Are you a Christian who just goes to church, confesses the faith, receives the Word of God from a pastor, partakes in communion and sings boring theological-sounding hymns? Do you just submit to the Word of God and your church elders for discipline when you sin against others?
If that’s you, according to the New Apostolic Reformation you have an Orphan Spirit. You do not understand your baptism and do not understand what it means to operate from a spirit of sonship. You are open to being possessed by religious or Jezebel spirits, (maybe even a critical spirit or a spirit of condemnation, fear and defeat.)
You need to embrace the Spirit of Adoption (or Spirit of Sonship), to step into your divine Christ-like potential, hear personally from God and move in the same heavenly power and authority in the same intimacy Jesus had with his ‘daddy’.
In Bill Johnson’s article below, we can see all these errors strung together. It’s worth particularly noting, as we explain in these links, how Johnson’s Sonship heresy redefines a Christian’s salvation, purpose here on earth and his beliefs how some will be glorified as New Breeds before Christ’s return:
What Doctrines came out of the Shepherding/Discipleship Movement (SDM)?
An example of NAR Spiritual Fathers, Spirit of Sonship and Orphan Spirit heresy in false prophecy.
In those links, we recorded how this heretical doctrine is called the ‘Spirit of Sonship’ or ‘Sonship’ heresy. It also goes by the name ‘Spirit of Adoption’.
The New Age god of Bethel Church
The origin of this false doctrine is taken from Romans 8:15. It used to be called ‘Spirit of Sonship’ or “Sonship” doctrine. However, it takes on other names based on the various translations of the bible. In Bethel’s case, it’s called the ‘Spirit of Adoption’.
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”” Romans 8:15
We look at Bill Johnson peddling this dangerous doctrine:
OBSERVATION 1: HOW THE ‘SPIRIT OF ADOPTION’ PERVERTS THE GOSPEL
If you hear these Spirit of Adoption/Sonship (SAS) heresies, it means their teachings will pervert the cross. The central idea of this teaching is that if we are filled with this “Spirit of Adoption” we can live the same life as Jesus did under the power of the Holy Spirit and live under the same intimacy Jesus did with the Father. The result of us living from this spiritual position is performing the same miracles in the same way Jesus did, and even greater miracles. Just like Jesus, God speaks to us directly so we can see and hear and operate in heavenly signs and wonders.
With this over-simplified understanding of this NAR heresy, it is easy to spot the SAS attacking the true gospel. So while the Apostle Paul presented Jesus Christ portrayed as crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2), Bill Johnson writes,
“It can’t be stated more plainly. Those who believe in Him will demonstrate signs and wonders.”
While God says that those who believe in Him shall have eternal life (John 3:16), Johnson claims,
“Those who believe in Him will demonstrate signs and wonders.”
That’s the false NAR Gospel (described as either the Gospel of the Kingdom or the Gospel of Power). The Apostle Paul claims that if anyone peaches another gospel “let them be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).
The truth is – the result of Christ’s death was the forgiveness of our sins. The result of the forgiveness of our sins was so we can commune and be in fellowship with God. While it is true we are now sons of God, the NAR emphasize the concept of INTIMACY with God as sons, to an unhealthy extreme, which is played out (as we will see in Johnson’s article). Remember that to walk in this intimacy means, just like Jesus, you are hearing from God and moving in heavenly signs and wonders.
However, think of the repercussions of those who are failing to hear God speak to them and failing to move in supernatural signs and wonders as Jesus did. Considering what Johnson says, are they even Christian?
“But even more so, [Jesus’] declaration implies that those who believe will walk in the same kind of relationship with the Father and possess the same anointing of the Spirit as He did. That is, we are called to minister as Jesus ministered because, through His death and resurrection, we have access to everything He had available to Him to do good works.”
See how this Sonship heresy perverts the cross? We need to examine this claim made by Johnson:
“Those who progress are those who understand that God’s highest purpose for the Cross was not merely to forgive us of sin. It was so that, by forgiving us on the basis of Christ’s blood, He could invite us back into an intimate family relationship with Him, our Heavenly Father.”
As we’ve already seen, Bill Johnson has attacked the very essence of the gospel and the assurance of the Christian’s faith with his ideal of what a “Super-Christian” should be and do.
OBSERVATION 2: HOW THE ‘SPIRIT OF ADOPTION’ PERVERTS THE PERSON OF JESUS
If you hear these Spirit of Sonship/Adoption heresies, it will most likely be attached to the false NAR Kenotic Jesus who the NAR treat as a Gnostic-like paragon for all of us to mimic.
We see Bill Johnson default to this false Jesus here:
“This transformation can be measured in our lives because in Jesus Christ we have the model of who we’re becoming as the children of God.”
And by default, this Kenotic Paragon Gnostic Jesus always points us to performing supernatural signs and wonders:
“[Jesus] specifically used the term “good works” to describe the miracles, signs, and wonders He performed. Jesus modeled these works for us.“
However, Johnson also says this:
“These good works not only reveal Jesus to be the Anointed One, the Christ, they also reveal the specific nature of His relationship with His Father…”
Then using John 14:8-12, Johnson concludes with this:
“Those who believe in Him will demonstrate signs and wonders.
By linking Jesus’ supernatural works to the “nature of His relationship with His Father,” we start to see why the Sonship/Adoption Spirit teaching is incredibly dangerous.
Bill Johnson doesn’t stop there. He goes on to misuse the popular NAR verse John 14:12 to then state the following:
“But even more so, His declaration implies that those who believe will walk in the same kind of relationship with the Father and possess the same anointing of the Spirit as He did. That is, we are called to minister as Jesus ministered because, through His death and resurrection, we have access to everything He had available to Him to do good works.”
The truth is, Jesus’ death means we have eternal life because of our faith in his death and resurrection forgives us of our sins. His resurrection proves that our resurrection and eternal life after our physical death is to come. That is our inheritance.
But Johnson has already explained what this inheritance is in his article:
OBSERVATION 3: HOW THE ‘SPIRIT OF ADOPTION’ PROMOTES MANIFEST SONS OF GOD HERESY
In the second link at the very top of this article, we also pointed out that this doctrine often leads people into New Breed / Little Gods Heresy.
Because of the emphasis on sonship and intimacy and the use of Romans 8, this usually attracts NAR teachers to then progress to Romans 8:19 to promote the Manifest Sons of God (aka Little Gods heresy):
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” Romans 8:19
And Johnson alludes to this heresy
“This transformation can be measured in our lives because in Jesus Christ we have the model of who we’re becoming as the children of God.”
Instead of quoting Romans 8:19, Johnson dances around it but essentially pushes the same MSOG heresy:
“We see it later in Romans 8:29: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” We have the right to become like Christ, our Elder Brother. We are destined to be fully restored to the image and likeness of God, in which we were originally created.”
Notice how Johnson parallels our nature with the very nature of God:
“Through salvation we are also restored to our original purpose—the purpose that flows naturally from our restored identity and relationship with God.”
And:
Just as God’s nature is revealed in what He does, the evidence that we are being transformed into His likeness is that we reveal His nature in what we do.
In other words, our restored identities are… as gods. Glorified little Gods. Creation is waiting for us to manifest our glory as little Gods the same way Christ did with his intimacy with His father, the outworking being heavenly miracles.
Bill Johnsons writes,
Spending The Inheritance
I feel like one of my primary jobs is to teach Christians how to realize and spend their inheritance. I am convinced that, for the most part, the Church has left the riches of Heaven sitting in the bank, thinking that we only get them when we die and go there. The belief that Heaven is entirely a future reality has reduced far too many of God’s declarations in Scripture about the believer’s identity and calling to “positional” truths that are acknowledged but never experienced. It is time for that to change.
Understanding our inheritance begins with discovering the deeper purpose for our salvation. Many new believers stay immature because they never progress beyond the revelation that they are sinners saved by grace. By progress I don’t mean “to leave behind,” but “to build upon.” Those who progress are those who understand that God’s highest purpose for the Cross was not merely to forgive us of sin. It was so that, by forgiving us on the basis of Christ’s blood, He could invite us back into an intimate family relationship with Him, our Heavenly Father. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (emphasis mine). This legal standing of relationship to God as His sons and daughters is precisely what gives us an inheritance. Romans 8:14-17 explains this simply:
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
The fact that we are heirs of God is mind-boggling. But we must not be content to read these verses and be awed by them. They prophesy our potential, a potential that we must pursue throughout our entire lives. John 1:12 says we have the right to become the children of God. When God invites us into relationship with Him, He is inviting us into a process of becoming, of transformation. This transformation can be measured in our lives because in Jesus Christ we have the model of who we’re becoming as the children of God. We see it later in Romans 8:29: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” We have the right to become like Christ, our Elder Brother. We are destined to be fully restored to the image and likeness of God, in which we were originally created.
Through salvation we are also restored to our original purpose—the purpose that flows naturally from our restored identity and relationship with God. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Works cannot save us, but without the fruit of good works in our lives, we lack the evidence that identifies us as a new creation in Christ. Just as God’s nature is revealed in what He does, the evidence that we are being transformed into His likeness is that we reveal His nature in what we do.
What are these good works? It’s too easy to reduce Jesus’ teaching to what is humanly possible. While we love to feed the poor, clothe the naked, and visit those in need (such acts of kindness are essential expressions of the Christian life), we refuse to let them satisfy that internal drive for effective service. He specifically used the term “good works” to describe the miracles, signs, and wonders He performed. Jesus modeled these works for us. He didn’t design a new hearing aid or train a Seeing Eye dog. He healed the deaf and the blind. This overwhelming conclusion about “good works” comes from a thorough study of the Gospel of John. These good works not only reveal Jesus to be the Anointed One, the Christ, they also reveal the specific nature of His relationship with His Father, as He explained in John 14:8-12:
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
It can’t be stated more plainly. Those who believe in Him will demonstrate signs and wonders. But even more so, His declaration implies that those who believe will walk in the same kind of relationship with the Father and possess the same anointing of the Spirit as He did. That is, we are called to minister as Jesus ministered because, through His death and resurrection, we have access to everything He had available to Him to do good works. He prophesied this to His disciples and to us when He said, “As the Father has sent me, I also send you” (John 20:21).
Excerpts from Release the Power of Jesus
portion of Chapter 2
by Bill Johnson
Destiny Image Publishers
Source: Bill Johnson, Spending The Inheritance, Bill Johnson Ministries, http://bjm.org/spending-the-inheritance/, Published 14/01/2013. (Accessed 25/05/2017.)
Email and comments and questions to c3churchwatch@hotmail.com.
Categories: Bethel "Church"