Jesus Exhausted the Poverty Curse

Now, viewing again the fact that Jesus was made the curse that we might receive the blessing, and seeing that the blessing of Abraham comprehended all things. I want to focus tonight upon one specific aspect of curse and blessing. I want to tell you tonight that Jesus on the cross exhausted the poverty curse.

When I saw that exactly 10 years ago by revelation while I was preaching in a meeting I would have to say it had a profound influence on my subsequent Christian experience. That’s why I was so quickened when Eric read the words “I will reveal to them the abundance,” because I do not believe we can really perceive this abundance unless God reveals it to us. It’s clearly stated in scripture but it takes a revelation.

We remember that the curse was “you will serve your enemies in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things.” That’s the poverty curse: hunger, thirst, nakedness, and want of all things.

I was in the city of Auckland in New Zealand in l968 or ‘69, I forget which. I was preaching in a series of meetings and I’d announced that my theme would be “God’s Financial Provision.” We’d also arranged to take up a special offering for the expenses of the speaker, et cetera, at the end of that meeting. I was preaching what I believed about God’s will for abundance and prosperity and as I was preaching I saw in my mind’s eye the figure of Jesus on the cross. I saw him hanging there as he undoubtedly did hang there stripped of all his clothing. Though I was preaching all the time, my mind was viewing Jesus on the cross. As I saw him there mentally I saw by revelation that he totally exhausted the poverty curse. The Holy Spirit went over the four aspects of the curse for me. He was hungry, he hadn’t eaten for nearly 24 hours. He was thirsty, one of his last utterances was “I thirst.” He was naked, the soldiers had stripped him of all his clothing and shared it amongst them. They cast lots for the extra garment, the seamless robe. And he was in want of all things. He didn’t have a burial robe, he didn’t have a tomb, he had nothing. He was buried in a borrowed robe and in a borrowed tomb. He was totally in want of all things. Why? Because in the divine purpose of God he exhausted on our behalf the poverty curse. Hungry, thirsty, naked, and in want of all things.

Though that didn’t register with me exactly as a life changing truth at that time, I would have to say, that revelation has changed the course of my life. It’s given me a kind of basis for my faith for prosperity. I’ve seen the absolute finality of the exchange that Jesus took the poverty curse that we might receive the blessing of Abraham, that we might receive our inheritance administered by the Holy Spirit.

I do not say this without a solid basis in scripture. I’d like you to turn, if you will for a moment to 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. There are two verses in these two chapters that go beautifully together. First of all, let me point out that 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 together contain 39 verses. They deal exclusively with one subject which is what? Money, that’s right. Some people would say, “Brother Prince, why are you talking so much about money? Love is what really matters.” It always amuses me because in 1 Corinthians Paul has one chapter on love and it takes 13 verses. In 2 Corinthians he has two chapters on money and it takes 39 verses. Exactly three times as many verses! Does that mean that money is three times more important than love? No. But it means that without rightly acting in matters of money we’re talking empty talk about love. Look then at these two verses that balance one another in 2 Corinthians 8:9 and 9:8. Start with 8:9:

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ . . .”

I want to say two things about grace. It’s most important. Few people really understand the nature of grace. First of all, grace can never be earned. Anything that can be earned is not grace. That excludes most religious people from the grace of God because they think they can earn it. Consequently, they never receive it. Now, there are things we can earn but grace is not one of them. Bear that in mind. If there’s anything you can earn, it is not grace, it’s works.

Secondly, there’s only one channel of grace. John 1:17:

“The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

Any form of grace that ever comes to us comes to us through Jesus Christ. All right? Going back to 2 Corinthians 8:9:

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

You know, I used to quote that verse “might become rich.” The Holy Spirit said, "Take another look." It says “be rich.” You can become rich and become poor again. But when you’re being rich you’re being rich. It’s permanent.

What’s the exchange? What are the two simple words that are set against one another? Jesus took the bad which was poverty that we might have the good which was riches. Jesus took our poverty that we might have his wealth. Now, when did Jesus become poor? It’s important, I think, that we see this. Some people believe that he was poor all through his earthly ministry. I would say he wasn’t wealthy, he didn’t have riches but he sure had abundance. Any man that can feed a crowd of 12,000 is not exactly broke! There never was a single situation in the whole earthly ministry of Jesus where he lacked anything. Not one, I challenge you to find it.

Even when he sent his disciples out they didn’t lack anything. He had unorthodox ways of doing things! I mean, when he wanted the tax money instead of going to the bank and cashing a check he sent Peter to the sea and got a fish. But the result was the same.

I want you to review that because it’s important. He was not wealthy but he had abundance. He was never worried, he was never perplexed, he was never under pressure, he never panicked; he was calmly and completely in control of every situation and he never doubted, as Eric said, that this Father’s goodness would come up with everything he needed. The Father never failed him once. That’s not poverty. What’s poverty? We’ve defined it. Hungry, thirsty, naked, and in want.

When did Jesus become poor? He began to become poor the moment he was identified with our sins. From that moment onwards he went deeper and deeper into poverty until on the cross he represented absolute poverty. Why did he become poor? That we might be rich.

Let’s face the fact his poverty was not spiritual. Is that agreed? He was really poor. Therefore, by all the laws of logic, our wealth cannot be spiritual either. It’s not talking about spiritual blessings. Thank God they’re there but this is talking about the nitty-gritty, practical, material world. All right? He became poor very really poor, absolutely poor in the physical, material sense that we might be rich not in the spiritual sense. That’s provided for by other provisions of God. But that we might be rich in the sense of having every need met and having something over for other people.

Thank God I don’t need to argue that because it’s stated in scripture. Look on to 2 Corinthians 9;8.

“And God is able . . .”

Let’s pause there. Do you believe God is able? It’s important that you do. I do. I mean, to me it would be illogical to speak of God the way we speak of him and to say he’s unable to do this.

“God is able to make all grace abound toward you . . .”

What is it? It’s grace. Don’t imagine you can earn it. This is one of the big problems of Christian people. I believe in being industrious, I believe in working hard and faithfully, I believe in proper stewardship and management. But all that doesn’t earn what we’re talking about. How is grace received, through what?

Through Jesus Christ by faith. That’s right. That’s why some Christians lead good, honest, moral, hard-working lives but they know nothing of God’s abundance, because they’re trying to get it by earning it.

Don’t misunderstand me. I believe it’s altogether wrong for a Christian to be lazy or dishonest or irresponsible. I can give you scriptures for all that but I won’t do it. But when you’re not lazy and not irresponsible and not dishonest, you’re still not earning God’s grace. We are talking exclusively tonight about grace.

Interestingly enough, in these two chapters that deal with money the key word is grace. It occurs seven times in chapter 8 and twice in chapter 9. We’re talking about grace that operates in the realm of money. Some people couldn’t believe that grace and money could ever get related.

“God is able to make all grace abound toward you . . .”

God is not stingy with his grace. He doesn’t give you just enough, he gives you enough and more. It’s abundant, it’s overflowing.

“. . . that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to all good works.”

I’ve changed it at the end because in the Greek language every word is from the same root. You’ll find that in that verse there are two “abounds” and five “alls” in one short verse. I’d like to read it that way and I’ll use my right hand for the alls and my left hand for the abounds. Are you with me?

“God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to all good works.”

I don’t know how language can say more than that. It’s almost incredible you can get so much into such a short sentence. What does it describe? It describes God’s grace. His grace in the financial and material area. The exchange: Jesus became poor with our poverty that we might be rich with his wealth or enjoy his abundance.

Now, I believe we’ve established that clearly on scripture. For my part, when I can establish something on the basis of the cross, for me it’s settled. As far as I’m concerned, whatever was done at the cross, it’s final. It can never be undone. Satan cannot change it, unbelief cannot change it; it’s settled. We may not appreciate it or appropriate it but it cannot be undone.