"Was Everything in Word of Faith Bad?"

Was Everything in Word of Faith Bad?

I was at breakfast a little over two years ago with a dear sister-in-Christ, sharing my testimony with her. She asked me a question I will never forget that I have pondered since that day.

She asked, "Was everything you experienced in Word of Faith (WOF) bad?"

I honestly don't remember how I specifically answered that day because it caught me off guard. However, I have been prayerfully considering that question since.

God can use any belief system to save someone, even a false belief system. That is what He did for me. I was dead in my sins, and He opened my eyes and ears to the truth of His Word. I was pushing myself further into witchcraft under the guise of "Christianity" without realizing it. God came in and saved me radically. Here are things I learned from being in Word of Faith for 11 years.

God is Not an Emotion

First, God is not an emotion. Word of Faith theology likes to compare the Holy Spirit to a force and something you feel. If you do not feel it, the Holy Spirit must be absent. In fact, it is akin to "the force" in Star Wars. However, this is not biblically accurate. The Word of God says that the Holy Spirit seals us when we believe (Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Timothy 2:19) until the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). For me, this led to a constant yo-yo effect in my emotional and spiritual life. I was constantly trying to FEEL God. If I did not FEEL God, then I thought I was doing something wrong. (That's another part of WOF theology I won't get into today.) However, once we are believers, we have been crucified with Jesus Christ. We have TRIPLE assurance of our salvation. John 10:29 says that "...no man is able to pluck..." a believer out of the Father's hand, we are a GIFT to Jesus Christ from the Father, AND we are sealed! We have assurance He is still with us. Friend, feelings are fleeting, but God is not! Neither is salvation!

The Word of God is Inerrant

Next, I learned from my time in Word of Faith is that the Word of God needs to be the marker of truth in my life. When I walked away from WOF, I questioned everything I had ever been told about God. What I found out is most of what I had been taught the past 11 years did not line up with Scripture. I learned that there is truth in everything, but not everything is the truth.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul states, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."

The Word of God is inerrant and contains everything in it He wants us to know for today. The Word of God is complete and should not be added to, that includes new revelations for the body of Christ. Here is a great article from a sister-in-Christ, Dawn Hill, on this topic.

We Must Be Teachable and Humble (I was prideful in Word of Faith!)

I learned to remain teachable. For 11 years, I was in a belief system I thought was right. I refused to see that it could possibly be me in the wrong. While knowledge is important, Paul warns against being puffed up due to knowledge (1 Corinthians 8:1). Due to my own stubbornness and pride, I was stuck in my own misery. God wants us to be obedient as His children, and part of that means coming under the authority of His teachings through His Word. When we realize we are wrong, we must repent and change our ways. I can't stress this last statement enough.

Lasting Forgiveness...

I learned to stop punishing myself. I was stuck in an endless cycle of punishment and condemnation for the damage I had caused myself, my husband, my child, and others around me. I had to learn forgiveness and understanding through God. He has already forgiven me due to the completed work on the cross by His one and only son, Jesus Christ. This made me truly learn the difference between conviction and condemnation (Romans 8:1). Condemnation and guilt are from the enemy, but conviction by the Holy Spirit bring us to repentance. (John 16:8) Not only did I forgive those who had me in this movement, I was set free from the wrongs I had committed toward others. Trust me, they were plentiful.

Furthermore, when we try to talk to others who still believe what we know to be incorrect, we must be gracious, loving, and compassionate. They are still blind. I made this mistake without realizing it and wish I could change it. That's why I tell others this now. Argument and correction at the wrong time does not work. However, if we can maintain relationships, we will be able to insert truth if the opportunity ever arises. Prayer is our best weapon in these cases.

The moral of the story is that God can use any belief system to save a soul. He is not limited by our beliefs. There is always something to be gained from every trial we go through. This may have been an 11-year trial, but it saved my soul, my marriage, and God is still using it today. Whatever you are going through, I pray that you remember to put your focus back on God. He will make your paths straight.