Overemphasizing words’ “creative power” is as dangerous as unbelief. The problem is that in recent years key concepts of Christianity have been redefined. For example, faith has suffered a huge change in its essence. We all have clear the Bible’s definition of faith:
“Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 ASV)
What modern Christianity has twisted is the source of that faith and the object of it. While most speakers take this verse as the definition of it, most of them fail to further the reading and understand how the faith that pleases God is born. This way, the modern version of Hebrews 11:1 sounds more like metaphysics than Biblical faith.
As I have explained in previous articles (New Age, Positive Thinking, the Word of Faith and Christianity and The Truth Will Set Us Free) nowadays there is a very dangerous shift in spirituality which is served by overemphasizing on concepts like the word of faith and the positive confession. As I said, these doctrines take away the believers’ eyes off Christ and redirects them to us.
Why is this dangerous? It is simple, because the Bible says we should be “looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith...” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus should be the author and perfecter of our faith. Faith that does not have Jesus as its author is empty faith. Empty faith gives birth shallowness and futility.
As I said in my previous article, sound doctrine will lead us to a total submission to the word of God, will take our eyes away from the things of the world and will direct our eyes to heaven. It is not by chance, then, that the new kind of faith many Christians have is based on the love of the world and its pleasures.
Now, you need to “have faith in yourself” and “visualize what you want” and you will get what you crave for. Now you just have to “declare” you will be a millionaire and you will be. Now your tithes and offerings “have power” to “influence God to bless you with that new bigger house you want”.
Usually the people who follow this and get what they want are seen by other as the champions of faith. In America wealth and success are seen as ways of measuring how much a believer you are. If we see the definition of faith, we could agree these people believe. The question is, what do they believe and in whom?
I have always believed that the definition of faith does not end in the first verse of Romans 11. If we go to a serious dictionary and look up for a word we will find the definitions along with examples of the word in use. The same happens in Romans 11. After the definition we have the examples of what faith is. Let us examine.
By faith we understand that the worlds have been framed by the word of God... (v.3): This verse sets our faith in the power of the word of God, therefore, the implication of this verse is that our faith must rest on the confidence in the power of God’s word. We are not commanded to believe in ourselves or in the power of our words. True faith trusts only in God.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain... (v.4): Faith leads us to worship God with excellency. True faith seeks to please God, not ourselves.
By faith Noah, being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark … (v.7): True faith puts in us godly fear and leads us to obedience. What moved Noah was not an egocentric need to show God how obedient he was so he could, afterwards, ask for a reward. Noah’s faith made him obey out of reverence and fear.
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. (v.8): True faith does not have anything to do with comfort. Abraham was a wealthy man who had everything he needed in his land.God sent him to wander to the desert where he faced many afflictions. True faith does not seek comfort but obedience.
By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age... (v.11): True faith makes us realize that we are powerless to achieve the impossible. True faith relies only in the power of God.
By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac... (v.17): True faith will take us to a place in which will be willing to give up on our dreams in order to please God. It never is the other way around.
By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel... (v. 22): Faith makes us believe that what God has said will come to pass no matter what. Faith is not wishful thinking; faith is the assurance that God will keep His promise. The order of true faith is: God speaks, we believe in faith, God does the miracle in His time.
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter... (v.24): True faith makes us give up on earthly pleasures and leads us to depend just on God.
...and others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves, and the holes of the earth. (v.35-38)
True faith leads people to believe in Christ even when it means persecution will be their reward on earth. True faith looks for a comfortable life in heaven, not on earth. Today, Christianity is illegal in more than 40 countries in the world. All across the Middle East, North Africa and Asia people convert to Christianity just to be imprisoned or put to death. While in America people convert in order to have money, better houses and cars, in the other side of the world, people convert to die. This is real faith. (see: http://www.releaseinternational.org/ , http://www.persecution.com/ , http://www.opendoorsusa.org/ )
Unbelief is very dangerous, especially when faith has been redefined in so earthly ways. As these verses from the Scripture show, when God is the author of our faith, we will not rely on our own resources, we will rely in the power of God. True faith keeps us away from seeking our own benefit, rather it makes us give up on things that we hold dear just to please God.
True faith makes us fear and worship God and act out of reverence and love towards Him. It does not seek to make us look better or bigger than we are, therefore, it makes us obey Him not to be able to demand something in return, but because He is worthy. True faith has a very clear order: God plans, God speaks, we believe in His power to fulfill His promises, we wait in Him, and He performs the miracle.
True faith does not give orders, true faith receives orders from the Holy Spirit, therefore, faith is not wishful thinking and it is much more than a positive confession. True faith sticks to God’s plan, not to ours.
“Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 ASV)
In all the cases shown above, the implicated men and women had assurance in the things they hoped for because GOD was the one who gave them the hope: God promised Abraham the land, God promised Sarah the son and God promised Joseph's father (Jacob) the land of Israel. From this we get that none of them hoped for things they wanted God to do just because they craved for these things. None of these things came to pass just out of human will.
They had the conviction of the unseen things precisely because they were not born in their own minds/hearts or by their will, they had conviction because God Almighty promised the things they were expecting. As a Christian, I may want so many things, but the only ones I will receive are those that God wants to give me. Biblical faith says: "Your will be done."
