Spiritual and future earthly blessings resulting from our obedience are a given, but what about physical blessings now? This question came up in a recent conversation with a Christian friend. He argued that in no way can God’s earthly blessings now be the result of a believer’s obedience. He didn’t deny that there are earthly blessings, just that they are never the result of our obedience.
I find more and more pastors afraid to touch this question because of the way its been tragically mishandled by the prosperity theologians. I also find a hermeneutical tendency to interpret every Old Testament promise of earthly blessings in either a spiritual or future way for New Testament believers. But is this how the New Testament writers interpreted Old Testament passages about earthly blessings that result from our obedience?
Let me suggest that there are at least three good reasons to believe that God does bless our obedience in practical, earthly ways now.
First, consider answered prayer. We are encouraged to pray and ask God to meet all our needs, physical and spiritual. To pray is to obey. And God promises to answer our prayers and bless us. Jesus says , “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:11). James says, “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on passions” (Jm. 4:2-3) Clearly the New Testament affirms that prayerful obedience leads to practical and earthly blessings now provided such blessing will result in our greater good and God’s greater glory.
Second, consider the fifth commandment in its New Testament application. The apostle Paul restates the fifth commandment for the Ephesian believers and in doing so he is careful to attach the promise that goes with it. The promise to obedient children is this, “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land” (Eph. 6:3). In the Old Testament this promise was a euphemism for earthly blessings.
Third, consider Psalm 34 in its New Testament application. Peter motivates believers to “obtain an blessing” through obedience and goes on to cite Psalm 34. Here is what he says:
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For
‘Whoever desires to love life
And see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
And his lips from speaking deceit;
Let him turn away from evil and do good;
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
And his ears are open to the their prayer.
But h face of the Lord is against those who do evil.'”
(I Pt. 3:8-12; citing Ps. 34:12-16)
Our primary motivation for obedience is to be love for God. And certainly our eyes should be fixed on the horizon of eternity as we await our ultimate rewards for what we’ve done in this life. But its also significant that Jesus, Paul, and Peter instruct believers to expect earthly blessing as a result of obedience. The aim of these blessings is to deepen our love for God, our thankfulness, and our longing for a life of blessing in heaven and on the new earth.
