From these passages, we see that Jesus Christ is sitting in the heavenlies at the right hand of God, and has all power and authority. We also see that WE are seated there with Him. From this we can conclude that we have authority in Christ. But the question arises as to what authority, and for what, and how to operate in it?

"The authority of the believer," is a huge issue today. Millions are being taught that they have authority in Christ – something the Bible DOES teach. But when we examine what this MEANS –how it is to be lived, and what makes this possible – then we find that much ERROR is being taught regarding this important subject.

Today, the Word of Faith movement that dominates Christian television is teaching what they claim is the Truth about, "the authority of the believer." This, "positive confession," or, "The Word of Faith," movement contains many teachings -- some of which are quite harmful. On the commendable side, they do accent the final victory of Jesus Christ, and do proclaim that Jesus is Lord. They do hold to the Bible as the Word of God, and the necessity that we believe it. Those are commendable teachings at face value. However, it is when we look into what they MEAN by this things – in other words, how we are to LIVE them – that problems begin to surface. And when we look into what is OMITTED from their teachings we discover even more that ought to be cause for grave concern.

One teaching that is common to this movement is that, "you can have what you say." And so many Christians start, "saying," what they want from God – they begin declaring with their mouth what they want. Since they have been told that they will have what they say, either positively or negatively, they, "positively confess," what they call, "the word of faith." Why is this error?

It is error for a number of reasons. First of all, this teaching turns what ought to be the outcome of a relationship with Christ, and seeing the Truth, into a system – a system that supposedly produces promised results. God is not a system. He is not a computer with buttons. Neither is faith a FORCE. Rather, faith is a relationship word. Thus, before we even begin to talk about what we say, and whether we can have it, we must ask the real question: "What does GOD SAY?"

The fact is, if God doesn’t say something, it doesn’t matter what I say. My words will not be agreement with God, and if they are not, they are in DISAGREEMENT with Him. Consequently, the question brings us back to whether what I am saying is the will of God FOR ME.

The Word of Faith movement teaches that words are, "spiritual containers," that have the power to create through the force of faith. That accounts for the belief that you can have what you say. But again – where is God? Do we have a relationship with Him, or don’t we? Has God actually handed over to us that kind of power – that we can have what we say, whether it be right, wrong, or indifferent?

Now, most of the proponents of the Word of Faith movement will tell you that it is because you can have what you say that you must be sure that what you say IS of God. They will claim that what they say is nothing more than the Word of God – found in the Bible. They will tell you that this is WHY they can have what they say – that God HAS already said it. It is debatable, of course, as to whether God has said what many of them are saying, but let’s take it at face value. What if I do say what God says in His Word? Can I have it – can I have what I say in that case?

Yes. But not BECAUSE I say it. Get that. God’s Word is true. If I could not have what is promised in His Word, then God would not have promised. Indeed, God has promised me certain things in His Word precisely because He WANTS me to have those promises. So sure, I can have what I say if what I am saying is what God has already said – because I am simply repeating HIS WORDS, and His Words are the Truth. But the REASON I can have what God says I can have is NOT because I said anything – the REASON I can have what God says is because HE has promised, and I believe.

If the reason I am declaring a promise of God is that I BELIEVE God – then that is great. But my words don’t CREATE anything. Rather, my words are simply declaring what God has promised to create. My words don’t bring to pass God’s promise. His Word does, and I am – if I truly believe – simply declaring what He has declared. At best, I am a believer, a recipient, and one who affirms what God has already promised. But I am not the one who is bringing anything to pass BECAUSE I AM SAYING WORDS.

To make this more plain we need to remember the words of Jesus. He said,

Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." But then we need to hook this up to the fact with our passage from Matthew 15:8-9 – where it says that God always looks upon our HEART, not our words. Get that: God looks at where our heart is towards HIM.

You will note that in the Luke 6 passage that once Jesus says that it is, "out of the abundance of our heart that our mouth speaks," that He then condemns them for speaking RIGHT WORDS out of a WRONG HEART. He says, "You call Me, "Lord," but in your heart and works you deny that I am your Lord." In effect, despite saying the right words, they are actually lying words – because the true words they speak do not issue of a true heart. Thus, those words are LIES – because they come out of a lying heart.

The Truth here is inescapable. Jesus is saying that I can say all the RIGHT WORDS – right out of the Bible – and yet those RIGHT WORDS might actually be the product of a LYING HEART. I may simply be using those right words for dishonest purposes.

The fact is, it is possible for me to SAY many things I do not believe in my heart – just because I think I must say them, or because I think it is to my advantage to say them. It is possible from me to SAY the very words of the Bible – it is possible for me to state exactly, word for word, what God Himself SAYS – but for me to nevertheless NOT be in a relationship of faith with God at all. If that is the case, then sure, my words are true words, but I AM NOT TRUE – because my heart is not true, right with God, or a believing heart.

Now, there are some in the Word of Faith movement that teach that none of this really matters, because if I just repeat over and over the Word the God, that this will change my heart, and gender faith in myself. They point to Romans 10:17, where God says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the Word of God." In other words, they claim that if I grab the Word of God, and speak it out, again and again, faith will come. But can we see that those who teach this have it backwards?

Note: What these folks are teaching is that, "faith comes by SPEAKING." Sure. That is exactly what they are teaching. They are teaching that if I SAY the Word of God long enough, that faith will come to birth in me, because faith comes by the Word of God. But that isn’t what Romans 10:17 teaches. No. There, Paul says, "Faith comes by HEARING. It comes by hearing the Word of God." Not merely by mechanically speaking it. In fact, Paul goes on to affirm everything I have been saying so far: That if you hear the Word of God, and BELIEVE, that then you WILL SAY IT – you will confess with your mouth.

So before we go on, let’s get this contrast: Word of Faith teaches that since God’s Word is the Truth, that we need to say it over and over, and if we do, not only will faith be birthed in us, but the Word we say will come to pass. They claim that our words are spiritual containers of faith that bring to pass the Word of God in this world. Contrast this over and against what the Bible teaches: That we must first HEAR the Word of God – open and submit to God – and if we do, then we are then in a relationship with God called FAITH. And that if we are in a relationship of faith with God, then we are going to confess the Truth as the outcome of that faith. Thus, our words do NOT bring anything to pass. Rather, our words are the confession of the Truth, and a declaration of what God says will come to pass.

We see this clearly if we simply read the extended passage from Romans 10:

The progression given in this passage is clear. The first thing that must happen is that God must take the initiative by speaking His Word – or, if you will, God must first REVEAL to us the Truth. This can happen through preaching, as Paul says, or through scripture, or directly from the Holy Spirit. But it all begins with the Word God reveals – NOT by anything WE SAY. Then, once God reveals His Truth to us, we must HEAR – we must believe, embrace, and submit to God. That is the true definition of HEARING, according to the Bible. And then, if we do HEAR, we will BELIEVE with our heart, and this will result in a confession of WHAT WE BELIEVE. And then God’s Word, because it has come to pass IN US, will be able to come to pass in circumstances. Thus what we have is this: Word of God = Hearing = Faith = Confession = Fulfillment.

Hebrews says, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Heb 11:1) In other words, IN US – the Word of God will first come to pass. Our HEARTS will first be in a relationship with God that is reflective of His Word – and this will be the substance and evidence of the Truth – before anything ever happens on the outside. We may well confess with our mouth that Truth that is in our hearts. But it is not our confession that brings anything to pass. It is God’s Word, which has gotten possession of our hearts, that brings about both our confession, and the fulfillment.

Now, can we see that there is a big problem once I distort this progression? Suppose, for example, I claim that this is the correct order: Word of God = Confession = Faith = Hearing = Fulfillment? Or what if I leave out hearing altogether, and suggest that Word of God = Confession = Fulfillment? This is really more in line with what Word of Faith teaches. In these cases I am actually BYPASSING the need for HEARING – the need for my heart to first be in a relationship of faith with God – and I am suggesting that merely SAYING the right words is going to birth faith in me, and bring to pass the fulfillment.

I do realize that Word of Faith teaches that we already have the Truth in us, and thus, already have all that we need in us to SPEAK into existence the will of God – or what they claim is the will of God. They base this on the fact that Christians have in them the Holy Spirit, and that the victory of Jesus is finished. So surely, they claim, if the victory of Jesus is finished, we need only speak it out and it will become finished in reality through our words. But it is here that Word of Faith misses the Truth, and actually it is the very point at which the whole teaching becomes grave and harmful error.

The Bible reveals that IT IS FINISHED. The Redemption of Jesus is as finished right now as it is every going to be – indeed, His victory is as final and as certain FOR YOU personally as it will ever be. The question is therefore HOW to make this real and living and practical. How do we bring it to pass? By SAYING WORDS? Even TRUE words? Do we bring this to pass by positively confessing the fact that in Christ I have victory over all?

For example, as quoted at the beginning of this article, the Bible says we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies – that we have all the authority that HE HAS. That is a fact and a promise. So how do we begin operating in this authority? Some folks claim they are operating in it. But when you look into these claims, they don’t pan out. For they get sick, and others around them are sick. They cannot command with their words hardly ANYTHING. Furthermore, most of what they claim proves that they are operating in the authority of Christ has to do with acquiring wealth, and with building big ministries. Read the NT. Are these things what Paul and the other apostles considered to be the proof of their ministry, and the manifestation of the authority of Jesus? No. They considered the kingdom of God to consist of righteousness, joy, and peace. They thought that the power of Jesus was resurrection power – to see the Truth, to become holy, to break the grip of sin, and to glorify God. This is much different.

But back to the question: What makes it possible to operate in the authority of Jesus? Saying WORDS – confessing that we HAVE that authority? No. So what does? Well, let’s turn to a passage where the disciples of Jesus directly desired to reign and rule with Him. We will find the answer there.

The teaching here could not be clearer. James and John wanted to reign and rule with Christ. Right? Sure. But notice what Jesus said was necessary for that to happen. Did He tell them to SAY WORDS? – to confess that they had authority? No. Indeed, He said, "You have no clue what you are asking. Are you able to be baptized with the baptism that I am going to pass through?" And what WAS the baptism of which Jesus spoke? The CROSS. Death and resurrection. That was the baptism Jesus was facing. Amazingly, James and John, in their continued ignorance of the baptism of which Jesus spoke, said, "Sure, we can be baptized like You are going to be baptized." And knowing what their calling as apostles would mean, Jesus was able to say, "Well, you are GOING to be."

Now note the very clear teaching in this passage. Do we want to reign and rule with Jesus Christ? Then we must be baptized with the same baptism, and drink the same cup, as Jesus had to drink. In other words, we must carry a Cross. We must DIE. Only then can we reign and rule with Him.

Some Christians limit this simply to the event of salvation. Well, you cannot even get started unless you are saved. But Jesus is talking about something MORE – He is talking about the necessity of God dealing with our HEARTS through the ongoing work of the Cross. He is saying, "You cannot reign and rule with Me, unless I am first reigning and ruling IN and OVER you. But this is not possible through religion or through SAYING WORDS. You have to die to your rule over yourself. The Cross has to cut right through your ambition and right through your self-rule. Otherwise, you don’t have a clue, any more than did James and John, what you are asking. You must come into a relationship with Me where it is safe for you to reign and rule with me."

Paul said exactly the same thing to Timothy:

The necessity of suffering with Christ in order to rule with Him is because of the nature of things – because of our nature. The very core of what is wrong with us is SELF-RULE. And this self-rule is utterly contrary to the rule of God over us. But if God is not ruling over us, we can never reign and rule WITH HIM. Thus, it is necessary for God to first deal with our self-rule, and bring us under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He must, by the work of the Cross, get at what makes our self-rule tick, and liberate us from it. Then it is possible for us to reign and rule with Christ, because Christ is reigning and ruling over US.

There is simply NO OTHER WAY to come to reign and rule with Christ. It is the baptism and cup that God has for us – the only one that makes authority in Christ possible. If I try to reign and rule with Christ without the necessity of the Cross, I will end up trying to reign and rule with Christ all the while I am ruling MYSELF. What could be worse? I would end up using God for my ends, the authority of Christ for my own glory, and I would, in time, end up completely deceived.

The bottom line is this: I can live IN the authority of Christ only to the extent that I am UNDER His authority. I can exercise the authority of Christ only to the extent that I am UNDER His authority. The authority of Christ is not a THING God gives us – that can ever be divorced from our relationship with Christ. Rather, all authority and power, because it is IN CHRIST ALONE, is only possible as we are submitted to Him, for HIS will and for HIS glory.

Now, many who teach Word of Faith would agree with this. But what many of them don’t see – and I base this on the fact that they NEVER TEACH IT – is that they do not see that it is impossible to live UNDER the authority of Christ, for His will, and for His glory, unless the Cross of Jesus Christ is doing a work in us. Get that: It is impossible. It isn’t a matter of God making rules, or of God arbitrarily deciding no one will be allowed to reign and rule without the Cross. No. Our nature and our character – EVEN AS SAVED PEOPLE – cannot reign and rule with Christ, until the Cross brings us UNDER Christ.

Can we see that this is REAL FAITH? – to be UNDER Christ as Lord? Faith is not simply a matter of assenting to the Truth of some Bible verses, and then going around and declaring them, and confessing that they must come to pass, because God said so! No. Faith comes by personally submitting myself to Jesus as my personal Lord – and by asking God to do whatever it takes to bring me UNDER Christ. What it WILL take is the Cross. And then, and only then, am I able to reign and rule with Christ. There is simply no other way.

Do we want to sit with Christ in His throne in the heavenly realm – and operate in His authority? Then we have to OVERCOME – by coming UNDER – Jesus Christ. Jesus said so:

To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. (Rev 3:21-22)

Jesus did not say, "To him that says the right words." He did not say, "Whether you overcome or not." No. He made ruling with Him fully contingent upon OVERCOMING. And we overcome only by submitting, or coming under Jesus as Lord. THEN we reign and rule OVER what He reigns and rules over.

It is the work of the Cross – IF we will carry it – that makes US TRUE. Then, if we SAY true words, those words will come out of a HEART that is right with God in a relationship of faith. But even then, our words are not what make anything true, and our words are not what brings anything to pass, and our words are not creative. No. In that case, because our heart is right with God, HE can bring to pass His will – because His will is already brought to pass first IN US.

The kingdom of God must FIRST be established IN US, if we expect to see the kingdom of God come to pass to any degree AROUND US. The kingdom of God is the RULE of Christ. Until we are UNDER His kingdom – through His presence in us – there can be little of the authority of that kingdom otherwise. And His kingdom is established in us through the ongoing work of the Cross – the Cross brings down self-rule in favor of HIS RULE.

We are told by Peter in this passage to, "arm ourselves with the SAME mind," towards God with regards to suffering, as Jesus had. And what was His mind? Submission through faith. The word, "mind," here, means, "heart attitude." Peter is telling us that as Christ submitted Himself to God in His necessary suffering, so ought we to do the same. And if we do, what will be the result? "We will no longer live according to the lusts of men, for to the will of God." In other words, if we submit to God, then by definition, we are coming under HIS AUTHORITY. And the result will be that we will be free from SELF-RULE, and under Jesus as Lord. And the practical outworking of being under Jesus as Lord is that we will no longer live for ourselves, but for HIM – for His will and glory.

You cannot get to this place merely by willing it, or by confessing it. You cannot duplicate the work of carrying the Cross by saying words about the Cross. You cannot DIE to self-rule by repeating even the true words of the Bible that talk about it. No. You must, in submission to God, pick up the Cross He lays in front of you, and pick it up. If you do, then the Holy Spirit will be able to set you free from the flesh.

If I pick up the Cross of Jesus Christ, and progressively come under the rule and authority of the Holy Spirit, then I will have – not what I say, because I say it – but I will have what God says. And He says plenty. I can be absolutely certain that God is going to have His full will and full glory in my life. I can be sure that I will FIRST have the victory of Jesus Christ over me and in me, but I can be sure that God will add to me all those things which are part of His plan and purpose. Jesus said, "Seek you first HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness – which begins with His kingdom OVER ME – and all these things will be added." That is a promise of God that cannot fail if we seek Him first.

God does not make the claims He makes in the Bible, nor does He make the promises He makes, simply to hear His own voice. He wants us to hear Him, and believe Him, and to know that He intends to bring to pass every word He has spoken. Those promises are as certain as God Himself – they find their yes and amen IN HIM. Not in US, or in OUR words. It is the work of the Cross, as implemented by the Holy Spirit, that brings us into a relationship with God, and under the authority of Jesus, that makes it practically possible for us experience and LIVE IN those promises.

So do you want to see the reality of Christ in your life? To see the promises of God actually HAPPEN for you? Then the answer is NOT that you parade around SAYING the words. Rather, the answer is that you ask God to do WHATEVER IT TAKES IN YOU to make it possible. You ask God to do whatever is necessary to bring you under the authority of Jesus Christ so that you can live in the authority of Christ. And what it will take is the Cross in some form – which we now see is a totally POSITIVE instrument of God’s deliverance unto freedom.

If we return to the scripture with which we began, we will see clearly that Jesus is the HEAD over all things to the church. In other words, you and I have NO authority, and NO power, and NO rights at all – other than that which is the outcome of us being UNDER HIS HEADSHIP. This means that we have no authority to do anything but the will of God, indeed, can have no power at all unless we are IN OUR HEART, submitted to Him.

So what we see is that everything that is of God – that He wants to do in this world – is supposed to be the outcome of what He first does IN US. We must allow Him to get us rightly related to Him by faith. He must do what is necessary in us through the Cross so that He can use us – WE do not get to reign and rule with Him otherwise. If we try, we will be like James and John, to whom Jesus said, "You don’t know what you are asking."

If you examine the Word of Faith messages, you will find an appalling lack of teaching, indeed, an appalling lack of acknowledgement, of the necessity of the personal Cross. Instead, most of the time you will find teaching to the effect that suffering is NEVER the will of God for the Christian. The conclusion many have come to is that if they are suffering at all – whether it be through circumstances, financial problems, sickness, or otherwise – that this is happening to them because they DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FAITH. Or because they are SAYING the wrong words – and therefore receiving the wrong results. Word of Faith is really, in it’s final outcome, the denial of the Cross of Jesus Christ.

The Word of Faith movement claims that we already have in us the faith, and already have in us the authority, and already have in us everything – because we have in us Jesus Christ. We need only SPEAK IT OUT. They are right about what we have in us, i.e., Christ. They are wrong as to the means by which we see the reality of Christ come to pass – this doesn’t happen by saying words. It happens by dying and being raised with Him.

Now, I need to qualify what I mean by that. I do not mean that Word of Faith teachers deny that Jesus died on the Cross for us. No. And I do not mean that they deny that because Jesus died on the Cross that we have all victory. No. In fact, most of what they teach is based on those two wonderful Truths. But what I mean when I say that Word of Faith teachers deny the Cross is that they deny the personal Cross in the life of the believer. That they DO deny – mostly through omission and neglect. In effect, Word of Faith is a teaching that offers authority in Christ, and the possibility of reigning and ruling with Him, through a means OTHER than the only means God offers: The work of the Cross of Jesus.

Once the need for a personal Cross is denied for the Christian, and other means are established by which God will accomplish His will in us, the door is opened for all manner of error, and ultimately, evil. For if the personal Cross is denied, then SELF-RULE remains. And where self-rule remains, the core of sin remains – and it is the cause of everything that is evil in the church. The flesh will rule, and people will think that it is the Spirit.

But don’t think that SELF-RULE needs to be ugly, nasty, or immoral. No. It can be quite religious. Didn’t Jesus condemn those who called Him LORD, LORD? Yep. But their hearts were far from Him. They said the words, but weren’t right with Him in their relationship. They called Him LORD – claimed they were under His rule – but they weren’t, because their hearts were not right with Him. They were thoroughly running their own lives, all in the name of Jesus as Lord, and totally deceived.

God wants to bring His church to repentance. Word of Faith is not only the fault of those who teach it. It is likewise the fault of those who embrace it, support it, and seek to live it. The call of God is to return to Jesus Christ, and to begin to believing ALL THE SCRIPTURES that God has given to us – including those that say to us:

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