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God’s
Blessings are
Conditional The
Primary Context Be reminded that
this world changed kingdoms—from God’s government to
Satan’s government (Genesis 3; Luke 4; 2 Corinthians 4:4;
Ephesians 2:2; 6:12; 1 John 5:19). God delivered to
Adam the catastrophic news: “Cursed is
the earth because of you…”
(Genesis 3:17‑19). Corruption,
dis-ease, and death now reigned in the earth realm (Romans 5:12). Adam and
Eve were now under a sin-cursed, fraudulent government system. Satan’s
kingdom—government system—could not freely provide what the human race
needed. Stress (fear) came (Gen. 3:10). This perverse
government system is what we were raised in—it is ‘normal’ for us. This
mindset is deeply ingrained in each of us. It even operates beyond the
conscious level. And because of this sin-cursed government system, fear
(stress) is now ‘normal.’ But Isaiah 9:6,7
promised this about Jesus Christ: “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is
given. And the government shall rest
upon his shoulder…
an ever expanding, peaceful, never ending,
fair, and just…kingdom.”
The
Secondary Context The plan of God is to end evil and suffering forever (Exodus 34:6-7; Matthew 13:37-43; I Corinthians 15:24-28; Galatians 6:7-8; 1 Timothy 1:5; Revelation 21-22). The ultimate purpose of God in all His present dealings with man is to bring him back to the place where he was before the fall (beloved joint participation, in abundance) and free him of all possibility of failing in the future. “The object and purpose of our instruction and charge is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, and a clear conscience, and genuine trust (faith).” —1 Timothy 1:5 Definitions
Definitions: A blessing
or, to bless [original Hebrew word—bārak] defined is an abundant benefit or, to
abundantly benefit.
“You might think of a curse as an invisible arm of evil from the past.” –Derek Prince Conditions
for Which God Will Bless (or Curse) There are 1,595 if's in Scripture, most of which express the conditions for which
God will bless people (or permit a curse). God’s love for each of us is
unconditional. And, not one unconditional covenant, promise, or blessing is found
in all the Bible. We
must make an important, logical distinction between earning God's grace
(Romans 11:6; John Be reminded that our active faith is the primary condition that gives God’s benefits legal and just access into this sin-cursed world system (Mark 11:24; 1 Peter 1:5; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 1:17; 10:10; Galatians 3:7,11). Active faith is the conduit that gives God’s benefits legal and just access into this sin-cursed world system. Ephesians 2:8‑9
states, “For by grace you have been
saved through faith...not of works
[what we earn].” Few Christians realize that this principle applies in
any area of our lives. The author continues with a principle that also
applies in any area of our lives in verse 10: “For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we
should walk in them.” This is a subject of the Bible that has been much
misunderstood. We invite the reader to lay aside prejudice and preconceived
ideas, for the sake of truth. “And the truth shall make you free” (John God’s “Grace” Defined God’s New Testament word translated grace is “chairis” (original New Testament Greek). It is defined primarily: “The cheerful, divine influence upon a person’s heart [spirit] and its reflection in the person’s life; including gratitude” In other words, God’s grace (or “chairis”) is no longer “unmerited favor toward the undeserving…” (that’s the Old Testament’s definition of grace) but is the power of God’s love transforming the person more and more into the image of Jesus from the inside-out (versus the law, affecting only the external life), and genuinely yielding the fruit of thankfulness. It is important to note that by the Old Testament’s definition of God’s grace, Jesus Christ never had any—the free, unmerited favor of God toward the undeserving and the ill-deserving. Jesus was perfectly sinless and therefore was certainly deserving, and the favor of God toward Jesus was most certainly merited. The New Testament states at John 1:14 that Jesus was “full of grace and truth.” John 1:17 states, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Galatians 5:4 records the news to those of the Galatian church, “…You have fallen from grace.” God’s grace in the New Covenant (Testament) is not about what we deserve, God’s grace is now about the spiritual Kingdom of God empowering us from within (Luke 17:21; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Hebrews 8). By definition, God’s grace is experiential! And please note that anyone may: -
Receive grace in vain (2 Cor. 6:1). -
Frustrate it in his life (Galatians -
Fall from it (Galatians 1:6-8; Galatians 5:4). -
Fail of the grace of God (Hebrews -
Turn it into lasciviousness (Jude 1:4). -
Sin in spite of it (Romans 6:1). -
Continue or discontinue in it (Acts -
Minister it to others (1 Peter -
Grow or not grow in it (2 Peter -
Receive or reject it (John Examples of cursing for noncompliance
and blessing for compliance are plainly stated in Deut. 27:14-26; Deut.
28:1-58; Leviticus 26; Jeremiah 7:22-34; 17:5-10; Isaiah 58, Galatians 1:8-9,
proving that God will not bless people who transgress His Word (see also
promises listed as numbers 96 –
99). “…A curse will not come without a
cause.” – Proverbs 26:2 God has definite purposes, all working toward the ultimate purpose of bringing man back to the place where he was before the fall (beloved fellowship) and free him of all possibility of failing in the future. The Kingdom of Love is the plan of God to end evil and suffering forever (Mt. 13:37-43; I Cor. 15:24-28; Ex. 34:6-7; Galatians 6:7-8; 1 Tim. 1:5; Rev. 21-22). ‘But Christ Has Redeemed Us from the Curse, Being Made a Curse For Us’ Thank
God, we now have access to the authority, power, and ability to remove a
curse! “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us. For it is written, ‘Cursed is every one who hangs on a tree…’” - Galatians Just as each individual must access or appropriate their salvation through trusting (faith) in Jesus the Christ (Jn. 3; Rom. 10; 1 Jn. 1), so must each individual access or appropriate the benefits (blessings) of God’s promises made available through trusting in Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 7:22-34; Matthew 28:20; John 8:31; Romans 8:13-14; James 1:22; 1 John 5:2-3). Obediently Yielding to the Loving God All
blessings and curses of Scripture are based on yielding to, and resisting,
the revealed will of God the Father. Such conditions, as well as the curses
and blessings of God, are so plain that any of us can understand them and
yield. It is clear in Scripture that conditions must be met if our blessings
[benefits] are to be accessed. Continued blessings are conditioned by
continued yielding (Mt. Continued
resistance to God’s Word conditions a curse. When the accepted turn from
accepted-ness and follow sin [shortcoming continued], a
curse [a separation from blessing] is pronounced (Exodus 32:32-33;
Leviticus 26; Ezekiel “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” -2 Cor. 9:8; See also Romans 5:5; Philippians 4:13, 19 God Is Love; God is For You, Not Against You Deuteronomy
11:26-27 states, “Behold,
I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if you obey the
commandments of the LORD your God…” The tense of the original Hebrew here
is to accelerate the
blessing. Verse 28: “…And a curse, if you will not obey the
commandments of the LORD your God, but turn away from the way
that I command you…” The tense of the original Hebrew here
is to slowly permit the curse. “This
I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope: It is of the LORD'S
mercies that we are not consumed, because His unfailing love never ends. They
are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! (Lam. 3:21-23) “The LORD
has appeared of old unto me saying, ‘Yes, I have loved you with an
everlasting love. Therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you to Myself.’”
(Jer. 31:3) “For I know the thoughts that I think
toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of
evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11) “And God
is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all
sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” (2
Cor. 9:8) “I can
do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Php. 4:13) Affliction: God is For
You, Not Against You Psalm 119:67,72,75 is a lesson about affliction and the purpose of affliction and why affliction comes in our lives and how we Christians should respond to affliction. After all, there’s nobody who won’t encounter affliction at some time or another in his or her life. Be encouraged to listen to what the psalmist says about affliction and what he learned from it: Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. I know, O LORD, that your laws are righteous and in faithfulness you have afflicted me. (NIV) Note that the psalmist didn’t view affliction as a disaster. He saw it as a kind of corrective medicine. It was something that he needed to adjust his life. He says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray and I paid for it, but now,” he said, “I obey Your word. I’ve learned my lesson. It pays to obey.” And then he says at the end, “O LORD... in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” You didn’t do it because You were cruel or because You were angry with me. You did it to straighten me out, to bring me back from my own evil way into Your way, to find the way of peace. The New Testament tells Christians,
“All things are for your sakes” (2 Cor. 4:15; see also John 15:1-2; Rom. 5:3;
8:28; 1 Thess. 5:18; Heb. 12:5-7; James 1:2-5, 12; Gen. 50:20; Judges 3:1-2;
Ps 51:8, 12; Pr. 3:5-6; Jer. 29:11). It is essential for us to grasp that.
God’s laws and purposes - they are all for us. They’re all working out that which
is good for us. Many other factors may seem to enter in, but ultimately its
God’s laws and our associated choices that settle our destiny. Are you in the midst of affliction? Be encouraged not to fight, or argue with God. Ask Him the reason. God is afflicting you in His faithfulness. He has a reason. He’s trying to turn you back from something, to bring you out of the wrong and bring you into the right - a life of obedience to His statutes. Be encouraged to review this inspired illustration. Obediently Yielding – Response to Father God’s
Love
There are 1,050 commands (instructions) in the New
Testament for which Christians are to obediently yield. They cover every
phase of our life in our relationship to God and our fellowmen, now and
hereafter. They are not to be confused with the 10 commandments which were
abolished along with the law of Moses; (see the book of Galatians or “Eighty-six Old and New
Covenant Contrasts” Our
obedience to God’s commands is in
response to His Love (John
Obedience
to His commands is in response to
Father God’s Love. It is not to earn more ‘merits,’
acceptance, love, or become more justified or lovable. That is toxic religiosity, legalism or carnality. He
already loves you 100 percent just as you are, no matter what. And if we are
truly born-again, we then already have the righteousness of Jesus the Christ
by trusting (faith) (2 Cor. If you’re having trouble obediently yielding to God’s
instruction, pray for Him to help you accept His love (1 John Romans
1:5 states, “Through Him [Jesus] and for His name's sake, we
received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.” Obedience
to Father God, His Word; His instructions is still the same requirement
(Jeremiah Man
sold himself a slave to sin and Satan (Romans God’s Commands Come with His Intention; Promise! This may be the most important feature to remember
when considering God’s instruction (commands): Because of His constant benevolent love,
mercy, goodness, and loving kindness, toward you, God is also empowering you with the capacity to carry out His
commands. God
completely, constantly loves you right now, and who you are becoming. His
commands come with His intention. God’s commands come with His promise—His
grace (His power becomes your power) for you to yield and to accomplish.
Consider God’s commands not as cold demands
but tender whispers. Be
strongly encouraged to consider God’s commands tender, loving whispers! God Is For You … and Evenhanded “And the LORD passed in front of Moses, and proclaimed, I am the
LORD, I am the LORD God; merciful, full of tenderness and compassion,
showing favor, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, mercy, truth,
trustworthiness and faithfulness. I protect this compassionate mercy for many
thousands, forgiving every kind of transgression and sin. Even so, I by no
means leave the guilty unpunished—visiting the evildoing of the fathers upon
the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and the fourth
generations.” (Ex. 34:6-7) “The
eyes of the LORD searches throughout the whole earth in order to show Himself
strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. You
have done foolishly in this; therefore, from now on you shall have
wars." (2 Chronicles 16:9) Promises of Unlimited Power In
God Whether it be asking God for salvation
from sin, healing for the body, the spiritual gifts or any ordinary asking
for known needs of life, there are certain general spiritual laws (or, the
way things work) given in Scripture that must be obeyed before one can expect
what s/he wants. We have searched the gospels to find what God
requires of people in order to get power with God in prayer and have definite
authority over demons. The requirements of God and His unlimited promises of power are recorded in many
Scriptures, as follows: 1. "Ask,
and it
shall be given you; seek, and you shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matt. 7:7-11). 2. "Believe
you that I am able to do this? . . . According to your faith be it unto
you" (Matt. 3. "If
you have faith as a grain of mustard seed ... nothing
shall be impossible unto you"
(Matt. 4. "If
two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask ... it shall be
done" (Matt. 5. "If
you have faith, and doubt not ... it shall be done. And
all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall
receive" (Matt. 6. If you
can believe, all
things are possible to the person who believes" (Mark 7. "Have
faith in God ... and shall not doubt in their heart, but shall believe that
those things which s/he says shall come to pass; s/he shall
have whatsoever s/he says ... What things
soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you
shall have them. And when you stand
praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone: that your
Father also ... may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your
Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses" (Mark 8. "And
these signs
shall follow those who believe; In
my name shall
they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up (Greek, airo, to remove, take out of the way,
destroy, put away, as in John 1:29; 15:2; 19:15; 1 Cor. 5:2; 1 John 3:5;
Matt. 22:13; Acts 21:36; 22:22) serpents: and if they
shall drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover" (Mark 16:15-20). 9. "Because
of his persistence he
will arise and give him as many as he needs ... how much more shall your heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit to those who ask Him"
(Luke 11:5-13). 10. "People ought
always to pray, and not to lose heart ... Because this widow troubles me, I will
avenge her, lest by her continued coming she
weary me. . . And shall
not God avenge His own elect, who cry day and night unto Him, though he bear long with them? I tell
you He will
avenge them speedily" (Luke
18:1-8). 11. "Whosoever
believes on Him should
not perish, but have everlasting life ...
He who believes on the Son has everlasting life" (John 12. "If any
person thirst, let him come unto me and drink. S/he who believes
on me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spoke he of the Spirit, which those
who believe on Him should receive"
(John 13. "If you
continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; and you shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free ... If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be
free indeed" (John 14. "If any
person serve me, they
will my Father honor" (John 15. "Those who
believes on me, the
works that I do shall they do also; and greater works than these shall they
do; because I go to my
Father. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I
do, that the Father may be glorified in
the Son. If you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 16. "If you abide
in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done
unto you ... If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love ... You have not chosen me, but I have chosen You,
and ordained You, that
you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that
whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you" (John 15:7,10,16). 17. "I send the
promise of my Father upon you: but
tarry in the city of Jerusalem, until you be endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49; John 14:16-17,26; John 15:26;
John 16:13-15; Acts 1:4-8). 18. "Whatsoever
you shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you ... ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:23-26). 19. "Repent, and
be baptized. . . And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is unto you, and to your children,
and to all who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our god shall call" (Acts 20. Now concerning
spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you to be ignorant... Now there
are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are
differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are
diversities of operations, but it is the same God who worketh all in
all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every person to profit withal. For to one
is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; To another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; To another prophecy; To another discerning of
spirits; To
another divers kinds of tongues; To another the interpretation of tongues: But all these
worketh the selfsame spirit, dividing to every person severally as He will ... But covet earnestly the best gifts ... Follow after love, and desire
Spiritual gifts" (1 Cor. 12:1-11,31;1 Cor 14:1;
Rom. 12:3-8;15:18-19,29; Eph. 3:19). 21. "But without
faith it is impossible to please him: for he who cometh to God must believe
that he is, and that
He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). 22. "If any
person lack wisdom, let them ask of God, who gives to every person liberally, and He will
not rebuke them: and it shall be given them. But
let those ask in faith, nothing wavering. For those who waver is
like the wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not
that person think that they shall receive any thing of the Lord" (James 1:5-8). 23. "God resists
the proud, but
gives grace to the humble. Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he shall
flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will
draw near to you. Cleanse your hands. you
sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded ... humble yourselves in
the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up" (James 4:6-10). 24. "My little
children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in
truth. . . For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and
knows all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we
confidence toward God. And
whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him,
because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in
His sight" (1 John 25. "And this is
the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to
His will, He
hears us [He, the ultimate judge hears our
case]: And if we know that He hear us, Whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the
petitions that we desired of Him"
(1 John 5:14-15). The Visible is Made of the Invisible (Rom. Deuteronomy
11:29 states, “Now
it shall be, when the LORD your God has brought you into the land
which you go to possess, that you shall put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and
the curse on Mount Ebal.” Four Keys of Continued Grace 1. Live
and walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:5, 16-26; 2. Be
patient in hope (Gal. 5:5; Rom. 3.
Continue in Christ (Gal. 5:6; John 15:1-8; Col.
2:6-7; Heb. 4. Continue
in faith (Gal. 5:6; Col. 1:23). Seven
Conditions of Eternal Salvation: (Luke 1. Hear
the Word of God (Luke 2. Believe and be
saved (Luke 3. Maintain an honest
and a good heart (Luke 4. Keep the Word of
God in the heart (Luke 5. Do not fall away,
but be rooted and grounded in truth (Luke 8:13; Col. 1:23; 2:6-7; Heb.
3:6,12-14; 12:14-15). 6. Obey the Word of
God (Luke 7. Bring
forth fruit in perseverance (Luke “Falling
From Grace” Please be aware that it is possible to “fall from grace” and be cut off from God because of practicing sin [shortcoming continued] See twenty (20) examples of beings fallen from grace. The greatest saint can stand only as long as s/he depends upon God and continues in obedience to the gospel (Gen. 2:17; 3:1-19; Dt. 8:11-18; Prov. 1:10-17; 2:10-16; 4:14-15; 5:6-21; 6:27-28; 7:7-23; 9:15-17; 12:26; 14:27; 16:29; 19:27; 28:10; Isa. 33:15-16; Mt. 13:22; Lk. 8:13; Rom. 6:12-23; 8:12-13; 12:21; 14:13-21; 1 Cor. 7:5; 8:9-13; 10:1-12; 2 Cor. 2:11; 11:3; Gal. 5:16-26; Eph. 4:27; 6:10-18; 1 Tim. 5:15; 6:9-17; Heb. 3:6,12-14; 6:4-11; 10:26-38; Jas. 1:2-16; 4:7; 2 Pet. 2:9,20-22; 3:17; 1 Jn. 2:15-17). Anyone who rejects these conditions of living right will someday see that s/he cannot escape death and eternal punishment. “…For
if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged [by the Lord]. But when
we are judged, we are chastened [taught] by the Lord, that we may not be
condemned with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:31-32) “…Remember, each of us will stand
personally before the judgment seat of Messiah (Christ).” (Romans 2:1-16; Links “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15; 1 John 5:2-3; 2 John 1:6) And the very God of peace sanctify you
wholly, and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul
and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”
(1 Thess. 5:23). See the tri-unity of
humans. Some links require Adobe Acrobat Reader
“This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Habakkuk 2:4) “So we see that they could not
enter in because of unbelief.”
(Hebrews 3:19) See Doubt and Unbelief concerning
God’s Word “For His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and goodness. And by that same mighty power, He has given to us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these you all might be partakers of the Divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter1:3-4) There are 750 promises in the New Testament alone. The Key
That Unlocks all promises Link to the list of 250 separate benefits
of the 750 New Testament promises “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even
as your soul prospers.” (3 John 1:2) “For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in
high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) See the reality of evil, Satan, or the devil
“Be careful for nothing; but in
every thing by prayer
and supplication [prayer as from neediness] with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6) See The Art of Prayer “…The eternal purpose which He [God]
purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11). “…Rightly dividing the
word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Link
to God's Plan for Mankind Thank you Finis Jennings Dake and Dake
Publishing Thank you Derek Prince Ministries and his book entitled Blessings or Curses …
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