“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing”— 2 Timothy 4:6-8
The world has its definition of success. In the world, someone is considered a success if he has an expensive car; has a house or estates; has an academic degree… All these achievements are considered success in the world, regardless of how they are achieved. Whether someone traded illegal drugs or steals his way to riches, he is still considered a success by his material acquisition.
Whether someone got his degree through examination malpractices or through bribery and corruption, he is still considered a success.
But scripturally, it is crystal clear that kingdom success is quite different from the world’s yardstick of success.
From our opening text, we can clearly see the true meaning of success in God’s kingdom. As the Apostle Paul by the Spirit admonished Timothy he said; “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing”.
So we can define kingdom success as follows:
- Kingdom success is fulfilling God’s plan and purpose for our lives
- Kingdom success is having and keeping the faith of Christ to the very end
- Kingdom success is laying hold on the crown of righteousness on the last day.
- Kingdom success is laying hold on eternal life and holding on to it till the very end of one’s life here on earth.
So success in God’s kingdom as opposed to the worldly notion of success and that of many ignorant believers is not a function of material acquisition or achievements. Rather, success in God’s kingdom is strictly a function of faithfulness to divine vision. It is also a function of consistency and tenacity to Christ’s faith and spirituality. It’s about laying hold on eternal life and crown of righteousness.
However, this truth does not in any way invalidate the scriptural truth of Christian prosperity. The word of God says God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) — and they include material things. The word of God also says Jesus became poor that we through his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). The Bible tells us that all things in this world and in the world to come are ours (1 Corinthians 3:22) and these also include material things. One scriptural truth does not invalidate the other. Rather, they supplement each other.
But nevertheless, material prosperity does not out rightly mean success in the kingdom of God. Prosperity is one of God’s provisions for his children for life and godliness here on earth. So it’s a means to an end and not and end in itself.
And also prosperity of a believer in any area of life can never be a yardstick for measuring success in the kingdom of God. To do that is to be destitute of scriptural truth (See 1 Timothy 6:5-7).
One can be prosperous here on earth and fail in the kingdom of God. At the same time, one can be blessed in everything and yet be successful in the kingdom of God. Example of such successful saints includes our father in the faith, Abraham and Job the upright man.
Now having gotten a good understanding of what the kingdom success is all about and what it’s not, let’s now see the biblical keys to the kingdom success.
Keys to The Kingdom Success
Listed below are the scriptural keys to success in God’s kingdom– from now till eternity:
- Faith: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”—1John 5:4
Faith in the above scripture talks about our redemptive faith in Christ Jesus. The scripture says whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world. In other words, anyone that is born of God is a success. He is a champion. He is a perpetual victor. Then it goes further to say that this victory that overcomes the world, is our faith…
That is, our redemptive faith in Christ and his saving grace is the number one key to success in God’s kingdom. Anyone who doesn’t believe in Christ Jesus is an eternal failure; regardless of his earthly achievements or accomplishments.
- The Word of God: “This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt
meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all
that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then
thou shalt have good success” – Joshua 1:8
According to this scripture above, a major key to good success in God’s kingdom is the Law or the word of God. If we are to make our way prosperous and have good success, we must keep on speaking the word with our mouth. We must also meditate on it day and night. And we must as well observe to do all that is written in God’s word.
- Endurance of Trials and Tribulation: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he
shalt receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love
him”—James 1:12
Endurance of trials or afflictions is another biblical key to success in God’s kingdom. The above scripture says the man that endures temptation or trials shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
So if you must be a kingdom success, you must endure every trial and afflictions you face in life and for the sake of the kingdom of God to the very end.
- Temperance: “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth
the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the
mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible
crown; but we an incorruptible I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; So fight
I, not as one that beateth the air: But
I keep under my body, and bring it into
subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself
should be a cast away” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
From the above scripture it is evidently clear that if we must obtain our incorruptible crown of righteousness, we must keep our body under, and bring it under subjection. And that is temperance.
- Faithfulness:”Fear
none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some
of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten
days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” –
Revelation 2:10
To be successful in God’s kingdom and receive the crown of life according to the scripture above, you must be faithful unto death, no matter what you face in life.
Among other things, to be successful in God’s kingdom you need to live godly, walk in divine direction, be prayerful, walk in divine wisdom and love. As you do all these by the grace of God, you’ll definitely enjoy divine success, now and in eternity with Christ.
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