In case you don’t know what “name it and claim it” means, it refers to those modern Charismatics that pick something they want God to give them and then say they are believing God to give it to them. For example, if they want a Cadillac or healing or whatever, they ask God for it and then proceed to speak it into existence. They teach that you must not say that you are sick because that might make you sick. They say that is a negative confession. When they get sick they deny it and say they just have the symptoms, but not the disease. Unfortunately, many have died of the symptoms.
We have all heard of the examples that hit national news. Parents, for example that had a child with a disease that the parents refused to treat because they were “believing for” healing. Then the child died. I knew a couple that was trained in the name it and claim it system and the wife got cancer. She asked me what the “formula” for healing would be. When I told her there is no formula and that “true faith believes nothing can happen to you unless God lets it happen; and if He does, it is for your good, even unto death. There is no promise that you will be healed unless God speaks it. True faith trusts God to make that judgment. But you do have the guarantee that God loves you and whatever He decides will be for your good, even unto the worst scenario.” She said, “Horrors! No! I dare not admit of death!” She thought it all depended on naming and claiming it.
John Owen said, “Take heed to not tell yourself that you have peace with God before God Himself says it.” I have seen “Name it and claim it” Calvinists and Arminians do the same when it comes to salvation. The sinners’ prayer is the “formula,” or pointing to a proof text. They dare not admit of death.
I once assigned a reading on “True and False Conversion” to a seminary class and one pastor said (in effect), “Horrors! My people would doubt their salvation if I taught that!” My question is this: “What is wrong with that? Does not God command us to make our calling and election sure and to examine ourselves to make sure we are in the faith. Many evangelicals seem to think that faith in faith is what saves.
Believing you’re going to heaven does not make it so.
Believing God is what makes you know.
Believing you’re okay does not make it true.
Believing God is what carries one through.
John Owen asks, “How can we know it is God speaking and not we ourselves?” He says we must be careful to not justify ourselves before God does. “It is God that justifies” (Rom 8:33). “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jn 10:27). Don’t worry. You will know when Christ speaks. He is the Amen, the True and Faithful Witness. But the danger is to mistake His voice for your own. Don’t name it and claim it.
