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In the past two weeks, I have been tackling a series titled “Mistakes that Christians Make in Prayer.” This third week I shall deal with the practice of “speaking in tongues.”

To begin with, I need to highlight that I believe that the gift of tongues, as described in the Bible, is a genuine gift from God. My claim is that the modern “speaking in tongues” has nothing to do with the genuine Biblical gift. What passes for “tongues” in modern charismatic churches is mere gibberish that bears little resemblance to the gift of speaking in tongues described in the New Testament.

What is speaking in tongues?

If you’ve been in Charismatic church circles for any length of time, you must have come across the rampant experience called “speaking in tongues.” Speaking in tongues has been a part of the charismatic Christian tradition since its inception and it involves a believer speaking a language that he or she has not learned, usually in an ecstatic state.

The concept of speaking in tongues has its Scriptural origins in Acts 2, where the apostles are said to have been filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in languages that were not their own.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:1-12, NIV).

Tongues vs Languages

But why does the Bible use the word “tongues” instead of the conventional word “languages”? The King James Version (KJV), also known as the Authorized Version or King James Bible, was released in 1611 under King James I of England. At the beginning of the 20th century, mainstream Protestant churches moved from the KJV owing to its out-dated English. More contemporary translations such as the New Revised Standard Version (1982), the Revised International Version (1978), and the Revised Standard Version (1989), emerged. Unfortunately, the word “tongues” was retained in these new emerging Protestant translations.

What is incontestable is that the “tongues” or languages referred to in Acts 2:1–12 were actual human languages then existing on the planet. This is construed from the reaction of the hearers: “Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language” (Acts 2:7-8, NIV).

It is also unarguable that the “tongues” or languages heard in our charismatic churches CANNOT be traced back to any known human language. Despite charismatics’ claims that their tongues are an actual language, a closer examination reveals that they are typically composed of nonsensical words and random syllables strung together.

Heavenly language?

One argument that charismatic believers make to explain their mysterious tongues is that they are heavenly languages that cannot be traced to any known human language.

This defense has no Biblical support. The Scriptures do not indicate that there is a special heavenly language. In all incidents recorded in Scripture where angelic beings interacted with mankind, they conversed in known human languages. When the Apostle John was in heaven from Revelation 4 until the end of the book, he was able to converse with Jesus and the angels in his own language. He could also understand the conversations spoken and songs sung in heaven. He even wrote down some of the lyrics in the book of Revelation (Rev. 5:9–10, Rev. 5:12–13). He had no need for an interpreter.

Someone reading this will interject, saying, “Wait! The Bible does say that there is a heavenly language.” The Bible verse I will be directed to is 1 Corinthians 13:1 which reads: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” This verse seems to indicate that there is an angelic language just as there are human languages. Well, in my article last week, I stated the danger of lifting a Bible verse out of its context. Decontextualizing Bible verses is a favourite tactic employed by charismatic ministers to introduce false teaching into the Body of Christ. Context is king. A contextual reader will read the full context (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) to understand what the writer really meant.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

Now, for us to dissect this verse, we need to understand a figure of speech known as hyperbole. Hyperbole simply means using exaggeration in conversation to drive a point home. Hyperbole features regularly in our exchanges. For example, you may have told someone, “I am so hungry, I could eat a horse.” Of course you didn’t mean that you could eat a full horse. But the hyperbole you used helped drive home the point that you were extremely hungry. Another common hyperbole is “It’s raining cats and dogs.” Of course, it can never literally rain cats and dogs. The hyperbole simply drives home the point that the rainfall is intense. In his book “Figures of Speech Used in the Bible”, Bullinger describes a hyperbole as “when more is said than is literally meant.”

Hyperbole is a favourite literary tool employed by writers of the 66 books that make up the Bible. Jesus Himself is a favourite user of this figure of speech. For example, in Matthew 5:29, He says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away” (ESV). Jesus didn’t mean that we should be plucking out our eyes every time they stray. He was simply emphasizing how seriously we should take the matter of sin. The Pharisees also used hyperbole. Speaking of Jesus, they lamented, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him,” John 12:19 (ESV). Of course, they didn’t mean that everyone on planet Earth, including African tribes such as the Kikuyus, Luos and Kambas, was following Jesus at that time. They were simply driving home the reality of Jesus’ growing fame and influence.

The Apostle Paul also indulged in hyperbole in his writings. We get a taste of this in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. In examining these verses, I shall list the first hyperbole, which is the bone of contention, last so as to better illustrate it.

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge…

Did Paul have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge? Of course not. We do not have a record of Paul giving a prophecy, and certainly he did not understand all mysteries and knowledge. Only God has that capability.

… and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains…

Did Paul have all faith to remove mountains? Certainly not. He couldn’t even get rid of the everyday sufferings of his life (2 Corinthians 11:24–28), let alone remove mountains.

… If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned…

Did Paul give away all he had? We have no record of him doing so. Did he deliver his body to be burned? Not the least bit!

Now, in the light of Paul’s hyperbolic statements in that text, shouldn’t we treat his statement “if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels” as hyperbole? As a hyperbolic statement, it does not indicate that there is such a thing as an angelic language. Paul was simply driving home the point of love’s preeminence over spiritual gifts.

Research

To the casual listener, charismatic “speaking in tongues” does resemble human language in terms of its use of intonation, rhythm, and breaks to distinguish groups of syllables. However, linguists have yet to find an example of this phenomenon that contains enough words and grammar to be classified as a real language.

In the early 1970s, William J. Samarina, a linguist and professor, gathered and recorded numerous instances of “speaking in tongues” from all around the world. In the course of five years, a thorough study of this collected data was conducted. The following were his conclusions as recorded in his book “Tongues of Men and Angels: The Religious Language of Pentecostalism.”

“Even if speaking in tongues appears to be similar to human language at first glance, this is only a superficial similarity. 
There was no established connection between speech units and concepts, nor was the actual stream of speech structured.
Though the words spoken by “tongues” speakers were completely nonsensical, the performers truly believed them to be a legitimate language.”

Other religions

Curiously, the practice of “speaking in tongues” has also been reported in other religions and cults, including paganism, shamanism, and Japan’s God Light Association.

For example, the Hindus have the concept of “Kundalini,”  which is explained as a “coiled snake” whose energy lies looped at the base of the spine and is frequently inactive. This energy can generate a variety of experiences and symptoms when it rises or awakens. Swami Sivananda describes it as “the cosmic power in individual bodies. It is not a material force like electricity, magnetism, centripetal, or centrifugal force. It is a spiritual potential Sakti or cosmic power. In reality, it has no form.” According to traditional Hindu literature, vocal signs of a Kundalini awakening include singing, speaking in tongues, repeating mantras, or imitating the sounds of different animals, such as chirping or snarling.

Felicitas Goodman, a Hungarian anthropologist, compared recorded “speaking in tongues” samples from charismatic churches to recordings of similar vocal languages that were characteristic of rites from Japan, Indonesia, Africa, and Borneo. She detailed her findings in her book, “Speaking in Tongues: A Cross-Cultural Study in Glossolalia.” She found no difference. All were unintelligible gibberish.

A learned habit: individual experiences

Socialization is defined as the process by which an individual or group learns the anticipated norms and practices of a group or culture through social interaction. Through socialization, charismatic churches are able to modify the behaviour of their followers as far as “speaking in tongues” is concerned. Those who practice this art are deemed to be a cut above the rest.

In his article, “A Problem with Pentecostalism: Speaking in Tongues in the Bible,”  Les Bridgeman writes about his personal experience:

“I grew up in a Pentecostal Christian family. We attended a small independent Pentecostal church then an Assemblies of God church so we were not Oneness Pentecostal but Trinitarian Pentecostal. My mom is the strongest advocate I know of speaking in tongues. While growing up I saw her pray for many people to speak in tongues and even coach them in the process, trying to get them to articulate a new word. “Say it,” “it’s right there,” “just say it.” As a young boy she did the same to me. Eventually, I did speak in tongues, or I guess I should say I spoke incomprehensible words, but obviously I felt pressured. I believed in the Pentecostal teaching in which I was raised and even taught it to others in small group Bible studies. After graduating from high school, I moved to Barrington, Rhode Island to attend a Pentecostal Bible college. While there I began reading voraciously in the school library on many subjects, including speaking in tongues. I also had conversations with pastors and students and learned that some who call themselves “Pentecostal” do not believe that everyone should speak in tongues. After an intense struggle, I concluded that I could no longer support this distinct doctrine.”

Costi Hinn, in his book God, Greed and the (Prosperity) Gospel also shares his experience:

“I had been sitting in the youth section during a church service, and at the end of the service, my dad called the teens up to receive the gift of tongues. While the Bible describes the gift of tongues as the supernatural ability to speak in a real foreign language, we taught that it was the ability to speak ecstatic utterances that made no sense on earth but were understood in heaven.”

What happened to the real Biblical tongues?

Speaking in tongues is listed by Jesus as a “sign’ gift in Mark 16:17. Sign gifts are distinct from other types of gifts in terms of their permanence. Essentially, a sign gift establishes the sign worker’s authority. Speaking in tongues and other sign gifts were conferred upon the speakers of the Gospel so that those hearing about Christ would recognize that the spokespersons were legitimate bearers of God’s message. We see this explained in Mark 16:20, speaking of Jesus’ Apostles who received these sign gifts: “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs” (ESV).

This practice of divine endorsement of a message and messenger via sign gifts is also found in the Old Testament. Moses was empowered to perform miracles to authenticate his ministry before the enslaved Israelites and Pharaoh (Exodus 4:1–8). Elijah was given miracles to authenticate his ministry before Ahab (1 Kings 17:1; 18:24).

Sign gifts were used to confirm the message of the Gospel in the early days of the Church. These gifts not only demonstrated the apostles’ authority, but they also validated their message. The gift of speaking in unlearned languages described in  Acts 2:1–12 enabled the apostles to communicate the “wonders of God” to the multinational audience that had gathered in Jerusalem. 

In Acts 10, God used the sign gift of speaking in tongues to open the doors of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Before Acts 10, the apostles were not sure whether the Gentiles were included in God’s plan of salvation. When Peter was invited to the home of a God-fearing Gentile named Cornelius, all doubts he had about the inclusion of Gentiles in the Gospel were dispelled when his Gentile audience received this gift.

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days” – Acts 10:44-48.

Thus, it is clear that sign gifts were exercised specifically to demonstrate the divine authority with which the apostles spoke and to attest to the veracity of the apostles’ message.

The Church’s history does indicate that the gift of tongues stopped after the Apostolic era. The Post-Apostolic Fathers make no mention of tongues in their writings. Prominent Church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Origen, Chrysostom, and Augustine, maintained that speaking in tongues only occurred in the early Church.

Once the message has been accepted and believed, then there is no need for the sign gift. Once the Israelites accepted Moses as being truly sent by God and followed him into the desert, we do not see Moses continuing the performance of the sign gifts such as turning his staff into a snake. In Church history, sign gifts disappeared as soon as the Gospel message was confirmed. Today, we don’t need a replication of those signs in our lives so as to believe the Gospel. Indeed, there are no modern miracle workers who can truly equal apostolic power as described in the Acts of the Apostles.

If you subscribe to the belief that modern-day speaking in tongues is valid, please reconsider your stand in the light of available evidence. Study your Bible and start genuine conversations with fair-minded believers in order to truly understand what speaking in tongues is truly all about.

The phrase “the anointing” is a very popular one in Charismatic circles. It is a spiritual concept that refers to the manifestation of God’s presence and power in a person’s life; a spiritual power or authority bestowed by God. 

In Old Testament times, to anoint someone involved the ceremonial, physical act of applying sacred oil to someone’s head to signify that God had appointed and set aside the person to serve a certain divine mission. The word “anoint” comes from the Hebrew word “mashach,” which means “to rub with oil, by implication to consecrate; also to paint.” The oil used to do so had a specific recipe explained in the Law of Moses (Exodus 30:22–32). It was also a long-standing tradition in Old Testament times to anoint the heads of honourable guests with oil as a way of offering them the utmost hospitality. King David portrays himself as an honoured guest at the Lord’s banquet in Psalm 23:5. The gospels also make mention of this custom in Luke 7:46, Mark 14:3–9, and John 12:3.

According to the Bible and Jewish culture as spelled, the anointing is simply the work of the Holy Spirit working in an individual’s life. It is the Holy Spirit’s supernatural work that brings about special endowments, miracles, and divine favour in people’s lives. In the minds of the Old Testament Jews, the anointing oil and the act of anointing someone had no power in and of themselves. Rather, these were symbolic of the actual presence and work of the Holy Spirit. In that sense, a preacher cannot anoint anyone he chooses and declare that the person now has the Holy Spirit working in his or her life. The Holy Spirit cannot be forced on an individual of the preacher’s choosing. That is why God was so specific about how the Old Testament anointing oil should be used. 

“Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred. Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from their people’” – Exodus 30:30-33 (NIV).

What is the true work of the Holy Spirit?

According to Scripture, the Holy Spirit convicts mankind of their sins and brings them to faith in Jesus’ atoning death. When people respond to the Spirit’s work and accept God’s offer of forgiveness, the Spirit bears witness to them that they have received eternal life and are God’s children.

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” – Romans 8:16 (NIV).

Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said:

“When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned” – John 16:8-11(NIV).

John MacArthur, in his book Strange Fire, writes: “Despite what is commonly emphasized in charismatic circles, the genuine evidence of the Holy Spirit’s influence in a person’s life is not material prosperity, mindless emotionalism, or supposed miracles. Rather, it is sanctification: the believer’s growth in spiritual maturity, practical holiness, and Christlikeness through the power and leading of the Holy Spirit (as He applies biblical truth to the hearts of His saints). A true work of the Spirit convicts the heart of sin, combats worldly lusts, and cultivates spiritual fruit in the lives of God’s people.”

This special work of the Holy Spirit of convicting unbelievers of sin and affirming believers in their salvation is never reflected in the “anointing” that is spoken of in charismatic circles. What we see in charismatic churches today is laughable. Congregants are called forward, and oil is smeared on their foreheads so as to anoint them. I consider this laughable for two reasons: one, if you are born again, you are already anointed! Writing to an unidentified group of believers, the Apostle John writes:

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth” – 1 John 2:20-21 (NIV).

Every believer is anointed in the sense that he or she already has the presence and power of the Holy Spirit working in his or her life. That is how one comes to faith in Jesus in the first place. Going forward to a “man of God” to be anointed as a believer shows a lack of knowledge of who one is in Christ.

On the other hand, if you are NOT born again, you cannot receive the Holy Spirit through the application of any anointing oil. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ and His saving grace that one can receive the Holy Spirit Who provides the believer with the power for good works and a transformed life. The Scriptural way for an unbeliever to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit is explained by Apostle Peter:

“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” – Acts 2:38 (NIV).

Unbelievers must repent of their sins before they can experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The sad fact is that the majority of preachers who call congregants to the front to be anointed never mention this requirement of repentance from sin.

If you are born again, hear this: YOU ALREADY HAVE THE ANOINTING! That is to say, you already have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit working in your life. Your position in Christ hangs on the fact that you already have this anointing. You don’t go to special conferences and services to get it. And there are no extra levels of the anointing that you are yet to receive. This is an important point to keep in mind; the power of the anointing lies not in some further level that you have yet to attain, but rather in the present application of it. The Apostle Paul explains that the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life is a down payment given by the Father guaranteeing the completion of God’s work in your life.

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory” – Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV).

The modern Charismatic movement’s understanding of the anointing has two fundamental errors.

Error Number 1: The anointing is understood to be a distinct and separate entity from the Holy Spirit

You may have come across the Asterix and Obelix comic books that were very popular among young people in the 80s and 90s. In a historical depiction of the period following the Gallic Wars, this comic book series tells the story of a village of invincible Gaulish warriors who battled the Roman Republic and succeeded thanks to a magic potion. This magical concoction, prepared by their druid named Getafix, temporarily grants the receiver superhuman power. Under this power, this small Gaulish village was able to keep the mighty Roman Empire at bay.

The anointing of the Holy Spirit among Charismatics has come to resemble this Gaulish magic potion. The anointing is thus believed to be a mystical spiritual power that can be used to bring about supernatural changes. If you have a problem, all you need to do is go in search of an “anointed” man of God with this mystical power to relieve you of your difficulty. This supernatural “magic potion” on the “man of God” is thought to be completely under his control. This is in contrast to Jesus’ ministry in which He said, “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” – John 5:30 (ESV).

In his book Apostasy! Jeff Kluttz writes: “To WoF [Word of Faith] proponents, ‘anointing’ is substance, much like their understanding of faith. They consider anointing to refer to a magic potion of sorts that, when applied, gives special powers to the anointee. Anointing in scripture was commonly demonstrated by a visible sign, such as the application of oil in the case of David being anointed as king. However, such application of the visible sign of oil was not the power behind such anointing. Rather, God’s sovereign choice was. David was not anointed king because he got oil on his head, but because God chose him and sent Samuel to make it known. Likewise, Jesus was anointed by merit of His having been the pre-determined, prophesied and sent One of God. That is precisely what ‘Messiah’ means: ‘anointed one.'”

1. “Anointed” materials?

A common practice among charismatic preachers is packing this magic potion, this “anointing,” in bottled “holy” water, oils, brooms, handkerchiefs, and all manner of items and selling them to the gullible public. This has become a big business, with many such preachers becoming millionaires overnight. These preachers peddle a version of Christianity that takes advantage of people’s vulnerabilities and promises wealth and material goods in exchange for their money.

Let me share an October 27th, 2015 news item from Zimbabwe titled “African Pastor Sells Anointed Pens That Help Students Pass Exams without Studying” to help illustrate my point.

A pastor in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe was in the news recently for selling hundreds of special, ‘anointed’ pens to local students. Prophet Sham Hungwe claims that the miracle pens will help students pass exams without even studying! “It is anointed and I declare passes when your children sit for exams; when you sit for exams,” he told members of the House of Grace International Church during a sermon. And with the ‘O’ and ‘A’ level exams coming up, he managed to sell a lot of the 15-cent pens for different prices, ranging from $1 to $20. The more you pay, the higher the chances to pass the exams.

This is what happens among charismatic Christians who view the anointing as a distinct and separate entity from the Holy Spirit. None of these students is challenged to repent of their sins and believe the Gospel, which is the one and only true work of the Holy Spirit. By divorcing the anointing from the Holy Spirit, Prophet Sham Hungwe can now dispense it to anyone he wills—at a fee, of course.

2. “Anointed” worship?

When you hear a charismatic Christian talk of an “anointed” or “powerful” worship service or an “anointed” worship leader, they usually make reference to a church gathering where their emotions were aroused by a skilfully choreographed presentation. Music that can move the congregation, make them laugh or cry, or transport them back in time to a time of joy or even sorrow is considered to carry the Holy Spirit’s anointing. The truth of the matter is, your emotions will shift as often as the worship leader chooses to manipulate them, especially if you are in a massive congregation dancing to the appropriate music. A musically induced ambience characterized by feelings of peace and contentment is what charismatics interpret as God’s presence. This feeling is also enhanced by the physical sensations of warmth, love, and safety, as well as feelings of joy that seemingly come from experiencing a connection to the divine.

Again, if we were to examine these responses in light of what we know to be the work of the Holy Spirit as explained above, we would observe that in these “anointed” services, both unbelievers and believers living a sinful lifestyle come under no conviction of sin, which is the true work of the Holy Spirit. There have also been numerous known instances where the “anointed” worship leader has a lifestyle of open, blatant sin as he or she leads worship. Apparently, this charismatic “anointing” doesn’t mind the worship leader’s and congregation’s way of life as long as they hit the right musical notes. Listen to this testimony from Jamin, a former church keyboardist:

“As a keyboardist, I can replicate the anointing in any key by alternating two measures of the 1st chord and two measures of the 4th chord at about 70 beats per minute.  That’s it!  It’s not the only way, but it will always summon the Holy Spirit in a pinch.  But you can also rack up bonus points with a little more insight: you get an extra splash of the anointing if you can solo over it with your right hand using the pentatonic scale. If the congregation is over 50% white, throw in the major 7.  If they’re over 50% black, put it in 6/8 time and precede each chord with a fully diminished chord of the chromatic lower neighbour tone. If your audience was born before the 1970’s, layer the piano with organ.  If they were born in the 70s, layer it with E. Piano 1.   Late 70’s – early 80’s, you can layer it with E. Piano 2.  But that powerful season was short, so unless the line-up already included “As The Deer” or “Shout To The Lord”, it’s probably safest to just layer the piano with strings…or pad for anyone born after the 90’s. (The Hammond B3, in my opinion, is anointed in any context unless you’re in a church of Satanists). Anyone skilled in the performing arts can do this.  Dancing, drama, public speaking, et al.”

3. “Anointed” Men of God?

Another common mistake that charismatic Christians make is to confuse a charismatic personality with the Holy Spirit’s anointing. Charismatic leadership is defined by an individual’s high levels of passion, self-assurance, and emotional depth, which results in strong follower identification with the leader, alignment with the leader’s vision, and motivation to perform for the leader. One of the traits of followers of charismatic leadership is that they readily submit to this leader. Their submission goes so far as to set aside their own reasoning skills.

If you’ve ever watched old World War II films of Adolf Hitler addressing sizable crowds, you’ll understand precisely what I’m talking about. Hitler was a charismatic speaker who persuaded just about the entire German population to follow him in his mad pursuit for European dominance. The vast majority of these folks believed in him and supported his cause, accepting wholeheartedly his offer of a better world. If Hitler were still alive today and became a charismatic preacher, he would boast of having one of, if not the, largest megachurches in the world. Why? Because charismatic Christians confuse a charismatic personality with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This can lead to a false sense of spiritual power that is not based on any true evidence or Scriptural authority.

Rev. Jim Jones was without a doubt the most charismatic Baptist preacher of his time, as well as the most demon-possessed. From 1955 through 1978, he was the leader of the People’s Temple. In what he termed “revolutionary suicide,” Jones and the members of his inner circle committed mass murder-suicide in their remote jungle commune at Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18th, 1978. Jim Jones had a dangerous combo of charisma and a hunger for power, much of which we witness among modern charismatic preachers. He exploited his oratory and personal charisma to dupe hundreds of people into believing his lies, condoning his physical and sexual abuses, falling for his antics, forsaking their families, and leaving their nation.

Costi W. Hinn in his book “God, Greed and the Prosperity gospel: How Truth Overwhelms a Life Built on Lies”, writes: “No matter the term, the meaning is always the same: people who wanted special anointing needed to come under a certain man’s ministry. An anointed man of God is to be revered on an almost godlike level. This isn’t merely the usual high respect for a pastor and love for our church leaders who feed our souls. This is doing anything and everything the man of God wants in order to get what you need. If you need a special physical or spiritual blessing, the man of God is the one who has to touch you.”

By contrast, most of God’s servants in the Bible were humble and pious individuals, displaying a kind of spiritual power that was not based on charisma but rather on their deep reverence for God and unwavering commitment to His will. Moses described himself in these words: “I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue” – Exodus 4:10 (ESV). The prophet Jeremiah described himself thus: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth” – Jeremiah 1:6 (ESV). The prophet Amos described himself to Amaziah the Bethel Priest: “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’” – Amos 7:14-15 (ESV). Jesus’ apostles did not have charisma and were classified as “common men”: “Now when they [the Pharisees] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” – Acts 4:13 (ESV).

Error Number 2: The anointing has taken believer’s focus away from Christ.

A preoccupation with supposed spiritual gifts and supernatural powers obscures the believer’s focus on Christ. The Holy Spirit’s purpose is NOT to make Himself known and draw attention to His own deeds. Jesus was very particular about this: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you: – John 16:13-14 (NIV). Many charismatic churches, in the words of former Pentecostal Kenneth D. Johns, “are Spirit-centered rather than Christ-centered.”

Contrary to the true work of the Holy Spirit, modern charismatic preachers always point to themselves, their “anointing,” and their ministry instead of to Christ. The emphasis is on the spiritual gifts of their own ministry rather than the Holy Spirit’s true purpose, which is to bring people into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. These preachers tend to emphasize their own status as special messengers of God rather than allowing the Spirit to work in and through them. As a result, their congregants are often left with the false expectation that any problem they have can be fixed by the “anointing” of the “man of God.”

In his book Strange Fire: The Danger Of Offending The Holy Spirit With Counterfeit Worship, John MacArthur writes: “The Holy Spirit’s desire is that we be focused on Jesus Christ, not Himself. That is the Spirit’s chief ministry. He is pointing us to Jesus. Bringing Christ more clearly into focus. When the Holy Spirit becomes an end in Himself, then we have misunderstood His ministry.”

A man of God seeks to exalt the glory of Christ rather than seeking attention for himself. He will avoid such antics as making a show of his special “anointing” and selling anointed materials that would divert attention from Christ. He will focus his message solely on Jesus’ teachings and commandments. This focus allows him to both demonstrate Jesus’ message and challenge others to live out his example in their own lives.

Conclusion

The term “anointing” simply refers to the work of the Holy Spirit, and it is unmistakably connected to Christians’ relationship to Christ as a result of the Spirit’s indwelling within them. It is not an ecstatic experience that causes people to pass out during a church service; rather, it is a genuine spiritual reality that brings authentic transformation in the life of the believer. It is this anointing, the special work of the Holy Spirit, and not some attention-grabbing gimmick performed on stage by “men of God,” that first and foremost defines a person as a Christian. 

The foundation for how we identify an anointed ministry should be a firm biblical knowledge of the function and character of the Holy Spirit. Contrary to the habits of “anointed men of God,” the Holy Spirit doesn’t bolster egos. The Holy Spirit desires that the teaching, personality, ministry, relationships, and church of a minister properly exalt Jesus. The genuine anointing of the Holy Spirit motivates us to practice self-discipline, orderliness, and purposeful sobriety with a view to pleasing God in our daily lives. Accordingly, we live a life of humility, thanksgiving, and trust in the Lord’s goodness to direct our steps.

For the past three weeks, I have been analyzing three errors that Christians make in prayer (scroll down the blog page to view my archived blogs). This week I shall discuss the customary Charismatic habit of “rebuking” or “binding” Satan.

Occasionally, believers will utter the phrase “I bind you, Satan, in the name of Jesus!” in their prayers. Binding Satan is a common practice among Charismatic Christians whose aim is to maintain spiritual purity and protect individuals from evil forces. In spite of this, although it has been advocated by some in the faith community, the practice has no basis in Scripture. It is actually a departure from sound Scriptural teaching. The truth of the matter is that there is no biblical example of binding Satan, nor is there a biblical directive to do so. The Bible teaches that Satan roams free as the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). He will eventually be bound by an angel, not a human, during the millennial reign of Christ (Revelation 20:1–3).

The seventy two disciples

One text in Scripture that Charismatics use to legitimize this heresy is found in Luke 10:18–19. The context of these two verses is the occasion on which Jesus sent 72 of His disciples on an evangelistic mission. The first verse in the chapter says: “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.” These seventy two disciples returned “with great joy” from a successful mission thick with miracles of all varieties. Christ’s reaction is found in Luke 10:18–19.

“He [Jesus] replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.’”

These seventy-two disciples were sent to proclaim the Gospel. In verse 9, Jesus instructs them: “Heal the sick in it and say to them, the kingdom of God has come near to you.” They weren’t going around “binding Satan.” They were simply proclaiming Christ’s message. As a result of that proclaimed message, Jesus observed the dethroning of Satan in the spiritual realm. The context is self-explanatory. The authority that Jesus says we have to “trample snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy” is simply the Gospel. It is the Gospel that has the power to overcome Satan. Consider the following examples from the Bible:

1. The message of the Gospel has the power to soften hardened hearts. “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?‘” – Acts 2:37 (ESV).
   2. The message of the Gospel has the power to grow the church. “But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand” – Acts 4:4 (ESV).
   3. The Gospel message has the power to destroy works of witchcraft. “And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily” – Acts 19:19-20 (ESV).

No wonder the Apostle Paul wrote: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” – Romans 1:16 (NIV). Through obedience to the Gospel, we are able to trample over snakes and scorpions and overcome all the power of the enemy. Although the disciples were empowered to cast out demons, they never bound Satan. Along with their many miraculous feats, the disciples seemed to understand that only God had the power to bind Satan and his demons. Nowhere in the Bible does it say we can bind Satan. Likewise, there aren’t any places in Scripture where we are told to converse with Satan and his demons. Through our obedience to God’s Word, we have the ability to defeat Satan’s work in our lives.

Archangel Michael’s example

Second, Jude 9 conveys a caution against speaking to celestial entities.

“But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” – Jude 1:9 (NIV).

In this verse, the archangel Michael is used as an illustration of how humble and circumspect we ought to be when engaging with celestial beings, both holy and unclean. What this argument was really all about is unknown. We similarly aren’t sure if it was a verbal argument and/or a physical struggle for the possession of Moses’ corpse. What we do know is what Jude warned his audience NOT to do when interacting with celestial beings: appear arrogant and bossy. Michael, despite being a powerful celestial being himself, is here seen looking up to God for aid in his confrontation with Satan. This pure archangel, who stood in the presence of God Himself, displayed a humility that thoroughly contrasts with the arrogance of Charismatic Christians. Let’s remember this lesson on humility and submission and refrain from acting outside our capacity by attempting to rebuke and bind Satan.

Interestingly, if we were to read this verse in its context, we would discover that Jude is discussing the pertinent topic of false teachers. In Jude 1:3–4, he writes:

“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (NIV).

In verse 8, he lists this “rebuking and binding Satan” performance as a pronounced trait of these false teachers:

“Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones” (ESV).

Charismatic chaos

True to Jude’s warning, this heretical practice has birthed a ghoulish focus on Satan and his demons in contemporary Christian churches. One of Satan’s favourite’s schemes is to draw attention away from Christ and toward the demonic realm. The amount of attention given by charismatic Christians to the supernatural activities of angels—both good and bad—is far out of proportion compared to how it appears in God’s Word. Some churches place an inordinate amount of emphasis on satanic activity. This frequently results from an emphasis on experience rather than on the work of Christ on the cross. Less emphasis is placed on the atoning act of Jesus Christ in favour of topical sermons on angels, devils, and miraculous events. Expository biblical teaching is nearly nonexistent. Mystical, subjective experiences are preferred over solid theological guidance from God’s Word. Theology is now done via our emotions rather than our brains. In the midst of all this chaos, the operation of rebuking and binding Satan features prominently.

If we subscribe to this fallacy of binding Satan, we will believe that he has been rendered powerless, and will be totally unprepared for his assaults. If we think that our prayers can bind Satan, we will increasingly favour combating him instead of confessing our sins to God whenever we suffer the consequences of our sin. No wonder there are church-attending Christians who live out sinful lifestyles while fervently binding Satan!

The cross

Colossians 2:14–15 teaches us that Christ’s ministry, particularly what He achieved on the cross, rendered Satan powerless.

“Having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (NIV).

Satanic elements were fundamentally conquered at the cross of Christ where Jesus expiated all of our sins. Satan no longer has the power to harass someone whose faith is in Jesus. The deeds of Jesus on the cross legally bound Satan!

The Scriptures further teach that there will come a time when Satan will literally be bound.

“And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” – Revelation 20:1-2 (NIV).

Satan will be literally bound by an angel for 1,000 years before being set free for a little while prior to being cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. This will happen at a future date. Prior to that, Satan remains free. Indeed, the Scriptures testify to Satan’s liberty: “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” – 1 John 5:19, (ESV). No amount of our binding him will change this fact.

A formidable foe

Make no mistake: Satan is a formidable foe. Martin Luther, in 1529, wrote the hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” in which he sang:

For still our ancient foe

Does seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great,

And armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

Luther then makes mention of man’s relatively puny power and points to Jesus as the only One Who can defeat Satan:

Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing,

Were not the right Man on our side,

The Man of God’s own choosing.

You ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is he;

Lord Sabaoth his name,

From age to age the same;

And he must win the battle.

Many theologians believe that the “Levithian” mentioned in Job 41:1–10 is actually Satan himself. Listen to God’s words to Job when describing Satan:

Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook or tie down its tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through its nose or pierce its jaw with a hook? Will it keep begging you for mercy? Will it speak to you with gentle words?

Will it make an agreement with you for you to take it as your slave for life? Can you make a pet of it like a bird or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?

Will traders barter for it? Will they divide it up among the merchants? Can you fill its hide with harpoons or its head with fishing spears? If you lay a hand on it, you will remember the struggle and never do it again! Any hope of subduing it is false; the mere sight of it is overpowering. No one is fierce enough to rouse it. Who then is able to stand against me? – Job 41:1-10.

The Devil, who is a powerful and wicked force of evil, is so strong and malevolent that only the almighty power of Jehovah God can effectively contain him. And the Bible does make mention of God binding fallen angels in Jude 1:6 and II Peter 2:4 both mention it. God has chained these entities and is keeping them in confinement until the Day of Judgment. 

“And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day” – Jude 1:6 (NIV).

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment” – 2 Peter 2:4 (NIV).

Common sense

Let’s apply a little common sense to this matter. Why would we need God’s armor described in Ephesians 6:10–20 if we can just command Satan to be bound? We are instructed to put on this armour so that we “may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” Ephesians 6:11, (ESV). James says, “Submit therefore to God: resist the Devil, and he will flee from you” – James 4:7, (NIV). Notice that Satan is not restrained; hence, he’s able to run away.

Again, let’s think sensibly. If we did possess the ability to bind Satan, he would be permanently restrained and would not be heard from or seen again. The truth is that Satan and his demons are constantly bound in every Christian gathering on the planet. As Evangelist Justin Peters puts it, wouldn’t it make better sense to find out who sets loose Satan every time he’s bound and bind him first before binding Satan?

Conclusion

Binding or rebuking Satan is an unbiblical act that emanates from the flesh’s desire to appear devoted and strong. We are instructed as Christians to “resist the devil,” but never to bind him. The late Pastor Ray Stedman once wrote: “After pastoring for forty years I can state unequivocally that the most common cause of spiritual weakness in a Christian (or a church) is a failure to recognize the flesh in its disguise of religious zeal. Like Peter flashing a sword in Gethsemane the fleshly Christian thinks he is doing God’s will and fighting God’s battles for him.”

Satan cannot be bound by humankind. We have not been granted such power. In our encounters with satanic forces, we are called to persevere, hold tight to our faith, and completely depend on God. In our prayers, we all have a tendency to repeat concepts and behaviors that we have observed or heard used by other Christians. We need to be careful about participating in any church-related institution or activity that is not explicitly affirmed in God’s Word. Any religious practice that is not Biblically upheld should be carefully examined and questioned before engaging in it as it could potentially lead to a violation of our commitment to God.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the seed faith teaching, and rightly so. Many believe that seed faith is a legitimate way to butter up God in return for material benefits. But the Bible says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” – 1 John 4:1, (NIV). As Christians, we are called to examine all teachings in light of biblical truth and ensure that they align with the truth of God’s Word. This will help us avoid being led astray by false teachings and ensure that we are growing in our understanding of God’s truth.

False teachings in the church

Paul’s letters to the Galatians and Corinthians reveal his concern for the purity of the Gospel message and his efforts to combat false teachings. The rise of false teaching was an ox in the ditch in the early church. These false teachings often led to division and confusion among believers, and it was necessary for Paul to address them in order to maintain the integrity of the faith.

This week, we shall discuss this prevalent false teaching of seed faith or sowing a seed. The teaching of seed faith maintains that money given to God will return to the donor multiplied in terms of material blessings, good health, and breakthroughs of all types. The volume of this multiplication is proportionate to how much one gives and how much faith one has. Seed faith is taught as a way the believer can show faith and trust in God’s provision.

The seed faith gospel

This false teaching in its current state was birthed by the late Oral Roberts, who encouraged people to anticipate a miracle when they plant a “seed” out of a “need.”

In his book “Principles of the Seed”, Oral Roberts taught three key principles of seed faith: 1) God is the source—not man, not the bank, and not one’s family. 2) Plant seed in faith, for only what one sows can grow. 3) Expect a miracle from the Lord. In his book Abundant Life, he said, “Solve your money needs with money seeds.”

This seed faith fallacy is nothing more than a fool’s paradise. It is a manipulative tool and a turkey shoot used by unscrupulous preachers to pressure people into giving more money than they can afford so as to enrich themselves. The victims here are vulnerable individuals who are seeking a quick fix to their financial problems and often end up losing more money in the long run. Victims are manipulated into giving money while under the spell of a fictitious future life of luxury.

BBC World Africa recently posted an article titled “Paying for Prayer: I Went into Debt, Trying to Secure a Miracle,” in which they highlighted the following story:

Evarline Okello breaks down in tears as she tells me she is hundreds of dollars in debt, after paying a pastor to pray for her. She lives in a tiny shack in Kibera, a vast slum in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, and can no longer provide for her four children. Ms Okello hasn’t earned anything for months, she tells me as we talk on the telephone. So when she heard about a pastor whose prayers could make life better, she wanted to see him. He asked her for $115 (£96; 15,000 Kenyan shillings). This is known as a “seed offering”: a financial contribution to a religious leader, with a specific outcome in mind.

Ms Okello borrowed the money from a friend, who took out a loan on her behalf. She had been told this pastor’s prayers were so powerful that she would see a return on her money within a week. But the miracle never came. In fact things got even worse, she says. The loan her friend took out has ballooned due to unpaid interest. She now owes more than $300, and has no idea how she’ll pay it back. Her friend has stopped talking to her, and she still has no job. “Things have become so difficult I have lost all hope,” she says.

It is important to always seek the truth and critically evaluate any teachings before subscribing to them. Blindly following false teachings can lead to negative consequences in one’s life.

Mammon, the god of seed faith gospel

Jesus portrayed the contrast between the true Gospel and the seed faith gospel in Matthew 6:24. In this verse, Jesus emphasizes that we cannot serve both God and money and that our focus should be on storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. This stands in direct opposition to the seed faith gospel, which often promotes the accumulation of wealth as a sign of God’s favour.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” – Matthew 6:24 (NIV).

The Greek word translated as “money” is the word “Mammon.” The term Mammon is used in a negative context, suggesting that the pursuit of wealth and material possessions can lead to moral corruption and spiritual emptiness. Mammon represents the pursuit of wealth and material possessions at the expense of spiritual or moral values, a lifestyle that is encouraged by the seed faith gospel. The Mammon-led lifestyle is characterized by the pursuit of material wealth and possessions, while the teaching of the true Gospel emphasizes spiritual values such as love, compassion, and humility.

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus presented Mammon as a rival to the true God. While the true Gospel teaches that we receive benefits from God on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, the seed faith gospel teaches that we receive benefits from God on the basis of our works: how much money we can hand over to the preacher. In this seed faith gospel, God is irrelevant, grace is outdated, and man is the standard by which everything is measured.

A different gospel

The true Gospel focuses on righteousness and holiness as an end goal. Seed faith gospel focuses on material blessings and uses material wealth as a sign of God’s favour. The true Gospel points to the comforts of heaven, while the seed faith gospel points to temporal earthly comforts.

Like an evil twin to the true God, the seed faith Mammon god is susceptible to bribery and financial manipulation. He is only inspired to act when he witnesses the “sacrifice” of “seed money.” This seed faith god is a false deity that is focused on money, and those who worship him are not truly seeking spiritual enlightenment, but rather material gain.

A Mammon believer is not a true Christian

If you believe that you can buy favours from God using your money, I submit to you that you are not a Christian. Christianity is not about buying favours from God but rather having faith in the finished work of Christ and living a life that is pleasing to Him. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is the only payment that is acceptable before God. Our financial resources play no part in our interactions with God.

In Acts 8, an evangelist named Philip arrived in a city in Samaria and preached the Gospel to the Samaritans. One of his converts was a magician named Simon. “Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw” – Acts 8:13, (NIV). Simon was amazed to see that the apostles’ miracles outperformed his own magical powers. He became particularly enthused by their ability to impart God’s Spirit by the laying on of their hands. Just like seed-sowing churchgoers, he offered the apostles money (sowed seed) to acquire this same gift that the apostles had.

“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”  – Acts 8:18-23 (NIV).

It is interesting to note that though Simon made a profession of faith and got baptized in verse 13, the apostle Peter negated his salvation on the basis of his adherence to the seed faith gospel. In the text above, the apostle lists the following characteristics of Simon that are true of all seed faith believers:

“May your money perish with you.”

In Scripture, the experience of perishing is only associated with unbelievers. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” – John 3:16 (NIV). A churchgoer who sows seed so as to obtain a benefit from God has ideally stepped away from the true Gospel and is now depending on his or her own works (monetary contribution) instead of the finished work of Christ on the cross. This makes him or her a ripe candidate for eternal damnation.

“You have no part or share in this ministry”

A churchgoer who sows seed has no part in the saving ministry of Jesus Christ. Salvation, including material benefits, cannot be earned through works or monetary contributions, but rather is a free gift of grace from Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul writes, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” – Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV). One’s involvement in the saving ministry of Jesus Christ is not established by financial contributions to a pastor in the form of seed money but rather by repentance and faith in Jesus.

“Your heart is not right before God”

A heart that focuses on material, earthly benefits, as is encouraged by the seed faith gospel, is corrupt and defiled. Without repentance, such a heart is cut off from the saving grace of Christ. The apostle John writes, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” – 1 John 2:15–17 (NIV).

“Repent of this wickedness”

The seed faith gospel is a wickedness that should be repented of. The mere thought that a mortal man can bribe a holy God with perishable wealth is blasphemy. God cannot be bought with earthly possessions or riches as He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. His grace and mercy are freely given to those who seek Him. This seed faith gospel is trumped up by “certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago [who] have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” -. Jude 1:4 (NIV).

“I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin”

The apostle Peter closes his parlance by painting the true condition of seed faith adherents. They are bitter people who are still captives of sin. They resent their present circumstances and associations. They have no faith in a sovereign God Who works all things for good (Romans 8:28) and resent His remedy of “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience” – Colossians 1:11 (NIV). They believe they are entitled to health, wealth, and happiness and refuse to consider God’s call to Christlikeness. Unwilling to repent of their unbelief, they look for an escape route that bypasses God’s remedy of endurance, faith, and patience. Their bitterness and captivity to sin place them in the grip of the seed faith gospel.

Misused Scriptures

As with all heresies, the seed faith gospel twists Scriptures out of their context to push their false narrative. I will discuss two such Scriptures that fall into this category.

2 Corinthians 9:6-10

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.”

This passage is part of Paul’s larger appeal to the Corinthians to honour their commitment to making a donation for the needy Jerusalem saints. He tells them that they will reap in proportion to what they have sown. But what exactly are they reaping? The last sentence in the text reads, “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” The apostle is telling the Corinthian givers that they will have a harvest of righteousness and not money, as is falsely proclaimed by the seed faith gospel. The true Gospel holds that righteous works are the true riches.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” – Ephesians 2:10 (NIV).

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” – 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV).

By donating generously to the needy believers in Jerusalem, the Corinthian believers were enriching themselves with good words and not money. Their acts of charity were a way to store treasure in heaven and demonstrate their love for their fellow believers.

It is also worth noting that the donation spoken of in 2 Corinthians 9:6–10 was directed to needy believers, not rich preachers. Indeed, all Scriptural giving that carries the promise of blessings is connected with the poor and needy, not wealthy pastors. “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done” – Proverbs 19:17 (NIV). For all who insist on sowing (giving money) to rich pastors so as to reap riches, the Bible says, “One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and ONE WHO GIVES GIFTS TO THE RICH—BOTH COME TO POVERTY” – Proverbs 22:16 (NIV). True blessings come from giving to those who are in need rather than to those who are already wealthy.

Genesis 8:22

After disembarking from the ark, Noah constructed an altar and sacrificed animals to God. In response, God promises never again to destroy all life on earth by sending a flood. He says, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

This verse is often misinterpreted to promote the idea of sowing money in order to reap financial blessings. In reality, its true meaning refers to the cycle of seasons and God’s promise to maintain the natural order of the earth. It is a biblical verse that talks about the cycle of seasons and how they will continue to occur. It has no relation to financial matters or investment advice.

Conclusion

The “seed faith” heresy is the false teaching that if you give money to a ministry, God will multiply it and bless you with more money. This is not a biblical teaching, and it can lead people into financial ruin. Avoid this false teaching by believing the true Gospel and being wise with your finances.

If you have financial problems, seek financial advice from financial experts. A financial expert can provide guidance on budgeting, debt management, and investment strategies. They can also help you develop a personalized financial plan to achieve your long-term goals. In today’s rapidly changing job market, it is important to continuously learn and develop new skills to stay competitive and increase your earning potential. By investing in yourself through education and training, you can open doors to new career paths and opportunities for financial growth. Relying solely on the concept of seed faith to solve all problems is not practical or realistic. It’s important to take action and make tangible efforts towards achieving one’s goals.

We have all heard this call from our pulpits: “Do you want to be born again? Then, pray this prayer and invite Jesus into your heart.” What generally follows is a short prayer that supposedly turns a sinner into a saint. This prayer in turn leads to the following statement: “Now that you have prayed this prayer, Jesus has come into your heart. You are now a child of God.”

Introducing the sinner’s prayer: an evangelistic tool that is used in evangelical Christian circles as a way for someone to ask Jesus Christ to come into their heart and be their Lord and Saviour. The sinner’s prayer has come to be accepted as the gateway into a relationship with Christ. Asking a church member when he or she got born again fits into asking when they prayed the sinner’s prayer.

A look at the Scriptures

Reading the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation will plough up an uncomfortable truth: nowhere in the Scriptures is the sinner’s prayer mentioned. Nobody in the Bible was ever instructed to ask Jesus into their heart in order to be saved. Contrary to the flow of the game, Jesus and His apostles called on their hearers to repent and believe. The message of repentance formed a core component of Jesus’ and His apostles’ evangelistic message. They emphasized that repentance was necessary for salvation and that it involved turning away from sin and turning towards God.

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news’!” Mark 1:14-15 (NIV).

“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 2:37-38 (NIV).

What is repentance?

So what is repentance? The word “repent” comes from the Greek metanoeō which means “to think differently” or “change one’s mind.” Repentance simply means to change one’s thinking concerning one’s life and actions in the light of God’s truth as revealed in Scripture. Repentance then gives birth to confession where we identify sinful actions in our lives and seek God’s forgiveness and help in overcoming them. Confession is a sincere acknowledgement of wrongdoing, a tipping of one’s hat to God’s truth, and a commitment to live a life in accordance with God’s will.

As a case in point, let’s say person A earns a living by robbing banks. He justifies his way of thinking with statements such as “I can’t get a job in this failing economy and bank robbing is what I need to do to stay alive” and “Everyone steals! Most of the cash in banks is stolen money!” If A were to choose to follow Christ, he would need to change his thinking about his lifestyle, i.e., repent. He has to recognize that what he does is in violation of God’s holy laws, is punishable by God, and accordingly confess it to God so as to receive God’s forgiveness and salvation.

This is precisely what happened to Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a tax collector employed by the Roman Empire. The Jews under the Empire had to pay hefty taxes, and tax collectors shamelessly slapped on extra money for themselves. By abusing his power to seize anything he desired, Zacchaeus amassed immense wealth. The Jews were helpless to oppose him because he had the full backing of the Roman government. But Zacchaeus had a change of heart when he met with Jesus. He changed tack and repented of his sinful lifestyle.

“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount‘” Luke 19:8 (NIV).

According to the Bible, repentance always leads to behaviour change. John the Baptist urged people to “produce fruit consistent with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). A person who has sincerely turned from their sin and put their faith in Christ will without doubt show indications of a transformed life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:19–23; James 2:14–26).

State of the Church

Why do we have so many hypocrites in the church? Why do we have so many church leaders leading double lives? You must have come across “believers” who are blatantly sinning and turn aggressive when confronted with their unbiblical lifestyle. These are persons who have not changed their minds (repented) concerning their sin despite having prayed the sinner’s prayer. They prayed the prayer but did not repent. Consequently, they are not born again. More’s the pity that there is no shortage of pastors who happily assure such individuals that they are now born again on the basis of their rattling off the sinner’s prayer. The absence of the message of repentance allows the enemy to easily pack “believing unbelievers” into our churches. Satan enjoys nothing more than using the false assurance from the sinner’s prayer to trick unbelievers into believing they are born again.

Jesus narrated a parable in Matthew 13:24–30, warning us that tares would be sown among the wheat. Jesus forewarned us through this parable that until He returned, there would be “believing unbelievers” in the Church. There would be double-faced churchgoers who hold with the hare and run with the hounds. Our present-day presentation of the Gospel message, which lacks the key ingredient of repentance, has made this parable a current reality.

It is not enough to just assent to the Gospel’s rudimentary truths. Knowing the basics about Jesus is not enough to gain entry into God’s kingdom. No charm offensive, such as saying a ritualistic prayer, can get one into the good graces of eternity. Jesus urges us to come around to the fact that we are sinners who need to turn from our sins. This can only be achieved by digging deep into one’s soul and not by mumbling superficial prayer formulas. Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, his protégé: “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this” – 2 Timothy 2:7 (NIV).

It is frightening to contemplate the sheer number of people living their lives in today’s world under the delusion that, just because they echoed a certain prayer once in their lives, they are now saved and headed to heaven. These people openly profess their faith in Christ, may even superficially resemble believers, but ultimately prove to have never undergone a genuine conversion. A certain pastor deceived them and assured them that they were saved and headed to heaven. They stake their faith in the sinner’s prayer and brush aside their impugning character flaws that prove they’ve never experienced the new birth.

Many who pray this sinner’s prayer end up praying it several times with no positive change. They lack a true understanding of what it means to repent. The sinner’s prayer is an eye-popper to those who believe that salvation is obtained through personal effort. They believe that the more good works they do, including the sinner’s prayer, the greater the likelihood that one of their actions will be the right one.

Conclusion

The sinner’s prayer is hazardous because it makes people believe they are already saved when they are not, and it also makes them resistant to the truth. They will dismiss the true Gospel of repentance and consider it a fake whenever they hear it preached. Many pastors are to blame for this, as they are more concerned with expanding their congregations and raising large sums of money than they are with cultivating genuine disciples for the heavenly Kingdom.

While repentance is an inward activity, the New Testament presents water baptism, not the sinner’s prayer, as an outward sign of membership in the Body of Christ. Baptism is a public declaration of faith in God and a symbol of the washing away of one’s sins and the beginning of a new life in Christ. We should encourage potential believers to have faith in and follow the Saviour day by day instead of having them perfunctorily recite the sinner’s prayer. We should also let them know that being born again is just the beginning; that being born again is a lifelong journey of growth and transformation as we continually respond to God through prayer, the Word, and confession of sin.