Kenneth Hagin faith lesson no. 15

Faith for Prosperity (* please see Afterthoughts below)

Bible Text: GALATIANS 3:13, 14, 29; DEUTERONOMY 28:1-8, 11, 12

Central Truth: As born-again believers, we are redeemed from the curse
of the law and are heirs to Abraham's blessing and God's promises of
prosperity.

For many years I did not understand that it is God's will for His
children to prosper. I thought as many do that poverty was a
characteristic of humility - that in order to be humble one must be
poor. I thought that a righteous man could not be wealthy and that a
wealthy man could not be righteous. Any promise in the scriptures
regarding financial blessing applied only to the Jews, I thought. I
have since learned, through studying God's Word and applying it in my
own life, that God wants His children to "prosper and be in health,
even as thy soul prospereth" (III John 2).

"But," someone might say, "the Bible says that money is the root of
all evil." However, the Bible does not say that at all. I Timothy
6:10 says, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while
some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows." A person can be guilty of that
sin and not have one dime.

I have heard people say, "Well, I guess I'm just another Job." Some
people think that poor old Job went through life poverty stricken,
sick, and afflicted. However, the entire Book of Job happened within
a period of nine months, and the last chapter says that God turned
Job's captivity, and that "the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had
before" (Job 42:10).

When the thieves broke in and stole Job's things, he was captive of
Satan. When the fire fell and burned up his crops, he was in
captivity to Satan. When the storm came and blew the house down on
his children and they were killed, when Job was smitten with boils
from his head to his feet, when his wife turned against him and said,
"Curse God and die," Job was in captivity to Satan. But God turned
Job's captivity.

If you think you are another Job, that means you'll be one of the
richest men around. You'll have twice as much as you've ever had, and
you will be healed and live to be old. Job lived one hundred years
after the events recorded in the Bible. If you are another Job, you
are going to prosper.

Redeemed From the Curse of the Law

Galatians 3:13, 14, 29
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a
tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise.

The above scriptures tell us that "Christ hath redeemed us from the
curse of the law." What, then, is the curse of the law? We turn for
this answer to the first five books of the Old Testament, referred to
as the Pentateuch, or the Books of the Law. There we learn that the
curse, or punishment for breaking God's law, is threefold: poverty,
sickness, and the second death. Christ has redeemed us from the curse
of poverty. He has redeemed us from the curse of sickness. He has
redeemed us from the curse of death - spiritual death now and physical
death when Jesus comes again. We need have no fear of the second
death.

Abraham's Blessing

Just as the curse is three-fold in nature, so was Abraham's blessing.
First, it was a material, financial blessing. Second, it was a
physical blessing. Third, it was a spnitual blessing. The New
Testament scripture, III John 2, agrees that God wants us to have
material, physical, and spiritual prosperity; for it says, "Beloved, I
wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even
as thy soul prospereth." Too many people are under the impression
that any promises in the Bible for material blessing and prosperity
refer only to the Jews. However, this verse was written to New
Testament Christians.

The word "Jew" is a short term or a nickname for "Judah." The
Israelites were never called Jews until after the split of the tribes.
Judah didn't have any more promise of material and financial blessing
than the other tribes of Israel. They received or inherited the
blessing through their father Jacob. Jacob inherited the blessing
through his father Isaac. Isaac inherited the blessing through his
father Abraham. So it is not the Jews' blessing or promise. It is
not Israel's blessing. It is Abraham's blessing. And that blessing
is mine. "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles
through Jesus Christ ..." (Gal. 3:14). In this third chapter of
Galatians we also read in verse 7, "Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." If we are
born-again Christians, "then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise" (Gal. 3:29).

After these scriptures became plain to me and I saw what belonged to
me as a child of God, through faith in Him, other scriptures began to
open up to me. Everything belongs to God and is at His disposal, "For
every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand
hills ... for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof" (Psa. 50:10,
12). "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof ..." (Psa.
24:1). God created everything, then He made man, Adam, and gave him
dominion over all of it. God made it all for His man Adam. He gave
Adam dominion over the cattle on a thousand hills, over the silver and
gold, over the world and the fullness thereof. In other words, Adam
was the god of this world.

But Adam committed high treason and sold out to Satan. Thus Satan
became the god of this world. Jesus, however, came to redeem us from
Satan's power and dominion over us. Romans 5:17 says, "For if by one
man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in
life by one, Jesus Christ." The Amplified version of the scripture
reads, "They shall reign as kings in life, by one Jesus Christ." We
are to reign as kings in life. That means that we have dominion over
our lives. We are to dominate, not to be dominated. Circumstances
are not to dominate you. You are to dominate circumstances. Poverty
is not to rule and reign over you. You are to rule and reign over
poverty. Disease and sickness are not to rule and reign over you.
You are to rule and reign over sickness. We are to reign as kings in
life by Christ Jesus, in whom we have our redemption.

Deuteronomy 28:1-8, 11, 12
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the
voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments
which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on
high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if
thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the
field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground,
and the fruit of thy cattle ...
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shall thou be
when thou goest out.
7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be
smitten before thy face...
8 The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses,
and in all that thou settest thine hand unto ...
11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods ...
12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give
the rain unto thy land in his season and to bless all the work of
thine hand ...

The first part of Deuteronomy 28 lists the many ways the Lord would
bless His people if they would obey Him. He promised to bless their
children, their crops and cattle, He promised to bless and protect
them in battle, He promised to make them "plenteous in goods," and to
bless them in "all that thou settest thine hand unto."

This blessing was all-inclusive, but it was also conditional. They
must keep all of God's commandments. They must be a holy people, not
straying from Him and seeking after other gods, but serving Him with
all their heart. The remainder of this chapter, verses 15 through 68,
lists the curses that would fall upon His people if they did not keep
His commandments.

When I first realized this truth and saw the prosperity, material and
spiritual, that God has planned for His people, and that every
born-again believer in Christ is an heir to this promise, I could
hardly contain my joy. I was so thrilled to find out that I was
redeemed from the curse of the law, from the curse of poverty, and
that Abraham's blessing was mine. We as Christians need not suffer
financial setbacks; we need not be captive to poverty or sickness.
God has provided healing and prosperity for His children if they will
obey His commandments.

When Jesus was here on earth He said, "If ye then, being evil, know
how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your
Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
(Matt. 7:11). How many of us who are parents want our children to go
through life hungry, sick, or afflicted, never having enough to get
along? No parent wants that. In fact, we work and sacrifice to try
to help our children get a better education than we had so they can
make a better living than we did.

God put all the cattle here, all the silver and gold, and is it
reasonable to think that He did all of this only for the ungodly?
Certainly He loves the sinner, but does He love the sinner more than
His own children? No. God put all these things here for His people.
He said to Israel, "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the
good of the land" (Isa. 1:19). And if God wants His children to eat
the best, He wants them to wear the best clothing, He wants them to
drive the best cars, and He wants them to have the best of everything.

Proven Through Personal Experience

When this truth became real to my heart, the Lord spoke to me and
said, "Don't pray for money anymore. You have authority through my
name to claim prosperity. I have already put gold, silver, and cattle
on a thousand hills for my man Adam, and I gave him dominion over it.
After he sold out to Satan, the second Adam, Jesus Christ, came to
redeem you from the hand of the enemy and to remove you from the curse
of the law. Now, instead of praying that I would do it, because I
have made provision for your needs, all you need do is say, 'Satan,
take your hands off my money.' Just claim what you need. You reign
in life by Christ Jesus."

In the next church I went to I said, "Lord, if I get what I need here
this will have to work. The last time I was here I received only
about $60 a week. I am going to claim $150 for this week." Then I
said, "Satan, take your hands off my money, in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ." You see, you never believe for the possible, because
you believe for the impossible. I was supposed to be in this church
for just a week, but as it turned out I was there ten days. I claimed
$200 for these ten days. The pastor did not beg for money at all, but
he simply passed the offering plates; and, when the offering was
counted, I had $240.

After that when I would go into churches to hold meetings, finances
came in easily; and many times the pastor would say in amazement,
"That is the biggest offering this church has ever given to an
evangelist." And I had made no strong pleas at all. I had the key
that unlocks the door.

Thank God, we are not under the curse, for Jesus has set us free!
"For sickness I have health, for poverty wealth, since Jesus has
ransomed me."

Memory Text:
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in
health, even as thy soul prospereth" (III JOHN 2).

Faith in Action "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only
..." (JAMES 1:22).


* Afterthoughts:
I must include some of my own comments concerning this particular
faith lesson. The lesson has been a blessing to us, when properly
applied, but it can and has led to much misunderstanding on our part
and the part of others. It has occasioned the ridicule of sincere
Christians who felt that Brother Hagin was telling people that
Christians should live like the world's rich and famous.

The lesson makes reference to the blessings of Deuteronomy 28:1-15
which are promises to the faithful and obedient. But while all the
promises of God are yea and amen to the believer, they must be
balanced with the beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-11. The Bible does say
that my God shall supply all your needs through Christ Jesus, but it
also says, having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. We
are taught to flee the quest for riches and to follow after godliness
- Brother Hagin himself did that. We don't want more than we actually
need in this life, because it can become a snare of the devil to us.
If we have more than we seem to need, we'd better find out from God
what He intends that we do with it - it is a responsibility. The same
chapter in Philippians that warns against covetousness also admonishes
those who are rich in goods to be ready to communicate. Jesus warned
against trusting in uncertain riches, and He told the young ruler to
give away ALL that he had and give to the poor. We must be prepared
to do likewise.
Amen.