Scriptual Basis for New Covenant Prosperity

There has been a debate raging for a long time about the so called "prosperity gospel." The debate centers on whether or not it is scriptural. I believe the answer is that YES it is scriptural. Now, I do not subscribe to the idea that it is predicated on law obedience. Much of the teaching surrounding the "prosperity gospel" places an undue focus on the necessity of law obedience for the prosperity to be granted. This flies in the face of the pristine gospel and my paradigm shift. The simple fact is that it is predicated on the first century gospel and the installation of the New Covenant based on better promises. It is the better promises, as you will see, that forms the scriptural basis for New Covenant prosperity.

The foundation for this scriptural basis is found in the blessing verses of Deuteronomy 28. I am going to list the promises in bullet form and then will follow up with the scriptural justification for why they are accurate and available to any saint willing to believe them.

• You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the field.  
• Your children will be blessed, as well as the produce of your soil, the offspring of your livestock, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks.  
• Your basket and your mixing bowl will be blessed.  (6)  You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.  
• The LORD will cause your enemies who attack you to be struck down before you; they will attack you from one direction but flee from you in seven different directions.  
• The LORD will decree blessing for you with respect to your barns and in everything you do – yes, he will bless you in the land he is giving you.  
• The LORD will designate you as his holy people just as he promised you, if you keep his commandments and obey him.  
• Then all the peoples of the earth will see that you belong to the LORD, and they will respect you.  
• The LORD will greatly multiply your children, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your soil in the land which he promised your ancestors he would give you.  
• The LORD will open for you his good treasure house, the heavens, to give you rain for the land in its season and to bless all you do; you will lend to many nations but you will not borrow from any. 
• The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always end up at the top and not at the bottom.

Let me state that these promises are not just for a more rural agrarian society such as was the case in the time of the writing of Deuteronomy. It is basically stating that a person who receives these blessings will be prosperous.

So, many of you are no doubt asking, what about the fact that this was Old Covenant and written to Israel the nation? This is a valid question, but likewise there is a very valid answer which I will get to directly.

First, according to Paul in Galatians that New Covenant saint is the offspring of Abraham and heirs according to the promise. Paul likewise teaches that Jesus Christ is the Israel of God and that all joined with him are the Israel of God as well. Gal 3:29  "And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise."

The next question you may have for me is what about the curses of Deuteronomy chapter twenty-eight? Another great question but there is likewise a great scriptural answer. Paul states this: Rom 8:3-4  "For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,  (4)  so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." A believer does not have to worry about the curses because the righteous requirement of the law has been fulfilled in us by Christ Jesus.

Paul addresses this objection further: Gal 3:10-13  "For all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law.”  (11)  Now it is clear no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous one will live by faith.  (12)  But the law is not based on faith, but the one who does the works of the law will live by them.  (13)  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) The simple fact is that Jesus Christ redeemed us from all the curses of the law including those in the second half of Deuteronomy twenty-eight so only the promises are applicable.

Finally, Paul offers this explanation for why that is so:  2Co 1:20  "For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God." So the promises are all yes in Christ! 

The question becomes will we believe this by faith and apprehend it?