6 Reasons You Should Stop Listening to Joyce Meyer - Dan Long

Found here. Our comments in bold.
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The Doctrinal Police are at it again. This time it's regarding Joyce Meyer. We should say we are not writing to defend her, and in fact, we have never heard her. Our purpose is to examine some of the claims made and see if Ms. Meyer is really beyond the pale.

Part of the problem here as we see it is that we are offered sound bites of her preaching, which may or may not be in context. We don't get to hear her explanations or how she's applying these statements. As such, we should be a bit more circumspect about our judgments, shouldn't we?
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Popular author and teacher Joyce Meyer has said some shocking things in some of her sermons and teachings. Many of those who listen to her have never heard her make any of the claims that I'm about to show you. These are clips that I have put together and uploaded to YouTube to show that I hope would cause any discerning Christian to have second thoughts about listening to Joyce Meyer. Folks, these teachings come straight out of the cults, and are extremely dangerous. All of these teachings can be found in the Word of Faith Movement.

1. Joyce Meyer said that Jesus went to hell to pay for our sins

Nowhere do the Scriptures ever even imply this. If this were true Christ's words at the cross meant nothing.  (Well, perhaps it's a bit inelegant to suggest that Jesus went to hell, but clearly the Scriptures do say that Jesus descended into the realms of the grave.

Ep. 4:9-10 What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the depths of the earth] 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.

Ac. 2:31-32 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.

Re. 1:18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

1Pe. 3:18-20 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago...

John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (We should ask, what did He finish? Well, His sacrificial death propitiated for sin. That was finished. But of course, He wasn't done, because He rose from the grave and ascended to sit at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. The first provided for our sin, the second provided for our new life quickened by the Holy Spirit.)

2. Joyce Meyer claims to get her teaching from direct revelation

The Spirit wrote the Word. He would never say anything that contradicts the Word He wrote. Many of Joyce Meyer’s teachings contradict the Bible. Besides, the way God speaks to us today is not through direct revelation but through His Word. Red flags should start flying every time you hear someone say "God spoke to me." (Whether or not Ms. Meyers hears from God is unknown. However, it is clear that there are good reasons to accept the contemporary prophetic gift, as we discuss here and here.)

3. Joyce Meyer said that Jesus stopped being the Son of God at the cross

This was also taught by the Father of the Word of Faith Movement, Kenneth (Dad) Hagin. Again, another teaching that contradicts Scripture. Jesus called God His Father while He was still on the cross.

Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. (We're not sure what Ms. Meyer is claiming here. However, there is room to suggest that something happened at the cross which might support some aspect of her claim: 

Mk. 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” — which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [Psalm 22:1]

Further, Jesus' identification continues as the Son, but also seems to gradually morph.

Ro. 5:10 For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

1Co. 15:28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

It is clear that Jesus remains the Son. But He is also the Lamb, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, The King of kings, etc. However, the mystery of the nature of God remains veiled. 

Nevertheless, we would concede that Ms. Meyer has no Scriptural basis to claim that Jesus ever stopped being the Son after His death and resurrection.)

4. Joyce Meyer said that she is no longer a sinner

Not much needs to be said about this. Here are a few verses that contradict Joyce Meyer:

Jesus calls His own disciples evil

Luke 11:13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

John says that Christians should confess their sins to God

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John says that anyone who claims to be without sin is deceived and without the truth

1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

John says if we say we have not sinned we make God out to be a liar

1 John 1:10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (The author seems to be confusing two concepts. On one hand we are saved and stand before God blameless because of the cross, and on the other hand, we still sometimes sin. 

Ms. Meyer did not claim she did not sin. She claimed she was no longer a sinner. This is quite different.

We are no longer identified as sinners: 

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1 John 3:1-3, 7, NKJV)

1Co. 6:9-11 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually  immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the  Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

5. Joyce Meyer said that Christians are little gods

Word of Faith teachers say that God created man as a little god. Kenneth Copeland for example teaches that Adam "was God manifested in the flesh." However, Adam lost his godhood when he disobeyed God and ate of the tree that God commanded him not to eat from. Through this sinful act, Satan became the god of this world and Adam lost his godhood. But thankfully God was able to thwart Satans (sic) plan and sent Christ to buy back our godhood through His death on the cross, and suffering in hell. Now through faith in Christ, Christians are given back their god status and by growing in faith (becoming more and more aware of who we are as little gods) use the "force of faith" to get all that we desire from this life.

Of course the Bible teaches nothing of the sort. (Jn. 10:34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, `I have said you are gods’? [Psalm 82:6]

Again, we am not supporting Ms. Meyer's teaching, we are only pointing out the flaws in the author's arguments.)

There is only one God, and we are to worship Him alone. Adam was created a man and not a little god. Nowhere in Scripture will you see anything that even implies this. Satan told Eve that by eating the fruit she would become "like God, knowing good and evil." No! We were never created as "little gods." This teaching is blasphemous and to embrace it will ultimately damn your soul.

6. Joyce Meyer said that Jesus was the first born again man

This is another Word of Faith teaching that contradicts Scripture. Here Meyer echoes the words of Kenneth Hagin :

"Why did He need to be begotten or born? Because He became like we were, separated from God. Because He tasted death for every man, His spirit, His inner man, went to hell in our place."

No! Christ became human at His incarnation. The Eternal Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity is the God Man, our New Adam, keeping the Law for us and dying in our place to pay the penalty for our Law breaking. He was not born again. He never needed to be born again. If He did then how could He be a perfect sacrifice for His people. God required a perfect sacrifice to pay for sins. If Christ had to be born again, then He was not that perfect sacrifice. (We don't know what Ms. Meyer is claiming here. We've never heard this claim. As such, we will not comment on what she believes. 

But we would say that it is clear that Jesus died and was raised to life. As such, He was born again, not in the sense of needing to die to the sinful nature and become a new creation, but rather He died, was resurrected, and thus is now alive.)

My prayer is that you will listen to these clips, compare them to Scripture, and then warn your family and friends who may be caught up in the teachings of Joyce Meyer.