Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:22)
I was raised Presbyterian and am now a member of an independent charismatic church. I often feel torn between these two worlds, between “sola scriptura” (a statement of the Reformation that the Bible alone should be the authority), and the reality that God still speaks to us today (John 10:27). One of the aspects of some streams of the charismatic movement that has always bothered me is the emphasis on faith as a kind of tool to be wielded. The other day I read the following, which I found very helpful:
“In some Christian circles an unhealthy emphasis is placed on positive thinking or positive confession – the idea that whatever we believe or verbally affirm will become a reality. Although it is a mark of vibrant faith to maintain a Biblical optimism in the face of obstacles, an overemphasis on positive thinking may come perilously close to the New Age idea that thought controls reality and that we are masters of the world. This view overlooks the mystery of God’s providence, his final control of all events.”
Douglas Groothuis, “Unmasking the New Age”, p. 172
As Mark 11:22 says, our faith is in God, not in faith itself.
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10 comments:
Hello:
Thanks for quoting my ancient book, my first one. The positive confession movement is still with us and just as dangerous.
Best,
Doug Groothuis
Doug, I found your book extremely relevant and informative despite its age. I await your upcoming apologetics book with great anticipation!
Blessings, Beth
Followed your link from Danny's blog. My husband and I just finished reading the book "The Seduction of Christianity - Spiritual Discernment In The Last Days" by Dave Hunt & T.A. McMahon. This book addresses the very concern you are stating. Being Word of Faith people ourselves we can see the thin line of error that this position can cause. Especially in this day and age we need to be so very careful that our faith is ONLY in Jesus and the Triune God, Father, Son & Holy Spirit, as Mark 11:22 states.
Susan
Susan, great to meet you; thanks for stopping by and commenting. I admire those with a heaping portion of the gift of faith and appreciate their essential contribution to the Body of Christ. Many blessings, Beth
Hey,
Beth, I like your blog -
I like to think that God is in charge - because I was - well, let's say we don't want to talk about it :)
ron
Invoking God's name, like a waving a magic wand, is a theological recipe for disaster. While Jesus, for instance, taught us to pray confidently and expectantly (Mk 11:24; Lk 11:9-10; Jn 16:23) we can and should never demand that God do anything because "The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths" (Ps. 135:6).
Just coming by to wish you a "Happy New Year"
ron
Just coming by to wish you a "Happy New Year"
ron
Beth are you ever going to post again?? Please do.
Beth are you ever going to post again?? Please do.
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