What is word of faith?

Rosebaronet said:

I have been water baptized by a Pentecostal Church, and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, yet I have never heard of WoF doctrine, so can you brothers/sisters of Pentecostals help me and explain to me what WoF doctrin dictate? Thanks.

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Hi Rose,

WoF doctrine has gotten a bad name over the years, that's why I asked you to come here so you can hear "straight from the horses mouth", so-to-speak, and I thank you for your question.

WoF is not that different from Pentecostalism or the Charismatic movement. WoF people believe in speaking in tongues.

One thing that appears to be somewhat uniqe to WoF in my observation is that WoF teaches that the believer has authority, that has been given to them freely by Jesus. This is evidenced in scripture where Jesus says the same things I do you will do also and even greater things. Additionally, by knowiing who you are in Christ, you can resist the devil and he must flee from you. Kenneth Hagin, who is credited with much of the WoF movement, has an excellent mini book called "In Him" that points out all the scriptures that show the believer's authority through Christ Jesus.

WoF does not teach that God is making you sick to teach you a lesson or some of the other things that you'll hear on the main forum, and this is the cause of much of the friction in the main forum. WoF believes that "by His stripes you are healed" means exactly what it says. Some refer to this as "PHIA" (physical healing in the atonement") It simply means that the beating and scourging that Jesus took for us was to take care of all of our sins and sicknesses. The world for "salvation" in the greek is "sozo", which encompasses complete wholeness (spirt, soul, body).

These are probably the most hotly contested doctrines held by WoF people. I hope that makes it a little clearer for you. If you have any more questions or you'd like me to expand, please don't hesitate to ask.

I was looking for a new church.So, while I was surfing through CF one day,I saw something about WOF. It was a website. I clicked on that.I found that there was a church in my area that was listed as word of faith. Joy Christian fellowship. So, I went that Sunday.Pastor Billy,as he was called,did not preach until we said the pledge of aliegence and sang the national anthem.He then said a few short words and we had the worship service.Which was wonderful.The serman began with a call to tithe.He preached on the importance of tithing,and made statements that would lead one to believe that one's worldly desires could be had by tithing.Then one more song while we went forward with our tithe.The sermon was about tree of life vs tree of Knowledge,with examples. It was edifiing. I probably won't go back.Politics,wealth ministry,type deal just wasn't appealing.But again, the worship service was outstanding.

whoa! i don't think i would go back to that particular church either.

however I don't think that represents WOF teachings.

if I were you i would keep on going down that list, checking the churches out.

Whenever I answer these types of questions, I like to use a copy of a post I wrote some time back:
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With all of the Word-Faith bashing going on all over the WWW, I thought I'd give some quick reasons on why I embrace this belief system:

1. Word-Faith takes the Word of God as being literal, true, and authoritative. Some movements and churches say that they do but when confronted with a passage that does not seem to fit within the mold of their theology, they explain it away. For example, passages that speak about the possibilities of faith are explained away by many Christians. They base their interpretations more on human experience (so and so believed and they still died) rather than on what the Scripture plainly teaches.

2. Word-Faith believes that God is willing to perform His Word. Many Christians, especially those who hold to the false "sovereignty of God" doctrine, believes that God is above keeping His Word. In His sovereignty He can choose to not keep His promises and can choose to do the opposite of what He said that he would do. Now if we gave the same descriptions to a regular human being we would be referring to them, not as sovereign but as a liar, a covenant breaker, and an unreliable and undependable person. However, when the same is said about God some would just prefer to call it sovereignty. Word-Faithers believe that God is true to His Word and that, though He is sovereign (as in the ruler of the universe since the word "sovereign" simply means "having authority"), He is also a COVENANT KEEPING GOD.

3. Word-Faithers do not blame God for problems but know who their real enemy is. This is in connection with number 2 above. Word-Faithers realize that there is a real enemy out there and it ain't their FATHER. They also know that, unlike many other Christians, God does not just go around siccing the devil on His own kids. God is not the source of my problems, He is the answer for them. We are in a WARFARE and it is the enemy who seeks to destroy us, not so much God's sovereign hand upon our circumstances.

God has given us AUTHORITY over the devil. Many non-WoFers believe that God just sics the devil on us and that all of his attacks are under God's control and all will turn out the way God wants. Perhaps these folks have not spoken to as many backsliders as I have and have no idea how so many who feel that God did this to them or He let this happen to them and they turned away from Him. Thankfully, the Word-Faith does not teach this. That is why I am one of them.

4. Word-Faith believes that God truly answers the prayer that was prayed in line with His Word and truly responds to faith. People have taught that God may or may not answer prayer. After all, He is God. Others have taught that God answers prayer, but does not necessarily give you the thing you ask Him for. Others have taught that God answers prayer, but His answer could be "yes, no or maybe". Some have taught that prayer has no influence on God, it is meant to only change you and make you more spiritual. Some have even gone as far as to teach that we are to pray until we no longer want the thing we have prayed for.

With all of this whacked out theology on prayer, no wonder people spend very little time in prayer. Who would want to pray if there is no visible attainable accomplishment in doing so? Thankfully that the WoF teaches that God answers prayer and keeps His Word on the subject. We teach that it is God's very desire to do just that.

God responds to the prayer prayed in faith and does what the petitioner asks. Immediate answers may not come either due to the warfare we must engage in, or the timing of God, or the person is praying for something FOOLISH and that is neither in line with the Word nor the person's level of maturity.

5. God Does not want us sick or poverty stricken. I personally do not like pain in my body. I do not take it for granted that I am in good health, able to see, walk, and talk, and that I am pretty darn good looking

Some teach that God sovereignly selects some to be poor and others to be rich. Some teach that it is actually the will of God for some to be sick and others to be healthy. The Word-Faith teaches that God gives everyone equal opportunity to receive healing in the body and a sufficient supply of their needs as well as their GODLY desires.

6. Word-Faith believes that the work of God can be done. Missions can be done. The gospel can be preached all over the world. The poor can be fed. The inner city can be cleaned up. The Word-Faithers have a "can-do" attitude. They know that they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them.

7. God has made man a significant being. While some have gone over board with the "little gods" stuff, the fact is that God does not consider us worthless nothings. We are made in His image and likeness. We are important to HIm. We are so important that He sent His only Son to die for us. I have known no other group of people who have taught me how much I am loved by my Heavenly Father and how He desires more for me than I could ever know.

Perhaps I will add more to this later. for right now, these are some of the reasons why I am a Word-Faither.

Basically Rose, WOF is (at least) four things;

1. we believe God is everything He says He is.
when He says He is our provider we believe that He is.
when He says He is our healer, we believe that He is.

2. We believe that God keeps His promises.

3. We believe that it is not wrong to remind God of His promises, or to claim them as His sons and daughters because of our relationship thru Jesus.

4. We believe in the goodness of God, and that He desires good things for us.

there is a very old hymn by R. Kelso Carter (thanks victoryword!) called 'Standing on The Promises of God", and that's what WOF does.

the chorus goes:
'Standing, standing, safe and secure from all alarms,
Standing, standing, I'm standing on the promises of God."

pdudgeon said:

there is a very old hymn (i believe it was by Fanny Crosby) called 'Standing on The Promises of God", and that's what WOF does.

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Hey PDudgeon

This song was actually written by R. Kelso Carter, who was a healing evangelist in the late 1800s during the Faith-Cure Movement (what a professor friend at ORU likes to refer to as "The first Faith MOvement"). Carter worked alongside A. B. Simpson, who was one of the strongest proponents and excellent teacher of faith and divine healing of his time.

Carter wrote a book defending healing in the atonement. Unfortunately, 25 years later, Carter went through a time of serious sickness where he required medical attention, and then wrote a book retracting many of his former teachings. Nevertheless, he wrote the song you mention in your post during the highlight of his faith and healing ministry.

That is your history lesson for today. I expect a 500 word essay on my desk in the morning

Here are a few problematic questions for you Brothers and Sisters walking the fire, but before i say anything, let me say, I believe in divine healing...and I believe Pentecostals can gain the healing power of Apostles in Act if they have enough faith. Having said that, my heart cannot stop wondering:

1. What do you say about Disabiled who are not healed?

When Adam sinned why back there in the Garden of Eden, there was definite, world changing loss for the whole race of man. Poverty, sickness and spiritual death sums up the loss as one word headliners. However it takes some study to fill in the details. Spiritual death caused physical death.

Because of the fall sickness and disease is a part of life. But the Good News is that when the Messiah or Christ came. We know Him as Jesus, Jesus took care of the problems and returned to man Spiritual Life in return for Spiritual Death, Healing and Divine Health in place of sickness and disease, and prosperity(important to note this much more than just financial) in place of poverty.

There will be sick people and disabled people until The Millennium because sickness and disease was “let loose” on the earth. Can those people be healed, of course. The requirements are to hear the Good News (Gospel) of healing and believe it, and in most instances learn to keep it by faith. That means one has to spend much time learning how the law of faith works in order that healing can be “let loose” in a persons life in place of sickness. Just like any law, the law of faith will work for anyone that works it.

2. What do you say about Christians that are poor?

Same as sickness, poverty also was “let loose” in the world and runs rampant. The Gospel (Good News) has the answer for that as well. Same effort required as for sickness, learn how law of faith works in order to “let loose” prosperity in a persons life in place of poverty.

3. Are healings and blessing really a "right" which we believers can "claim"?

The word claim is a popular phrase to describe what Jesus said when He told us “How to do it” The verse below is how its done. There is more to just claiming it as any WOFer probably knows. Claiming is speaking. The verse tells us we must “say” (speak) and “believe in our hearts”.
Mk 11:23-24
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
KJV



“Believing in our hearts” is what makes God’s Word absolutely crucial. Without His word or having it in writing that God said that something belongs to us, we have no evidence to produce that “so important” believing in our heart.

By the way, the word heart is not talking about the physical organ. Heart is a term used in the Bible for the center of man. I believe that to be the spirit of man in this verse.

These are brief answers but will get you another step or two.


Sorry, I forgot the scripture!

We know Jesus came to destroy all the works of the devil, and went about "doing good and healing all". We know Jesus doesn't change, and we know the Father's work is no different.

We know death reigned through the trespass of one man, Adam, but now those who receive the Lord's abundant provision of grace will reign much more in life through Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17.

victoryword said:

That is your history lesson for today. I expect a 500 word essay on my desk in the morning

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would you settle for a corrected post??

and thanks for the correction, i appreciate it.

victoryword said:

Whenever I answer these types of questions, I like to use a copy of a post I wrote some time back:
============================================================

With all of the Word-Faith bashing going on all over the WWW, I thought I'd give some quick reasons on why I embrace this belief system:

1. Word-Faith takes the Word of God as being literal, true, and authoritative. Some movements and churches say that they do but when confronted with a passage that does not seem to fit within the mold of their theology, they explain it away. For example, passages that speak about the possibilities of faith are explained away by many Christians. They base their interpretations more on human experience (so and so believed and they still died) rather than on what the Scripture plainly teaches.

2. Word-Faith believes that God is willing to perform His Word. Many Christians, especially those who hold to the false "sovereignty of God" doctrine, believes that God is above keeping His Word. In His sovereignty He can choose to not keep His promises and can choose to do the opposite of what He said that he would do. Now if we gave the same descriptions to a regular human being we would be referring to them, not as sovereign but as a liar, a covenant breaker, and an unreliable and undependable person. However, when the same is said about God some would just prefer to call it sovereignty. Word-Faithers believe that God is true to His Word and that, though He is sovereign (as in the ruler of the universe since the word "sovereign" simply means "having authority"), He is also a COVENANT KEEPING GOD.

3. Word-Faithers do not blame God for problems but know who their real enemy is. This is in connection with number 2 above. Word-Faithers realize that there is a real enemy out there and it ain't their FATHER. They also know that, unlike many other Christians, God does not just go around siccing the devil on His own kids. God is not the source of my problems, He is the answer for them. We are in a WARFARE and it is the enemy who seeks to destroy us, not so much God's sovereign hand upon our circumstances.

God has given us AUTHORITY over the devil. Many non-WoFers believe that God just sics the devil on us and that all of his attacks are under God's control and all will turn out the way God wants. Perhaps these folks have not spoken to as many backsliders as I have and have no idea how so many who feel that God did this to them or He let this happen to them and they turned away from Him. Thankfully, the Word-Faith does not teach this. That is why I am one of them.

4. Word-Faith believes that God truly answers the prayer that was prayed in line with His Word and truly responds to faith. People have taught that God may or may not answer prayer. After all, He is God. Others have taught that God answers prayer, but does not necessarily give you the thing you ask Him for. Others have taught that God answers prayer, but His answer could be "yes, no or maybe". Some have taught that prayer has no influence on God, it is meant to only change you and make you more spiritual. Some have even gone as far as to teach that we are to pray until we no longer want the thing we have prayed for.

With all of this whacked out theology on prayer, no wonder people spend very little time in prayer. Who would want to pray if there is no visible attainable accomplishment in doing so? Thankfully that the WoF teaches that God answers prayer and keeps His Word on the subject. We teach that it is God's very desire to do just that.

God responds to the prayer prayed in faith and does what the petitioner asks. Immediate answers may not come either due to the warfare we must engage in, or the timing of God, or the person is praying for something FOOLISH and that is neither in line with the Word nor the person's level of maturity.

5. God Does not want us sick or poverty stricken. I personally do not like pain in my body. I do not take it for granted that I am in good health, able to see, walk, and talk, and that I am pretty darn good looking

Some teach that God sovereignly selects some to be poor and others to be rich. Some teach that it is actually the will of God for some to be sick and others to be healthy. The Word-Faith teaches that God gives everyone equal opportunity to receive healing in the body and a sufficient supply of their needs as well as their GODLY desires.

6. Word-Faith believes that the work of God can be done. Missions can be done. The gospel can be preached all over the world. The poor can be fed. The inner city can be cleaned up. The Word-Faithers have a "can-do" attitude. They know that they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them.

7. God has made man a significant being. While some have gone over board with the "little gods" stuff, the fact is that God does not consider us worthless nothings. We are made in His image and likeness. We are important to HIm. We are so important that He sent His only Son to die for us. I have known no other group of people who have taught me how much I am loved by my Heavenly Father and how He desires more for me than I could ever know.

Perhaps I will add more to this later. for right now, these are some of the reasons why I am a Word-Faither.

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Doasn't all that descriminate against the other denominations and imply that they twist scripture, believe God is not true to his own word, ect?
It seems loaded to me. Don't you think that that doctrine is rather elitist?

Atlantians said:

Doasn't all that descriminate against the other denominations and imply that they twist scripture, believe God is not true to his own word, ect?
It seems loaded to me. Don't you think that that doctrine is rather elitist?

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I think the accusation that WOF is saying that other denoms twist scripture is loaded.

I am not from a WOF church, and I don't really agree with everything taught, but I'd have to say that it is an excellent movt of God that:

1. Restores the authenticity and authority of Scripture and people's faith in the God's Word.
2. Restores faith and boosts faith
3. Brings healing and hope to millions, and fights this "God gave me this sickness" lie from the pit of hell.
4. Gets rid of this "As poor as a churchmouse" mentality that is also from the pit of hell.

Well said Andrew. Unfortunately, I can't rep you, so here's a thumbs up instead.

Good thread!

Think I must be a "partial WoF" these days!

I have heard a few peripheral ideas associated with it that cause me to hold back from the full expression of it, but I do agree with everything Victoryword said in that excellent list.

No WoF church in my town, so I'll carry on at the Pentecostal until the Lord moves me on.

probinson said:

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Interesting points. If thats what WOF is, it seems well with me.

Rosebaronet said:

My disability used to have a greater plan, used to have a purpose, an instrument to glorify God, now it's possible (if one misread WoF) my disability became an indication in lack of faith, or even worse, i am part of satan's plan. I was part of a solution, now I am part of the problem. lol

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No the disability was not a purpose, it was your attitude in the disability that enabled God to work for the good. The disability was a bad thing, but God works for the good in all circumstances in the lives of his people. Does that mean he purposes the circumstances?

Rosebaronet said:

My essential difficulties with WoF is that if Disability is bad, and can be, and must be healed through faith, what do we do about Disabled Christians who are not healed, we can't stigmatize everyone of them with "not having enough faith" can we?

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No stigmatising someone is wrong. The disabled stigma is wrong, But stigmatising WOF people because they teach the healing in Jesus name is wrong too.


Who said disabled people cannot be healed?

Luke 18
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Like the woman with the issue of blood keep pushing through the crowd until you get to Jesus , keep praying, dont give up because it doesnt work the first or second time.

lismore said:

Interesting points. If thats what WOF is, it seems well with me.

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See there? We're not all as squirelly as some would have you believe, now are we?