We can learn so much about the ways of life and living through God’s Immutable Laws. These laws cannot be broken. They will not yield to our whims; they will not bend to our prerogatives. Take the Law of Gravity for instance. Gravity is a force, and we don’t have to understand the dynamics of physics to surmise that if an apple falls from a tree, it will hit the ground. So it is logical for us to assume that the heavier the object, the greater the gravitational pull on its mass to fall. This gives us a very important piece of information about how God designed the state of being that we refer to as success. It is created through the ability to prevent and eliminate anything that attaches itself to our souls, adds unnecessary weight, and pulls us down.
For the context of comprehending this teaching, think of yourself as a mass suspended in God’s grace. His grace allows you to remain anchored in the earth, above ground, connected to Him. As Christians, we understand that through Jesus Christ, God has provided a way for us to do more than remain suspended. The love of Christ embodies an acceleration that can move us forward and upward, rather than backward and downward. To move forward and upward is an incredibly positive experience. This is why when we think of flight, angels come to mind. Dreams of ourselves in flight symbolize promotion and elevation. This is truly success!
In today’s world, it is no secret that the chasm between those considered to be successful and those that are not has widened exponentially. More and more, we hear of Christians having once enjoyed varied levels of success, but are now struggling. We wonder what is happening, and many of us have allowed a spirit of fear to take hold, because we haven’t understood the occurrence of a spiritual shift some might consider a divine secret. God is transitioning our understanding and comprehension of success; it is moving from a natural plane to a highly supernatural one. This means that our reliance on people, things, circumstances, and conditions no longer has place. The gravitational pull of our dependency on these things carries great weight, and can no longer be attached to our suspension in God’s grace.
Supernaturally, it appears that things are moving at an accelerated pace. In truth, we have reached a point in our corporate standing as the body of Christ where our laid-up treasures are evaporating vigorously. This is because we are taking more than we are giving, and the earth is testifying to this truth.
In the record of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist, Matthew 3:14 tells us that John the Baptist tried to talk Jesus out of being baptized by him, because he felt unworthy to accept such an extreme honor. In Matthew 3:15(NLT), Jesus told him, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” John was a mere mortal. The Holy Spirit was ON him, but it was not IN him, as it is in us. We are sons and daughters of the King; members of the Household of Faith, and part of the highest royal family. John was indeed blessed of the Lord, but he was not a son; he was a servant. And yet the requirement of the Lord was that he perform this supremely sacred baptism of the Holy Spirit for Jesus Christ. This should give you some idea of the heft of spiritual blessing that Christ has made available for us; for if John was given the treasure of this task, how much more have we received and are therefore required to contribute towards God’s Kingdom.
Matthew 3:16 (NLT) tells us, “After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.” Understand that the heavens were opened for Jesus, and they have been opened ever since. If you don’t know the reality of something, you cannot be truly thankful for it. This is intrinsically important, because faith and gratitude go hand in hand. Our precious Lord and Savior made an open heaven available for us. His sacrifice tore the veil separating us from our Heavenly Father. Because of the new birth reality that he made possible, we can operate under an open heaven, where we have access to God and His supernatural treasures continually.
This also means that there is no limitation placed on our ability to rise. This could not be said before Christ was baptized with the Holy Spirit. Again, Jesus Christ opened heaven for us.
In Matthew 3:17(NLT), God tells us something very consequential about success, and how He opens the door for us to achieve it. Jesus Christ is our example. He’s our big brother, and we know that if God did something for him during his ministry on earth, then God will do it for us, because Romans 2:11 tells us that God does not show partiality. What He does for one of His children, He will do for all. And in His Word, He establishes these patterns of consistency that will greatly aid us in life. They give us a clearer understanding of His character, so that we can pattern our own behaviors, attitudes, and actions after His. So, when we examine verse 17, we must do so with an aim to capture every morsel.
Most of us know this extraordinary verse. After the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, verse 17 tell us that God spoke from heaven and said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” Those of us who have had our colleagues or bosses give us a congratulatory pat on the back for a job well done can testify of how good it feels. Think of the level of joy that is possible if one hears from the Creator of the universe the words spoken by Him in Matthew 3:17. This is over the moon! They’re the greatest words one could ever in eternity hope to hear from Heavenly Father.
When you add this to the fact that God’s open declaration to Christ was at the beginning of his ministry on earth, you have another piece of truth that is very revealing.
None of us can presume to know the exact depth of emotion that God has when we please Him, but the one thing we DO know is that He demonstrates and communicates how pleased He is through rewards.
One of the divine secrets to success that none of us can afford to miss is revealed in the truth that the Holy Spirit endowed Jesus Christ with the power and strength he needed to complete what no other was able to accomplish. We may have received promotions at work or in some other aspect of life, but we cannot think that we can complete what God requires of us without the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. Christ proved that he would accomplish his mission because he committed himself in verse 15 to carry out ALL that God required. Will you do the same?
God required Christ to be immersed in the Holy Spirit, because he could not have completed his mission without doing so. The same is true for us. 2Corinthians 1:22 tells us that God has given us the gift of Holy Spirit as a guarantee of the inheritance we’ll receive in the future. Well, your commitment to walk by the Spirit is a guarantee to Heavenly Father that you will do that which He’s called you to do, regardless of the conditions or circumstances. He will reward you in the present based on what you’ll do in the future because your commitment to be obedient to the Spirit guarantees your faithfulness. Make the commitment to grow in the Spirit and seek to walk in the manifestations of this extraordinary gift. Then you will be able to follow where he leads, and rise to the level of success that pleases God.■
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Divine Secrets to Success” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2017. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.