Word of Faith

## Core Position

The spoken word carries real spiritual power — death and life are in the power of the tongue. Believers are called to speak in alignment with God's Word and to call things that are not as though they are. This is not Word of Faith doctrine. WoF treats spoken confession as a mechanism that obligates God or creates independent spiritual reality. The biblical principle is speaking in agreement with what God has already said, in faith — not manufacturing reality through formula.

The Spoken Word Has Real Power

Proverbs 18:21 — "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." Words carry real spiritual weight with real consequences.
Matthew 12:36-37 — "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Ephesians 4:29 — "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up."
James 3:5-6 — The tongue is a fire — it can set an entire course of life ablaze.

Calling Things That Are Not

Romans 4:17 — "God... calls into existence the things that do not exist." The model is God's own creative speech. Abraham was called to participate in this by faith — believing what God declared before it was visible.
Mark 11:23 — "Whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him." Spoken faith directed at specific obstacles.
Joshua 1:8 — "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth... then you will have good success."

The Distinction from Word of Faith

The Word of Faith movement teaches that:
- Spoken confession creates or claims reality as an independent spiritual force
- The believer has creative authority to speak things into existence
- God is obligated to respond to faith confessions
- Wealth and health can be claimed and possessed through spoken declaration

The biblical principle is different:
- Faith-filled speech in agreement with what God has already revealed produces results
- The results flow from God's power and will — not from the words themselves as creative forces
- The believer speaks in alignment with God's Word and character — not as an independent creative agent
- This is the difference between the prayer of faith (James 5:15) and a confessional formula

Romans 4:17 does not give the believer the authority to call anything they desire into existence. It describes God's creative speech. Abraham participated in this by believing God's specific promise. The pattern is: God declares, the believer believes and agrees, God brings it to pass. The Word of Faith system collapses this into: believer declares, reality conforms.

What This Rejects

Spoken confession obligates God — God is sovereign Lord, not party to a formula.
Words as independent creative forces — Romans 4:17 — God calls things into existence; believers agree with what God has said.
Positive confession as wealth/health mechanism — see Doctrine #60 — Prosperity Gospel.
The tongue has no spiritual significance — Proverbs 18:21, Matthew 12:36-37, James 3.