The Charismatic Movement and the Bible
While the Charismatic Movement emphasizes the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts, they are not channeled in a manner that is biblical. The unscriptural practices observed in this movement are as follows:
1. Speaking in Tongues
The Charismatic Movement goes against what the Bible teaches about the true gift of speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14: 27-30, 39-40). For more info, check: https://bibleask.org/can-shed-light-gift-speaking-tongues/
2. The Prosperity Gospel
The Charismatic Movement promotes the “prosperity gospel” that teaches that the believers need to be financially prosperous as evidence of their faith in God. In the “prosperity gospel,” blessings are dependent on the believer’s words and “positive confession.” This movement teaches that the believer’s words have creative power and they determine his destiny. In contrast, the Bible teaches total dependency on God (James 4:15). For more info, check: https://bibleask.org/is-believing-in-the-prosperity-gospel-wrong/
3. Miracles
The Charismatic Movement stresses “miracles” as the basis for giving credibility to a preacher’s message even if the message is unscriptural. The Bible teaches that miracles are not always evidence for God’s power because the Antichrist will use miracles, “signs and lying wonders” to deceive the world (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11). For more info, check: https://bibleask.org/can-the-devil-perform-miracles/
4. Healing
The Charismatic Movement puts unscriptural focus on physical healing. The believer is encouraged to demand healing instead of being submissive to God’s will as Paul was (2 Corinthians 12:1-10). The Bible teaches that God may use physical afflictions for refining His children (Hebrews 12:3-11; Job 23:10).
5. Unholy Experiences
The Charismatic Movement calls the believers to “come under the power,” where leaders “lay hands” on people causing them to “faint, swoon, have holy laughter, or experience the power,” etc. These practices are not found in the Scriptures.
6. Worldliness
The Charismatic Movement encourages a spirit of keeping up with the world instead of holiness in actions, speech, lifestyle, music, entertainment, etc. (1 John 2:15-17).
7. Ecumenism
The Charismatic Movement promotes the Ecumenical Movement that compromises Biblical truths for the sake of “unity in the Spirit” (John 17:17)
8. Liberalism
The Charismatic Movement promotes liberalism as taught in the “New Evangelical Movement” that doesn’t adhere to the strict principles of the Scriptures (Isaiah 8:20).
9. Stress Words Not Actions
The Charismatic Movement teaches unbiblical truths concerning the believer’s dealing with Satan (Ephesians 2:2) where the believer is called to “step on Satan” and “bind him” by mere words instead of the biblical way of resisting Satan (1 Peter 5:8, 9; James 4:7) in every thought, word, and action (Ephesians 6:10-17).
10. Disregard to God’s Law
The Charismatic Movement places little emphasis on obedience to God’s law (Exodus 20:8-11). But the Bible teaches, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin [break the law], because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid” (Romans 6:14, 15).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
