If you don’t know much about the “Word of Faith Movement,” between the 60’s -80’s, there is a lot of criticism and misunderstanding. It wasn’t just about getting rich, having cars, possessions, and lavish homes. It was a genuine move of God. To rekindle faith and confession in the body of Christ. You hear people say that it has extreme teachings on faith and confession. Phrases like “Fake it till you make it”, “Name it and claim it, Blab it and grab it”, you have what you say, confessing, “saying something is so when it really isn’t so, and if you’ll do it long enough, it’ll become so. Some say this teaching is unbiblical. Whether the “Word of Faith Camp” ot the “Grace Camp” or some other camp, you can get into a ditch on either side of the road theologically. You can get into extremes either way. It comes down to what the Word of God tells us about faith and confession. Do you know it takes grace and faith to be saved? Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV)-8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. It is not one or the other! The word of faith actually comes from the scriptures, which can’t be bad, right? Romans 10:8 (NKJV)-8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach). There it is-“ the word of faith“. Notice it says the word is in your heart and your mouth. God is a faith God! Jesus, as the Son of man, moved in faith. Apostle Paul tells us that the just shall live by faith! ( Rom 1:17). That is you and me. The writer of Hebrews tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God( Hebrews 11:6). You can never have too much grace or faith. We are to fight the good fight of faith and hold fast a good confession( 1 Tim 6:12).
It is not about what camp you identify with. It is whether you identify with the written Word of God. Do you believe the Word of God? Do you believe that it is God’s Word? Do you believe that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh and dwelt among us? ( John 1:1, John 1:14). The Word of God is spirit and life when faith receives it into our hearts. ( John 6:63, Mark 4:20, James 1:21). Jesus said the Word is a seed. Luke 8:11 (KJV)-11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. A seed carries a destiny, a purpose, and a future fulfillment. (Mark 4:26-29). Apostle Paul tells us faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Rom 10:17). A steady diet of God’s Word planted in our hearts is a must if we want to see a harvest of God’s blessings. A farmer has natural faith in planting corn seed because he knows what it will produce, more corn. He doesn’t lose any sleep; he just lets the seed do its work. To walk in the promises of God, you have to plant seeds. What about confession?
The phases mentioned at the beginning of this post seem funny or strange to some. Just extreme “Word of Faith” stuff? You know they say, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.” Don’t throw away faith and confession. Do you think it’s important to confess the Word of God? Isn’t that how we are saved? ( Rom 10:9-10). We confess things all the time. Good and fruitful things or bad and unfruitful things. Do you ever listen to how you talk at times, especially under pressure? (Matt 12:34b) tells us that out of the abundance of our hearts, our mouth speaks. The book of Proverbs tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue ( Prov. 18:21), that we are snared by the words of our mouth ( Proverbs 6:2). Again, words are seeds! Did you know the devil wants to steal the seed, the Word of God, if you let him? ( Mark 4:15). Are you speaking life or death? Are you speaking God’s Word or not? Confession is saying the same thing God says. It agrees with what God says. Jesus is the High Priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1, Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 10:23). To hold fast a good confession! The High Priest of the Old Testament stood in behalf of the people; he was their representative. He brought them before God. A spiritual transaction takes place between us and our high priest, Jesus. It is our confession of Him, our faith, and the Word of God! This is the power of agreement that brings victory. A spiritual alignment with Christ, the living Word! ( Amos 3:3, Matt 18:19).
In the gospels, we have a woman who was hemorrhaging said to herself continually,” If I but touch the hem of his garment, I shall be healed” ( Mark 5:25). What were the results of her faith? She was healed (Mark 5:34)! She didn’t have a Bible, she wasn’t able to go to church, she didn’t have the internet, social media, or YouTube to hear a lesson on faith. All we know is that she heard about Jesus! Hope was kindled, faith rose in her heart. It led her to take action. Her hearing produced a vision, and her vision produced a voice that said something, which led to possession. Hearing, seeing, and saying are spiritual laws in the Kingdom of God. Bible teacher Andrew Wommack tells us,” that if you cant see it on the inside, it won’t manifest on the outside.” What is he talking about? The law of faith ( Hebrews 11:1-3, Rom. 3:27). The Word of God must be more real to us than natural things. The spiritual must be more real than situations facing us every day ( 2 Cor. 4:18). We don’t deny the reality of natural things, but God’s Word is the greater reality. It is a greater truth. That is why we walk by faith and not by sight ( 2 Cor. 5:7). We walk by the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17).
We have a whole chapter in the Bible on the heroes of faith ( Hebrews 12). Men and women who overcame great obstacles, performing signs and wonders, and doing the impossible, and confessing God’s greatness. Faith and grace are gifts from God that we receive the moment we are saved! (Rom. 5:17, Rom 12:3 )Apostle John tells us about faith when he writes: 1 John 5:4-5 (KJV)-4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? What a great scripture! Are you a born of God? Then you are an overcomer. Jesus said this in the gospel of John: John 16:33 (KJV)-33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. The overcomer lives in us! Faith is choosing to believe God’s Word no matter what. It is our positive response to the grace of God. Some may say, “I’ve tried this faith and confession stuff and it didn’t work for me.” That’s the problem! You just cant try it. You have to live it daily. The just, the declared righteous, shall live by faith, not visit every once in a while. Not only when there is a problem. Yes, there are disappointments at times, when the breakthrough we are looking for seems far away. That is not the time to give up on faith and confession.
You know, Jesus told us this is the gospel of Mark: Mark 11:23-24 (KJV)–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. This isn’t just a nice statement, something to just make us feel good, or some far-off pie in the sky illusion. It is Jesus telling us how to operate in faith. Notice verse 23, tell us the word “Say” is written three different times. That’s why it’s so important what we say or declare. 2 Corinthians 4:13 (KJV)-13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; You always speak what you believe and what is in your heart. This is how we get saved, Born Again! ( Rom. 10:9-10). Confession is made unto salvation, what we believe in our heart! This is a spiritual law. If things aren’t working, it isn’t God who isn’t working. Numbers 23:19 (KJV)-19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? ( Isaiah 55:11). The hard reality is that the problem is with us many times. The good news is that we can change. We can ask the Holy Spirit where we are missing it. How to make any adjustments or corrections needed. God is faithful to answer! (John 14:26, John 16:13, Phil. 3:15).
In closing, faith and confession are the believer’s spiritual toolbox. We are not faking it till we make it or blabbing it and grabbing it or saying it’s so when it’s not so”. We are operating in spiritual principles or laws that God gave us! It is understanding that there is a spiritual dimension to the Kingdom of God in how it operates. Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)-33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Apostle Paul shares the same principle in Galatians 6. Galatians 6:8-9 (NKJV)-8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Faith and confession of God’s Word are sowing to the Spirit. It will produce life, not death! Life in our minds, our thinking, our imagination, in our bodies, our relationships, and in our witness! It is the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus operating in us! ( Rom. 8:2).
In Christ’sLove;
Brent and Linda Bushen
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