Unmerited Favor (19 page)

During the late 1990s, I stood up in my church one day and told my congregation that the Lord had given me a word of wisdom. He said that a dearth, a financial famine, was coming to Asia. But at the same time, He also said that even when the famine hits, we would not have to worry because He would take care of us and our church would have more than enough to help those in need.

A few months later, the Thai baht fell suddenly and dramatically. This produced a domino effect on all the regional currencies, plunging us into the Asian financial crisis. During that time, our church, by the grace of God, had the privilege of financially blessing other churches in our nation as well as in the region. God was able to use us to help keep some of these ministries afloat and from retrenching staff. We were also able to help the precious lives under their care who were going through difficult financial setbacks.

God’s word came to pass and we went through the crisis not seeing the heat. In fact, there were people in my church who even benefited from the crisis, buying new houses and cars at greatly reduced prices. Even in the season of famine, their businesses, careers and financial health continued to flourish and they did not “cease from yielding fruit.”

We don’t take any credit for these blessings. We know that they came entirely because of the Lord’s unmerited favor. Our part was simply to continue trusting Jesus and to keep our hope in Him. The Greek word for “hope” in the New Testament is
elpis
, which means an “expectation of good.”
³
Keep on hoping in the Lord!

Our church experienced the same blessings during the 2008 to 2009 global financial meltdown.
Before
the subprime crisis took center stage, the Lord was already preparing our people. As I was preaching one Sunday, I exhorted the church not to get into any new debt. I urged them to hold off buying new houses, cars or any major expense and to keep their debt to a minimum. Many people in our church began to position themselves, and they were prepared and ready when the severe famine started.

On a separate occasion, when the stock market in my nation was at its
all time high
before its collapse, I prophesied to my church and encouraged them to get
out
of the stock market even though everyone was scrambling to get onto the bandwagon. Then, in just a couple of months, Bears Sterns collapsed, followed by Lehman Brothers. We all know that this led to a massive frenzy in the global financial markets and billions of dollars were completely wiped out during the panic selling that ensued.

Some time later, one of the key leaders in my church, who works in a major American bank, told me that he had brought a friend to church on the Sunday that I had told my congregation to get out of the stock market, and I had used the word “volatile” to describe the situation ahead. His friend, who was financially trained and savvy, began to take defensive actions on his investment based on the expectation of volatile conditions, and instead of losing money from his investments, he made substantial gains from them.

Now, for those of you who don’t know me, I don’t monitor the stock market and I don’t know much about investments. In fact, not too long ago, when I was preaching at a conference overseas, I visited a bookstore and flipped through a book titled
Investing For Dummies
. Now, this is slightly embarrassing for me, but I am going to tell you this anyway—I did not understand it! What does that say about me and investments? Don’t laugh so hard. I am a pastor, not a stockbroker. But that’s just me. Ask any of my leaders, and they will tell you that I don’t read business publications and have no interest in the ebb and flow of the stock market. ALL glory goes to the Lord for preparing the church and protecting our people from the financial onslaught that was ahead!

By the Lord’s unmerited favor, our church has been supporting churches, ministries, and missionaries worldwide throughout the crisis. We have given generously to the needy and to the down-and-out in our own nation, helping to feed the hungry and clothe the poor. Our entire church, comprising more than 19,000 people then, was part of a national initiative to help the poor with truckloads of groceries. Many also bought brand-new household necessities such as beds, refrigerators and washing machines for families who could not afford them. We are humbled that during that period, the Lord continued to bless us to be a blessing to others. But our boast is not in our good works. Our boast is in the Lord and His love for us.

The Only Way A Believer Can Fall Under The Curse

“Pastor Prince, is it possible to be a Christian and still trust in your self-efforts?”

Yes, absolutely. There are believers today who would rather depend on themselves than on Jesus. They only depend on Jesus for their salvation, but thereafter, they look to themselves for success in their families, careers and finances.

“What happens when a believer trusts in his self-efforts and rejects God’s grace?”

All believers are redeemed from the curse of the law through Jesus’ finished work. But when a believer rejects God’s grace and depends on his own works to be blessed, he falls back under the curse of the law. This is the
only
way a believer can fall back under the curse of the law. His rejection of God’s grace does
not
mean that he loses his salvation. It just means that he robs himself of enjoying the full blessings that Jesus has purchased for him with His blood, and of becoming the blessed person that we have been discussing in this chapter.

Once you go back to depending on your own works to be blessed, you are going back to the system of the law and you fall back under the curse of the law.

To reject God’s grace is to fall from grace back into works. Contrary to popular belief, falling from grace does not mean falling into sin. According to the Bible, falling from grace is to fall back into
works
and into the old covenant of law. Galatians 5:4 clearly states that “you who attempt to be justified by law; you have
fallen from grace
.”

Once you go back to depending on your own works to be blessed, you are going back to the system of the law and you fall back under the curse of the law. The apostle Paul makes it very clear in Galatians 3:10—“For as many as are of
the works of the law
are under the curse.” Let’s be very clear here. It is
not
God who curses you. It is the law itself that condemns you. No one can meet the perfect standards of the law. The verse goes on to say, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in
all things
which are written in the book of the law,
to do them
.” The law is an impossible standard and it will bring the worst out of anyone. Nobody can continue to keep the whole law perfectly. The moment you fail in one law, you are guilty of failing in all.

Galatians 3:11–12 continues to say, “But that
no one
is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ Yet the law is not of faith...” I really hope that you are coming to a place where you realize that no one can keep the law perfectly and be made righteous. We are only made righteous by faith and that’s why the righteous—you and I—shall live by faith. Faith in what? Faith in Jesus’ finished work! Let’s be the blessed man whose trust is in the Lord and not in his own arm of flesh.

Now, let me show you two very important verses that you need to know. According to Galatians 3:13–14, “
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law
, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus...” Notice that Jesus had to die on the cross to redeem us from the curse of the law, not the curse of sin. Most people think that they will be cursed when they sin, but that’s not what God’s Word says. It says that Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law.

So even if you fail, the law cannot condemn you because you are forgiven and justified in Jesus. There is hope when you fail and power for you to
fail no more
through Jesus. But what hope is there when you fall back into the system of the law and into depending on your efforts to be justified? The law itself would curse you and the blessing of Abraham cannot flow in your life. Sin is no longer the problem because Jesus dealt with your sins on the cross with His own blood. The problem is man’s insistence on trusting in his self-efforts!

King David’s Definition Of A Blessed Man

Do you want to know King David’s definition of a blessed man? Look at Romans 4:6–8: “just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord
shall not impute sin
.’” Can you see the blessedness of this man? The Bible does not say that this man does not sin. It says that his blessing is that even when he sins, that sin will
not
be imputed to him! Why? Because all his sins have already been imputed and punished in the body of Jesus!

“Pastor Prince, are you saying that a believer can still sin?”

Now, before I answer your question, let me share with you the definition of sin. The Greek word for “sin” in the New Testament is the word
hamartia
, which literally means “a failing to hit the mark.”
⁴
Once you understand the definition of sin, you can see that the more appropriate and accurate question to ask is whether a believer can still “miss the mark.” The answer is obvious—believers will still miss the mark from time to time.

The more pertinent question then, is whether a believer is still righteous when he misses the mark. David’s definition of a blessed man answers this question: “[this is] the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works...whose lawless deeds [instances of missing the mark] are forgiven, and whose sins [instances of missing the mark] are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute [to him] sin [his instances of missing the mark].’”

Now, does knowing that God does not impute your sin to you when you miss the mark make you want to go out and sin? No way! His unmerited favor transforms you and fills your heart with love and gratefulness toward Him. Knowing that you are completely and eternally forgiven by God, you can run boldly to Him and bring every area of need to Him.

Because your trust is in the Lord, you shall not fear when heat comes, but your leaves will be green, and you will not be anxious in  the year of drought, nor will you cease from yielding fruit.

You become someone who trusts in the Lord and whose hope is in the Lord. What is the result of that? I declare to you in Jesus’ name that you will be like a tree planted by a river, spreading out its roots to the water. Because your trust is in the Lord, you will not fear when heat comes, but your leaves will be green, and you will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will you cease from yielding fruit. You will find yourself experiencing the blessings of the blessed man in every area of your life!

Chapter 16: Walking In The Blessing Of Abraham

In the previous chapter, I showed you the differences between a blessed man and a cursed man. What a glorious and majestic picture the Bible paints of the blessed man who is like a tree planted by the waters! But the Bible is so rich and exciting. Just by studying the word “bless,” we can glean so much more about the Lord’s heart for you and me. I believe that as we take a closer look at this word, the Lord is preparing you to step into an even greater and deeper dimension of His blessings for you. Let’s dive right in.

The Hebrew word for “bless” is
barak
, while the Greek word is
eulogeo
. According to the
Theological Workbook of the Old Testament
, both these words mean to endue with power for success, prosperity, fecundity (fruitfulness in childbearing) and longevity.
¹

Now, I really don’t understand why there are some believers who fight against ministries that proclaim the truth that God wants to give us success, prosperity and health. These believers don’t realize that they are essentially fighting to remain sick and poor. Don’t they realize that sickness and poverty belong to the realm of the curse? Don’t they realize that Jesus has already made a way for us to live by His unmerited favor and to step into the realm of His blessings?

It is time for believers to be like the apostle Paul—stop being apologetic about the good news that we have received. Paul declared, “For I am
not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ, for it is
the
power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’”
²
The gospel (which means “good news”) of Jesus Christ is THE power of God to salvation. This means that there is
no
other power for your salvation except the gospel of Jesus Christ!

By the way, “salvation” here does not just relate to being saved from hell. The Greek word for “salvation” here is the word
soteria
. Its meaning encompasses deliverance, preservation, safety and health.
³
The Lord’s salvation in your life is complete and holistic, and it is based on you believing in and depending by faith on
His
righteousness. Don’t be ashamed of just how good the good news of Jesus really is. Don’t be ashamed that Jesus has the power to give you good success, heal your physical body, cause everything your hands touch to prosper, bless you with children and satisfy you with long life!

The Blessing Of Abraham

Jesus wants you to experience His blessings in your life. God’s blessings are part of our inheritance in the new covenant of grace, which Jesus died to give us. God’s Word tells us that “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us...that
the blessing of Abraham
might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
⁴
Isn’t it interesting that the Lord is very specific in mentioning that Christ became a curse for us on the cross, so that we can experience and enjoy the blessing of Abraham? He does not want us to simply experience any kind of blessing. He wants us to experience
the blessing of Abraham
. I think it behooves us then to find out what “the blessing of Abraham” is and who can receive it.

Every believer in Christ is an heir.

The Bible tells us that “if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
⁵
Are you Christ’s? Do you belong to Jesus? Then that makes you an heir
according to the promise
. Every believer in Christ is an heir. Whenever you hear the word “heir,” it speaks of something good. It speaks of an inheritance that you don’t work for, an inheritance that is yours not because of what you do, but because of
whose
you are. In this case, as a new covenant believer in Jesus, you belong to Jesus and you have a blood-bought inheritance in Christ as the seed of Abraham. You, beloved, are an heir according to THE promise!

God’s Promise To Abraham

Now, there are many promises in the Bible, but what is THE promise that God made to Abraham? We can’t claim this promise if we don’t know what it is. We need to go to the Word (use the Bible to interpret the Bible) to establish what the promise is. And we find the answer in Romans 4:13—“For
the promise
that he would be the
heir of the world
was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

In Christ, you are an heir of the world—its goods, its endowments, its riches, its advantages and its pleasures.

The promise to Abraham and his seed (you and I) is that he would be “the heir of the world”! In the original Greek text, the word “world” here is
kosmos
. Its meaning includes, “the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages, pleasures.”
⁶
Now,
that
is what you are an heir to through Jesus’ finished work! In Christ, you are an heir of the world—its goods, its endowments, its riches, its advantages and its pleasures. This is THE promise that God made to Abraham and his seed. Don’t apologize for it. It is your inheritance in Christ!

You Are An Heir Of The World

What does it mean to be an heir of the world? Let’s take a look at Abraham’s life to see what the Lord did for him. God’s Word tells us that Abraham did not just become rich. He became very rich.

“Well, Pastor Prince, being an heir of the world refers to spiritual riches.”

Hang on, that is not what my Bible says. According to Genesis 13:2, Abraham was “very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.” Now, if financial blessings are not part of the blessings of the Lord, then are you telling me that the Lord cursed Abraham with wealth? I am so glad that God defined Abraham’s riches very specifically. God must have foreseen a generation of people who would argue that He is against His people experiencing financial success, so He said clearly in His Word that Abraham was very rich in livestock, silver and gold. Abraham wasn’t just rich spiritually. Beloved, God is not against you having wealth, but He is definitely against wealth having you.

The Lord blessed Abraham so that he could be a blessing to others. He told Abraham,“...I will bless you...and you shall be a blessing.”
⁷
Similarly, He will bless you financially, so that
you
can be a blessing to others. You cannot be a blessing to those around you—your loved ones, local church, community and the poor—if you are not blessed by the Lord first.

Suppose you know that God is calling you to do something, such as go for a mission trip, support a ministry, build a church or bless a missionary. But you can’t do it because you don’t even have enough to take care of your family. Now, what has become bigger in your life? God or money? God says “Go” but your wallet says “No.” Which of them is bigger in this situation? Something is clearly amiss here. Yet, there are believers today who settle for traditional beliefs that are not biblical instead of seeking God’s truth. These beliefs have held the church in bondage for decades and that is why the world sees the church as generally being poor, unable and in debt. That is why the world actually has this saying: “As poor as a
church
mouse.” (But in the world, even Mickey Mouse is prosperous and has a magic kingdom!)

Being An Heir Of The World Includes Having Financial Blessings

The irony is that if you were to examine the lives of those believers who fight against the teaching that God blesses His children with more than enough, you would see that they have no problems with doing their best to secure a nice home and give their children the best education that money can buy. While they do not believe that God wants to bless us financially, you would probably find them looking out for investment opportunities, hoping for promotions in their careers or searching for better job prospects to earn more.

The success that we, as new covenant believers, can believe God for  is good, holistic success that permeates every area of our lives!

You see, they have no problem with accumulating wealth for themselves and living well, but they have a problem when we tell them that financial success is from God. They would rather believe in their self-efforts and say that their success is “self-made,” than give God the credit. Instead of agreeing with the teaching that God is the source of all blessings, they attack it. But don’t be deceived, my friend, every blessing in our lives today, every good and perfect gift, flows directly from the river of God’s unmerited favor.
⁸

Our heavenly Father wants to make you a success and that success includes financial success. You already know that finances alone don’t make you a success. There are a lot of “poor” people in the world today who have a lot of money. They can have fat bank accounts, but their hearts are empty without the revelation of Jesus’ love for them. You and I have something from Jesus that is far more superior. The success that we, as new covenant believers, can believe God for is good, holistic success that permeates every aspect of our lives!

“Well, Pastor Prince...the Bible says that money is the root of all evil. What do you have to say about that?”

The Bible is often quoted wrongly on this. It does not say that money is the root of all evil. It says that “
the love
of money”
⁹
is the root of all evil. Because of this misquotation and wrong teaching, many believers have been hoodwinked. When the Lord tries to bless them, they shun His blessings because they believe that having more money will lead them to all kinds of evil. Listen carefully to what I am saying. Having more money does not necessarily mean that you love money. Even someone who doesn’t have a single cent to his name can be thinking and obsessing about money all the time.

The more occupied you are with Jesus, the more money follows after you!

What keeps you safe for financial success is when you know that your blessings come by Jesus’ unmerited favor. When you have that revelation, you will no longer be preoccupied with having money because you are preoccupied with the Lord. Amazingly, you will realize that the more occupied you are with Jesus, the more money follows after you! Now, why is that? It is simply because when you seek first the kingdom of God, and put Jesus, His righteousness (not your own righteousness), His joy and His peace as your first priority, God’s Word promises you that ALL the material things that you need will be added to you.
¹⁰
The Lord always gives you money with a mission and prosperity with a purpose. He blesses you and when you are blessed, you can be a vessel to bless others. The gospel of grace can be preached, churches can be built, precious lives can be touched, sinners can be born again, marriages can be restored and physical bodies can be healed when you send out the Word of Jesus with your financial support.

Don’t love money and use people. Use money to love people. May it be settled in your heart once and for all that it is God’s desire for you to be a financial success and to have more than enough. You are the seed of Abraham and the promise to you is that you will be an heir of the world. It is clear that you cannot be an heir of the world if you are constantly broke and in debt.

Your Blessings Include Health And Renewal Of Youth

Now, let’s look at what else it means to be an heir of the world. What other blessings did Abraham receive? We know that Abraham was healthy and strong, and so was Sarah, his wife. The Lord renewed their youth so dramatically that when Abraham was about 100 years old and Sarah about 90, Sarah conceived Isaac after many years of barrenness.

At the beginning of this chapter, I showed you that when God blesses, His blessings include fecundity, which is fruitfulness in childbearing. Nobody can argue that Abraham and Sarah’s renewal of youth was merely spiritual. Isaac is proof that the renewal they experienced was physical as well. As an heir of the world, the Lord will likewise cause you to be strong and healthy.