Carry_Your_Name
Member
- Oct 2, 2023
- 3,026
- 442
This is a topic that has been lingering on my mind for a while, so I'd like to elaborate on it a bit. First of all, just to clarify, this is NOT another debate on faith vs work which by and of itself is a false dichotomy, so please do yourself a favor, don't go there. What I feel compelled to bring up is the difference between salvation and BLESSING, which unfortunately are often confused even among prominent pastors.
The bottom line is, salvation is a free gift, an unmeritted, unconditional favor from God, all that's required of you is accepting Jesus Christ as your lord and savior. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Back in Gen. 12, Abraham was the son of Terah, an idol maker and worshiper, he didn't do no anything special to impress God, God chose him and made a sacred, eternal covenant with him. As Abraham was justified by faith alone (Rom. 4:1-4), we're justified by faith alone as well, all of our sins are paid in full by Christ on the cross. We're Abraham's seed adopted through Christ (Gal. 3:29) under the same covenant, and this covenant stays forever, no matter what. The prodigal son exiled himself in a far country, wasted away all his inheritance and despised himself as unworthy of his sonship, yet when he returned, the Father didn't reject him, He welcomed him with open arms, that's the assurance of the covenant promised in Lev. 26:44-45 and encaspulated in the parable of the prodigal son.
Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the Lord.’” (Lev. 26:44-45)
What is NOT given but earned, though, is blessing, which pertains to all aspects of persperity - affluence, fecundity, victory, etc as stated in Deut. 28:1-14 and Lev. 26:3-13. In Rev. 2-3, Jesus evaluates all seven churches not by their theologies, doctrines or traditions, but their WORK (Rev. 2:2, 2:9, 2:13, 2:19, 3:1, 3:8, 3:15). And not only in this life, but in the next all will be judged and rewarded according to each one's work:
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Cor. 3:13-15)
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:9-10)
None of God's blessing is free, observance of God's commandments are unequivocally required. Jacob was favored by God before he was born (Gen. 25:23), yet he wrestled with God all night till his hip broke at dawn for a blessing. The Land of Canaan wasn't free for Israel, they must enter and fight for it. The Exodus generation failed to do so, they languished in the wilderness. When the Israelites sinned and disobeyed, they were evicted from the land, hence the Babylonian exile. If you are taught that all of these is only for the Jews, not the church, the whole OT is obsolete, we're under grace not law, you're greatly deceived.
Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God ... (Deut. 28:1-2)
But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you ... (Deut. 28:15)
This is what prosperity gospel has gotten wrong with their "word of faith". In the last century their prosperity was mostly about material wealth, now it's shifted to health, especially mental health, but it's still a false prosperity gospel. Prosperity, including (romantic) love, marriage, kids which so many churches idolize, are all God's blessing, we're not entitled to any of those, faith alone in those is just fantasizing. If you want it, you walk the extra mile and put your blood sweat and tear on it, you work harder than the unbelivers. You don't work to be saved, you work BECAUSE you're saved, salvation leads to genuine work and other spiritual fruits, not the other way around.
The bottom line is, salvation is a free gift, an unmeritted, unconditional favor from God, all that's required of you is accepting Jesus Christ as your lord and savior. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Back in Gen. 12, Abraham was the son of Terah, an idol maker and worshiper, he didn't do no anything special to impress God, God chose him and made a sacred, eternal covenant with him. As Abraham was justified by faith alone (Rom. 4:1-4), we're justified by faith alone as well, all of our sins are paid in full by Christ on the cross. We're Abraham's seed adopted through Christ (Gal. 3:29) under the same covenant, and this covenant stays forever, no matter what. The prodigal son exiled himself in a far country, wasted away all his inheritance and despised himself as unworthy of his sonship, yet when he returned, the Father didn't reject him, He welcomed him with open arms, that's the assurance of the covenant promised in Lev. 26:44-45 and encaspulated in the parable of the prodigal son.
Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the Lord.’” (Lev. 26:44-45)
What is NOT given but earned, though, is blessing, which pertains to all aspects of persperity - affluence, fecundity, victory, etc as stated in Deut. 28:1-14 and Lev. 26:3-13. In Rev. 2-3, Jesus evaluates all seven churches not by their theologies, doctrines or traditions, but their WORK (Rev. 2:2, 2:9, 2:13, 2:19, 3:1, 3:8, 3:15). And not only in this life, but in the next all will be judged and rewarded according to each one's work:
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Cor. 3:13-15)
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:9-10)
None of God's blessing is free, observance of God's commandments are unequivocally required. Jacob was favored by God before he was born (Gen. 25:23), yet he wrestled with God all night till his hip broke at dawn for a blessing. The Land of Canaan wasn't free for Israel, they must enter and fight for it. The Exodus generation failed to do so, they languished in the wilderness. When the Israelites sinned and disobeyed, they were evicted from the land, hence the Babylonian exile. If you are taught that all of these is only for the Jews, not the church, the whole OT is obsolete, we're under grace not law, you're greatly deceived.
Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God ... (Deut. 28:1-2)
But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you ... (Deut. 28:15)
This is what prosperity gospel has gotten wrong with their "word of faith". In the last century their prosperity was mostly about material wealth, now it's shifted to health, especially mental health, but it's still a false prosperity gospel. Prosperity, including (romantic) love, marriage, kids which so many churches idolize, are all God's blessing, we're not entitled to any of those, faith alone in those is just fantasizing. If you want it, you walk the extra mile and put your blood sweat and tear on it, you work harder than the unbelivers. You don't work to be saved, you work BECAUSE you're saved, salvation leads to genuine work and other spiritual fruits, not the other way around.
