Results 21 - 23 of 23
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: userdoe214 Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
21 | What is the Word-Faith movement? | John 10:27 | userdoe214 | 7849 | ||
Well-versed, maybe not. The Word of Faith movement is largely orthodox in nature, but has developed some pretty strange extremes. Some of the things these guys say are great, and some of it worries everyone. For example: Some (most?) of them see the promises of God from the point of view that these are the things God HAS TO DO FOR YOU, or else He is a liar. I haven't been able to ascertain if there are leaders in the movement who really believe this, and I've often hoped that they use such extreme language to shake people loose from their lack of faith--to make them take a stand on the promises of God, rather than let God's blessing pass by. If that is their motive, great, but when I hear one of their followers misusing such language(my way of saying, standing on wrong belief), I fear they dishonor God by imagining His owes it to them to bless them. There is an unconscious acceptance of a stingy, unloving God who we force to bless us just to protect His reputation for telling the truth. Such teach is not orthodox in my estimation, for it leads to an image of God, rather than a revolation of the God of the Bible. For another example: 1 Pet 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. The typical faith position on this verse is that healing is in the Atonement and just like all your sins were forgiven in Christ's bloody death, so were all your diseases healed. So if you are sick, it is not real. For faith does not believe the way things appear, but the way they really are. This starts getting very strange when someone dies of a disease they didn't really have. I've often thought that if they would read the next verse and always keep them together, it might help clear up the confusion, 1 Pet 2:25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. Let's put them together and see: and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. That sounds more like moral healing to me. I also question the period at the end of verse 24, which tends to strengthen the confusion. My problem is not with healing, it's just when you put it in the Atonement in Christ, it means as solidly as you are saved you are healed. So if you get a cold, should you be worried about your salvation too? Of course not, you just doubt the testimony of your runny nose. I like the idea of taking a stand against sickness, but I don't think we should deny our common sense experience of reality--thou we all know even "reality" can be a tricky thing at times. Moving on. The Word of Faith people are often very concerned about getting all the blessings of God, and that eventually leads to the subject of money. Now when you get it wrong about healing, you just quietly bury the person, but when it goes wrong with money, the IRS gets involved and that might be almost as bad as dying in your sins. The press gets involved too. Much of what people know of Word of Faith people has to do with scandals in the press related to money. Yet I know there are Faith people who are very honest. Yet when it comes time to give, a FAITH event will strongly encourage people to give more than they have, because if you give you will get from God. Not infrequently it will degenerate to if you give a dollar God will give you back one hundred, regardless of your motive. The principle of sowing a reaping is throughout the Bible, but to hear them tell it, it's a physical law, right there with cause and effect. If you give, God must (He has no choice) to give you at least one hundred times back in return. It reminds me of a Las Vegas slot machine which you win every time you play. This is ever so brief and very incomplete, because I haven't taken time to tell you what they do so well. I have read the literature of their critics, and often feel that they either misunderstand them, or in a few cases go way beyond the bounds of Christian temperament their judgements, so much so I question their motives. Anyway, this is not the place to present long explanations. I say, give them an ear, but if you get all excited and want to jump on the wagon, just remember that all of us that have fallen off, got pretty badly bruised. Also know that the Spirit of God will never, never, never lead you into deception, so always keep your heart open to Him. He can walk you through the mine field completely unharmed. |
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22 | Where there is no vision, people perish? | Prov 29:18 | userdoe214 | 7833 | ||
I just know I will say more than you want, but here goes. The book of Proverbs is stylistically different than most of the books of the Bible. For one, it is playful with contradictions. I don't mean that kind of accidental contradiction skeptics are always hoping to find, but the kind that makes you think (see Pr. 26:4-5). Another type is one that juxtapositions two statements which seem like opposites. This is one of those proverbs. People parish and are unrestrained when they do not properly "see" the value of doing God's law. God says not to commit adultery. The reason for some reason does not seem so clear to many people, so they are unrestrained and their lives start falling apart (i.e. they parish) as a result of breaking this simple law; for the foundation of a happy life is a happy family life, and that certainly is not possible in an home with unfaithful parents. I don't believe God requires we learn the value of His commands by watching the self-inflicted misery of others, I think He'd be much happier to give us insight (vision) into the benefits of doing things His way. Don't mean to long winded, just trying to press the point that the first part of the proverb is properly connected to the second. So keep them together. hope that helps mrk |
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23 | Is the Word-Faith movement biblical ? | John 10:27 | userdoe214 | 7816 | ||
As a veteran of both movements I say, move on. Not that I have any complaint with either movement, but because those bodies of teaching are related to events of the past, but our God is doing new things all the time. There is truth in both movements (try to get that part), but some of the errors (one of which you mentioned) are almost too strange for sane people to ponder. Just remember: the Bible and the voice of the Lord are your guides (they never contradict). In the end He will judge your actions by you obedience to those to influences; not your attention to the teaching of men (even very good men). I have every confidence He is your guide, and you are in His constant care, thus never fear to put your foot on the water. mark |
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