Joseph Prince - The Key to Success in Every Area of Your Life

TOPICS: Success

God wants Jesus Christ to come back to the center of his church. And he wants the gospel that Jesus died to produce, amen? To give to the church, to come back to the centerpiece, to the forefront, amen? And it seems like there’s such a mixture all over the world where the gospel is being preached. We think the gospel is for Billy Grahams, you know, is for the evangelists out there. The gospel church is not just for the sinner. The gospel is for the believer. The gospel is your health. The gospel is your wealth. The gospel is your safety. The gospel is your preservation. The gospel is your family’s protection. It’s the success of your marriage.

The gospel is the power of God unto your salvation. And the word «salvation» in the Greek is all-covering, every area, all-encompassing salvation. Save you not just from hell. It saves you from self. It saves you from disease and sickness, it saves you from addictions, it saves you from, sometimes, you know, self is one of the biggest problems that exists, church. One of the biggest challenge against the gospel of grace is this, and I’m sure you’ll hear it, all right, you’ve heard of it. I want to see by a show of hands, how many have heard this, all right? We are not under law, all right, for justification, all right? But we are under law as a rule of life.

How many of you have heard this? Let me see your hands. We are not under law for… I’m not saying right or wrong, so don’t worry. There’s no right or wrong question here. I’m asking how many of you have heard this? They will say, «Yes, we are not under law for righteousness. We are not under law for justification, but we are under law for our walk, for holiness». How many have heard that before? In other words, theologically speaking, not under law for justification, but under law for sanctification. Have you heard that before? It’s the biggest argument, I’m telling you, the biggest thing, even theologians, all right, many theologians will try to use this phrase, «I don’t use the law for righteousness, I use the law for sanctification, for holiness». They call it the moral law, the Ten Commandments, the moral law, which it is, the moral law.

And then the second thing, which both I want to address today because we got to have right believing. If we have wrong believing, let me tell you this. If you have a wrong believing and you have this fearful expectation of judgment from God, even though God is not judging you, and if you’re a believer, your judgment is behind you, not in front of you. Your judgment is at the cross, amen. But if the devil is able to put the thought in your mind that there’s a certain fearful looking-for of judgment, it can cause untold harm, all right, to your body, to your mind, to your emotions. And God is not involved in it at all.

You know, years ago, I read that verse while I was flying to Israel. On board the plane, I opened up my Bible. I was doing some reading, God’s Word, and I came to this phrase in Proverbs where it says that the wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion. And I said, «Hey, that’s very familiar, isn’t it? The devil goes about like a roaring lion». So the Lord is telling me that the wrath of the king, and I knew that in the context that the king there is God who is our King. If he gets angry, it’s like the roaring of a lion. So we know that he cannot, and that’s another message altogether, he cannot be angry with a true believer ever again. When I read that I realized the devil has been going around, all right, the Holy Spirit showed me from that up thousands of, you know, feet in the air on the way to Israel, God showed me that the devil has been impersonating as God. Every time you do something wrong he comes to you and say, «Now God’s wrath is coming».

So every time you have done something wrong, there’s a certain fearful looking-for of judgment. And this is dangerous. It can do untold harm to your body, your emotions, even your marriage, your relationships. And whenever something bad really happens, you start saying that was the result, the harvest of what happened. That shows that all the while, whether consciously or unconsciously, it is in your heart, it is in your mind. Are you listening, church? So the thing is this. Then people challenge, «Well, Pastor Prince, are you saying that God is no longer a judge»? No, it all depends, all right? The Bible tells us God is a judge, but I’m not standing before God as a judge. I’m standing before God as a Savior, amen. And God wants to portray himself as the Savior.

So then, the Ten Commandments, they call it the moral law, okay? What’s wrong with trying to keep it for holiness as a guidance for life? What’s wrong with it? And I used to think that way. What’s wrong with it? You know, why would God want to raise me up to preach a strong message about grace? It is not original with me, all right? It was not original with Martin Luther. It was original with the apostle Paul. He received it from heaven. But somehow, just like what the Philistines did with the wells of Abraham, they covered it with earth. And then Isaac came and one of the things Isaac did, in fact, the greatest thing he ever did in his life was actually to uncover, unstop, the wells of water that the Philistines had put earth on it. And for me, I feel like I’m just unstopping, all right, uncovering, all that the devil has tried to put dirt in it. Are you listening, church? That’s my ministry. That’s my call, okay?

I want to show you and answer these two questions. Number one, all right, those who say I use the law not for righteousness, not for justification, I use the law as a rule of life. I use the law as sanctification for holiness. What’s wrong with that? Number two, okay, they say that whenever Paul says, «Do not go back to the law,» Paul is referring to ceremonial law. Let’s go to Romans chapter 7 and many of you are aware of this passage, we use it so many times, but today I want to approach it in a different light, in a different angle. But let’s read this first, verse 1. The apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit said, «Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives»? Am I right? As long as you are alive, the law has dominion over you.

Now let’s say you are dead, and then they realize that you have committed a crime 2 years ago. Do they exhume your body and then put you behind bars, rotting flesh and all? Do they do that? No. Once you are dead, you are no more under the law. And all the people said, «Amen». It has only «dominion over a man as long as,» say it, «as long as he lives». Okay, good. Keep that in mind. «For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives». Notice phrase: as long as he lives, as long as he lives, as long as he lives. You’re about to understand why Jesus died, one of the reasons why Jesus died, which is Southern preach. And now, if you’re in this church, you understand very clearly, all right, the importance of us being under grace and not under law. But many people don’t understand this. There are many reasons why he died.

Of course the main thing, all right, is to die as our sin offering. But here, the context here, Romans 7 is actually answering the question that begs an answer in Romans 6:14. Romans 6:14 comes before this, right? The chapter before this is: «For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace». Now, this is a verse I would encourage you to keep and tuck somewhere in your spiritual pocket, okay? Because people always come and say, «Well, if you are not under law and you are under grace, then you will go crazy. Then you do all kinds of sin,» all right? But actually, the Bible says the opposite. The Bible says: «Sin shall not have dominion over you for,» reason assigned, reason given, «for you are not under law, but you are under grace».

Now, let’s all admit it, it doesn’t make sense. What is logical is, sin will not have dominion over you because you are under law. Correct? But that’s not what the apostle says. So keep this verse in your heart. For some reason, all right, people read this verse and they don’t read this verse. They see this verse but yet they don’t see this verse. So this is Romans 6. And Paul, by the wisdom of God given to him, felt that people will not understand this verse, just like today. So he gave a whole exposition in the next chapter. So let’s go back to the next chapter, chapter 7, now verse 2: «For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband». Correct? Right?

Let’s go on to the next verse. «So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress». We all know that, right? «But if the husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man,» okay? The law is the law. The law must be the complete law. So what people have today when they talk about the law, being under the law, it’s called the relaxed law. Half law. Partial law, partial grace, all right? The Bible knows no such monstrosity, all right? The Bible tells us if you are under the law you must understand one thing, all right? You better not sin because if you sin the law will curse you. To be under the law means to be under the curse when you sin. Do you understand that, hmm?

Galatians 3, let’s stop here for a while, just go to Galatians 3, verse 10, all right? «For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone.'» You say, «Pastor, I do my best to keep as many of the commandments I know». All right, you’re doing your best. Look at this. «Cursed is everyone who does not continue in,» how many things? In how many things? Have you kept all things? Have you kept all things? If you have not, according to this passage, you are under the curse. The law demands complete. It’s not just 98,9%. Your test results show 98,9%. Wonderful. No, no, no, no. The law demands 100%. Do you want to be under law? You cannot bring God’s standard down to your level where it’s manageable. You must come up to God’s standard. This is the law. The law is holy. The law is righteous, okay?

So, it’s very clear. The law does not curse you if you obey everything in it. You see, my heart is that you are free from the curse. Do you understand that, church? So people think that by telling people to not be under law and all that or you know, they think very light about the law. No, it’s because I have a high regard for the law. It’s because I know unless you keep all things in the law, you’re under the curse. I have a high regard. Those people don’t have a high regard. Those who say, all right, those who say things like, «I use the law for holiness,» it’s not because they want to do good. It’s because they have this unwillingness to own how bad they are, amen. Because the law will never give you holiness. The law will show you what you really are, all right?

In fact, this passage will tell you that. The law will always stir up, all right? The law does not produce sin. I have never said that. But the law will manifest sin. It was designed to manifest sin. Are you listening, church? Are you listening? Amen. And that’s why the Bible says in Romans 5 that when the commandment came and the word came, all theologians, you can check this in the Greek, «came» there is not came in the centerpiece, in the forefront. Came on the side, came by stealth. Paul used this word by stealth, same Greek word, on the side, on the by. It’s not God’s main agenda, it came on the side that the offense might abound. The commandment came, the law came, that the offense might abound. Are you with me, church? And follow me so far because we are building something here that will help you a lot, okay?

All right, there are two questions. Question number one: People will say, «I understand we are not justified by the law, but I’m not using the law for justification. I’m using the law for holiness. I’m using the law as a rule of life,» all right? Is that acceptable? Number two, we are answering the question. When Paul says, don’t go back to the law, these people say he’s referring to the ceremonial law, okay? And look at this. Go back to Romans 7. So this woman now, all right, her husband is dead, she’s free from the law. There’s a big problem about God’s demands, God’s righteous requirements of man. How many know that God’s law cannot die? How many know that God’s requirements and demands and holy demands cannot die? How many understand that? Wave at me. How many know the law cannot die?

So if the law cannot die, in other words, the husband here, these two husbands, is actually Mr. Law and Mr. Grace. I’ve illustrated this some time back in my sermon before, if you have been here for a few years. So Mr. Law, the Jews are connected to Mr. Law since the time of Moses. Now Jesus has come bringing grace, the Son has come, but they still feel attached to the servant. By the way, God himself will not directly be involved with the law. The Bible says when God gave the law, God gave the law through a mediator, Moses, and through the hands of angels. I don’t have time to show you all the reference. I’m just showing you this to tell you, God’s heart is not into the law. Because even while Israel was in the law, God’s heart was into promises. He promised David, he promised Solomon, he keep on promising. God’s promise and grace go together. I said promise and grace go together. Are you listening?

God doesn’t want to deal with you based on law. If God deals with you based on the law, who can stand? So we got a problem here that God’s requirements of man remains the same. The law cannot die. So if the law cannot die, this woman is bound to this husband who is perfect. Nothing wrong with him, he’s perfect. And the moment she pressed the tube, the toothpaste, in the wrong way, she’s condemned. All right, she does something wrong, she’s condemned. The Lord cannot condemn, he cannot say, «I have a new version of the law».

There’s no such thing as a new version of the law. There’s no such thing as a relaxed law. There’s no such thing as a partial law. We saw this, the law is a composite whole. Are you with me, church? All right, so the thing is this. If the law cannot die, if a husband cannot die, she can die, right? So next verse says: «Therefore, my brethren,» now he’s writing to the believers now, «you also have become dead to the law». You have become dead. You, the woman who was in the dilemma, you are now «dead to the law through the body of Christ». In other words, one reason why Jesus went to the cross, all right, is to bring people out of the law into grace. Out of being a slave, to sonship whereby we cry, «Abba, Abba,» the spirit of a son.

So today, do we obey God? Yes. But the spirit of it is different. So one reason why Jesus died. You see, the law is this. «Jesus», listen, «Jesus is sinless. He did no sin,» all right? Peter says that. «He knew no sin». Paul said that. «In him is no sin». John wrote that in his letter. So Jesus is sinless, perfectly sinless. But when he became our sin offering on the cross, he became the Lamb of God, the substitute to take all our sins upon himself, the law punish or curse Christ for our sins, all right? The final thing the law did, and the law cannot go beyond this, is that when the law curse you to death, the law curse you and finally you die under the curse, how many understand, the law cannot go beyond that anymore.

In other words, I through Jesus’s body because what he did was for me. I was in him. When he died, I died. When God raised him, I was raised with him. When God set him down, I sat down with Christ, amen. You don’t have to understand this with your reason. Take it by faith. It’s a reality in heaven. You are all dead and risen people. I said you are all dead and risen people, amen. The law, if you are not dead, the law has jurisdiction over you. But once you have crossed, all right, the valley of the shadow of death and you are on the other side now, but you are risen. Risen is better than living, all right? Because when you are living, what you look forward to is death, all right? But when you are risen, where’s death? Behind you. Every believer must live life as those who are alive from the dead.

When you wake up in the morning, don’t feel like this is a natural life, everyone dies one day, death is in front of me. No, death is behind you. Does that mean if Jesus tarries, no Christian will die? No, I didn’t say that, but I’ll tell you this. You won’t even feel that you are dead. The moment your heart stops beating, you’ll be more alive than you are today because the encumbrance that hinders that life from flowing is your body. And once you’re out of it, I’m telling you, you’re so alive, you say, «Is this what you call dead, that I’ve been afraid of all these years»? Jesus conquered death.

So for the believer, we are dead and risen. Death is behind us. Even disease is behind us. Where is judgment? Behind us. Where is curse? Behind us. Do you understand? The death has no jurisdiction over us today. Judgment has no jurisdiction over us. We are beyond that. The devil cannot go beyond the grave. He cannot go beyond that. He has power over those who are living on earth. For them, they are looking forward, they are decaying, looking forward to death. For us, death is behind us. Why? Where was our death? At the cross. Whatever Jesus did was on our behalf, okay? So Jesus took our place. It’s as good as we were there. And we were there in the eyes of God. So listen, all the punishment of broken law in your life has already been executed in your life. The law cannot execute anymore already. Are you with me?

«Are you telling me, Pastor Prince, that you cannot… you’re saying that we can commit adultery»? See, not being under law doesn’t mean you don’t have even a higher life. But don’t forget, this higher life should not be another law. It is produced by the life of Christ as being dead and risen in Christ. The law says: «Don’t commit adultery,» but the law never says, «Love your wife». So there are those who don’t commit adultery but they don’t love their wife? I said there are those who don’t commit adultery, they don’t commit adultery, but they don’t love their wife. Is that the holiness that you’re talking about?

«Well, Pastor Prince, the Ten Commandments is a transcript of God’s mind». What? The Ten Commandments, you mean to tell me that in God’s mind there’s nothing but only ten laws? How dare you say that in God’s mind there’s nothing, is a transcript of God’s mind. Don’t pretend to know God’s mind. It is one of the things that God gives man because man was so proud that man doesn’t know himself and God gave him the law not to justify him by but to show him up. You see, when you have a mirror and the mirror shows that I have a blemish, the mirror didn’t produce the blemish but the mirror manifests the blemish that is already there. But can I use the mirror to wash my blemish away? No, I can’t. If the mirror says, «Ugly,» can I blame the mirror? I can’t blame the mirror.

There are people holding the mirrors: «I will hold on to the mirror because the mirror will make me handsome. It will make me holy». You know, friend, the law is holy. The mirror is inflexibly true. Man, I’m telling you, it’s mean. It doesn’t mean to be mean, you know, but sometimes I like to look at the mirror late at night, under the down light, preferably candle. But, man, when the sun is shining, it comes through the window, you can see all the dust particles in the air, that’s the time you don’t like to look into the mirror. But the thing is, the mirror cannot cleanse away your blemish. It manifests.

So why did God give the Ten Commandments to them? Why did God? Because God knew Man. Man would never see his need for a Savior. Man think he’s still good. You see, those who are asking to use the law for holiness, it’s not because they want to do good, it’s because they are unwilling to own how bad they are. They’re unwilling to accept how bad they are. So they are trying to use the law to find some goodness in themself. It is still self-focused. Instead of finding all their goodness in another, Christ who is risen from the dead. And God gave us Christ to be our Savior and Lord, amen?

Church, this coming week for you and your loved ones, your family, the Lord bless you and your family. The Lord bless you with the blessings of Father Abraham, the blessings of Deuteronomy 28: You’re blessed coming in, blessed going out, blessed in all that you set your hand unto. Your enemies come against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The Lord will make you the head and not the tail. The Lord bring you to the place where you lend and not borrow.

The Lord keep you, preserve you and your children, protect you and your loved ones throughout this week from all danger, from all harm, from accidents, from every sickness, from every contagion, from all the powers of darkness, from all the power of the evil one. And the Lord make his face shine on you and your families, be favorable to you, put you at the right place at the right time, enjoying his favors. Close doors that are no good for you. Open doors that will cause you to be a great blessing, and bless you. The Lord lift up his countenance on everyone under the sound of my voice, and grant to you and yours his shalom, well-being, health, and peace. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, receive it. Amen, amen, amen. So shall it be. Praise the Lord, God bless you.