Something that needs to be corrected — not just for the sake of being right, but for the sake of souls suffering under deception.
I’ve seen this idea being circulated in charismatic circles, and especially among those aspiring toward mysticism. I recently heard it quoted from a well-known mainstream preacher, Kenneth Copeland:
“The Spirit of God spoke to me… He said, ‘Think this way - a twice-born man whipped Satan in his own domain.’
- I said, ‘You don’t mean… you couldn’t dare mean that I could have done the same thing?’
- He said, ‘Oh yeah, if you'd had the knowledge of the Word of God that He did, you could’ve done the same thing, because you're a reborn man too.’”
Kenneth Copeland, Substitution and Identification, 1989
I’m using this example because it is documented. Many of my charismatic friends may read this and not immediately see any red flags. But there are several serious theological problems here.
Jesus was not a reborn man
Jesus is eternal, divine, and uniquely God. Calling Him a "reborn man" fundamentally misunderstands who Christ is.
This is a significant theological issue, and unfortunately many Pentecostal or charismatic believers are never taught clearly about:
The Trinity
The incarnation
The distinction between Christ’s nature and ours
Jesus did not become divine - He is divine.
Jesus is sinless and inherently had dominion over sin
Jesus did not overcome Satan merely through knowledge. He overcame because He is the sinless Son of God.
This is a major misidentification of both man and God.
We are redeemed sinners.
Jesus is the sinless Redeemer.
That distinction matters.
Jesus is the Second Adam — exclusively
Scripture presents a very clear contrast:
The first Adam brought death into the world
The second Adam brought life
This role belongs to Christ alone. No other human, regardless of knowledge or spiritual maturity, can occupy that position.
Jesus is not simply one successful son among many - He is the head of a new humanity.
Jesus didn’t do what He did because of knowledge
Jesus did not defeat Satan because He had superior knowledge.
He defeated Satan because He is able to, since He is God in the flesh.
Knowledge matters - but knowledge alone does not defeat sin, death, and Satan.
Only Christ does.
But what about “firstborn among many brothers”?
Some might ask:
Doesn’t Scripture say Jesus is the firstborn among many brothers?
Didn’t Jesus also say we would do the works He did - and even greater?
Yes - but the first four points still stand. Scripture must be understood as a whole, not by creating tension between verses to support a particular view.
Jesus is the first among many brothers - with distinction.
He is the divine Son
We are adopted sons
He has always been
We become
We can do what He did - not because of who we are, but because of who He is.
And even when we do supernatural things, it is not because of our identity alone, but because He said we could.
It is the authority of the One who spoke that makes it possible.
Why this matters
When these ideas are taught incorrectly, they skew the expectations of God’s children and create the wrong dynamic in our relationship with God.
For clarity - I am not against the miraculous.
I have personally seen:
The sick healed instantly
Weather change within seconds after prayer
Hearts changed remotely through simple prayer
The manifested presence of God fill a room by becoming aware of Him
Demons leave a person after laying hands for 3 minutes
I say this to make it clear: I am not against the supernatural.
But I care enough to encourage humility, especially with identity teachings. Many people have shipwrecked their faith by adopting an inflated view of themselves.
You and I can make mistakes.
The key is not to wear our mistakes as identity.
Before Christ, our identity was sinner.
In Christ, our identity is son.
Yet we are still:
Being saved
Being healed
Being transformed daily
This creates dependence on God instead of dependence on ourselves.
A healthier view of grace
Many people treat grace as something created and then handed to us.
But a healthier view is that grace is divine — part of God Himself.
Grace is not something separate from God that we possess independently.
Grace is experienced as we remain in Him.
This is why we must walk with Him daily and depend on Him continually.
Because everything we have…
comes from Him