The Ultimate Bailout Plan

By Craig W. Hagin

These days, everyone is talking about a bailout plan. The economic stimulus package has dominated the nightly news for many months. It seems as though everybody wants help. But for those who call on the Name of the Lord, Jesus is the only bailout plan they’ll ever need.

Before the foundation of the world, God came up with the ultimate bailout plan. He sent His only Son to the earth to redeem mankind from sin. God provided not only a way of escape from hell, but also an escape from Satan’s tyranny in our day-to-day lives.

While Jesus was on the earth, He declared, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). This verse doesn’t just promise us life; it promises us abundant life.

As believers, we don’t need a government bailout plan. We need to take possession of what has already been provided for us. How do we do that? It’s really very simple.

MARK 11:22
22 . . . Have faith in God.

No matter what our situation looks like, our trust needs to remain firmly in God and in His power and ability. Proverbs 3:5 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Trusting in the Lord with all our heart involves forgetting what we understand. It involves not worrying about a situation but putting our faith wholeheartedly in the Lord. We may not know how God will turn our circumstances around; we just need to know that He will.

No matter what our situation or the economy looks like, we can’t lean on the media’s understanding, Wall Street’s understanding, or a doctor’s understanding. We have to believe that what the Word of God says is true. God has promised us abundant life, and an economic recession cannot make John 10:10 null and void.

The blood that was shed at the Cross of Calvary provided the solution to all of mankind’s troubles—spiritual, physical, emotional, and financial. Even though that blood was shed over 2,000 years ago, it’s still our answer today.

Many charismatic Christians are familiar with First Peter 2:24, which says, “. . . by whose stripes ye WERE healed.” We understand that if we were healed, then we are healed right now. Well, if we already have something, we don’t need to be concerned about getting it. We already have it.

If we already have abundant life as promised in God’s Word, why would we ask, “When am I going to become prosperous and live in abundance?”

We ask questions like this when we don’t understand what we already have. And when we don’t know what is ours, we won’t take possession of it.

Some Christians among us think that since God knows what we need, He will automatically give it to us. God knows everything, but faith is what causes Him to move on our behalf. Even though God cares about all of His children, He can’t do anything for us unless we ask Him. And unfortunately, even when we do ask the Lord for something, sometimes we waver.

Wavering is when we believe the Word of God one day and doubt it the next. Instead of standing firm in our faith, we go back and forth. We start out believing God’s Word, but then we look at our circumstances and begin to doubt His promises. James, the brother of Jesus, told us not to do this.

JAMES 1:6–7
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

Whenever we waver, we are actually standing on James 1:7. We’re not purposely trying to stand on this verse, but by our actions, we are. Anytime we vacillate between faith and unbelief, we can be sure of one thing: we won’t receive from God.

I’ve preached on faith for many years. One day I thought I would look up the definition of faith. What I found changed my life. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines faith as an “unquestioning belief.” In other words, faith is having a strong belief without any physical proof.

Sometimes Christians say, “It’s too hard to believe something without any proof.” But when you think about it, we do it all the time.

We believe we’ll spend eternity in Heaven after praying the sinner’s prayer. But we won’t have any physical proof concerning the afterlife until we pass on. Yet, the majority of Christians believe this. Why? Because Scripture promises us eternal life (John 3:16; 6:47; 14:2–3; Acts 2:21). We never question this portion of the Word of God.

In the same way, we shouldn’t question that God wants us to have an abundant life (John 10:10; 2 Cor. 8:9; 1 Tim. 6:17). It should not be easier to believe that we’ll spend eternity in heaven than to believe that God wants us to live in abundance while we’re on the earth. However, it can be harder to believe that if we don’t know that salvation is more than an escape hatch from hell. There are benefits that come with being born again.

PSALM 103:2
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

After we are born again, God gives us, figuratively speaking, a “heavenly credit card.” Many people have some type of credit card. Along with allowing us to purchase goods and services on credit, many major credit cards include additional benefits. My credit card automatically covers me with collision insurance anytime I rent a car.

One time when I was renting a car, the clerk asked if I wanted to purchase insurance. I told him no because my credit card automatically covered me. He smiled and said, “You don’t know how many people still buy insurance even though they are already covered.” Although the clerk knew I didn’t need insurance, he still asked me if I wanted to buy it. He wanted to see if I knew the benefits I was entitled to.

The devil uses the same approach where our salvation is concerned. He roams the earth seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). The devil knows what’s in our benefit package, and he tests us to see if we know what belongs to us. But if we don’t take hold of our benefits, the devil can easily rob us.

Jesus Christ is the bailout plan to end all plans. He is the Ultimate Answer for the world today. We don’t have to look to others for help. We simply have to put our faith in God. He has promised us eternal life, but He has also promised us abundant life while we are on the earth. Now it’s up to us to take advantage of what God has already provided.

Turning Can’ts Into Cans

The Bible promises us many
things, including health, victory, and
protection. Yet many Christians are
not enjoying what God has promised
them because they’re focusing
on their situation instead of on God.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the
Lord with all thine heart; and lean
not unto thine own understanding.”

We need to trust God instead of
our own understanding because our
minds will tell us we can’t do something
or the situation can’t be turned
around.

With God, all things are possible
(Matt. 19:26) and we are more than
conquerors (Rom. 8:37). With God,
we can overcome anything.

It doesn’t matter what giants we
face or walls we encounter. As we
resist the devil and stand firmly on
the Word, we will see what God has
promised manifest in our lives.