household saved? Wilt thou have them all filled with the Holy Ghost? Wilt thou be what I have said in My Word that you can be? Wilt thou have great success?"
God wants you to be made whole: spirit, soul, and body. Whether you will depends upon your decision. Make a decision for life today!
Excerpt permission granted by Jerry Savelle Ministries International
Dr. Jerry Savelle was an average, blue-collar man who was struggling and needed God's help. While he considered himself a "nobody," when he became a believer God told him not to worry about it because He was a master at making champions out of nobodies. God has since taken Dr. Savelle from being a constant quitter to a man who knows how to stand on the Word of God until victory is experienced. Because of the life-changing combination of God's faithfulness and Dr. Savelle's "no quit" attitude, his life is totally different than it was thirty-eight years ago.
