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A Profile Of The Word-Faith Movement
Confession and the Word Faith Movement
Compiled by Clete Hux
Positive Confession is the belief that if a believer speaks "spiritual" or
"faith-filled" words then he can have what he says. Unfortunately, this
influence has invaded the church and continues to cause much turmoil and
confusion.
Many of the teachers of this movement believe that words are so powerful
that they can influence the physical and spiritual worlds. For example:
In "The Tongue, a Creative Force" (1976), positive confessionist Charles
Capps, teaches that there are powerful "spiritual words." Such words,
which are ordinary words, can under certain circumstances, become vehicles
for creative or supernatural power.
When faith-filled spiritual words are spoken (as words of power), they can
alter the physical and spiritual world. Capps says, "You see there is more
to it than just saying it. The words must originate from the inner man
where spiritual power is released through words."
He goes on to state that "spirit words can control both the spirit world
and the physical world. Because the words themselves have power, they will
work for either God or man in the same manner." He goes on:
"The spirit of man is not of this world, it is of the
spirit world. The creative ability of man comes through
his spirit... He speaks spirit words that work in the
world of the spirit. They will also dominate the physical
world. He breathes spirit life into God's Word and it
becomes a living substance, working for him as it worked
for God in the beginning. These spirit words dominate the
natural world." (p.117-118).
What Capps is alluding to in the above statement is his teaching that
since God, "by His faith" (using words) spoke this physical world into
existence - the believer, using faith, can do the same. That is, the
believer can speak things into existence. However, God's word is already
"quick and powerful" {Hebrews 4:12} and it is referred to as the "Word of
Life" {Phillipians 2:16}. It is not necessary to activate it by speaking
words of faith as though it were asleep or dead! Rather, it is by hearing
the "living" word that one is brought to salvation through faith in
Christ.{Romans 10:17}.
A number of the prosperity teachers believe that the spiritual world
controls and continually forms the physical world. So, if one can learn to
control the spiritual world, then he can learn to control the physical
world as well. This teaching then becomes the foundation for securing
individual prosperity.
That's why in "Releasing the Ability of God," Capps states,
"You can have what you say!... (because) the powerful force