These are notes on the sermon, Your Failure Isn’t Final, preached by Pastor Joseph Prince on Sunday, 25 April 2021, at The Star Performing Arts Centre, Singapore. We hope these sermon notes will be an encouragement to you!
Be sure to sign up to get updates on the latest sermon notes by Team JP.
The good news that we have today is that God is not mad at you or out to get you. The Bible tells us that God has exhausted all His wrath on the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, our sacrifice on the cross.
God has justified us according to His righteousness, not according to His mercy. His righteousness is satisfied because on the cross of Jesus Christ, the price for our sins has been fully paid.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation (‘sótéria’)”
— Romans 1:16 KJV
“salvation” — This is the Greek word “sótéria” which refers not only to salvation from condemnation, but is an all-inclusive word that includes healing, wholeness, and well-being for your entire person.
The verb form of “sótéria,” which is “sózó,” is often used when Jesus healed someone in the gospels, such as the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5.
“ . . . your faith has made you well (‘sózó’) . . . ”
— Mark 5:34 NKJV
“well” — The Greek translation of this word is “sózó,” which is the verb form of “sótéria.” This word indicates that the woman was not only healed physically, but also received wholeness and salvation for her entire person.
“the power of God” — The gospel of Jesus Christ releases the power of God that saves you spiritually, makes you whole emotionally and mentally (in your soul), and saves your body.
With this all-encompassing salvation and well-being, you can now live above the effects of the curse that came into the world through Adam’s sin!
The gospel came at a very dear cost to God as He gave up His beloved Son to die for the sins of mankind. There was no other way for God to save us as we had all sinned and needed someone to die for our sins. Yet that person could not be someone who was also sinful, because if he was, he in turn would need someone to die for him.
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV
“who knew no sin” — Jesus Himself was, did, and knew no sin.
“we might be made” — We do not become righteous by our own performance, but we are made the righteousness of God. How? The divine exchange. Jesus took all our sins and was made to be sin on the cross for us so that we might take His righteousness. We receive His righteousness as a gift.
The true gospel of Jesus reveals the gift of the righteousness of God (Rom. 1:17), not the sinfulness of man. None of us can do enough to ever become the righteousness of God.
“For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
— Romans 5:17 KJV
Beloved, have you received the gift of righteousness? The Bible says that those who receive it will reign in life in this world and in the world to come through Jesus Christ. We need to preach the gospel that reveals the righteousness of God as a gift and releases the power of God that transforms people's lives!
Pastor Prince shares a testimony of a brother from South Carolina, United States, who was delivered from a 20-year addiction to pot smoking that he had not been able to quit, even after many attempts. However, after hearing about the gospel of grace, he was delivered from his addiction by proclaiming the truth of his righteousness in Christ.
My friend, if you are suffering under a sinful habit or addiction that you can't seem to break free from, the best way to be delivered from it is to confess in the midst of your bondage, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ,” because that is the truth.
Truth is unchanging. In the midst of contrary signs, symptoms, and what appears to be real at the moment, there is a truth that never changes. What appears as a fact (e.g. that you have a certain addiction at the moment) will not necessarily last forever, but there is an eternal truth (God’s Word and what Jesus accomplished at the cross) that can and will outlast the facts. The truth will change the facts!
As you proclaim the truth of your righteousness in Christ in the midst of your contrary circumstances (e.g. your addiction or sinful habit), it is just a matter of time before you begin to see your deliverance—the truth of Jesus sets you free and changes your reality!
The brother who was delivered from an addiction to pot-smoking shared that he experienced no withdrawal symptoms, nor a desire to smoke again. Stopping a sinful habit while still craving for it in your heart are not signs of true holiness or transformation. Rather, true transformation is being delivered even from the desire to sin!
Perhaps you have come across a believer who is suffering from depression, addicted to pornography, or facing anger issues. We know that all these are sins and that believers are supposed to be reigning over these things (Rom. 5:17). Why then are they still struggling with these issues?
The answer lies in the way we respond to the gift of righteousness given to us. When you receive the gift of righteousness, you need to truly believe it. When you truly believe it, it will affect your thoughts and emotions.
If you say you have received the gift of righteousness but continue to condemn yourself inwardly, always feeling guilty and being conscious of your sins, it is as if you are saying, “God, I don't believe Your Word that all my sins were put away because of Jesus’ finished work.”
“who was delivered up because of our offences, and was raised up because of our being declared righteous. Having been declared righteous, then, by faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
— Romans 4:25–5:1 YLT
“because of our being declared righteous” — We can be assured that if we were not declared righteous, Christ would not have been raised from the dead.
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
— Romans 5:19 NKJV
“by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” — After the first Adam sinned, sin came upon all generations of man.
“by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” — Jesus did not come merely to represent God to man, but He came to become man (John 1:14a). He came as the second Adam so that there would be a new human race (2 Cor. 5:17) after the order of Christ.
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
— 2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV
“bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” — This does not refer to bringing every thought to obey Christ, as attempting this would be a never-ending cycle of defeat. Instead, it means to focus on Christ’s obedience.
When you focus on Christ’s obedience, you will be Christ-occupied instead of self-occupied. Instead of taking credit for striving, you'll give all glory to Jesus who has finished all the work!
The devil is known as “the accuser,” and his job is to point out your bad points, where you have fallen short, and put you in a constant state of condemnation and guilt. The more you are self-focused and obsessed with the thought of what you’ve failed to do, the more you will spiral into depression.
The way to be delivered from our “self” is to start focusing on Jesus. It is not what you have done, but it is what Christ has done that is the most important!
Look away from yourself and look to Christ instead, focusing on His obedience. When the enemy accuses you of falling short, remember that Jesus’ obedience was credited to your account and it is His obedience that has made you righteous!
“Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 8:1–2 NASB
“no condemnation at all” — The word “no” is the Greek word “oudeis,” and it describes a scenario where there is no exception. This means that there is no condemnation whatsoever in any shape or form for those who are in Christ Jesus.
“in Christ Jesus” — Whenever the Bible mentions “Christ Jesus,” it is referring to Jesus after His death and resurrection, at the Father's right hand, crowned with glory and honor (on the other hand, “Jesus Christ” refers to Jesus during His earthly ministry before He went to the cross). Today, God sees us not as our old self, but only in Christ Jesus.
God put us in Christ at the cross, where our old nature was crucified with Him (Rom 6:6). When Christ died, we died in Him. When God raised Jesus to life, we were all risen in Him. The old nature is gone and we are now a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
“ . . . when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”
— Hebrews 1:3 NKJV
“by Himself purged our sins, sat down” — Jesus was not raised from the dead and seated at the Father’s right hand simply because He is the Son of God. If He hadn’t successfully paid for the forgiveness of our sins, He would not have been able to sit down because He came as a man to die for us on the cross and to effect the new covenant in our lives.
Today, you and I have the confidence to come to God, knowing that we have a man in the Holy of Holies representing us before God. As we are now in Christ, it is as though we are coming before God ourselves. You are one with Christ, ensphered in Him. When God looks at Jesus, He sees you. God will never see you apart from Christ.
As far as God the Father is concerned, whatever Jesus has done, you have done as well (apart from being the sacrifice for our sins at the cross). In the same way, whatever the Father did to Jesus at the cross, happened to you as well. Just as Jesus can never be condemned for sin today, there is therefore now no condemnation for you and I in Christ Jesus!
“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all . . . Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin . . . ”
— Romans 6:10–11 NKJV
“He died to sin once for all” — Jesus did not die to committing sin as He had never committed any. This is why we are not dead to committing sin today and we can still sin if we want to. Rather, Jesus died to the imputation and the condemnation of sin.
“Likewise . . . reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin” — Today, because we are in Christ Jesus, sin can never be imputed to us (held to our account), nor can the condemnation (punishment, including sickness and curses) fall upon us.
Pastor Prince reminds us that this is not the same as Universalism. Each person still needs to make a personal decision to believe in Christ and receive all that He has done for them. Once we have made this decision, God sees us in Christ.
My friend, before you experience deliverance and freedom from an addiction or sinful habit, or before you see the transformation you desire, you need to believe that there is now no condemnation for you.
Pastor Prince shares that he asked the Lord about how we can see more people’s lives transformed by the gospel. There are those who have heard about or even sit under the teaching of grace, yet still see areas of defeat in their lives. How do we see more lives truly touched and transformed by the gospel of grace?
The Lord then shared with him a simple yet profound truth about how the gift of righteousness can take real effect in people’s lives. This is what He said:
“Jesus cannot bear guilt while you are bearing guilt. Guilt cannot be in two places. Either it’s on Him or it’s on you. If it’s on you and you bear it, it cannot be on Him. If it’s on Him, then it’s not on you. Where guilt is, there can be no restoration. If guilt is on Him, then restoration is on you.”
Let’s look at the guilt offering, one of the five offerings in the book of Leviticus that symbolize Jesus’ sacrifice for us at the cross (the only exception is the meal offering, which is a picture of Jesus’ entire life as an offering).
The guilt offering
“If you have sinned in any of these ways, you are guilty. You must give back whatever you stole, or the money you took by extortion, or the security deposit, or the lost property you found, or anything obtained by swearing falsely. You must make restitution by paying the full price plus an additional 20 percent to the person you have harmed. On the same day you must present a guilt offering (‘asham’).”
— Leviticus 6:4–5 NLT
“guilt offering” — A guilt offering is needed in addition to a sin offering because many times we feel guilty when we know we have done something wrong.
“You must make restitution by paying the full price plus an additional 20 percent” — The Bible says the only way to be rid of the guilt is to pay back 100 percent of the damage, as well as an additional 20 percent, to the person who has been wronged.
Even though we are the ones who sinned, Jesus took our place at the cross as the one who did wrong. Since He became liable for all the wrong we have ever done and will ever do, He will be the one to restore the 120 percent.
“They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.”
— Psalm 69:4 KJV
We know this is a Messianic Psalm as it was quoted by Jesus in John 15:25.
“I restored that which I took not away” — Here, Jesus is saying that He took the place of the guilty one and became liable for their sins. Therefore He has to be the one to restore the wrong done.
Through the finished work, Jesus has restored more than what our sin cost. At the cross, Jesus accomplished so much more than what Adam had done in bringing the curse and death into the human race. If Adam’s sin caused all of us to become sinners, how much more has Jesus' perfect act of righteousness at the cross made all of us righteous!
What Adam did is so powerful that a sinner cannot change his status simply by doing good. The only way for a sinner to be transformed out of his sinnerhood to becoming a child of God is through Jesus' righteousness—by being born again.
My friend, if all the good things that you do cannot change your state of being a sinner, how can committing a sin cause you to lose your position of being righteous before God? Truly, your position is secure and irrevocable in Christ!
Although we have been born again, our flesh (the sin principle, our propensity to sin) remains in us. This could be in the form of tendencies to sin, depression, being fearful, among other inclinations. This flesh humbles us as it reminds us of our need for Jesus.
How do we overcome all these sins that we still find ourselves falling into?
Though we are full of weaknesses and sins, understand that this entitles you to what Jesus has done for you at the cross.
Child of God, every time you fail, don't receive the guilt. Instead, look to the cross and say, “Lord, I thank You that you bore the judgment and the guilt of this failure/mistake. And I thank You, Lord, that I'm free from guilt.”
Reject the guilt and condemnation by declaring, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ.”
And don’t stop there! Remember that because of this sin, based on Scripture (Lev. 6:4-5),
“If a man shall steal an ox . . . he shall restore five oxen for an ox . . . ”
— Exodus 22:1 KJV
Based on this verse, the person who suffered the wrong becomes a gainer as he receives five times what he lost as restoration. In the same way, God has gained from Jesus’ finished work as Jesus restored 120 percent of worship, reverence, and obedience to God on our behalf.
Pastor Prince emphasizes that we are against sin (Rom 6:1b, 6:2a NASB). Nonetheless, God’s Word says that where sin increases, grace superabounds (Rom. 5:20 NASB).
This means that if you are suffering a disease or sickness because of your sinful habits or addiction, as long as you don't receive the guilt and instead see that Jesus has borne it at the cross, you are entitled to 120 percent healing and restoration in your body.
Many people have the misconception that feeling guilty is good. However, the truth is that guilt only harms us. In fact, several mental health professionals and psychiatrists have said that guilt is at the crux of all addictions. The more a person feels guilty, the more they are doomed to continue in that addiction.
Pastor Prince shares that the answer is not to continue indulging in the sinful habit without feeling guilty as if it is acceptable and everything is fine. Rather, the answer is to declare, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ” even in the midst of that sinful habit.
Though it may sound hard to believe at first, keep declaring your righteousness in Christ and focusing on Jesus’ obedience. In time, you will catch the revelation that you are not your sinful habit, and you will experience a true transformation from within that empowers you to reign over sin. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ!
When you feel guilty about something you have done, you are imputing sin to yourself that God is not imputing to you. By this, you are saying to God, “I don't believe Your Word. Jesus didn't finish the work. You're not satisfied with it and that's why I feel guilty.”
Hebrews 10 is all about having a conscience free from sin. If we really believe that the price Jesus paid for our sins was a good price, we should not have sin on our conscience. Today, you can come boldly before God because not only has Jesus paid on your behalf the debt that you owe God, but He has overpaid it. God has been enriched by redemption because of you.
Imagine you owe someone money and a messenger comes to tell you that someone has overpaid your debt. If you don’t believe him, you will suffer under fear and guilt needlessly! Today, don’t allow guilt to weigh on your conscience any longer. Believe and declare your righteousness in Christ.
The guilty party restores to the righteous one. That’s why you need to realize you’re the righteous one! When you see yourself as righteous, you are entitled to receive the 120 percent restoration that Jesus has to give on your behalf!
When Jesus died on the cross, His death fully met the requirements of a holy God, including God’s justice and righteousness. God is righteous in making us righteous. But what happens when you fall into sin? Instead of feeling guilt and condemnation, know that there is therefore now no condemnation in Christ.
Some people may fear that believing in no condemnation will lead to licentiousness and people sinning even more.
But Jesus showed us in His encounter with a woman caught in adultery that it is the gift of “no condemnation” that empowers someone to sin no more.
“And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.””
— John 8:11b NKJV
“Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” — Looking at the order here, we can see that only when you first receive the gift of “no condemnation” can you “sin no more.”
However, the church often has it backward when they tell people to stop sinning first and that only after the results are evident in their lives will they no longer be condemned. This is not Jesus’ way.
This truth must be preached in such a way that people sense no condemnation, and realize how much God loves them and how perfect the work of Jesus at the cross was to remove all their sins. This will empower them to reign in life!
This applies to all areas of life, including health and provision. At times, when you fail in certain areas, the enemy’s voice tells you to expect bad things to happen to you because you have lost favor due to your failings.
Instead of wallowing in guilt and bearing it upon yourself, look to Jesus and tell Him, “Lord, You took this guilt and became my guilt offering. Because of this, I receive 120 percent restoration.” As you keep seeing Him as your guilt offering, you’ll find yourself falling more and more in love with Him!
If your health has been robbed, see the Lord becoming liable for it and taking your sin, and receive your 120 percent restoration in the form of healing, long life, and health.
If your career seems to have taken a hit because of a mistake you made, see the Lord becoming liable for it and taking your sin, and receive your 120 percent restoration in the form of success and prosperity.
“Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”
— Romans 8:1–2 NASB
Perhaps you are wondering why you are troubled by sickness? When Adam sinned, the result of judgment was condemnation, which brought with it weakness, sickness, and death. Pastor Prince believes that verses 1 and 2 of Romans 8 are linked. Every time we receive a tinge of condemnation, there is a consequence to be borne.
The etymology of the word “guilt” can be found in these two old English words:
Each time you heap condemnation or guilt on yourself, you will naturally feel the need to pay for the consequence. Our genes are designed in such a way that if you feel like you want to pay for something you’ve done wrong, your genes end up punishing you for it by manufacturing diseases such as autoimmune disorders, where the immune system fights against its own body.
Today, there is not a single ounce of condemnation left in your life, and we need to declare this truth! The spirit of faith is to believe and therefore speak (2 Cor. 4:13).
My friend, would you declare this each day: “I thank You, Father, that I am the righteousness of God in Christ,” and, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and death.”
“Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not ('ou mé’) impute sin.”
— Romans 4:8 NKJV
“shall not” — This phrase consists of two Greek words “ou mé,” which indicates a strong negative.
This verse clearly refers to people who are not perfect since there is only reason to impute sin to them if they have committed sin. We cannot help but feel blessed when we understand that even when we fail or sin, God does not impute sin to us. Instead of making us want to sin, this truth causes us to fall in love with God even more and live for His glory!
But what if you impute sin to yourself? Whatever comes as a result of sin—sickness, weakness, depression, addiction—will all be imputed to yourself as well.
My friend, if you agree with God that He would never impute sin to you, then by the same token, you will not accept whatever comes as a result of sin because you know that you are the man or woman that God has blessed and He will never impute sin, sickness, or death to you.
You cannot receive healing when you are under a cloud of guilt or condemnation. Today, if you are believing God for healing, declare this: “I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I thank You, Lord, that there is no condemnation at all for me and for my family in Christ Jesus. I am that blessed man/woman to whom the Lord will never impute sin. Thank You, Father, and in the name of Jesus, I receive Your healing right now.”
“Lord Jesus, I thank You, You died on the cross for all my sins. You became my sin offering, my guilt offering on that cross and I thank You that Your blood You shed has satisfied the righteous requirements of a Holy God. I thank You that You have cleansed me from every sin through Your precious blood. And I thank You, Lord Jesus, that You rose from the dead when I was declared righteous by God. Father God, I thank You, You are now my Father and I am Your son in Jesus’ name. I confess Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior, now and forever, in Jesus' name. Amen.”
“This coming week, the Lord bless you and your families with the blessings of Abraham, the blessings of Deuteronomy 28. The Lord keep you, preserve and protect you and your loved ones throughout this week from the COVID-19 virus, from every sickness and disease, from every danger, harm, accident, from all the powers of darkness, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord make His face to shine on you, shining, beaming on you. And the Lord grant to you and your families His wonderful shalom, health, wholeness, and peace in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And all the people said, Amen.”
Romans 5:17 tells us that “those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Reigning in life means experiencing victory over every sinful habit, addiction, and negative situation—even the ones brought about by our own failures or mistakes.
Not only that, but the Lord also wants us to expect to receive 120 percent restoration from Him in our failures—because that is what righteousness entitles us to (Lev. 6:4–5 NLT)!
So how do we practically own the gift of righteousness that our Lord Jesus has purchased for us at the cross and see our lives transformed?
Reflect on the quote Pastor Prince shared in this sermon:
“Jesus cannot bear guilt while you are bearing guilt. Guilt cannot be in two places. Either it’s on Him or it’s on you. If it’s on you and you bear it, it cannot be on Him. If it’s on Him, then it’s not on you. Where guilt is, there can be no restoration. If guilt is on Him, then restoration is on you.”
Friend, owning the gift of righteousness is to focus on Jesus and His finished work at the cross to the point you truly believe it and feel it deep down in your heart. To the point where you no longer bear the guilt and condemnation of your mistakes, but instead, have a positive expectation of God’s restoration rushing into the very areas in which you fail.
Here’s one way you can practically receive this wonderful gift of righteousness in the midst of your failures: When you find yourself falling into a sinful habit or making a blunder in a situation, instead of wallowing in guilt or beating yourself up, see that guilt on Jesus at the cross. He took it for you.
Tell the Lord:
“Lord, I thank You that you have borne the judgment and guilt of this failure/mistake. And I thank You, Lord, that I am free from guilt right now. There is no condemnation at all for me, because I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I am that blessed man/woman to whom the Lord will never impute sin, but instead, I can expect to receive your 120 percent restoration in this area!”
We hope these sermon notes blessed you! If they did, we encourage you to get the sermon and allow the Lord to speak to you personally as you watch or listen to it.
© Copyright JosephPrince.com 2021
These sermon notes were taken by volunteers during the service. They are not a verbatim representation of the sermon.
Sign Up for Latest Sermon Notes Updates
SubscribeTo complete the subscription process, please click on the confirmation link in the email we just sent you.
You're already in our mailing list. Thank You!
