The Word of Faith Movement-Right or Wrong? Part 1

Devotional

Day 1: Faith as Substance, Not Sight

The Bible defines faith as the "substance of things hoped for" and "evidence of things not seen." This kind of faith anchors itself not in visible circumstances but in God’s unchanging Word. It requires trusting what Scripture declares over temporary feelings or appearances. Faith does not deny reality but confronts it with the greater reality of God’s promises. When hope feels distant, faith holds the title deed to what God has spoken. [54:56]

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
(Hebrews 11:1, ESV)

Reflection: What situation in your life requires you to hold fast to God’s Word as your "title deed" rather than relying on what you see? How can you actively affirm His promise today?

Day 2: The Danger of Making Faith a God

Faith must always point to God as its object, never becoming an idol. When teachings elevate methods—confessions, giving formulas, or "force"—above reliance on God Himself, they distort true faith. Biblical faith trusts in the Person of Christ, not the power of positive thinking. Any practice that shifts focus from God’s sovereignty to human effort risks spiritual imbalance. [37:40]

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God."
(Mark 11:22, ESV)

Reflection: Where might you be tempted to trust in a spiritual “formula” rather than in God’s character? How does keeping Christ central guard against this?

Day 3: Confession Aligned With Scripture

Words hold power, but only when rooted in God’s truth. Confessing promises like “by His stripes we are healed” aligns with Scripture, but “name it and claim it” mentality often strays into presumption. True confession declares what God has already provided, not demands for personal gain. It submits to His will, trusting His timing and wisdom over impulsive declarations. [07:53]

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
(Proverbs 18:21, ESV)

Reflection: What specific Scripture can you intentionally speak over a current struggle? How does anchoring your words in God’s Word prevent empty or manipulative declarations?

Day 4: Healing – Divine Provision, Not Transaction

Healing is God’s gift, not a guaranteed product of faith. While Scripture commands prayer for the sick, reducing healing to a “faith force” ignores God’s sovereignty. Miracles glorify Christ, not human confidence. Trusting God’s heart means embracing His healing power while resting in His higher purposes when answers differ from our expectations. [42:52]

And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.
(James 5:15, ESV)

Reflection: How can you pursue healing prayer without treating God like a vending machine? What does surrendering outcomes to His wisdom look like for you?

Day 5: Sons, Not “Little Gods”

The claim that believers are “little gods” distorts our identity. Scripture calls us children of God, redeemed to reflect His nature, not usurp His divinity. True authority comes from abiding in Christ, not self-exaltation. Humility guards against the pride of seeking equality with God, a lie as old as Eden. Our purpose is to glorify Him, not ourselves. [02:40]

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
(1 John 3:1, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas do you need to replace self-reliance with childlike dependence on God? How does embracing your identity as His child, not a “god,” deepen your worship?

Sermon Summary

The Word of Faith movement has become a massive movement, embraced by many and rejected by many others as heresy, error, or even occult. The main teachings under examination include faith as a creative force, confession and “name it and claim it,” prosperity and seed-faith giving, healing, Jesus’ spiritual death, and whether Christians are “little gods.” The Bible must be the final measure: if a doctrine lines up with the Word of God, believers should receive it; if it does not, believers should toss it out.

Kenneth E. Hagin stands near the center of the modern movement’s history, yet his ministry should not be judged by isolated quotes or critics who have not honestly heard him. Brother Hagin sought to teach faith and healing accurately, walked in love toward criticism, and later tried to correct ministers who had taken Word of Faith doctrines to extremes. The extremes of prosperity promises, the hundredfold return, and confession can give critics plenty of fuel, but ministries built mainly on bashing other ministers produce a sour spirit.

Paul calls the gospel proclamation “the word of faith which we preach” in Romans 10:8. The word of faith, in that biblical sense, belongs to Paul’s group: faith in Christ, confession of Christ, and belief in His resurrection unto salvation. The Word of Faith movement, as it has often appeared in recent decades, must be distinguished from Paul’s word of faith because faith can be twisted into something outside Scripture. Truth should be received, but error should be left behind when it goes off the rails.

Faith is not a force to be worshiped or a technique to control life. Jesus says, “Have faith in God,” making God the object of faith. Prayer, worship, ministry, money, and even faith can become idols when they become more important than God Himself. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, rests on God’s Word, and trusts God as the One who fulfills what He has promised.

Hebrews 11 defines faith as the substance, assurance, and title deed of things hoped for. Hope points to the future, but faith says, “I have it now,” even before the five physical senses reveal it. Faith does not deny a problem or pretend sickness is not present; faith deals with the problem by laying hold of God’s provision. Real Bible faith also has corresponding action. Abel offered, Noah prepared, Abraham obeyed, Moses forsook Egypt, and the martyrs refused to deny Christ. Faith believes God, moves on His Word, and stands firm all the way to the end.

Key Takeaways

1. The Bible must settle every doctrine. The Word of Faith movement cannot be accepted wholesale or rejected wholesale merely because of its name or its personalities. The Word of God must weigh every claim, every testimony, and every popular promise. Truth remains truth even when it has been abused, and error remains error even when it is preached by somebody sincere. [07:53]
2. Faith must remain fixed on God. Faith becomes dangerous when it is treated like a god, a force, or a formula that works apart from the Lord. Jesus did not say to have faith in faith; He said, “Have faith in God.” Faith receives from God because it relies upon God, not because faith itself possesses independent power. [36:23]
3. Hope looks ahead, faith receives now. Hope expects God’s promise in the future, while faith takes hold of God’s promise as a present reality. Faith is not controlled by appearances, feelings, or the five physical senses. Faith does not deny the facts of a need, but it refuses to let those facts have the final word over God’s promise. [45:42]
4. Real faith always has corresponding action. Bible faith is more than agreeing with truth in the mind. Abel offered his best, Noah built an ark, Abraham left home, and Moses made costly choices because they believed God. Actions do not earn God’s promise, but genuine trust in God eventually moves a person to obey what God has said. [54:20]
5. Faith stands firm to the end. The heroes of Hebrews 11 were not all delivered from hardship, torture, or death, yet they did not renounce the Lord. Faith is not proven only by visible breakthroughs; faith is also proven by steadfastness when obedience costs dearly. The final goal is to die in faith, trusting Christ and entering heaven. [1:12:34]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:32] - What Is the Word of Faith Movement?
[01:47] - Major Word of Faith Teachings
[02:59] - Origins and Growth of the Movement
[08:30] - A Personal Perspective on Kenneth Hagin
[12:58] - Hagin’s Warning Against Extremes
[14:24] - Criticism, Context, and a Sour Spirit
[22:23] - Romans 10 and the Word of Faith
[28:52] - Paul’s Word of Faith Versus Extremes
[31:49] - Is Faith a Creative Force?
[33:42] - What Bible Faith Really Is
[36:23] - Have Faith in God
[40:59] - Faith, Hope, and the Title Deed
[50:45] - Why Faith Is Necessary
[54:20] - Faith Has Corresponding Action
[1:13:43] - Die in Faith and Receive Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 10:8
“But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);” [22:23]

Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” [40:59]

Mark 11:22
“And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.” [36:23]

Observation questions

In Romans 10:8, where does Paul say the word is located, and what does he call the message being preached? [26:08]
According to Mark 11:22, who is the object of a believer’s faith? [36:40]
In Hebrews 11:1, what does faith relate to that is hoped for and not yet seen?
What examples of corresponding action are seen in the lives of Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Moses in Hebrews 11? [54:20]

Interpretation questions

Romans 10 connects the “word of faith” with believing in Christ’s resurrection and confessing Jesus as Lord. How does that context help distinguish biblical faith from treating faith as a force or formula? [26:30]
Jesus commands His disciples to have faith in God. Why is it important that faith has God as its object rather than making faith itself the focus? [37:40]
Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as confidence concerning what is not seen. How can someone take God’s promise seriously without pretending that a real problem, sickness, or need does not exist? [48:52]
Hebrews 11 includes people who saw great deliverance and people who suffered without denying the Lord. What does this show about measuring “successful faith” only by visible results? [01:12:06]

Application questions

When listening to Christian teaching online, in books, or on television, what helps you test it by Scripture instead of accepting or rejecting it because of a label, personality, or popular opinion? [07:53]
Is there any good thing—such as prayer, worship, giving, ministry, health, or even faith—that can quietly become more important to you than God Himself? What would it look like to put God back at the center? [38:49]
What present need are you most tempted to judge only by what you see, feel, or fear? How can you honestly acknowledge that need while also placing your confidence in God and His Word? [42:52]
Faith is not merely agreeing with God in the mind; it leads to corresponding action. What is one clear, biblical step of obedience God may be calling you to take this week? [01:02:37]
Abel offered, Noah prepared, Abraham obeyed, and Moses made a costly choice. Which of these examples most challenges you right now, and why? [01:06:51]
Have you faced a time when following Christ brought misunderstanding, criticism, or loss? How can the examples in Hebrews 11 encourage you to remain faithful without becoming bitter? [01:13:07]
What would it mean for you to “die in faith”—to keep trusting Christ and refusing to turn away from Him through every season of life? [01:13:43]

Sermon Clips

45s

#FaithForToday

“Hope is future. Alright? But faith says I have it And that's where you lose a lot of people. When you say faith, I have it now. I have it now. I have healing now. So you hear the word of God and it hopes based on the word of God too. You hear the word of God and you hope that you're gonna... If you're sick in your body, you hear the word of God and you have hope to be healed, but faith says, I have it now. Irregardless of how you feel, irregardless of what you see. And remember, faith, here's something else you need to know. Faith does not deny a problem. Faith deals with a problem.”

50s

#FaithInAction

“And Timothy had that same genuine, real, Bible faith. And, you know, people say, well, how how can we know if we have real Bible faith? Now, we could talk for hours on it, but let me just... As I go on a little longer and close this message, I'll I'll tell you here in the close of this message how we can know if we have real Bible faith. One way we can know, maybe maybe the maybe the biggest way we could know is look at your actions. Look at your actions. Look at your actions because real bible faith has corresponding action. Do you hear what I said? Real bible faith has corresponding action.”

36s

#SavedByGrace

“You know people do that? They... You know that as well as I do. Ask most people, how are you gonna get to heaven? They'll say, well, through my my good works. Well, if you trust in your in your good works to get to heaven, you're in trouble. You better trust in Jesus' work and trust in him. You understand that? To get to heaven because that's the only way you or I are gonna get there. Alright? Not through our own good works, through his, what he did, what Jesus did. But they seek to establish their own righteousness. They've not submitted to the righteousness of God. How do you do that? By repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. See?”

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