Living in Abundance

by Creflo A. Dollar | Uncategorized

Now more than ever, the Body of Christ is learning that it pays to serve the Lord.

For example, when you look for employment, do you take a job solely on how much it pays? Of course not! Not only do you look for good pay and fair treatment, but you also keep in mind the quality of the benefits offered to you.

The Total Package
It’s the total package that often determines where you decide to work. The same is true in the spirit realm. Psalm 103:2 says,

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

You see, God’s benefit package includes a blood-bought right to wisdom, preferential treatment, wealth and riches, and divine health (Prov. 3:4; Ps. 112:3; Isa. 53:5).

These benefits began as an everlasting covenant with Abraham and extend to his seed, meaning you and me (Ps. 105:8-10; Gal. 3:29). Jesus paid the ultimate price so that we would forever be eligible to walk in these heavenly benefits daily.

In fact, when you received Jesus Christ (the Anointed One and His Anointing) as your Lord and Savior, you became the seed of Abraham. You now have a covenant right to the blessings that God promised him in Genesis 12:3 and Deuteronomy 28.

Get Understanding
Due to a lack of clear understanding about our covenant and covenant rights, many Christians have not received the benefits that are theirs as children of God.

To understand simply means “to piece together, to comprehend, or to grasp.” When you have understanding, it enables the Word to take root in your heart.

In other words, it becomes “rhema,” or real to you. Therefore, when you fully understand that you are the seed of Abraham, you can stand on that Word and expect your inheritance to manifest itself in your life.

Think of it this way: When your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents die, as a family member, you are an heir to their estate. You have the right to receive their possessions as your own. Their houses, land, jewelry, money and everything else they may own will be passed on to you. Likewise, as the seed of Abraham, you have a right to inherit the blessings that were bestowed on him.

Obedience: The Second Qualifier
Birthright alone, however, does not qualify you to receive your inheritance. God also requires your obedience. In Deuteronomy 28:1-14, the Word describes the blessings that come from obedience. In fact, God promised to set you above all nations of the earth. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. Everything you do will prosper.

Some people might say, “That’s all in the Old Testament. We live by the new covenant now.” Child of God, when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you became an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ (Rom. 8:14-17). And since Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8), it’s safe to say the Old Testament blessings still apply.

You see, we were adopted into the family of God (Eph. 1:4-5). And since we are His children, we have a right to all of the promises in the Bible. We have a right to have all of our needs met, be free from worry, and live an abundant life (Phil. 4:6,19; John 10:10). That’s what Jesus came to earth for—to set us free from the bondage of sin and death and usher us into the land of more than enough.

You’re Supposed to Be Wealthy
We also have a right to the wealth of God. Psalm 112:3 says, “Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth forever.” And The Amplified Bible tells us, “Prosperity and welfare are in his house.”

As a born-again Christian, you have inherited houses, riches, and eternal life (Isa. 65:21; Ps. 112:1-3; John 3:15). In addition, you have inherited a right to God’s omnipotent power, His anointing (Eph. 1:19).

Everything you could ever want or need has been provided for you; however, you must receive your inheritance. Proverbs 5:10 says, “Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labors be in the house of a stranger.” In other words, if you don’t receive or walk in your inheritance, someone else will try to cash in on it. That someone is the devil. Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that “Satan comes only to steal, kill and destroy.”

Don’t let him have what is yours! You are a child of God (1 Peter 2:9). Don’t let someone who is a stranger to the covenant take what belongs in the family! For example, if an attorney called a meeting for the reading of your relative’s will, everyone in your family would probably show up because they’d want to know what they had inherited.

However, if a stranger—someone who has no relationship with the family—showed up, everyone would ask, “Who are you? What are you doing here? What makes you think you have a right to anything?” You wouldn’t sit by and let someone take what belongs to you. You’d run them out of there!

So, put the thief on notice once and for all! Say, “devil, in the name of Jesus, God’s Word says you must restore everything you’ve stolen from me. I want my stuff now!”

The Good Life
Now keep in mind that before you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you were a stranger to the covenant. That means you weren’t entitled to anything but death and poverty. Ephesians 2:12-13 says:

At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

But thank God for the blood of Jesus! Now that you are a member of His body, you can partake of His covenant blessings. You see, God has always purposed for you to live the good life.

It’s hard to understand why people have a problem with Christians enjoying the fruit of their labor. They seem to take offense when you live well. But the Word says wealthy living is good. In fact, it’s part of your divine inheritance. God gave you the riches, wealth and power to enjoy. It’s all part of His covenant with you.

Child of God, there is much more to your salvation than just eternal life. The Greek word for salvation is translated “soteria,” which includes deliverance, victory, health, wholeness and prosperity. Yes, eternal life is a big part of it, but it’s not the sum total of the experience.

There is nothing wrong with being prosperous. As a child of the King, you’re supposed to live abundantly. In fact, the Old Testament makes clear that people who were in covenant relationship with God were recognized by their wealth. Now, however, people tend to think and say all kinds of evil things about you when you enjoy the blessings of God.

Well, they’re going to have to change their thinking, because God is raising up millionaires to show the world that it pays to serve Him. God rewards the obedience of His people with bountiful blessings!

You see, you can’t bless anyone when you’re broke or just barely getting by. And you can’t show someone what it’s like to be in covenant with God when you’re in debt or in poverty. But by living in abundance, we prove the goodness and faithfulness of God.

You may think, “I don’t need to be a millionaire. I don’t require that much.” Well, Child of God, it will take all of that and more, because He has called you to be a blessing to others.

God wants you to experience all of the wonderful benefits that come from His covenant relationship with you. You will be able to supply the needs of those around you, promote the gospel, and bring others into an intimate covenant relationship with Him.

And that’s what being an effective Christian is all about.

Copyright © Creflo Dollar Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Creflo Dollar is a founder and senior pastor of World Changers Church International (WCCI). He's a world-renowned Bible teacher, sought-after conference speaker, and bestselling author with hundreds of books, CDs, and DVDs in distribution worldwide. Recognized for his cutting-edge revelation and humorous, pragmatic approach, he enables thousands to experience grace, restoration, healing, and financial breakthrough by applying simple, biblical principles to their lives. He is the author of such game-changing books as "The Radical Life of Grace" and "Why I Hate Religion", and his award-winning Changing Your World television broadcast reaches nearly 1 billion homes. His ministry includes an app available on mobile devices and smart TV's, a dedicated YouTube channel, and the Changing Your World Network, a 24-hour online channel. A thriving social media presence has allowed him to connect with World Changers worldwide.

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