Alternative Culture: The Law Demands Grace Supplies review

[Disclaimer: I have reviewed this DVD as part of my Lent series. Before watching this DVD, I had only listened to Joseph Prince preached once on Leviticus, a long time ago. Thus before this review I had a neutral view of Pastor Prince.

I do not claim to be an expert in theology or apologetics. I merely attended a few theological courses in my free time in university. I consider myself a Christian who is interested in knowing God better and more.]

Pastor Joseph Prince

A few years ago, a friend passed me the DVD from New Creation Church, The Law Demands Grace Supplies (2011). After promising to review it, I chucked it in my cabinet and clean forgot about it. Recently, as part of my Lent series, I decided to review some of the Christian literature I have. Thus I pulled it out to do a review.

Synopsis
After an enthusiastic introduction by two Americans, a band begins to play a few worship songs I am unfamiliar with. Then Pastor Prince begins his sermon.

He starts by talking about the Passover, specifically on how God promised physical deliverance to the ancient Jews. He then explains that God also promised us to deliver us from sickness.

Then he moves on to the meat of his sermon -- how under the law, we are all condemned. However, under the grace of God, we all can obtain his blessings which includes "health and wealth".

Theological Review
Law demands
I liked this segment. Prince accurately how under God's law, no one is justified, and all are guilty. This follows closely to what the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 3: 19-20:

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

If we follow tightly to God's law and justice, our rightful reward is death. As in Romans 6:23:

 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Grace supplies
Although I looked forward to the second part on grace, unfortunately I found much of this part disagreeable. While I passionately agree with Pastor Prince that Christ died for our sins (past, present and future), I depart in the area of blessings.

 Pastor Prince eloquently asserts that we can access God's blessings for us and that included the "lesser blessings" of "health and wealth", using the example of Abraham. We just needed enough faith in grace of God.

One of his quotes that irked me was "Jesus lived a short life so that we can live long lives". I find that quote disingenuous. Christians for the first 300 years after the death of Christ were severely persecuted by the Roman authorities. Presently, Christians in North Korea and the Middle East are hunted down. To say that Christ died so we can all materially benefit is neither safe nor right, especially when so many of my siblings-in-Christ suffer so much.

Misquoting the New Testament
Furthermore, Pastor Prince's draws references to 2 Corinthians 8:9 which says

 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

and follows it up with the next chapter (in the video he says "next verse", but I will treat it as an honest mistake) in 2 Corinthians 9:7:

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver

He then concludes that God wants to makes us (financially) rich so that we can give back to him.

However, a close examination of 2 Corinthians 8:9 shows that the richness of Jesus did not refer to material finances (Jesus was a carpenter, and did not have enough money to feed his followers at times, like in Matthew 14.). Thus I am puzzled how Pastor Prince can pull such a reference to material richness.

Conclusion
I took a long time to write this article, as I wanted to be accurate. It was not easy to write as I find myself a bit too eager to condemn, so I re-watched several parts in order not to misrepresent any view.

I must say I am disappointed with the DVD. I expect him to emphasise on justification -- not that we rely on our good works for salvation, but faith in God.

On the issue of law and receiving grace, I find myself in agreement with Pastor Prince, but I start to depart from him on the issue of the blessing that grace supplies. To give the idea that God blesses us materially as long as we have faith is false.

God was with Joseph in Genesis 39, but he was in prison. John the Baptist was a holy man, but he was beheaded in Mark 6. To empahsise God's blessings as "health and wealth" is neither safe nor right.

For further reading
Persecution of Christians