Note: Before I get started I want to acknowledge my birthday and thank God for another year. I am one year closer to God’s overall expected end for my life. To God be the glory!
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. Yesterday I taught you about Mephibosheth. I believe his story to be one of the greatest stories of redemption in the Bible. In Mephibosheth you have a man who was born royalty, who lost his regal connection through a series of unfortunate events, and who had it all restored by an act of grace. David did not do what he did for Mephibosheth because Mephibosheth did anything to earn or deserve it. David did what he did because of the blood covenant he had with Mephibosheth’s father Jonathan. Everything was restored to Mephibosheth through a covenant that was established with his bloodline. Mephibosheth lived beneath his means while he was ignorant of the covenant. However, once he was made aware of the covenant he was able to receive complete restoration to a place of position, prominence and prosperity.
In a way, the same holds true for us. We are all born ignorant of the covenants established in the Word of God and we have no way of maximizing the benefits of those covenants until we are made aware of them. Allow me to discuss but a few:
— God made a covenant with Abraham and promised to make of him a great nation (Gen 12:2,3) and that the covenant would transfer to his seed (Gen 17:6,7).
— God blessed Abraham and made him very rich; everything he did was successful (Gen 24:1).
— God then extended and offered that same blessing to his descendants if they would hear His voice and obey His Word (Deut 28:1).
— This obedience would mean that their businesses and farms would be successful (Deut 28:3), they would have many children and would harvest large crops (v.4), they would have plenty of bread to eat and experience success in their daily work (vv.:5,6); they would overcome their enemies (v.7), their harvests would be so large that their storehouses would be full (v.8), they would have plenty of money to lend to other nations and would have no need to borrow any themselves (v.12), they would be leaders among the nations and not followers; and they would be wealthy and powerful, not poor and weak (v.13).
— Paul went on to tell us that every Born-Again believer has been baptized into Christ and has put on Christ. In Christ, there is no distinction between Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. We are all one in Christ Jesus. Our connection to Christ makes us Abraham’s seed and spiritual heirs to the promises established for Abraham’s descendants (Gal 2:27-29).
— Furthermore, the writer of Hebrews tells us that the covenant we have with Christ is a better covenant with better promises (Heb 8:6).
— In this New Covenant God has promised to merciful to our unrighteousness, and to not even remember our sins and iniquities (Heb 8:12).
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Mephibosheth’s life was changed when he was made aware of the covenant attached to his bloodline. His knowledge of the covenant opened him up to the possibility of receiving the benefits of the covenant. The same can be said for you.
2. God has established a covenant of blessings in His Word for you. Your knowledge of the covenant opens you up to the possibility of receiving the benefits of it. For it to change your life, however, you must believe that you are part of the bloodline and therefore and heir to a better covenant with better promises.
3. When you understand the covenant God ratified with the blood of His own Son, and you know the covenant applies to you, it changes the way you see yourself and your future.
4. Paul teaches us that if God did not spare His own Son and He freely offered Jesus for our sin, then along with Jesus, God will also freely give us all other things (Rom 8:32). Everything we need to be successful in life (which is connected to our purpose) is freely made available to us by God’s amazing grace.
5. When you know you have Jesus and that God will also, along with Jesus, freely give you everything you need to be successful in life, you quickly develop a prosperous soul that is open to receive the grace of God in its fulness.
6. Seeing yourself and your future the way God sees it is critical to walking in your divine purpose. Once again, not because you have earned it, but only because of God’s grace.
7. The grace of God is about you understanding the New Covenant and about knowing how to rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and about the covenant You established for me. This covenant was ratified with the Blood of Your Son Jesus the Christ. Mephibosheth’s life changed when he was made aware of the covenant established for him. While he was ignorant of the covenant, he could not benefit from it. But once he was made aware, his life changed forever. Like Mephibosheth, I was once ignorant of the covenant You established for me and I lived beneath You best for my life. I did not know my purpose, nor could I access your grace. However, You went to great lengths to make me aware of what You did for me through Christ Jesus. I have accepted Jesus as my Lord. Since I am in Christ I am Abraham’s seed and an heir according to the promise. The Blessing of Abraham is mine. Not only that, but the New Covenant blessing of Jesus is mine as well. In this New Covenant You have promised to be merciful to my unrighteousness. My sins and iniquities, You will remember no more. You have given me You own Son, and along with Jesus, You freely give me all other things. Everything I need to complete my life’s assignment is freely available to me by Your grace and I access it all with my faith. I have a prosperous soul, I embrace Your grace, I live by faith, and I am determined to make the impact I was born and destined to make. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
