The Nature of Faith (Part I)

The centrality of faith is centered upon the theistic God of the Bible! The theism of God is based upon Who He is based upon His divine character: that of His trustworthiness. There are many professing Christians who have problem trusting God for who He is and his promises. The nature of faith is centered upon God thus to replace faith in God for something else (e.g. "faith in faith") is to dishonor the Creator by which it is a false faith. According to Word-Faith theology is that, "Faith is a force; words are the container of the force by which the "Faith" believer can create their own world." The "impersonal" God of the of the Faith movement is some "cosmic" gofer at the beck and call of the Faith believer's selfish desires. As the "Faith" Christian utilize his or her "force" of faith through words can manipulate the spirit world to bring about such tangible results whether it be a house, car, money, or success in business. The whole of the doctrine of Faith taught within many Word of Faith churches and ministries have been perverted into bad mythology (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

   As we look into the biblical concept of faith taught according to Hebrews 11:6 where it says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must [believe] that he exist and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."  First, it is so important that as we read the passage in Hebrews 11:6 is to read it slowly because to do otherwise is to miss the main content of the message. Secondly, it is also so important that we look for key words (e.g. "faith," "believe"), familiar words, and repeated words. And thirdly, words have meanings therefore such biblical words must be defined according to the standard definition of the Bible. The most powerful tool of cult evangelism is its "redefinition" of biblical terminology (e.g. "firstborn") as oppose to the standard definition of the Bible (2 Pet. 3:16, 17).  In order to strip cultist of their most powerful arsenal is for discerning Christian to insist that they define biblical words (e.g. "faith") according to biblical standards (1 Jn. 4:1 with Acts 17:11). Quite unfortunately there are many Christians who are "unskilled" in post-cult evangelism therefore many Jehovah's Witnesses can make a doctrinal "pretzel" out of a Christian in 30 seconds. The reason why is that many of Christians do not know "what" they believe and "why" they believe what they believe (Amos 8:11-12).

   Within this article I will begin to deal with the first part of Hebrews 11:6a where it says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists...." The travesty of faith is centered upon the existence of God. Man is incurably religious whereby there is a Being that exist outside of humanity. But within atheism there is a tendency to deny the existence of God by which the world is evolve based upon evolutionism: that the world exist without God (Rom. 1:18-32). Atheism rejection of God is what is morality not always intellectual. The moral perversion of atheism it is utter rejection of the existence of God by which it leads into such downward spiral. 

   As I begin to analyze the spiritual and moral plight of the professing Church today that many professing believers are atheist as well simply because of the fact that God is some "impersonal" Being that is subject to spiritual laws. According to the Faith movement that the theistic God of the Bible had to utilize His "force" of faith through faith-filled words to create the world that we live in. The theistic God of the Bible is a "Faith" Being that is subjugated to such spiritual laws by which He cannot work outside of Himself. God is Servant; the "Faith" Christian is King. God is Man; the "Faith" believer is King. God is a "cosmic" gofer at the beck and call of many "Faith" Christians selfish desires (Mark 11:22).  If in fact God is consist of Faith than who is He trusting? The whole of the Faith movement is characterized by such atheism or evolutionism that deny the existence of God as some "impersonal" god force. The God of the Bible is antithetical to the "impersonal" god of the Faith movement (Rom. 1:21-23).

   The doctrine of Faith as it relates to the existence of God is a "carcinogenic" faith within the system of Faith theology by which it is "toxic" in nature (2 Tim. 2:17-18). Faith is not some "force" or "power" source to manipulate the world through faith-filled words. The object of the believer's faith is God-centered; not Faith-centered whereby it is a "false" faith (2 Pet. 2:1). For many professing Christians within the Faith movement to "replace" Faith in God for "faith in faith" is egocentric; not what is rational faith. Whether many who are followers of the Faith movement especially within the context of the African American "Word of Faith" movement churches have such an "atheistic" worldview that deny the existence of God so as to characterize the theistic God of the Bible in human terms: that of its anthropomorphism who through "faith" is subject to the laws of the spirit not outside of Himself.

Rev. Darryl L. Miller is president and CEO of Darryl Miller International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia and travels extensively throughout the United States and the continents. Darryl is bestselling author of his book, "The Prosperity Gospel: Where Did It Come From? Gnostic Source? Or Spiritual Revelation? As a pastor, evangelist, senior researcher, and lecturer he is in great demand both in the United States and around the world. Darryl lives with his wife Vivian outside of Atlanta, Georgia with their puppy "Little Baby."