Signs (Fruits) of a Soundly saved Christian
Matthew 7:15 You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
1. Love for God. Luke 10:27, Rev. 2:1-5
2. Repentance from sin. 2 Cor. 7:10, Ps. 32:5, Prov. 28:13
3. Genuine Humility. Ps. 51:17, James 4:6,9
4. Devotion to God’s Glory. 1 Cor. 10:31, Ps. 115:1
5. A prayer life. Luke 18:1, Eph. 6:18, James 5:16
6. Selfless Love. 1 John 2:9, 3:14, 4:7
7. Separation from the World. 1 Cor. 2:12, James 4:4, 1 Jn 2:15-17
8. Spiritual Growth. Luke 8:15, John 15:1-6, Eph. 4:12-16
9. Obedient living. Matt. 7:21, 1 Peter 1:2,22, 1 John 2:3-5
10. Hunger for God’s Word. 1 Peter 2:1-3, Duet 8:3, John 1:1-5,14
11. Transformation of Life. 2 Cor. 5:17, Gal. 6:14-16, 2:20
Friday, November 14, 2008
Dealing with Guilt and Failure
Dealing with Guilt and Failure
We ALL have failings in keeping the Lord’s commandments. I fail all the time as well. That is why God sent his Son because we are unable to keep the law. Young Christians struggle even more because they are not mature in the Lord. Men that are not able to fellowship with other strong believers will have additional difficulties. God does not expect perfection from you or anybody else. He sent the Holy Spirit to help us because he knew we would need help. You are in the process of being “sanctified” and that does not come overnight. It takes years to grow in the maturity of the Lord and you will have many failings and guilt. BUT as the truth of the Word becomes strong in you, it will change you. You must believe that. You have been made righteous and a son of God “IN Christ”.
Galatians 3:24-26 “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,”
As you can see this comes by faith! God is not concerned with our performing the law because Jesus fulfilled the law. He only wants to see faith. Faith in what Jesus did at the cross sets us free! Our “righteousness” is already completed in the work of the cross.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Again, the old is gone, your sins are not counted against you, in Christ you have the righteousness of God! Do not discount or throw away this great promise! Jesus gave his life to give you this promise!
1 Peter 1:3-4,23 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the , 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you…. 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”
You have been born-again of a seed and a promise that cannot perish!
Romans 8:1-2 “There is therefore now no condemnation (guilt) to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and .”
Stop feeling guilty and realize who you are IN Christ Jesus. If you keep your thoughts on the things of the Spirit and the truth of His Word then you will not experience guilt. You have been freed from the Law and the guilt that it brings!
John 8:36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
Galatians 5:1 (New Living Translation) “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”
If Christ has made you free, don’t go back to Law!
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” See also Psalm 51:10
If God says we are clean then we are clean.
Psalm 103:12 (New Living Translation) “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” See also Ezekiel 11:19,20
Renew your mind with theses verses. Hid them in your heart. Do not be persuaded otherwise. Be filled with the fruits of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25 (New Living Translation) “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
I would also recommended reading Romans chapters 6,7,8 multiple times, until the work of the cross (chap. 6), the uselessness of the law (chap. 7), and the victory by the Spirit (chap. 8), burns deep in your soul.
We ALL have failings in keeping the Lord’s commandments. I fail all the time as well. That is why God sent his Son because we are unable to keep the law. Young Christians struggle even more because they are not mature in the Lord. Men that are not able to fellowship with other strong believers will have additional difficulties. God does not expect perfection from you or anybody else. He sent the Holy Spirit to help us because he knew we would need help. You are in the process of being “sanctified” and that does not come overnight. It takes years to grow in the maturity of the Lord and you will have many failings and guilt. BUT as the truth of the Word becomes strong in you, it will change you. You must believe that. You have been made righteous and a son of God “IN Christ”.
Galatians 3:24-26 “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,”
As you can see this comes by faith! God is not concerned with our performing the law because Jesus fulfilled the law. He only wants to see faith. Faith in what Jesus did at the cross sets us free! Our “righteousness” is already completed in the work of the cross.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Again, the old is gone, your sins are not counted against you, in Christ you have the righteousness of God! Do not discount or throw away this great promise! Jesus gave his life to give you this promise!
1 Peter 1:3-4,23 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the , 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you…. 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”
You have been born-again of a seed and a promise that cannot perish!
Romans 8:1-2 “There is therefore now no condemnation (guilt) to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and .”
Stop feeling guilty and realize who you are IN Christ Jesus. If you keep your thoughts on the things of the Spirit and the truth of His Word then you will not experience guilt. You have been freed from the Law and the guilt that it brings!
John 8:36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
Galatians 5:1 (New Living Translation) “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”
If Christ has made you free, don’t go back to Law!
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” See also Psalm 51:10
If God says we are clean then we are clean.
Psalm 103:12 (New Living Translation) “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” See also Ezekiel 11:19,20
Renew your mind with theses verses. Hid them in your heart. Do not be persuaded otherwise. Be filled with the fruits of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25 (New Living Translation) “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
I would also recommended reading Romans chapters 6,7,8 multiple times, until the work of the cross (chap. 6), the uselessness of the law (chap. 7), and the victory by the Spirit (chap. 8), burns deep in your soul.
The Importance of God's Word
The Importance of God’s Word
John 1:1,14 The Eternal Word
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus, as The Christ, was always with God the Father, Christ became God incarnate in the flesh as Jesus Christ. We know Jesus Christ because of God’s word, the Bible. Without the Word we could not know about Jesus Christ, our God. We must go to the Word, the Bible to know who God is, how he works, and His will for our lives. We can depend on no other source. The Word is the definitive authority in our lives.
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
God’s Word is living and powerful. It is spirit and life. It is your source of life giving power and truth. The Word is your means of change, your engine of change.
John 8:31-32 (Amplified Bible) So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.
Freedom from all sin, frustrations and failure comes from knowing and living His Word.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
For a Christian, lack of faith is the greatest stumbling block. Little faith, little power to overcome sin. God’s word deep within our hearts is the only way to life changing faith.
The Parable of the Sower
Matt. 3-9 .3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed (the Word) fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and es away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Hebrews 3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.
James 4:4 (New Living Translation) 4 You erers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
Psalm 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
John 1:1,14 The Eternal Word
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus, as The Christ, was always with God the Father, Christ became God incarnate in the flesh as Jesus Christ. We know Jesus Christ because of God’s word, the Bible. Without the Word we could not know about Jesus Christ, our God. We must go to the Word, the Bible to know who God is, how he works, and His will for our lives. We can depend on no other source. The Word is the definitive authority in our lives.
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
God’s Word is living and powerful. It is spirit and life. It is your source of life giving power and truth. The Word is your means of change, your engine of change.
John 8:31-32 (Amplified Bible) So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.
Freedom from all sin, frustrations and failure comes from knowing and living His Word.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
For a Christian, lack of faith is the greatest stumbling block. Little faith, little power to overcome sin. God’s word deep within our hearts is the only way to life changing faith.
The Parable of the Sower
Matt. 3-9 .3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed (the Word) fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and es away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Hebrews 3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.
James 4:4 (New Living Translation) 4 You erers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
Psalm 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Friday, August 15, 2008
The Message of the Cross
I have found that most Christians are unaware of the true meaning and significance of the cross of Christ. Let’s review a few scriptures and allow the Holy Spirit to teach our hearts. Warning; this message is offensive! See Galatians 5:11.
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Notice that the message of the cross is “the power of God”. If it is the power source for Christians then we had better understand it. I cannot say I personally understand it fully. Truly understanding the cross and living the crucified life, I believe, will take a lifetime. So this paper is only a taste of a partial understanding.
1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
This is why this paper will fall painfully short in understanding the cross. It cannot be explained with “wisdom of words.” It must be experienced as well or the cross will be meaningless and void. Salvation itself and the power to live a sanctified life will not be in one’s life unless it is experienced.
Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Jesus talked about the cross even though he had not gone to the cross yet. I’m sure the Jews were puzzled by the use of the word. To them, only the worst criminals were crucified on a cross. The cross meant only and shame. That is why it was a stumbling block to them. See Gal.3:13. Much could be written about Luke 9:23. It is a hard word and an offense to the hearer. We are called to deny ourselves. Even to the point of a daily to self. We need to examine ourselves daily to see if we served self or Jesus Christ. A high calling but well worth it as Jesus went on to say in the next verse.
Luke 9:24 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
Let’s forget about the benefits of the cross life for a moment. Consider this verse.
Matt. 10:38 He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
We are not even worthy of being called Christians if we don’t walk the crucified life.
The most basic meaning of the message of the cross is that we must die to self and live unto God. If we have truly died to self, how can we live any longer in sin? Any kind of sin. All self interest must die.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
The crucified life means the things of the world no longer have any interest to me. I’m to the world and it is to me.
Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Not only the things of the world but our fleshly desires as well.
Galatians 5:24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
Some would say this is too hard of a word. I cannot do it!! You’re right. YOU cannot. But God, through the Holy Spirit working in you, you CAN do it!
2 Corinthians 13:4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.
God has given this power to live for Christ by the work of the cross. This work was finished by God Himself, Jesus Christ, by the shedding of His at the cross. Now we have peace with God. We become His children. He dwells within us by the Holy Spirit. The work of the cross, Christ crucified, opened the legal door for God to operate in our lives.
Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the of His cross.
1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
1 Corinthians 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
I am determined to preach, and live, this message, even if it does offend, because it is the power of God for salvation first and the message for walking in holiness second. I challenge all who read this to do likewise.
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Notice that the message of the cross is “the power of God”. If it is the power source for Christians then we had better understand it. I cannot say I personally understand it fully. Truly understanding the cross and living the crucified life, I believe, will take a lifetime. So this paper is only a taste of a partial understanding.
1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
This is why this paper will fall painfully short in understanding the cross. It cannot be explained with “wisdom of words.” It must be experienced as well or the cross will be meaningless and void. Salvation itself and the power to live a sanctified life will not be in one’s life unless it is experienced.
Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Jesus talked about the cross even though he had not gone to the cross yet. I’m sure the Jews were puzzled by the use of the word. To them, only the worst criminals were crucified on a cross. The cross meant only and shame. That is why it was a stumbling block to them. See Gal.3:13. Much could be written about Luke 9:23. It is a hard word and an offense to the hearer. We are called to deny ourselves. Even to the point of a daily to self. We need to examine ourselves daily to see if we served self or Jesus Christ. A high calling but well worth it as Jesus went on to say in the next verse.
Luke 9:24 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
Let’s forget about the benefits of the cross life for a moment. Consider this verse.
Matt. 10:38 He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
We are not even worthy of being called Christians if we don’t walk the crucified life.
The most basic meaning of the message of the cross is that we must die to self and live unto God. If we have truly died to self, how can we live any longer in sin? Any kind of sin. All self interest must die.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
The crucified life means the things of the world no longer have any interest to me. I’m to the world and it is to me.
Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Not only the things of the world but our fleshly desires as well.
Galatians 5:24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
Some would say this is too hard of a word. I cannot do it!! You’re right. YOU cannot. But God, through the Holy Spirit working in you, you CAN do it!
2 Corinthians 13:4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.
God has given this power to live for Christ by the work of the cross. This work was finished by God Himself, Jesus Christ, by the shedding of His at the cross. Now we have peace with God. We become His children. He dwells within us by the Holy Spirit. The work of the cross, Christ crucified, opened the legal door for God to operate in our lives.
Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the of His cross.
1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
1 Corinthians 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
I am determined to preach, and live, this message, even if it does offend, because it is the power of God for salvation first and the message for walking in holiness second. I challenge all who read this to do likewise.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The Blood Atonement
The Blood Atonement
If you asked most Christians today the following question, “How exactly does Jesus save us?” You would probably get a lot of different answers. Most people don’t realize that there is a specific reason why Jesus had to come to the earth in human form; go to the cross, and die the way he did.
The reason why he had to do all this is because the shedding of blood was required by God the Father for the forgiveness of sin. Most people believe if they come before God on judgment day and simply say they are sorry for their sin, then God will just forgive them and let them into heaven. But that is not God‘s way for forgiveness. God has clearly laid out in the Bible exactly how we are to come to him and the conditions for forgiveness of sins. Since he is the creator he makes the rules, not us. We cannot devise our own plan of salvation. The reason we cannot create our own salvation plan is because we think that sin is no big deal. But sin is a big deal to a Holy and righteous God. Sin is so evil and horrible in His eyes that God requires a high price for His forgiveness. He requires a huge penalty for sin. Romans 6:23 says the penalty for sin is death. Forgiveness is only for those who believe that their death penalty was paid for by the shed blood of God Himself, Jesus Christ at the cross. The entire Bible points to this fact.
In the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve sinned against God. They were separated from God. They felt guilty and naked.
Genesis 3:7,21 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
Fig leaves were an insufficient covering. God made tunics from animal skins, he shed blood of the animals to make the skins.
In the story of Cain and Abel found in Genesis Chapter 4. Abel’s sacrifice to God was accepted because he sacrificed animals, blood was shed. Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted because it was only the fruit of the ground. Cain became angry. God told him that he would accept a proper sacrifice. But Cain thought his good work should be good enough, just the same way man thinks today, and he rejected God’s way. The end result was Cain became so angry he killed his brother Abel. God had to punish Cain.
Leviticus 17:11 God said, For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’
Atonement means to take action to make things right for things done wrong.
Believers in the old testament had to sacrifice animals (shed their blood) to be atoned (forgiven for their sins).
Hebrews 9:22 (Amplified Bible)
22 …under the Law almost everything is purified by means of blood, and without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins.
Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Law at the cross. We could not. We cannot live a sinless life like he did. Since he fulfilled the requirements of the Law we no longer have to sacrifice or shed the blood of animals for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus set us free from that! Can you imagine having to go to the market and buy a bull or goat to sacrifice!
God’s wrath is upon those who are without the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The following verses will tell you that God doesn’t let everyone into heaven just because he’s a loving God. Those who die without the blood of Christ will receive a great punishment. They can escape this punishment if they receive and trust in, by faith, the blood atonement of Christ.
John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Colossians 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Jesus laid down his life, shed his blood and died in our place so we would not have to receive judgment from God.
Romans 3:25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
Propitiation means to escape God’s wrath. Old testament example is the Passover. In the book of Exodus chap. 11&12. Blood was spread on the door posts to escape God‘s judgment. The Egyptians first born all died. They did not have the Passover blood.
Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Acts 20:26-28 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
We must preach the whole counsel of God especially of the benefits of the blood shed by Jesus at the cross. By His blood we have justification, reconciliation, propitiation, redemption and forgiveness. Jesus paid the price for our souls with his blood. Now we belong to Him, not ourselves.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
…your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, you are not your own. For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Before Jesus went to the cross he taught about the importance of what he was about to do at the cross. During the “last supper” he revealed the importance of the future shedding of His blood.
Matthew 26:27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Taking communion is a remembrance of all the things Christ accomplished for us by the shedding of his blood. Once for all. A remembrance that the new covenant has been ratified. His shed blood is the only hope we have to obtain right standing with God. This is God’s way to receive forgiveness.
The Bible warns us about taking this message of the blood atonement too lightly. I cannot convince you of this intellectually, you must receive it by faith
Hebrews 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
We should fear God and his punishments if we willfully sin because of our careless disregard of His blood sacrifice.
Read also Hebrews chapters 9 and 10:1-23. Revelation 1:5, 5:9, 7:14, 12:11.
1 Peter 1:18,19. Ephesians 2:12,13.
Have you repented? Have you put your faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins? Have you been purchased with His blood? Pray today for that privilege so you can have eternal life!
If you asked most Christians today the following question, “How exactly does Jesus save us?” You would probably get a lot of different answers. Most people don’t realize that there is a specific reason why Jesus had to come to the earth in human form; go to the cross, and die the way he did.
The reason why he had to do all this is because the shedding of blood was required by God the Father for the forgiveness of sin. Most people believe if they come before God on judgment day and simply say they are sorry for their sin, then God will just forgive them and let them into heaven. But that is not God‘s way for forgiveness. God has clearly laid out in the Bible exactly how we are to come to him and the conditions for forgiveness of sins. Since he is the creator he makes the rules, not us. We cannot devise our own plan of salvation. The reason we cannot create our own salvation plan is because we think that sin is no big deal. But sin is a big deal to a Holy and righteous God. Sin is so evil and horrible in His eyes that God requires a high price for His forgiveness. He requires a huge penalty for sin. Romans 6:23 says the penalty for sin is death. Forgiveness is only for those who believe that their death penalty was paid for by the shed blood of God Himself, Jesus Christ at the cross. The entire Bible points to this fact.
In the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve sinned against God. They were separated from God. They felt guilty and naked.
Genesis 3:7,21 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
Fig leaves were an insufficient covering. God made tunics from animal skins, he shed blood of the animals to make the skins.
In the story of Cain and Abel found in Genesis Chapter 4. Abel’s sacrifice to God was accepted because he sacrificed animals, blood was shed. Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted because it was only the fruit of the ground. Cain became angry. God told him that he would accept a proper sacrifice. But Cain thought his good work should be good enough, just the same way man thinks today, and he rejected God’s way. The end result was Cain became so angry he killed his brother Abel. God had to punish Cain.
Leviticus 17:11 God said, For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’
Atonement means to take action to make things right for things done wrong.
Believers in the old testament had to sacrifice animals (shed their blood) to be atoned (forgiven for their sins).
Hebrews 9:22 (Amplified Bible)
22 …under the Law almost everything is purified by means of blood, and without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins.
Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Law at the cross. We could not. We cannot live a sinless life like he did. Since he fulfilled the requirements of the Law we no longer have to sacrifice or shed the blood of animals for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus set us free from that! Can you imagine having to go to the market and buy a bull or goat to sacrifice!
God’s wrath is upon those who are without the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The following verses will tell you that God doesn’t let everyone into heaven just because he’s a loving God. Those who die without the blood of Christ will receive a great punishment. They can escape this punishment if they receive and trust in, by faith, the blood atonement of Christ.
John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Colossians 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Jesus laid down his life, shed his blood and died in our place so we would not have to receive judgment from God.
Romans 3:25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
Propitiation means to escape God’s wrath. Old testament example is the Passover. In the book of Exodus chap. 11&12. Blood was spread on the door posts to escape God‘s judgment. The Egyptians first born all died. They did not have the Passover blood.
Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Acts 20:26-28 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
We must preach the whole counsel of God especially of the benefits of the blood shed by Jesus at the cross. By His blood we have justification, reconciliation, propitiation, redemption and forgiveness. Jesus paid the price for our souls with his blood. Now we belong to Him, not ourselves.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
…your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, you are not your own. For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Before Jesus went to the cross he taught about the importance of what he was about to do at the cross. During the “last supper” he revealed the importance of the future shedding of His blood.
Matthew 26:27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Taking communion is a remembrance of all the things Christ accomplished for us by the shedding of his blood. Once for all. A remembrance that the new covenant has been ratified. His shed blood is the only hope we have to obtain right standing with God. This is God’s way to receive forgiveness.
The Bible warns us about taking this message of the blood atonement too lightly. I cannot convince you of this intellectually, you must receive it by faith
Hebrews 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
We should fear God and his punishments if we willfully sin because of our careless disregard of His blood sacrifice.
Read also Hebrews chapters 9 and 10:1-23. Revelation 1:5, 5:9, 7:14, 12:11.
1 Peter 1:18,19. Ephesians 2:12,13.
Have you repented? Have you put your faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins? Have you been purchased with His blood? Pray today for that privilege so you can have eternal life!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Word of Faith Errors
The Errors of the Word of Faith Message in Relation to Prosperity and other topics.
By Tom Sargent
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15
I am writing this article as a former member of the “Word of Faith” (WOF) movement. Word of Faith people follow the teachings of Kenneth Hagin, (who plagiarized his teachings from E.W. Kenyon and was influenced by Christian Science and New Thought metaphysics) and Kenneth Copeland the undisputed leader of the movement today. WOF is a relatively new quasi-doctrine based primarily on the writings of ONE MAN, Kenneth Hagin. The WOF message conflicts with hundreds of years of accepted sound biblical doctrine established by men like Luther, Wesley, Whitfield, Spurgeon, Tozar and Moody. We must weigh what all teachers say against scripture and examine it to see if it is in harmony with the meaning of the cross.
There are many teachers of the WOF message on TV. I do believe that they are true Christians that have been deceived by the WOF hype. I have rejected much of what the WOF movement teaches in light of what the scriptures actually reveal. Why I’m so concerned about such a outwardly positive teaching? The WOF message on the topic of financial prosperity is nothing less a gross distortion of the blessings of the cross of Christ. In some ways it contradicts the cross. It is being used by churches today to tickle the ears of the congregation as a means for church growth. The WOF message has infected almost every full gospel church in the nation. I will address this topic later.
The “confession message” is a WOF teaching I have a big problem with. It involves putting faith in your confession rather than putting your faith in God. It puts faith in your faith; that you have “the God kind of Faith,” activating certain “spiritual laws” releasing the good forces (God or angels) to act on your behalf. That kind thinking makes you a “little god” and/or “god like.” I do think we have some of God’s attributes and we are made in his “image”. God is in us, yes and we can trust in His abilities, but WE are not and cannot be God or a god. That was Lucifer’s sin. Is. 14:14 “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." And it was the serpents temptation to Eve. Gen. 3:5 “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Ps. 82:6 refers to Israel as judges with god-like attributes in that capacity. Not that they are or that we are “gods”. This is heresy and a sinful challenge to God’s sovereignty. It puts you and your will on the throne and removes God and His will off the throne. We do want to confess what God’s word says about a situation but let us not think that our confession is some kind of “force.” We must always focus our faith in Christ and his completed work at the cross, not in our confession. We don’t need faith “formulas“ or repetitive confessions, putting into motion certain “spiritual laws.” New Age people originated this type of thinking with their “law of attraction” and the “power of positive thinking.” You now create your life with your thoughts and your confession, not seeking God’s will for your life through prayer, study of the Bible and patience. Jesus said in Matt. 10:38 “Unless you take up your cross you cannot be my disciple.” Taking up your cross means dying to self and self interests.
“Faith” teachers create a mind set for their followers which is the opposite of the true meaning of the cross; which is to die to self and live unto Christ. Galatians 6:14 “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” How many times have we heard these WOF teachers brag about the material possessions they have? They are promoting breaking the 10th commandment, “thou shall not covet.” Coveting is wanting things other people have. In Acts 20:33 Paul states "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes.” The prosperity message appeals to the materialism of man. This is a real problem with the American church. We are already much more blessed than Christians in other countries. This “gospel” does not work in poor countries. A true gospel should work anywhere! The true gospel is preaching repentance, salvation and sanctification by the completed work of Christ at the cross. You would think by watching TBN that prosperity is what the Bible is all about. The cross of Christ was the foundation of Paul’s theology and life. I Cor 1:23 “but we preach Christ crucified…” Jesus’ completed work on the cross provides everything we get from God. God does not operate outside the cross. This is what Paul was speaking of in I Cor. 1:17 “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.”
The Corinthians did not understand, as most Christians today, the message of the cross. Read I Cor. 2:2 “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” In D.R. McConnell’s book, “A Different Gospel“ he states, “For Paul the cross of Christ crucified is the totality of the believer’s existence. This includes both the believer’s life and his for things of this world. To believe in the cross meant the of the believers claim to his own life. To believe in the cross is to deliver the totality of one’s existence unto him who delivered himself up for us. Anything less “nullifies” the grace of God and the work of the cross.” Gal. 2:20,21. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." Also from McConnell’s book, “It is also evident that from Galatians that Paul did not conceive of Jesus’ cross in terms of its worldly benefits. He realized that identification with the cross of Jesus entailed the crucifixion of the believer’s relation to the world and its s. Read again Gal. 6:14 “…through which the world was crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”
The prosperity message never preaches about being crucified to the world. They embrace the world and it’s goods. The prosperity mind set subverts the cross in at least three ways. First, it subverts the demand of the cross for self-denial. Second, it reduces God as a means to an end. They become seekers of status and goods rather than seekers of God. God becomes the source from whom material gain flows rather than the sovereign for to whom material gain may be sacrificed to serve him. Third, the “sign” of God’s approval is based on how much you have of worldly goods. The demand of Jesus to leave the world and take up the cross is silenced by the prosperity message.
The prosperity message also demeans the poor and the sick. I Cor. 11:22 “What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.” The faith teachers say the poor and sick “lack faith” or that there must be some sin in their life or they would be prospering.
Don’t get me wrong, God does not want his children to be in poverty. Matt 6:8. "So do not be like them; for our Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” God will see that our needs are met if we trust Him. The prosperity message goes far beyond getting our needs met to a focus on materialism. Read Matt 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Go to verse 25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Now verse 33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." We are not to worry about our needs. God will meet our needs IF we seek first His kingdom. God is not required to make us rich. God is not required to do anything except His promise to save us if we trust in the of Jesus shed for the remission of sins.
The WOF people often make demands upon God saying we should go “boldly to the throne of grace.” Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” They forget that the verse also states that we do so to obtain mercy and grace, not to make demands upon God. Note the parable of the prodigal son found in Luke 15:12 "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me ' So he divided his wealth between them.” In this story of prodigal son sinfully demanded his inheritance. God is not required to grant every wish just because a person thinks he has found a scripture to confess. God is sovereign. His ways are higher than ours. He may or may not choose to prosper those who he can trust with the money. Money, for most people, including Christians, could be their ruin. James 5:1-3, Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! See also Mark 4:19; “but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” Read I Tim 6:8-11; “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness." Verse 17. “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” If you have riches you will more than likely begin to trust in them and not God.
Jim Bakker in his book “I Was Wrong” did a study on the verses the prosperity people use to justify their position since he was one of them himself. What about John 10:10 the WOF defenders say. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Does abundant life mean material things? The Greek work for life here is the ZOE life. Zoë means “life in the spirit and soul” not life in materialistic gains. If that life means having cars, homes, riches, parties and entertainment then the world is experiencing the abundant life. But reality is that the world has more depression, pain and hatred then ever. What about 3 John 2? “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” Almost the foundation verse for the prosperity message. What did John truly mean when he said “above ALL”? Does God want you to have money above your soul’s salvation? No, of course not! Bakker looked up the word “prosper” in the Greek and found it was made up of two Greek words, “eu” which means good and “hodos” which means “road, or route, a progress, or journey.” He did not find a single reference to in the Greek to money, riches or material gain from the word translated “prosper” in the King James Version. So what John was really saying was “I wish you a good safe and healthy journey through your life even as your soul has a good and safe journey to heaven. As recorded in Acts chapters 27-28, his journey prospered spiritually but not prosperous in any other way.
What about Duet. 8:18? "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” What God was really saying here is, “when you get to the promised land, don’t forget who brought you there and gave to you everything that you have.” The word “wealth” comes from the Hebrew world chayll which is used 232 times in the old testament. The word is meant to imply, “might, strength, power, ability, virtue, valor as well as wealth. This verse is not a “biblical formula” for us to confess for money. God may or may not bless us with a house, land, or other possessions. This verse should not be used to make it sound like God’s going to make everyone wealthy. God can and does bless some people to the point of wealth. He does this because he knows those people will use it to bless others. Money should never be the focus of our faith. God usually does want us blessed and he will pour out blessings if we are obedient to him and make Him number one in our lives. Even then it is still up to him. He is not required to prosper us. Wealth, for some, could hinder their understanding and obedience to Him. Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Bakker concludes by saying “In retrospect, one of the main reasons I slipped into believing and preaching a distorted doctrine was because of my lack of understanding of what it really means to allow Jesus to be the Lord of my life.
The WOF prosperity message is a contradiction of the example of the lives of Jesus, the apostle Paul and heroes of the faith. Heb 11:37,38. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.” The doctrine of prosperity is not worthy of such men. The bible says many times that we will have to endure trials, sufferings and persecutions for His sake. That God will discipline those that he loves and that he will test our faith. See Hebrews 12:6 and James 1:3. WOF people never talk about that! That would be negative and people might leave the church! They say that we are always living in victory and imply that nothing “bad” ever happens. We cannot know God’s will for every circumstance and every situation. Most of the time we do know by his word and His Spirit. We pray what we think God’s will is and what he puts into our heart. We intercede for others in prayer. We often quote the Word in our prayers. We can make our requests known to God. Phil. 4:6. But let us not make demands or say God must do this or that because we don’t always know for sure! I think God does want us to prosper spiritually and to prosper in our soul realm. We must lift up our prayers to the Father in Jesus’ name and HE does the work as he wills. If God wants everyone healed all the time then every WOF person would be healed all the time! Why did bother Hagin die? It was God’s timing for his life to end. I prayed earnestly for my dad to be healed and I fully believed that he would be healed; but it was God’s timing to allow him to die. Why? I’m not sure but I can rest knowing that “… all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.
Another WOF error is that we no longer have a sin nature because we are born-again. Wrong. The sin nature is still present and it can easily rise up to tempt us. Christ’s work on the cross has set us free from the power of the sin nature, thus making the sin nature much weaker but not totally absent . Read Romans 7:16-20 for proof. That is why we must take up the cross daily and continue to place our faith in Christ and the cross. Read Romans 6:3-5 to learn the key to victory over sin.
Another WOF error is that Jesus went to hell and suffered at the hands of the devil so he could be the first born-again man. Even the sound of that teaching tells me it’s wrong. Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished.” His work was done! He also told the thief on the cross next to him that “Today you will be with me in paradise”
I have seen people leave the church because their lives did not get any better by being in a “faith” church. They came to Jesus under false pretences thinking they will have all this prosperity rather than coming to him for forgiveness of sin. They came unrepentant and unwilling to take up the cross. The WOF doctrine has created many false converts as I once was. Please understand the dangers of this distorted doctrine. Do not be persuaded by the deceitfulness of riches. Have not many TV preachers used this teaching to enrich themselves? Why would we even remotely want to appear to be like them? Let us preach to save the lost and teach them how to be free from sin by the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. This is what they need! WOF teachings blinded my understanding of what it means to crucify myself and live unto Christ (a sign of being “born again”). If all your looking for is material blessings from God you can never die to self. Repent daily. Die to self. Take up the cross. Trust in Christ. Obey the Holy Spirit for His Glory.
Learn more at www.intotruth.org/wof/tract3.html
By Tom Sargent
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15
I am writing this article as a former member of the “Word of Faith” (WOF) movement. Word of Faith people follow the teachings of Kenneth Hagin, (who plagiarized his teachings from E.W. Kenyon and was influenced by Christian Science and New Thought metaphysics) and Kenneth Copeland the undisputed leader of the movement today. WOF is a relatively new quasi-doctrine based primarily on the writings of ONE MAN, Kenneth Hagin. The WOF message conflicts with hundreds of years of accepted sound biblical doctrine established by men like Luther, Wesley, Whitfield, Spurgeon, Tozar and Moody. We must weigh what all teachers say against scripture and examine it to see if it is in harmony with the meaning of the cross.
There are many teachers of the WOF message on TV. I do believe that they are true Christians that have been deceived by the WOF hype. I have rejected much of what the WOF movement teaches in light of what the scriptures actually reveal. Why I’m so concerned about such a outwardly positive teaching? The WOF message on the topic of financial prosperity is nothing less a gross distortion of the blessings of the cross of Christ. In some ways it contradicts the cross. It is being used by churches today to tickle the ears of the congregation as a means for church growth. The WOF message has infected almost every full gospel church in the nation. I will address this topic later.
The “confession message” is a WOF teaching I have a big problem with. It involves putting faith in your confession rather than putting your faith in God. It puts faith in your faith; that you have “the God kind of Faith,” activating certain “spiritual laws” releasing the good forces (God or angels) to act on your behalf. That kind thinking makes you a “little god” and/or “god like.” I do think we have some of God’s attributes and we are made in his “image”. God is in us, yes and we can trust in His abilities, but WE are not and cannot be God or a god. That was Lucifer’s sin. Is. 14:14 “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." And it was the serpents temptation to Eve. Gen. 3:5 “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Ps. 82:6 refers to Israel as judges with god-like attributes in that capacity. Not that they are or that we are “gods”. This is heresy and a sinful challenge to God’s sovereignty. It puts you and your will on the throne and removes God and His will off the throne. We do want to confess what God’s word says about a situation but let us not think that our confession is some kind of “force.” We must always focus our faith in Christ and his completed work at the cross, not in our confession. We don’t need faith “formulas“ or repetitive confessions, putting into motion certain “spiritual laws.” New Age people originated this type of thinking with their “law of attraction” and the “power of positive thinking.” You now create your life with your thoughts and your confession, not seeking God’s will for your life through prayer, study of the Bible and patience. Jesus said in Matt. 10:38 “Unless you take up your cross you cannot be my disciple.” Taking up your cross means dying to self and self interests.
“Faith” teachers create a mind set for their followers which is the opposite of the true meaning of the cross; which is to die to self and live unto Christ. Galatians 6:14 “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” How many times have we heard these WOF teachers brag about the material possessions they have? They are promoting breaking the 10th commandment, “thou shall not covet.” Coveting is wanting things other people have. In Acts 20:33 Paul states "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes.” The prosperity message appeals to the materialism of man. This is a real problem with the American church. We are already much more blessed than Christians in other countries. This “gospel” does not work in poor countries. A true gospel should work anywhere! The true gospel is preaching repentance, salvation and sanctification by the completed work of Christ at the cross. You would think by watching TBN that prosperity is what the Bible is all about. The cross of Christ was the foundation of Paul’s theology and life. I Cor 1:23 “but we preach Christ crucified…” Jesus’ completed work on the cross provides everything we get from God. God does not operate outside the cross. This is what Paul was speaking of in I Cor. 1:17 “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.”
The Corinthians did not understand, as most Christians today, the message of the cross. Read I Cor. 2:2 “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” In D.R. McConnell’s book, “A Different Gospel“ he states, “For Paul the cross of Christ crucified is the totality of the believer’s existence. This includes both the believer’s life and his for things of this world. To believe in the cross meant the of the believers claim to his own life. To believe in the cross is to deliver the totality of one’s existence unto him who delivered himself up for us. Anything less “nullifies” the grace of God and the work of the cross.” Gal. 2:20,21. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." Also from McConnell’s book, “It is also evident that from Galatians that Paul did not conceive of Jesus’ cross in terms of its worldly benefits. He realized that identification with the cross of Jesus entailed the crucifixion of the believer’s relation to the world and its s. Read again Gal. 6:14 “…through which the world was crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”
The prosperity message never preaches about being crucified to the world. They embrace the world and it’s goods. The prosperity mind set subverts the cross in at least three ways. First, it subverts the demand of the cross for self-denial. Second, it reduces God as a means to an end. They become seekers of status and goods rather than seekers of God. God becomes the source from whom material gain flows rather than the sovereign for to whom material gain may be sacrificed to serve him. Third, the “sign” of God’s approval is based on how much you have of worldly goods. The demand of Jesus to leave the world and take up the cross is silenced by the prosperity message.
The prosperity message also demeans the poor and the sick. I Cor. 11:22 “What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.” The faith teachers say the poor and sick “lack faith” or that there must be some sin in their life or they would be prospering.
Don’t get me wrong, God does not want his children to be in poverty. Matt 6:8. "So do not be like them; for our Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” God will see that our needs are met if we trust Him. The prosperity message goes far beyond getting our needs met to a focus on materialism. Read Matt 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Go to verse 25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Now verse 33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." We are not to worry about our needs. God will meet our needs IF we seek first His kingdom. God is not required to make us rich. God is not required to do anything except His promise to save us if we trust in the of Jesus shed for the remission of sins.
The WOF people often make demands upon God saying we should go “boldly to the throne of grace.” Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” They forget that the verse also states that we do so to obtain mercy and grace, not to make demands upon God. Note the parable of the prodigal son found in Luke 15:12 "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me ' So he divided his wealth between them.” In this story of prodigal son sinfully demanded his inheritance. God is not required to grant every wish just because a person thinks he has found a scripture to confess. God is sovereign. His ways are higher than ours. He may or may not choose to prosper those who he can trust with the money. Money, for most people, including Christians, could be their ruin. James 5:1-3, Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! See also Mark 4:19; “but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” Read I Tim 6:8-11; “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness." Verse 17. “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” If you have riches you will more than likely begin to trust in them and not God.
Jim Bakker in his book “I Was Wrong” did a study on the verses the prosperity people use to justify their position since he was one of them himself. What about John 10:10 the WOF defenders say. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Does abundant life mean material things? The Greek work for life here is the ZOE life. Zoë means “life in the spirit and soul” not life in materialistic gains. If that life means having cars, homes, riches, parties and entertainment then the world is experiencing the abundant life. But reality is that the world has more depression, pain and hatred then ever. What about 3 John 2? “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” Almost the foundation verse for the prosperity message. What did John truly mean when he said “above ALL”? Does God want you to have money above your soul’s salvation? No, of course not! Bakker looked up the word “prosper” in the Greek and found it was made up of two Greek words, “eu” which means good and “hodos” which means “road, or route, a progress, or journey.” He did not find a single reference to in the Greek to money, riches or material gain from the word translated “prosper” in the King James Version. So what John was really saying was “I wish you a good safe and healthy journey through your life even as your soul has a good and safe journey to heaven. As recorded in Acts chapters 27-28, his journey prospered spiritually but not prosperous in any other way.
What about Duet. 8:18? "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” What God was really saying here is, “when you get to the promised land, don’t forget who brought you there and gave to you everything that you have.” The word “wealth” comes from the Hebrew world chayll which is used 232 times in the old testament. The word is meant to imply, “might, strength, power, ability, virtue, valor as well as wealth. This verse is not a “biblical formula” for us to confess for money. God may or may not bless us with a house, land, or other possessions. This verse should not be used to make it sound like God’s going to make everyone wealthy. God can and does bless some people to the point of wealth. He does this because he knows those people will use it to bless others. Money should never be the focus of our faith. God usually does want us blessed and he will pour out blessings if we are obedient to him and make Him number one in our lives. Even then it is still up to him. He is not required to prosper us. Wealth, for some, could hinder their understanding and obedience to Him. Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Bakker concludes by saying “In retrospect, one of the main reasons I slipped into believing and preaching a distorted doctrine was because of my lack of understanding of what it really means to allow Jesus to be the Lord of my life.
The WOF prosperity message is a contradiction of the example of the lives of Jesus, the apostle Paul and heroes of the faith. Heb 11:37,38. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.” The doctrine of prosperity is not worthy of such men. The bible says many times that we will have to endure trials, sufferings and persecutions for His sake. That God will discipline those that he loves and that he will test our faith. See Hebrews 12:6 and James 1:3. WOF people never talk about that! That would be negative and people might leave the church! They say that we are always living in victory and imply that nothing “bad” ever happens. We cannot know God’s will for every circumstance and every situation. Most of the time we do know by his word and His Spirit. We pray what we think God’s will is and what he puts into our heart. We intercede for others in prayer. We often quote the Word in our prayers. We can make our requests known to God. Phil. 4:6. But let us not make demands or say God must do this or that because we don’t always know for sure! I think God does want us to prosper spiritually and to prosper in our soul realm. We must lift up our prayers to the Father in Jesus’ name and HE does the work as he wills. If God wants everyone healed all the time then every WOF person would be healed all the time! Why did bother Hagin die? It was God’s timing for his life to end. I prayed earnestly for my dad to be healed and I fully believed that he would be healed; but it was God’s timing to allow him to die. Why? I’m not sure but I can rest knowing that “… all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.
Another WOF error is that we no longer have a sin nature because we are born-again. Wrong. The sin nature is still present and it can easily rise up to tempt us. Christ’s work on the cross has set us free from the power of the sin nature, thus making the sin nature much weaker but not totally absent . Read Romans 7:16-20 for proof. That is why we must take up the cross daily and continue to place our faith in Christ and the cross. Read Romans 6:3-5 to learn the key to victory over sin.
Another WOF error is that Jesus went to hell and suffered at the hands of the devil so he could be the first born-again man. Even the sound of that teaching tells me it’s wrong. Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished.” His work was done! He also told the thief on the cross next to him that “Today you will be with me in paradise”
I have seen people leave the church because their lives did not get any better by being in a “faith” church. They came to Jesus under false pretences thinking they will have all this prosperity rather than coming to him for forgiveness of sin. They came unrepentant and unwilling to take up the cross. The WOF doctrine has created many false converts as I once was. Please understand the dangers of this distorted doctrine. Do not be persuaded by the deceitfulness of riches. Have not many TV preachers used this teaching to enrich themselves? Why would we even remotely want to appear to be like them? Let us preach to save the lost and teach them how to be free from sin by the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. This is what they need! WOF teachings blinded my understanding of what it means to crucify myself and live unto Christ (a sign of being “born again”). If all your looking for is material blessings from God you can never die to self. Repent daily. Die to self. Take up the cross. Trust in Christ. Obey the Holy Spirit for His Glory.
Learn more at www.intotruth.org/wof/tract3.html
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