What Faith Does: (Or So They Say)

The face of western Christianity is changing rapidly. This is nothing new & it didn’t begin yesterday. It’s happening, nevertheless. Neither will it stop anytime soon. These agents of transformation are not amoral or neutral. They are deliberate & they are definite. Perhaps the most visible & audible of these changes has been the word of faith message & the movement that has grown up around it. Gone are the days of itinerant nondescript ministers, who were few & far between, visiting church fellowships as gifted speakers, with their new & unfamiliar doctrine. Some of these teachers drew enough of a following to start their own churches & organize their own conferences, dedicated to their particular system of beliefs. Others founded their own institutions & seats of learning. Christian schools. Bible colleges. Universities. Hospitals. Some pioneered radio & television stations.

If we were to ask these individuals how these things were done & by what means they were accomplished, what would be their answer? Was it more luck than judgement? Was it acumen or expertise? Was it drive & charisma? Was it blind ambition? In my opinion, it’s a subtle mixture of all of those elements, coupled with some opportunism. However, I can almost guarantee that despite my belief, their answer will be something like this; we did it all, by faith. With a little humility, of course. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. (Romans 3:27).

On the surface, there isn’t a problem with anyone claiming this, if they mean a biblical trust in & obedience to The Lord. However, given the evidence that the word of faith movement has supplied to us & to the world, it would not be unreasonable to conclude that they mean the use of the law or force of faith. They mean the God kind of faith. Their faith conquered. Their faith overcame. Their faith dominated. It developed & grew from a mustard seed into a mountain moving phenomenon. Afterall, don’t forget [that] 23 ...“‘If you can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.” (Mark 9:23).

As we follow the narrative of a robust & powerful faith, cutting a swathe through every challenge that it faces, like a hot knife through butter, we may become excited & encouraged. Can we really expect to win every battle, triumph in every circumstance & overcome every obstacle, as we fight the good fight of faith (1^st Timothy 6:12)? Is this what faith does? Apparently so, or so we’re told.

The force of faith, when used correctly, allows the believer to swashbuckle their way through life & emerge victorious every single time. Faith is our evidence. There is no defeat, because there is no failure in God. There is no lack, because there is no insufficiency in God. There is no disease, because there is no infirmity in God. A couple of questions ought to arise here, but they’ll be mown down with a conveniently misinterpreted verse of Scripture. 4 because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. (1^st John 5:4). The God kind of faith doesn’t stop to think, ask questions or take a breath. You couldn’t stop such an irresistible force, could you?

For every endeavor of faith that we’re told about, there has to be a word that the man or woman of faith has heard. Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). You’d be hard pressed to find verses of Scripture that specifically promise the projects, aims & ambitions that word of faith leaders use their faith to achieve. So how does their God kind of faith work under these circumstances, if faith comes by hearing? They must have a different kind of word.

In our New Testament there are two words translated ‘word’. One is logos (loggos), which is the written word. The other is rhema (rayma), which is the spoken word. This is much simpler than it sounds. However, when it’s taught by certain parties, it can appear that one is superior to the other. If I see you in the street and say ‘hello’, that is a rhema word because I spoke it to you. However, if I left you a note saying 'hello’, that is a logos word. Inevitably, prominent word of faith teachers have told their congregants, listeners, adherents & students that The Lord said something to them. It may have been an audible voice. It may have been a personal prophecy. It may even have been a vision or trip to heaven & a full blown conversation with The Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Either way, it conveniently circumnavigates the need to supply Scripture as proof that what they’re doing is biblical. Based on what they claim The Lord had said to them, they then applied their faith, confessed it with their mouths & received the desired results. We won’t mention the subtle solicitation of donations from faithful followers, the compulsory purchases of ministry materials or the fees often charged for teachers to make personal appearances.

Of course, any word of faith proponent will say that we’re not to seek experiences, but rather, stick to The Word. This is reverse psychology. If the follower has similar encounters to the leader, they feel just as spiritual & equally as powerful. It also reinforces our belief in the means & methodology we’re being taught. Let me give you a couple of examples.

“Rhema Bible Training College began with a quickened word spoken by my dad, Kenneth E. Hagin. When Dad received the mandate, "Go teach My people faith", that was a rhema word to him of what to do in ministry..[Hagin Jnr continues]..I often heard him pray, "Lord, how am I going to get this message out? I'm just one man." His answer came during Campmeeting 1973. Dad said under the inspiration of the Spirit, "We're going to start a Bible school!" When he said that, I had a rhema word inside of me—Lynette and I were to help Dad start the school. Those rhema words gave the direction of how to get the faith message out and fulfil the mandate..[because there are no verses or passages concerning starting Bible colleges]..Dad didn't want to put his name on the school. When we discussed what to call it, he suggested "Rhema" based on a message Roy Hicks [a fellow minister & personal friend of the Hagins] taught at Campmeeting. We chose the name Rhema Bible Training College because it is purpose driven, not personality driven. And it's still not personality driven! It was founded on the principles of the infallible Word of God, learning how to be led by the Spirit, and knowing the authority of the believer—while zeroing in on the practical aspects of ministry.”

Kenneth W. Hagin Copyright © 2024 Kenneth Hagin Ministries (emphasis added)

It’s commendable that Kenneth E. Hagin ‘didn’t want his name on the school’, however, the church attached to Rhema is also known as Kenneth Hagin Ministries. They must have forgotten to remove his name from there. Our next example is in the same vein.

“In his long career as a religion peddler, [Oral] Roberts claimed to talk directly to God and Jesus. In 1963, he built his Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma after he said God instructed him to do so. In 1977, Roberts had a vision of a 900-foot Jesus who told him there was an urgent need to erect the City of Faith Medical and Research Center. Roberts raised the funds for the hospital [$250,000,000], though it didn’t stay open long [from 1981 to 1989]. In 1983, God again contacted Roberts to tell him that he wanted him to find a cure for cancer. No such cure has been reported. In 1987, Roberts reported that God was threatening to call him home [who did this guy think he was?! Moses?! Exodus 4:24-26] unless his followers forked up millions so he could maintain his [ego driven vanity project] fundamentalist empire. Though he was criticized heavily for using that tactic, the faithful came through and donated what he needed.

by Tommi Avicolli-Mecca, 2009, Beyond Chron (emphasis added) 

It’s interesting to me that a famous healing evangelist was sanctioned to find a medical cure for cancer. Why didn’t The Lord simply heal the disease. Nevertheless, that was the rhema word that Oral Roberts laid claim to.

Of course, we’ll be told that even a word from The Lord will not benefit us unless we mix it with faith (Hebrews 4:2). There are however two primary dangers here. We will begin to ignore the importance of God’s written Word. We will also begin to interpret the written Word in the light of these supposed rhema words. If any of this sounds vaguely familiar, consider the oral tradition of the Pharisees.

They revered Moses but happily set him aside in favor of their man-made oral traditions. The Lord Jesus lambasted them for this; 9 He also said to them, “You have a fine way of invalidating God’s command in order to set up your tradition! (Mark 7:9). This is not what a wholesome & biblical faith does. But it is all too common throughout the word of faith movement. Whatever the leader says, is the true interpretation. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21). Be careful. Speak life, not death, because you’ll have what you say. Really? Is that what this verse means? Well, it does if Dr. so & so with his bought doctor-of-divinity-degree says that is what The Lord told him. Bypass the correct interpretation because someone wants to sew his theology together, like the fig leave leaves of old.

The faith of the word of faith movement is willing to ignore Scripture despite its plain reading & accept random interpretation as revelation. 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, and therefore speak. (2^nd Corinthians 4:13).

The God kind of faith is a law or force that is fueled by the words of the movement's leaders, not by God’s Word.

Despite their rhetoric, these teachers are not interested in you or I pursuing the truth of The Scriptures, but rather, their interpretation of it. This will be reinforced by a berating of bonafide theologians & even insisting that The Lord Jesus Christ Himself had appeared to them, saying, “..Sometimes your theology needs upending..”. If indeed The Lord Jesus had appeared & said that, He was right, because their theology is dead wrong.

This also means that faith teaching & everything associated with it has redefined what is scriptural & what is not. With a huge concentration on The New Testament & an over spiritualization of The Old, word of faith teachers are forced to twist every text they choose, into something unrecognizable. Let me save you some pain & anguish reader. The Lord is not going to honor something that He did not promise in the first place. In reality you’re not actually exercising faith at all, never mind the God kind. However, I do believe that The Lord has compassion on the ignorant (Hebrews 5:2). Trust me, I have been there.

Whether you view your glass as half full or half empty, the truth is that the receptacle has been deliberately over engineered. You’re so close to getting your breakthrough. Like Peter, you’re encouraged to step out in faith because you have a rhema word. Like the disciples who had toiled all night & caught nothing, at Christ’s word they dropped their nets on the other side. Like the man born blind, who when he was told to, went & washed in the pool of Siloam. The list goes on & on until sooner or later, there you are. The word of faith movement is teaching that you & I can use the law or force of faith arbitrarily. This seems to have more in common with what could be classed as enchantment than anything else. The Bible becomes a spell book. The Name of The Lord becomes a magic wand. Followers become sorcerer’s apprentices.

These leaders act as if they’re in a Marvel Comics movie, with super-powers & special effects. In reality, their performances are more akin to The Wizard of Oz, with the brainless, the heartless & the cowardly, leading the clueless!

The most important element in the word of faith system, is ensuring that adherents are in the constant, endless cycle of mining Scripture for promises, making verbal confessions & then believing that they receive. Once you’re aboard their treadmill, you feel as if you’re going somewhere even though you are not. Movement & progress are not the same thing. All you need is a regular shot in the arm.

“Think of having faith in your own faith! Think of the thrill of having your own prayers answered!.. This should be the normal experience of every one of you.. Your faith may be developed until it becomes a mighty force. That was the dream of the Father for you. The Word will build up your sense of righteousness. I know of nothing that is needed more than this. When we become conscious that we are righteous, we will not think of our weaknesses and failings.. The effect of righteousness on your heart is a new quietness and a new type of faith.. You know that you are a master of circumstances. You know that you are a master of demons. You have moved out of the restless atmosphere of fear and doubt, into the quiet waters of victory. You have become a master where you served as a slave. You are a conqueror where you suffered defeat. You walk in the light where you walked in darkness. He is not a subject, a slave. He has passed out of that class into the class of a master. They no longer walk as natural men. They belong to the love class, the miracle class. They are in the Jesus class. They have graduated from the lower class. They are the men and women who have attained unto the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, and have become full-grown men unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. They have their own faith. They are established in the truth. The Word is real to them.” It's all about YOU!!

Identification - E. W Kenyon (emphasis added)

Because of the nature of word of faith teaching, its extremes & the extra biblical claims it makes, there are two serious elements up for our consideration. These are a radically over realized eschatology at best or full-blown heresy at worst. Sadly, it would seem that these two constituent parts have merged somewhat & this mixture is highly volatile. When you tell an individual that they are in God’s class of being, that they’re exactly like Christ & possess Divine DNA, that is dangerous. When you tell an individual that their words are as powerful as God’s when spoken in faith, that they’re little gods & that they can literally have whatever they say, it is unsafe. When you tell an individual that their god-like faith gives them dominion, makes them like God & allows them to be everything that He Himself is, that is heresy & blasphemy. Yet these things are taught. They are believed. They are confessed. They are practiced. As well this, our word of faith friends will wheel out the usual suspects as proof positive that they are correct in their assertions. Apparently, this is what faith does.

25 Now a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years 26 had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. 27 Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothing. 28 For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well.” (Mark 5:25-28).

46 They came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many warned him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, “Have mercy on me, Son of David!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up; he’s calling for you.” 50 He threw off his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Rabboni,” the blind man said to him, “I want to see.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.” Immediately he could see and began to follow Jesus on the road. (Mark 10:46-52).

8 In Lystra a man was sitting who was without strength in his feet, had never walked, and had been lame from birth. 9 He listened as Paul spoke. After looking directly at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And he jumped up and began to walk around. (Acts 10:8-10).

The faith of the word of faith movement stretches back to man in creation for its image of dominion. It spans & scans both testaments, picking individuals who seem to have embraced it & utilized its power. Let me try to explain, while attempting to keep a straight face.

God demonstrated the proficiency of the God kind of faith in the beginning, didn’t He? He spoke faith filled words & created everything didn’t He? He trained men how to use the God kind of faith, didn’t He? He taught Abel, the elders & Enoch the principles of faith, didn’t He? (chortle).

Abraham learned how to be strong in faith, didn’t he? Joseph realized his dreams & brought them into reality by faith, didn’t he? Moses defeated Jannes & Jambres, then parted the Red Sea by faith, didn’t he? Using the law of faith David demolished Goliath with a stone from his sling & separated the giant’s head from its shoulders with the big man’s own sword, didn’t he? (snigger).

Then apparently, we had a masterclass in the proper operation of the force of faith from The Lord Jesus Christ Himself! He laid aside His deity & entered the human race, didn’t He? He lived for thirty years, learning to use the God kind of faith, didn’t He? After His baptism & temptation, Christ began ministry as a man anointed by The Holy Spirit & armed with faith, didn’t He? He constantly demonstrated this as He healed the sick, cleansed lepers, opened blind eyes, cast out demons & raised the dead, didn’t He? Finally, as His crucifixion approached, Jesus gave His disciples [& us by extension] the key to & secret of the law or force of faith, didn’t He? (titter).

22 Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, everything you pray and ask for—believe that you have received it and it will be yours. (Mark 11:22-24). 

After decades of these things being taught concerning faith, how much progress have they actually added to The Church or to the cause of Christ & The Gospel? The leaders of the movement have fared very well indeed. They will claim that their designer clothing, expansive properties, high end automobiles, executive airplanes, expensive jewelry & reams of cold hard cash, are a testament to them having learned to use the law of faith successfully. All of this is put forward as a testimony of what faith does, but in reality, it is a clear statement of man’s attempt to become a super-hero. To have faith in God, is one thing. To have the God kind of faith, is quite another.

From the series: Have Faith in God, by, David Samuel Parkins.

Originally posted: February 9th, 2025.

You can follow David on his blog: The Discernment Quarterly

All Scriptures taken from the CSB unless otherwise noted.