CANCER IN THE BODY OF CHRIST: WORD OF FAITH (Part 4 of 4)

by Jeff Hagan
(Tacoma, WA, USA)

Non-denominational Reformed

8. The Atonement

WORD OF FAITH:
Some Word of Faith teachers have tried to back away, distance themselves, and or tippy toe around this doctrine, it has long since been a benchmark of the movement to teach that 1) Christ died spiritually on the cross; 2) Christ took on the nature of Satan; and 3) the atonement was won because Satan took Christ to Hell “illegally,” therefore nullifying the power of death. And as a result, after the third day, Jesus was “born again.” And so, believers, upon being born again, are made like Christ.

MAJOR MISTAKE:
The mistakes with this doctrine are numerous and very serious. Christ always was and always will be fully God. As God, He eternally retained and retains all of the attributes or characteristics of God as “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus said, “It the atonement is finished,” and then breathed His last. The payment for sins was accomplished, completed. There was nothing further that needed to be taken from Him, and especially not by Satan. Word of Faith teachers promote that the plan of redemption just got started when Jesus died on the cross, and that if His death on the cross was enough, then anyone could have died for our sins. They reaffirm what is known as the Nestorian heresy that said that the God-Jesus watched as the Man-Jesus was tortured in Hell, and this molests the doctrine of the hypostatic union (Christ's united divine and human natures which are inseparable) of Christ.

The accepted historical and orthodox doctrine states that the second Person of the Godhead, God the Son, took on a human nature in the Incarnation that was then inseparably united with His divine nature forever. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man in one Person. The Nestorian belief that the two natures could be and were divided was rejected and condemned by the early church. This modern day reaffirmation of the ancient heresy diminishes Jesus precisely in order that the Word of Faith teachers can teach that we are just like Him. After we are reborn, they argue, we are just the same as Jesus was after He was reborn.

In addition, if Jesus took on the nature of Satan, then at one time a member of the Godhead was satanic. And, for that time, the second Person in the Godhead was separated from God and was, therefore, unholy. I repeat, in regards to the deity of Christ, this doctrine would have Jesus not being God for a period of time (for God could not take on the nature of Satan). In every aspect, this doctrine must be rejected and recognized for the blatant heresy that it is.

Lastly, for this portion, the doctrine that Jesus died spiritually is a heresy that has been refuted over and over again many times throughout the history of the church. Jesus commended His spirit into His Father’s hands – NOT Satan’s. Jesus died in the flesh for our atonement, but God didn’t die.

SCRIPTURE:
“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for The unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” (1 Peter 3:18).

“Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

“And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation'” (Revelation 5:9).

“For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach” (Colossians 1:19-22).

Conclusion:
Each one of these doctrines represent a significant departure from historic, orthodox Christian doctrine that conforms to God's Word. Each of these, and they have much more, violate the “Essentials of the Faith” in differing degrees. And each one is certain to bring about confusion and to be an obstacle to those seeking true spiritual maturity. These heretical doctrines, and those who teach them, must be called out continually as the wolves have been leading sheep long enough.

Letting Them Speak for Themselves:

KENNETH COPELAND:
“I was shocked when I found out who the biggest failure in the Bible actually is. The biggest one in the whole Bible is God! I mean, He lost His top-ranking, most anointed angel; the first man He ever created; the first woman He ever created; the whole earth and all the fullness therein; a third of the angels, at least – that’s a big loss, man. Now, the reason you don’t think of God as a failure is He never said He’s a failure. And you’re not a failure till you say you’re one. (Kenneth Copeland: Praise The Lord, 1988)

“Every Christian is a god.” (Force of Love; Tape #02-0028) (Believer’s Voice of Victory, broadcast July 9, 1987)

“God’s reason for creating Adam was to reproduce Himself.” (Following the Faith of Abraham, Tape #01-3001)

“Adam was not subordinate to God.” (Following the Faith of Abraham, Tape #01-3001)

“Adam was God manifested in the flesh.” (Following the Faith of Abraham, Tape #01-3001)

“Jesus was dragged down into the bowels of Hell where He was beaten and bruised by Satan and his demons until Jesus could finally fight His way out of Hell 3 days later.” (Believer’s Voice of Victory, September 11, 1991) (Classic Redemption, p.13)

BENNY HINN:
“Jesus at His death became one with Satan.” (Benny Hinn, Benny Hinn broadcast, recorded 12/15/90)

“I place a curse on every man and woman that will stretch his hand against this anointing. I curse that man who dares to speak a word against this ministry.” (Benny Hinn, TBN, 9/13/99)

“God has 9 parts (tri-theistic). A. God has a body, soul and spirit. B. Jesus has a body, soul and spirit. C. Holy Spirit has a body, soul and spirit.” (Benny Hinn broadcast, recorded 10/13/90)

KENNETH HAGIN:
“Man was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God’s presence without any consciousness of inferiority…God made us as much like Himself as possible…He made us the same class of being that He is Himself…Man lived in the realm of God. He lived on terms equal with God…The believer is called Christ…That’s who we are; we’re Christ.” (Kenneth Hagin, Zoe: The God-Kind of Life, 1989. pp. 35-36, 41)

“You are as much the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was…the believer is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth.”.(Kenneth Hagin, “Word Of Faith” Dec. 1980, p. 14)

CREFLO DOLLAR:
“When God made Adam all He did was make an exact imprint of Himself. He duplicated Himself.” (Our equality with God Through Righteousness January 21,2001

FRED PRICE:
“Yes! You are in control! So, if man has control, who no longer has it? God” (“Prayer: Do You Know What Prayer Is…and How to Pray?,” The Word Study Bible, 1990. p. 1178)

PAUL CHO:
"You create the presence of Jesus with your mouth....He is bound by your lips and by your words ... Remember that Christ is depending upon you and your spoken word to release His presence" (Cho, The Fourth Dimension, Vol. I, p.83).

JOYCE MEYER:
“I’m going to tell you something folks, I didn’t stop sinning until I finally got it through my thick head I wasn’t a sinner anymore. And the religious world thinks that’s heresy and they want to hang you for it. But the Bible says that I’m righteous and I can’t be righteous and be a sinner at the same time…All I was ever taught to say was, ‘I’m a poor, miserable sinner.’ I am not poor, I am not miserable and I am not a sinner. That is a lie from the pit of hell. That is what I was and if I still am then Jesus died in vain. Amen.” (“Doctrinal Ambiguity of a Wandering Star – The Changing Views of Joyce Meyer,” by G. Richard Fisher and Paul R. Belli)

“Remember then, that the Word of God is both spirit and life, use wisdom and begin speaking life to your situation” (“The Name, The Word, The Blood,” p. 38).

PAUL CROUCH:
“Do you know what else that has settled then tonight? This hue and cry and controversy that has been spawned by the devil to try and bring dissension within the Body of Christ. That we are gods. I am a little god. I have his name. I’m one with him. I’m in covenant relationship. I am a little god.” (Kenneth Copeland: “You are anything that he is.”) “Yes!” (“Praise the Lord” TBN, recorded 07/07/86).

“I refuse to argue any longer with any of you out there. Don’t even call in if you want to argue doctrine. If you want to straighten somebody out over here. If you want to criticize Ken Copeland for his preaching on faith or Dad Haggin. Get out of my life. I don’t want to even talk to you or hear you. I don’t want to see your ugly face. Get out of my face in Jesus’ name” (“Praise-a-thon” TBN, recorded 04/02/91)!

MARILYN HICKEY:
“What do you need? Start creating it. Start speaking about it. Start speaking it into being. Speak to your billfold. Say, ‘You big, thick billfold full of money.' Speak to your checkbook. Say, ‘You checkbook, you. You’ve never been so prosperous since I owned you. You’re just jammed full of money'” (Christianity in Crisis, Hank Hanegraaff, Harvest House, OR, p. 351).

JOEL OSTEEN:
“Start calling in victory. Start calling in divine health. Start calling in abundance. You can prophesy your future.” “If you wanna know where you'll be five years from now listen to what you are saying.” “Our words will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.” “With our words we can predict our future. We can prophesy our future” (“Speaking Faith Filled Words,” Tape # 223, Daystar Television, May 2, 2004).