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Positive
Confession of God’s Word
By Tom Brown
 Words
are like seeds. When we speak, those words are planted into our lives. Later
we reap the harvest from our lips. At the same time we have learned that not
everything we say comes to pass. The reason is simple: Because of the Fall
our words have lost the original power they had. When Adam sinned, he died
spiritually.
In
order to get back the original power of words, we must be born again. The
new birth is a spiritual rebirth. To be born again means that our spirit
becomes alive, just like Adam's spirit was before he sinned. Real power is
in the human spirit, not in the body or the mind.
Now it is still possible to be born again and not have much power in your
words. The reason is simple: your born-again spirit must be cultivated. Your
spirit can grow just like the body and mind can grow and expand. The more it
grows the stronger it gets.
The Bible likens spiritual growth to physical growth: "Like newborn babies,
crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation"
(1 Peter 2:2). When you were first born again, your spirit was a baby
spirit. It was complete but not matured. In the natural, a baby is
complete—it has hands, legs, eyes, muscles, everything. Even though he has
legs he can not walk, because the legs have not been developed enough to
walk. In time, though, he will walk.
The same is true of our faith. We can speak faith-words as a baby Christian
and get some results. But as we grow, our words will become more powerful,
so that we will receive nearly everything we confess.
I
believe that ten years from now my words will be even more powerful than
they are today. I believe that the time between my confession of faith and
the time I receive will get shorter and shorter. My words are working faster
and faster as I grow in faith.
This should
happen to you too.
GOD'S WORD NOT
VOID OF POWER
We
have all heard the story of Mary and the angel Gabriel. However, what hasn't
been told enough is how the miracle of the virgin birth took place.
The angel declared to Mary that she would be "with child" and give birth and
name Him Jesus. Mary asked, "How will this be since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered that the Holy Spirit was going to overshadow her so that
the one conceived in her would be the Son of God. This sounds impossible
doesn't it? Because of the impossibility of a virgin birth, the angel said,
"For nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37). The literal Greek text
says, "For no word from God is void of power."
God's word is not void of power; man's word is void of power. You see, the
thing that makes "all things possible" is God's Word. Without it, all things
are not possible.
God sent the angel Gabriel to give the "good news" to Mary. God didn't
simply surprise Mary with the virgin birth, because He knows that the
impossible can only be possible through the word of God. God sent the angel
to give Mary the word of God.
Mary made a very important statement that shows how she was able to conceive
the Son of God. She said in Luke 1:38, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be
to me as YOU HAVE SAID." Mary believed the Word that God spoke through the
angel. Consequently, that Word was planted in her spirit until it became
flesh.
This is how it works for us. We hear God's Word through the Bible. When we
believe it, it enters our spirits until it materializes. This can only work
by receiving God's Word. If we receive man's words, then our faith is only
as powerful as that word.
MAKE GOD'S
SEEDS YOURS
Our words have lost much of the original power that they had before the
Fall. Because of this the best thing to do is speak God's words. God's words
are still as powerful as ever. It is man's words that lost the power—not
God's words.
For
you have been born again, not of perishable seed,
but of
imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
(1 Peter 1:23)
Peter calls God's Word "seed." Man's words are "seeds" too. What's the
difference between God's words and man's words? Peter described God's Word
as "imperishable" seed. "Imperishable" means incapable of dying. Everything
that God speaks is alive. No word from God is dead.
I
have planted many things in my life, including flowers and trees. In my
experience, some of the things I planted grew and some did not grow at all;
some grew at the beginning and died later. Everything did not grow
perfectly, because natural seeds are perishable. Some seeds produce, some
don't. Words are like that. Some are good and produce fruit; others are bad
and are forgotten. Some of things we say come to pass, while other things we
say do not.
The reason is simple: words are perishable—subject to death. Everything in
this world is subject to death, including words. This is why your words can
fail to come to pass.
There is only one thing in this world that is imperishable: The word of God.
God's Word is imperishable seed. It will come to pass...all the time.
So
instead of speaking the words that come from your head, you should speak the
words that come from God's head. This is what God meant for you to do when
He said, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways" (Isaiah 55:8). He then goes on to say, "So is my word that goes out
from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I
desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it" (v. 11).
God tells you not to speak what comes from your thoughts, but to speak what
comes from His thoughts, because your thoughts are so limited and impotent.
If
we speak our thoughts, dreams and hopes without discovering God's Word, then
we might fail to receive them because our words are weak. So God tells us to
speak His Word instead of our words, so that it will "accomplish" and
"achieve" the purpose for which God sent it.
God sent His Word so that we could have something imperishable to count on.
Our thoughts and words cannot be trusted, but God's words can!
BEYOND GOD'S
WORD
The world has understood the power of words. This is why there are many
self-help books on the market aimed toward the non-believer. Many of these
books discuss the power of words. They even provide "positive confessions"
for their readers to use. They often call them "self-talk," "daily
affirmations," "power words," etc. The world has become like Babylon. They
use the method of "positive confessions" to get what they want.
Because of the modern Babylonian gurus, many Christians, in order to
disassociate themselves from them, will be afraid to speak things into
existence. They think that by doing this, they are participating in
"witchcraft," "mind-over-matter," "sorcery," or "magic." And of course,
there are many cult-watchers who see demons behind every bush. If someone
like myself teaches on the power of words, then these heresy hunters come
out of the bushes to exclaim, "This teaching is `new age' doctrine!"
Well, I refuse to surrender the truths of the Bible to the charlatans. Just
because some false leader teaches biblical truths in a twisted manner does
not mean that biblical truths are to be abandoned. This is what many
Christians have done. They have handed over biblical truths to the devil's
counterfeiters. This is just as foolish to do as it would be for the United
States to quit making money because counterfeiters do the same.
I
am often asked by paranoid cult-watchers, "Do you believe in positive
confession?"
I
answer them, "No! I believe in the positive confession OF GOD'S WORD!" You
see, it is not simply "positive confession" that is powerful. It is the
confession of "God's Word" that is powerful! I don't believe in speaking
just anything and think that it is going to come to pass. No, I believe in
speaking God's Word. God's Word is what is powerful, not my word.
Someone might say, "If I confessed that I was going to be a millionaire, do
you think I'm going to be one?" First of all, why do you confess that you
are going to be a millionaire? "Because I want to be one."
Fine, but where in the Bible does God promise to make you a millionaire?
Nowhere does it promise you that. God does not promise to make you a
millionaire, so don't bother to confess it, unless, of course, God gave you
a special revelation that He wanted you to become a millionaire. In that
case, it would be alright. But, if God hasn't given you that revelation,
then simply speak what He has promised you.
He
has promised to "supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by
Christ Jesus." So put that promise in your mouth. Confess, "My God shall
supply all my needs according to God's riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Now
you are confessing God's Word. That Word is imperishable and incorruptible.
However, saying that you are going to be a millionaire is like planting
perishable seed—most likely it will not come to pass.
God promises to supply all your needs. He does not promise to supply a Lexus
for you. Now, He may want you to have a Lexus, so if He does, go ahead and
confess one. Many confess, "I have a Lexus or Cadillac or some other great
luxury automobile," but they haven't learned to appreciate what they do
have.
There was a time when I was driving a very old 1974 Matador. It used to be a
health department car. It still had the health insignia on it when I drove
it. It was an embarrassment to drive this car to church and preach on
prosperity. Because of my frustration with this car, I would complain to
others about how bad this car was, then I would add, "However, I am trusting
God for a new one." It seemed to take forever to get enough money to buy a
better car, so I really took the matter to God in prayer.
As
I was in prayer for a new car the Lord said to me, "If you'll start to
appreciate and speak well of your car, instead of complaining, I'll give you
something better." I was quick to repent. At that moment I started to
appreciate my 1974 Matador. Soon I had enough money to buy a better car.
Many greedy Christians have hurt the message of Bible prosperity. They focus
on confessing a new car or new house, but miss what the entire Bible says
about prosperity.
You see, we should not go beyond the Bible in our confession, but stay with
the scriptures. When we advance beyond the Word in our confession, we often
don't receive what we confess.
For example, some confess, "I'm okay, you're okay!" They think that these
words are going to come to pass, but they are wrong, because God does not
say, "I'm okay, you're okay." Those words are not found in the Scriptures.
The Bible does say, "God, who began the good work in me, will finish it
until the Day of Christ Jesus." Those words are a whole lot better than the
words, "I'm okay, you're okay."
There is a great example in the New Testament that shows that it is alright
to make a positive confession based on God's Word.
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be
content with
what you have, BECAUSE GOD HAS SAID, "Never will I leave you and never will
I forsake you."
SO WE SAY WITH CONFIDENCE, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?"
(Hebrews 13:5-6)
Notice that the Hebrew writer took a verse from Psalm 118:6, which is a
statement that God said to David, and applied it to the Church. He then says
"Because God has said...So we say with confidence." We can say because God
has first said. This is true biblical confession; it is simply saying what
God has already said.
True biblical confession is finding Bible verses that promise certain
things—like health, prosperity, mental wholeness—and then appropriating them
to our case by confessing them. Doing this is thoroughly scriptural and has
nothing to do with metaphysical practice. It also keeps us within scriptural
bounds and makes our words imperishable.
So
you have a choice whether to plant "perishable" or "imperishable" seed.
Choose to plant the "imperishable" seed, which is God's Word, and it will
always come to pass.
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