Peace, prosperity and safety!”The damning drone of 'wordfaith' philosophy while peddling prosperity has left the church, - well... - faithless and bankrupt.
If 'Word of Faith' teachings sound a bit like Mary Baker Eddy's 'christian science' there is good reason. 'Word of Faith' magnifies the magic of the mind rather than the Person of God. They have no fear distorting Scripture to promote their wares and mocking the faith once delivered to the saints. ("If Paul had only read what he wrote later he would have never suffered his thorn in the flesh." Copeland)
But 'Word of Faith' and christian science come into their most awful harmony in the God-demeaning, man-exalting doctrine both sects espouse.
"The believer is as much an incarnation of God as Jesus Christ" (K. E. Hagin, Sr."The Incarnation," The Word of Faith, 12/80).
"Christ's physical death on the cross was not enough to save us." (K. E. Hagin Sr.)
The material blood of Jesus was no more efficacious to cleanse from sin when it was shed upon 'the accursed tree,' than when it was flowing in his veins." (Mary Baker Eddy)
Hagin's conceit goes supernova. "Man was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God's presence without any consciousness of inferiority...God made us as much like Himself as possible...He made us the same class of being that He is Himself...Man lived in the realm of God. He lived on terms equal with God...The believer is called Christ...That's who we are; we're Christ!" Kenneth Hagin, Sr. (How Jesus Obtained His Name & Zoe: The God Kind of Life)Now, to be fair, Kenneth Hagin's words aren't exactly Kenneth Hagin's words.
His ‘faith on steroids’ shtick, was not a revelation found in Scripture, but in the teachings of E. W. Kenyon. Hagin’s writings are not similar to Kenyon's - they are identical!
Kenyon - Man is a spirit who possesses a soul and he lives . . . in a body. He is in the same class as God. We know that God is a spirit and He became a man took on a man's body, and when He did it He was no less God than when He didn't have a body. Man, at death, leaves his physical body and is no less man than he was when he had his ... body. (The Hidden Man [Seattle: Kenyon's Gospel Publishing Society, 1970]
Hagin - Man is a spirit being, he has a soul and lives in a body.... He is in the same class with God. We know that God is a Spirit. And yet [He] took upon Himself a man's body when God took upon Himself human form He was no less God than He was before He took the physical body... Man, at physical death, leaves his body. Yet he is no less man than he was when he had his body. (Man of Three Dimensions [Tulsa: Faith Library, 1973]
Hagin's plagiarizing is so extensive, (75% of one of Hagins' best-sellers, 'The Authority of the Believer' was taken from Jack MacMillans' work with the same title) that 'word of faith' teaching is actually 'word-for-word' the teachings of Kenyon!
The roots of Kenyon's life and ministry weave throughout the cults of Science of the Mind, the Unity School of Christianity, Christian Science and New Thought metaphysics. In essence it is E. W. Kenyon who is most truly the godfather of the 'faith-in-faith' phenomana. Even the phraseology used by today’s prosperity preachers, ("What I confess, I possess.") are Kenyon originals.
What we balk at admitting - if the source of this 'new faith' is revamped new age spiritualism - what we balk at admitting - having chosen to call the practice of confessing, claiming, and coveting an enlightened christianity - what we balk at admitting - is that the 'positive confession/prosperity gospel' isn't skewed, it is a destructive substitute to the faith of Jesus Christ!
"Some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons..."(I Tim 4)
"He wants His children to eat the best, He wants them to wear the best clothing, He wants them to drive the best cars, and He wants them to have the best of everything. Don't pray about money anymore, claim whatever you need!" (K. E. H.)
A church that has breast fed on the idea that they deserve "to wear and eat the best!" will not shed the cloak of self-righteousness to put on the silly suit of God's armor. What can you possibly teach a crew who believe themselves to be Christ, a god, equals with Jesus? Nothing. They receive no rebuke and need no correction.
Paul says, "He is puffed up with conceit...imagining that godliness is a means of gain...those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into senseless and harmful desires..."(I Tim. 6)span>"...the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listiening to the truth and wander off into myths." (II Tim. 4)
Jude warns, “Beloved...I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed…who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion.These are blemishes on your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, looking after themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees, wild waves casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars... It is these who cause divisions...
But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (Jude 1:3-21)
Small wonder the church in America is anemic, impotent and without the faith once delivered to the saints. We gorge ourselves on 'the best', - and while the world draws nearer to the flames we fiddle with a faith that is false, foolish and finally... fatal.
