The Keys to Success ? Who Really Has Them

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010

From movie stars to gospel singers the race is on to tell the world how to succeed by using the keys, the secrets or principles these people found in life. Usually these keys are purported to be the only way they or anyone else will ever succeed. Seven keys to financial wealth, the twelve keys to a more powerful life or the three keys to a more peaceful life, these are the essence of the success keys.

There are many questions I have asked in prayer over the thirty five year long period I have believed in God. For about half of that period one of the questions I asked was ?what is success.? In the last few years I have become absolutely sure of the answer. It came through viewing the lives of successful people and the lives of so called ?losers.? The biggest surprise I found in this years long search was finding that success is usually determined by the definition a person uses and little else.

If a person?s personal view of success is faulty then even those on the top of their game might actually be losers. Conversely those thought of as losers would be seen as quite successful. What does all that mean?

When Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan one of the offers made to him was to be made the ruler or the highest overseer of the entire known world of that time, Luke 4:5-6. Not many people will ever be made that kind of an offer even though many will try for it in various ways. From ancient days to the present there have been people like Antiochus Epiphanies, Caesar, Hitler, Saddam Hussein and others trying to climb to the top by any means possible. I have heard very few people ever ask the question of where Satan got those kingdoms. How could he offer them to anyone and what right does he have to give them to someone?

Without getting bogged down in theological mish mush lets take a quick look at who Satan really is, we will start with who he isn?t. He is not the Hollywood ugly that rears his head with unstoppable horror and dread to beat the humble little praying minions of God. He is not the master of Hades as in Dante?s Inferno but rather he is its chief victim. He is not the apparition that coldly blows through the room full of titillated worshippers in a satanic cult. The Bible says he is the ruler of the ?cosmos? which is another way of saying that he is the ruler of the ?world system of evil.? That includes everything in this world. Power, fame and fortune are all within his rule not to mention all the lesser temptations and callings. He has been giving these things to people for centuries and it will not end until the second coming of Christ.

When some rich mogul appears on a talk show telling of the amazing secrets of their success I am sure they have no idea what they are talking about. I would bet they don?t even know where the door is, much less the key. When some actor who has degraded everything dignified or holy in film and is applauded by his peers and who now wants to reveal the keys to his or her success I for one am doubtful. I am doubtful that they will ever know before their own death and resurrection that they had nothing to do with their own personal success. It was given to them. It was given by the same one who once offered it to Christ. And the Devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the Devil said unto him, all this power will I give thee; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. Luke 4: 5-7

Most of the keys offered to the unsuspecting are no more than someone?s prideful accounting of the steps they think they ordered so perfectly by which they rose to the top. Human pride being the perfect cloak to cover their eyes from seeing the simple fact that they got none of their booty or fame by their own power, it was given to them. Before you go preaching the gospel of your success it would do well to checkout the source of your success.

The source of worldly success is rarely ever questioned in this world. Chalk that one up for the God of this world; he has no intention of revealing himself as the source. Men usually gauge success by the product of their lives or efforts and almost never do they question the source. They think only of themselves as the source and the product as the proof. If you make tons of money you have succeeded even if you sell porn to get it. If you are the Governor or ruler of a kingdom you have succeeded, regardless of how much you don?t care about the ruled or how you got your power. If you are known the world over as an actor that proves your success even if your movies betray everything that is right and good or holy.

Still looking for a key to success? Let me offer one key, I can?t take credit for this key because it is God given. But without this key everything you do will count as a failure even your successes. It is what the Bible calls the ?Key of David.?

??these things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth, and shutteth, and no man openeth. Revelation 3:7.?
And what is the key of David? It is your faith in the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Clearly if you have not placed your life in his hands you have not succeeded. You can die poor, unhealthy and unknown but you will still have succeeded if you life is in his hands. That?s success!

I?ll go one step further. Ill even show you the door that the key unlocks, the rest is up to you. Jesus said?I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:9