Have you ever noticed how the wisdom of the world and the old covenant sound much alike? If you do good, you get good. You reap what you sow. What goes around, comes around. Both perspectives advocate self-effort. Both preach self-dependence and reward based on merit. In contrast, the gospel of grace says it’s all about Jesus. Grace says it’s his effort, his merit and his righteousness that matters. There’s no mixing these two perspectives – it’s his effort or mine, his merit or mine.
In his 2007 best-seller Destined to Reign, Joseph Prince drew a clear line between the gospel of grace and the unholy concoction of grace and law that has been preached since the time of the Galatians. As I said in my review of that book, Destined to Reign should be regarded as the definitive introduction to the subject of grace. It’s brilliant.
In his recent book entitled Unmerited Favor, Joseph Prince builds on that grace foundation by unpackaging the consequences of living self-dependent or Jesus-dependent lives. (You can download a free sample chapter here.) Prince’s basic idea is that if trust Jesus for salvation, we ought to trust him for everything else too. What stops the unmerited favor of God in our lives? According to Prince, the greatest obstacle is our own self-reliance:
“There are some believers who may not articulate it, but in their hearts they believe that without Jesus they can still succeed. By believing and acting on this, they fall from the high place of God’s grace (his unmerited favor) back into the law, back into trying to merit and deserve success by their own efforts.” (p.24)
This is both astonishing and obviously true.
Why is it that we trust Jesus for our salvation, we may even trust him for our healing, but we don’t trust him for our success? We work like part-time believers. We tell ourselves we’re doing it in his name and for his glory, but our work ethic is 100% old covenant thinking. Deep down we believe that success will only come if we make sacrifices or sow thousands of hours. Sure, we thank Jesus for the cross, but his work actually has no bearing on our work. We strive and struggle just like everyone else, ignoring the supernatural advantages that are ours in Christ.
Jesus didn’t just die to set us free from the curse of the law. He also died that we might inherit the blessings of Abraham. As Prince says,
“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!” (p.230)
Now right there some of you might switch off thinking that Prince is preaching a “health and wealth” gospel. He isn’t. Sure, he does have a fair bit to say about prosperity, but that is not his main message. (Lest you be distracted, I have posted elsewhere my summary of Joseph Prince’s teachings on prosperity and success.) What he is preaching in Unmerited Favor is complete and total dependence on Jesus for everything.
We Christians – and especially pastors – tend to get so caught up doing the Lord’s work that we lose focus and burn out. We know we shouldn’t, yet we do it anyway. According to Prince, we do this out of ignorance:
“Many good, well-meaning and sincere believers today are defeated by their lack of knowledge of the new covenant and all the benefits that Jesus has purchased for them at the cross… It is the lack of knowledge of what Jesus has accomplished at the cross that has robbed many believers of enjoying these good gifts and benefits.” (p.95)
I know from personal experience what it is to preach Mary while acting like Martha. Probably every pastor does. Just look at our schedules! If this is you, if you are busy to the point of distraction, then you definitely need to read Unmerited Favor. In it Prince gives the most compelling reason I have read for being more like Mary than Martha.
Jesus said, “one thing is needful” and that is to sit at his feet and behold him. For many of us – and particularly pastors – sometimes the hardest thing to do is to sit down. That looks too much like resting and how can we rest when there’s work to be done? So we sit for just a minute, then jump right back up into old covenant mentality and human performance.
A couple of years ago God spoke very clearly to me. He told me that he wanted me to “do nothing.” It was the hardest word I have ever received. Tell me to part the Red Sea and I’ll give it a go. Tell me to walk on the water and I’ll do it or drown trying. But tell me to do nothing at all except rest, and I mean long-term rest, living in that rest, remaining in that rest – well that’s ve-ry hard indeed! It does not come naturally.
But I am learning that when we make him our priority, when we have no agenda other than Jesus alone, the whole world changes around you. Problems bow down. Inspiration comes. You find yourself doing the right thing at the right time and, yes, you have restful increase instead of stressful increase (because it’s based on his merit, not yours).
If I were to sum up Unmerited Favor in two words, they would be stop trying, as in, stop trying to succeed in your own strength, stop trying to earn God’s favor, stop trying to make it happen, stop striving, stop struggling, and trust him for everything. No seriously, you really, actually need to stop because for as long as you continue to trust in your self-effort, you’re operating outside of grace and cursing your work. The sooner you stop, the better everything will be.
Or if I were to sum up Unmerited Favor in just one word, it would be receive. You can’t receive while you’re trying to make it happen. Grace doesn’t share the stage with human effort. If you want to enjoy the unmerited favor of God in your life, stop trying and just receive.
Prince is certainly not calling us to live idle, passive lives. Our performance stills matters. But effective performance is grounded on the revelation that we have been made righteous by faith. Right living follows right believing. I had hoped that he would say more about how we work under grace, but perhaps that’s for the next book.
You can read Unmerited Favor without first having read Destined to Reign, but I recommend you read both in the order they were written. If Destined to Reign is all about what Jesus had set you free from, then Unmerited Favor is what he has set you free into. In Destined to Reign Prince comes across as an authoritative preacher of the gospel. In Unmerited Favor he is more the tender pastor. Both books are outstanding.
Related posts:
- “Destined to Reign” by Joseph Prince
I agree 100 percent! I’ve read both books and was greatly encouraged by them. I also refer back to the again and again as I fight the good fight of faith. What an upside down Kingdom we are now apart of. Die to live, rest to produce, receive free forgiveness/then be empowered to forgive freely….
Grace to you all!
Kyle Kramer
Comment by Pastor Kyle — August 9, 2010 @ 2:26 pm |
Hi Paul,
Thanks for posting this. I read Destined to Reign about 2 years ago, thought it was so good that my copy must have been lent out for the next 12 months and my wife and I ordered abour 4 more copies to give to people (including our pastor at that point in time).
I am about half-way through Unmerited Favour and I am finding that it brilliantly and powerfully builds on the foundations built in his first book. I just cannot get enough of this type of teaching, every day I need to be consumed with it as it is so easy to slip back into an old covenant mindset and get back on the performance tredmill.
I haven’t read your post on the prosperity and success teaching from JP (I will shortly) but I have met and continue to meet believers who knock his teaching and try and turn the good news into bad news (why?!). I think his message is just one that magnify’s the extent of the finished work of the cross and promotes a reckless trust and faith in what Jesus has already done for us.
I wonder what would happpen if the church stopped trying to acheive and started to receive…?
Massive blessings.
Philip Smith
Comment by Philip — August 12, 2010 @ 9:42 pm |
Hi Philip,
Thanks for writing and good to hear from you. I just checked out your cool website. You have a testimony very similar to my friend Cornel Marais. God got his attention by healing his leg too. Perhaps you guys should form a club!
God bless,
Paul
Comment by Paul Ellis — August 13, 2010 @ 4:14 pm |
Hi Paul,
Thanks for checking out the site, I love it that so many around the world are having their eyes opened to the scandalous reality and goodness of the Gospel! Cornel and I have just got in touch recently so we will def be staying connected!
Go well!
Blessings.
Philip.
Comment by Philip Smith — August 13, 2010 @ 10:57 pm |
Only recently have I begun awakening to this truth Paul: the truth of Christ in me; of letting Him live through me. I rest and He works. This post you’ve written is profoundly true, well stated and a powerful articulation of God’s desire to show Himself strong through believers.
Thank you for your obedience in getting these messages out, they are life changing!
In Grace, Andre van der Merwe
http://www.NewCovenantGrace.com
Comment by Andre van der Merwe — August 21, 2010 @ 5:07 am |
Hi Pastor! Is there any “contact form” on this website if we have questions to ask that are not related to the current post? Like, for example, if we needed some illumination on seeing Jesus in the Book of Leviticus…
Comment by joshen — August 22, 2010 @ 6:34 am |
Hi Joshen,
(1) Contact details can be found on the About page.
(2) I have a long list of readers’ questions that I’m working through. Regarding Jesus being revealed in Leviticus, I recommend reading chapter 14 of Joseph Prince’s book Destined to Reign.
Comment by Paul Ellis — August 22, 2010 @ 9:12 pm |
Are you out of your mind. He says, “Believers … that without Jesus they can succeed.” How is this possible? You cannot be a believer without Jesus. His words are like a silver tongue devil. You are blind and follow a blind guide. You are all destine for fire if you follow this man and his demon teaching. You sound like the person who visited the Galatian church. I encourage you to turn away from such teaching.
Comment by Chris Doran — January 29, 2011 @ 4:29 pm |
Chris, your words remind me of what others have said to Jesus (Mk 3:21) and Paul (Acts 26:24). It seems the claim of insanity is often made of grace preachers. I have no defense. The good news of God’s grace is beyond comprehension. If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. However, if you read the quote that offended you again, you will see that Joseph Prince is not saying what you think he is saying.
Comment by Paul Ellis — January 31, 2011 @ 1:11 pm |
When I started reading and listening to Andrew Wommack I realised that there a lot of things he teaches that Joseph Prince also emphasise. Andrew Wommack is more of old school and very articulate in the scriptures. Does Andrew has any influece on Joseph Prince when it comes to the message of grace. I’m not trying to compare them in anyway because I know God has packaged them in a different way to reach different audience for His glory. Thank God for these two guys
Comment by McDaniels Gyamfi — July 19, 2011 @ 5:20 pm |
thank you, that’s all i wanted to say. I don’t know how I found your website, but i believe God spoke to me today through what you wrote and summed. God bless you.
Comment by melody — September 3, 2011 @ 5:23 am |
This book is the first book I read from Joseph Prince and I still remember sitting in a coffee shop sobbing realizing the goodness of God in my life and the awesome love of Jesus for me. Truly His grace is awesome and true change is effortless.
Comment by The Restful Increase — September 3, 2011 @ 5:50 pm |
I remember sitting in a hotel lobby in Yangon (Myanmar) listening to a message by Joseph and then I bust into tears realising I had so perverted the Gospel of God. It suddenly hit me that so much of my teaching and preaching was law driven.
I rejoiced daily in the Leonard Ravenhills and David Wilkersons and ‘sinners in the hands of an angry God’ theology of revivalism. Now I see so different. I packed away those books and rejoice in a new found glory and grace I have never seen before. I start to love people in ways I never thought possible.
For those who have had scores of people weeping over sin at the altar night after night it may seem such a hard thing to move away from. It was not easy, but religious flesh is just that – religious flesh – and it is easy to preach guilt and condemnation. NO MORE thank God. I have found that ‘sinners are in the hands of a loving and merciful Saviour’!
Comment by Steve Roberts (@revivalasia) — November 28, 2011 @ 2:45 pm |
THIS REALITY HAS TURNED ME FROM SHADOW TO THE REAL THING.IM NT IN THE LESSER LIGHT ANYMORE BUT GLOWING IN THE GREATER LIGHT(GEN 1:16.I WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE.I WAS DEAF TO THE GOSPEL OF GRACE BUT NOW I CAN HEAR.I WAS LOST IN THE LAW BUT NOW IM FOUND IN THE GRACE.OH MY GOD I LOVE JESUS.THANK GOD FOR YOUR LIFE PASTOR J.PRINCE I WISH I COULD JUST GET ONE OF YOUR COPIES,MY PASTORS REALY NEED THAT.IM FROM A VILAGE AT POLOKWANE IN SOUTH AFRICA IT IS VERY DIFICULT TO GE THE COPIES.I REALY NEED THEM BUT I KNOW BY HIS GRACE I RECEIVE.I LOVE PASTOR THANKS A LOT.
Comment by SIPHO — January 12, 2012 @ 6:19 pm |
Dear friend,i want to thanks you so much for this teaching.grace teaching really has set me from the bondage of law keeping i had for a long tme.Ow.. How peace n rest i feel.. Jesus want us to rest n put trust in Him alone..
Comment by Kelvin dennis,malaysia — February 10, 2012 @ 2:02 am |
Dear Paul,
I understand that we have received salvation as a free gift of God, not by works. Is the gospel asking me to ditch the concept of sowing and reaping? We see Christians regularly making poor choices, cheating on their spouses and wrecking their homes, backstabbing, betraying, splitting churches. Surely they lose and inheritance when they do that? You have to really believe that the emperor WAS wearing clothes(assuming you know that fairytale) if you can’t see that sowing and reaping (besides all the new testament references to it) is a principle of life.
I sincerely desire to know the truth, and to lead people into freedom, but stumble over this concept which makes me think I haven’t ‘gotten’ the full idea of grace yet. Any perspective?
Regards,
Jennifer
Comment by Jennifer — February 20, 2012 @ 12:17 am |
Jennifer,
Sowing and reaping are very much a fact of life. Paul warned the Galatians, if you sow to the flesh you will reap destruction (Gal 6:8). This is how the world operates. But it’s not how grace operates. Under grace, we reap what Jesus has sown. We benefit from His work. We don’t work for salvation; we receive it through grace by faith.
But does that mean we are excluded from the principle of sowing and reaping in every day life? Does that mean I can cheat on my wife, avoid paying taxes, and drive through red traffic lights with no consequences? Of course not. Do these things and you will end up lonely, in jail, or in the morgue. You will literally destroy yourself through sin. But that doesn’t undo the work of the cross. Just as you are not qualified by your righteous acts, you are not disqualified by your unrighteous acts. You stand on Jesus alone.
As I have said in this post, those who are in the spirit, need to walk in the spirit and not after the flesh. The Galatians were classic examples. They were born again believers who acted carnally. They were sowing (circumcision in their case) in the expectation of reaping. They were muddled.
Comment by Paul Ellis — February 20, 2012 @ 7:24 am |