Prior to discussing these misconceptions that become a hindrance to faith and the Christian walk, I want to first bring our attention to the defining principles the Bible makes clear throughout the scripture – all things are for the glory of God.
The overarching theme of scriptures is simple – all things are created for the glory of God, and every event is guided by His hand for the glory of God. Every promise given to us, command that instructs us, and action on our part must be examined in the light of God’s glory. God exalts man for the purpose of glorifying His name, not glorifying the man. Consider the word of God in these passages:
Isaiah 42:8
I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.
Isaiah 43:7
Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him."
Man is not exalted to lavish in glory, but to point to the work of God and His glory. Anytime we seek our own glory, we have robbed God and are no longer in His will. When King Nebuchadnezzar rose to world power and subdued every nation, his heart was lifted up with pride, but God warned him of the consequences of thinking higher of himself than he ought to think. Look at Daniel 4:25
They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.
Notice that God lifts up kings and kingdoms and gives it to whomever He chooses. But he will not allow man to be exalted above measure. As Christians, we are commanded to be conscious of how our actions glorify God and in everything we must make honoring God the focus. Look at 1 Corinthians 10:31
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
As Christians, our actions must be on glorifying our Lord. Whether it is food, drink, behavior, or any other action, all things must be done with the focus on bringing the Lord glory. So, when we talk about the promises of the Christian life, spiritual growth, benefits of our walk, or anything else, it must not be about ourselves, but the glory of God. Carefully read this important passage in 2 Corinthians 4:5-7
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
We are commanded not to preach ourselves, bring glory to ourselves, or even make the focus of power on us. Even though we have the treasure of God placed within us, it is still God’s power and is not of us. Some teachings shift the focus to our power, but the Bible makes it clear that the power is not of us. Some teach that we are christs, or little gods, but this is to rob God of His glory, for the power is not of us, but God. And the Lord says that He will not share His glory with another. Anything that shifts the focus away from God and toward us, is self-glorification and not of God. Any who set themselves up in God’s place have stepped into the realm of pride, and are under the warning that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Pride is a challenge to God’s glory, but humility is our submission and acknowledgement that all glory belongs to Him alone.
Once we understand this basic principle of scripture, we can understand the reason why some doctrines, though they are growing in popularity, defy the glory of God.
Myth 3 - We are identical to Jesus
Myth 4 - Jesus was beaten for our physical healing
Myth 5 - Healing is a guarantee
Myth 6 - Fear of leaving tradition is why people won't accept new doctrines
Myth 7 - God's word is being replaced by a new move of God
This is presented in many varying ways. Some say that God created us as replicas of Himself. Some say that we are identical to Christ. Some say that we are little Messiah’s on the earth. Regardless of how this is presented, it still directly contradicts scripture. According to God, this will never happen. Look at Isaiah 43:10-11
10 "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior.
Could God possibly make this any clearer? Not only was there no other gods, but there will never be another god. Since God Himself declared that no other God will be formed, it is impossible to accept the little gods doctrine without denying the scriptures. Being created in God’s image is not to be made into a little god, but to have attributes of God in our character, nature, and being.
Think about the word ‘image’. To be in the image or likeness of something or someone does not mean to be identical or of the same substance. A photograph has the image of a person, but who would make the absurd claim that the image is an exact replica in substance and power of the person in the photograph? Would a graven image be identical in substance to the animal or person it represents? Obviously not. To be in likeness means that there are characteristics that make the image similar in some way to the original so we can identify that likeness.
Consider children. Sometimes kids have personality traits similar to one of their parents and we hear someone say, “He acts just like is father.” Or, “Her nose is just like her mother.” Likeness can be physical, mental, personality, or in man’s case, spiritual. God has given man attributes that cause man to reflect God’s character and glorify His name. Some of these attributes were lost in the fall of Adam, but restored in Christ.
I’ve heard people go as far as to say that Adam was created as a spiritual creature, but became flesh after the fall. We know that cannot be true, for God formed Adam out of the dust, and took a rib of flesh to create Eve. God then said, “They two shall be one flesh.” This was before the fall. Not to mention that man was eating before the fall, or else he could not have disobeyed God to eat from the forbidden tree.
Keep in mind that the temptation of the tree was the lie, “You shall be like God.” This tells us two things. First, man in his original created state was not like God, or else the false promise would not have been appealing. Second, if this lie led to Adam and Eve’s fall, why do we now think the same promise is of God today? The lie, “You will be like God,” has been repackaged and sold under many wrappings, and people continue to buy it and fall under the same sin as Adam fell into. If it was a sin to try to become equal to God in the perfection of Eden, it is a sin to try to be a god today in our fallen world.
I recently read a book where the following statements were taught:
God’s word declares that you have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:18-20).
Remember, in your spirit, you’ve got the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:18-20).
The author goes on to explain how Ephesians 1:18-20 says that we have the power of Jesus Christ and we can do everything Jesus has done. Some of these questions will be answered a bit later, but I want to read the cited passage in context. As you read these scriptures, count how many times the Bible mentions our power. Ephesians 1:17-23
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
How many did you count? If you said, zero, you are correct. This passage is not talking about our power, but the power of Christ. We benefit from His power, but we are not given His power. “He is far above principality and power; He raised Him from the dead; He seated Him on the right-hand in heavenly places; He put all things under His feet; He is the head of all things; in Him is the fullness who fills all in all. It is not you. It is not me. All things point to Christ. Because we are in Him and walking in the truth, we benefit from His power and He gives us the spirit of wisdom and reveals the knowledge of Christ, but the power is in Christ, and not us.
Once someone substitutes Christ and puts us in His place, they are no longer a reliable teacher. Anyone who has to reword scripture in order to make their teaching fit is a deceiver. Even if they are sincere, they are still teaching deception. Keep in mind that the Bible warns that in the last days people will deceive while being deceived. Many false teachers are sincere, but because they draw their doctrine from other deceivers, they are now part of the deception.
The power is in God, not in ourselves. Indeed God’s Spirit dwells within us, but the power is still in His Spirit – not in our spirit. We are dependent upon Him and upon the power of Christ. It is His power toward us that gives us the hope of our calling. This is how God explained it, and this is how we must receive it.
This is a common teaching by the Word of Faith movement and several other pseudo-Christian sects. It’s not uncommon to hear preachers proclaim, “Faith is the substance God used to create the world. God spoke faith-filled words to create. You also can manifest the power of God by speaking faith-filled words.”
This is yet another repackaging of the erroneous belief that man can be like God. This doctrine teaches that the power is not in God, but in a substance called faith. God has learned how to use this inexhaustible power and He wants us to learn how to use this power. They believe that words are containers, and people can put negative energy into their words, or faith power in their words. Logic should compel us to see the fallacy of this belief. If mustering up our faith gave us magical power, we should see the world shaken by the mouths of the Word of Faith prophets. They shouldn’t have to plead for money; they should just speak it into existence as they claim we should do.
It is also disturbing that two of the most prominent Word of Faith preachers have acknowledged that this method of creating our reality is the same method used in New Age circles. One claimed that the New Agers borrowed the doctrine from the Bible, and it can be used by anyone – Christian or otherwise – since it is a spiritual law. The other claimed that he learned it from a coven of witches. He claimed this coven taught him how to kill birds with his words and use it for other purposes. Not only does this belief rob God of His glory, but it puts power into the hands of anyone regardless of whether they are with God or with the devil. This concept is completely foreign to scripture.
The proof text for this belief system is a misunderstanding of Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Both the KJV and the NKJV translate the Greek word, ‘hupostasis’ into the word ‘substance’. This word means ‘strong confidence’ or ‘firm assurance’. This is the same Greek word translated as confidence in these passages:
Hebrews 3:
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
2 Corinthians 9:3-4
3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready;
4 lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting.
In both of these passages, confidence is the clear understanding of this word. The closest word that matches the Word of Faith concept of substance is found in Luke 8:3, where two women from prominent households provided for the needs of Jesus out of their substance, or possessions / wealth. No where in the Bible is faith referred to as a substance, or an object that possesses power. Faith is always in God, who has the power.
There is no biblical support for faith being a force, a substance, or a power we tap into. But there is a lot of biblical teaching to the contrary. First, we’ll examine the passages that challenge this notion, and then we’ll briefly look at how the Bible explains faith. First, look at Psalm 12:3-4
3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, And the tongue that speaks proud things,
4 Who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us?"
The Lord is not pleased with those who try to make themselves lord with their own words. Are they not speaking proud things when the believers of this doctrine proclaim their own ability to create? Are they not saying, “With our tongue we will prevail?” Not only does God express His displeasure over the proud proclaimers, He also testifies the powerlessness of their words. Look at 1 Thessalonians 5:
3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
Notice the confession of their mouths: “Peace and safety.” But what came upon them? Was prosperity produced by their faith filled words? No. They proclaimed their own will, but God sent judgment of sudden destruction – from which, they shall not escape. The apostles understood this truth. Look at 1 Corinthians 4:19-20
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
Obviously, this modern problem isn’t a new doctrine. The apostles contended with this and had to deal with those who were puffed up and proclaiming meaningless words. Those who were puffed up thought they were using their words to their advantage, but God rebukes them and says that the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. Words do not equal power. Without power, words mean nothing. This is clearly seen in Jesus’ encounter with the centurion. Look at Matthew 8:5-10
5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,
6 saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented."
7 And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."
8 The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
9 "For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
Jesus praised this man for his faith, but what was his understanding of faith? It wasn’t the power of the phonetic sounds of Jesus’ words, nor was it the faith Jesus put into His words. This passage compares it to authority. The centurion said, “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed,” and then went on to explain how he understood authority. As a leader in the Roman army, the centurion just had to say the word, and people carried out his commands without question. Why? He explained the reason – he was also under a structure of authority. It wasn’t his faith-filled words that forced those under him to act; it was the power of his authority. The man is making it clear that he understood that Jesus had the authority to say the word, and his servant would be healed. Just like the centurion said the word, and his servants had to obey.
What would happen if the centurion’s servants issued their own proclamations? What if his servant mustered up perfect faith, and then ordered those around him to carry out his will? They would look at him with a skeptical eye, and say, “Who do you think you are? You’re a servant. I don’t have to obey you.”
We see a similar event given in scripture. Look at Acts 19:13-16
13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches."
14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"
16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
They issued the command for the demon to depart, and what was the answer? “Who are you?” Notice, the words were not what was in question, but the authority of the one issuing the command. Jesus had the authority over all things. Paul, walking in obedience to Christ, had the power to cast out demons. But seven men commanding a demon to depart had no power – for they were not in Christ and had no authority.
The power is not in the words, but in the authority of the one speaking it. A servant has no power to command and expect a response, but the centurion had the power through the authority of the Roman military. People could resist the words, but there would be serious consequences. Therefore, when the order is given, the centurions words were carried out. The centurion compared his authority to Christ. He knew that Jesus only had to say the word, and since he had the authority over all things, the command would be carried out – even if he was not physically present. Jesus was amazed at this man’s understanding of truth, and his faith in Jesus’ authority.
Just as a servant has no power to order those above him to act, anyone who does not have authority, can speak faith-filled words until the end of time, and it means nothing. We are not Christ. We do not possess His power, divinity, or authority. We act in faith by believing His word and acting upon its authority – not having faith in our words and trying to create our own authority.
The confusion is the definition of faith. The Bible does not teach that faith is a substance – as we have already seen by looking at the word ‘substance’. God did not use faith to create the world. Read the scriptures. He created all things by the word of His power – not the power of His words. God has the power to proclaim, and it will be done. He is not tapping into a power source, God is the source of all power.
Do we realize that taking the power away from God and putting it into a mystical force is a denial of God’s sovereignty? If we believe God uses faith, then we deny Him as the Creator of all things and the God over all things. Who do we think created faith? If we look at the scriptures and study faith, we will see that faith is never referred to as an object, force, or substance. Faith is always believing God and putting our trust in His power, promises, and instructions. Faith is believing God. Not merely believing with the intellect, but believing with our spiritual understanding. Consider these passages:
Romans 4:3
For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
Romans 4:9
Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.
Galatians 3:9
So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
Abraham believed God, and his faith was accounted to him for righteousness. It is critical that we understand this. It is also important to understand that faith is not superstitious belief, but supernatural belief. There is a false faith. Forcing ourselves to believe what we want to be true is not faith. Denying the facts before us is not faith. This is based on human intellect and sometimes self-deception. Many people believe in good luck charms, but this does not create power. If you wish upon a star enough times, sooner or later you’ll be right, and this causes people to credit their wish with the power.
The same is true when it comes to our life in this world as we balance our lives by faith. Faith is not saying that our circumstances are not real, but rather that we trust God in spite of our circumstances. Abraham didn’t deny that he was old. He didn’t deny that Sarah was beyond child-bearing years. This was acknowledged, but he believed that God was able to fulfill his word, even in impossible circumstances. He didn’t waver at the promise of God, even though his own body was considered dead (dead to the normal reproductive abilities), nor deadness of Sarah’s womb. He knew these things were true, but did not allow these things to cause unbelief, but gave glory to God knowing that what the Lord promised, He was able to perform. (Romans 4:19-22).
Abraham did not proclaim his own miracle. God gave the promise, and Abraham believed. Because he believed, God accounted his faith for righteousness. Abraham didn’t speak words of faith over Sarah. Nor did he try to prophesy over his own body. He believed God, and waited for the promise.
The same faith overcame his flesh when he was called upon to offer Isaac upon the altar. Before Isaac was born, God foretold of his birth and the miracle of two elderly people producing a child. But God also said that the child’s name would be called Isaac, and then the Lord promised, “In Isaac shall your seed be called.” There couldn’t be another child to replace the sacrifice; therefore, Isaac had to be the carrier of the promise. Yet God called Abraham to offer him as a burnt offering. This left only two options. Either God would intervene and provide another sacrifice, or God would have to raise Isaac from the dead. Abraham knew this. That’s why he left his servants behind and said, “The lad and I will go up to worship the Lord, and we will come again.”
Abraham didn’t know which option God would choose until the moment he plunged the knife and God stopped his hand. God indeed could have raised Isaac from the dead, but this was not to be in God’s plan until the Lord offered His own son on the cross and raised Jesus from the grave. Abraham had confidence in God’s ability to perform what He had promised. Look at Romans 4:17b
…in the presence of Him whom he believed -- God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
Abraham believed God, who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. I’ve seen people switch Abraham with God, claiming that Abraham could do these things. To give Abraham the power of God is to rob God of glory and is a denial of the faith. It is not Abraham that gives life or speaks things into existence, it is God alone who does these things. Man does not create, only God creates. The Lord spoke the universe into existence with the word of His own power, and He did so by creating everything out of nothing. Nothing exists without God’s power – not even faith. God doesn’t use faith to create, God gives mankind faith to believe in His power.
Faith is not merely believing something. Mark Twain once said, “Faith is believing something you know isn’t true.” When it comes to man-made faith, this might be an accurate statement. True faith is a spiritual gift. The Bible says that God deals each person the measure of faith. It is also listed as a spiritual gift. Faith is not man choosing to believe something that denies reality. Faith is God supernaturally revealing Himself or His truth to us, and giving us the power to both perceive and believe. When God opens our eyes to see, we then have to push the Lord away and choose to walk in the flesh, or we receive what God is revealing and walk in the Spirit. Until God reveals truth to us by His Spirit, we don’t have the ability to believe. Faith is revealed when God is doing something in our lives. He calls us out of the flesh to follow the revelation of truth. That truth could be a promise that can only be fulfilled by His miraculous power, or a call to obedience which requires us to let go of something in the flesh.
Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” He promises that those who lose their lives will save it, and those who save their lives in this world will lose it. Only by faith can we lose everything we value in this life in order to gain a life of eternal value in heaven. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. When the word is preached, God pulls back the veil of our limited human understanding, reveals to our spirit the truth of scripture, and then we either receive it by faith, or turn from the love of the truth by holding on to the things of the flesh.
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Discipleship
Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eddiesnipes
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