I BELIEVE GOD STILL DOES MIRACLES
This is something I want to make crystal clear at the start because I
have had many emails claiming I do not believe in miracles anymore,
which is something I never claimed in any of my past articles, so to
make this point as clear as possible: I
STILL BELIEVE GOD DOES MIRACLES TODAY...however
He does them AS
HE WILLS!
That's the difference! (1
Corinthians 12:11)
What were the purpose of miracles in the Bible? From the Old Testament right through the New Testament the miracles God had done were, first and foremost, for His glory alone (read 1 Kings 18:21-38). This account in 1 Kings chapter 18 was to show Israel, and the prophets of Baal that the Lord GOD of Israel was the only one true God. It was also for the validation of the calling of Elijah. There were four hundred prophets of Baal, but only one prophet of God. This miracle confirmed Elijah as the one true prophet who spoke on behalf of God.
However, It appears in today's Christianity, miracles have been diminished to nothing more than a side-show for the entertainment of the believer, and has replaced the simple preaching of the Gospel to win the lost. Hence the reason I ask “can miracles save anyone?” I do not believe they do, and I'll explain why. Take the account of Moses and the children of Israel for example. God had done miracle after miracle, yet they still grumbled and complained against God and in the end only two from the entire generation that left Egypt, Joshua and Caleb, entered into the promised land. With all the miracles God had done before their very eyes, they still did not believe.
In the New
Testament there's the account of the rich man and the beggar in Luke
16:19-31, the rich man (being in torment) pleaded with
Abraham to allow Lazarus to come back from the dead to warn his
brothers about the place of torment he was in. He figured if they see
a miracle like a man come back from the dead, they would believe and
be spared from coming to the place of torment he was already in.
However, Abraham said "They have Moses and the prophets; let
them hear them", in other words, they have the scriptures,
that is enough.
However, that was not enough for the rich man,
he wanted a miracle thinking that would cause his brothers to
believe, but Abraham said further "If they hear not Moses and
the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from
the dead". In other words, a miracle will not save them.
They need to read the scriptures for themselves. Romans
10:17 - "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God."
SOLA SCRIPTURA – THE SCRIPTURE ALONE!
The Pentecostal/Charismatic branch of Christianity says that the Church needs more signs and wonders and that all believers can and should be doing miracles to show God's power to the world today and some even have "how to" books! In Mark 16:17-18 it says - And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Some would say “see, it says right there that all believers can do miracles!” But does it really say that? The reference to "them that believe" in Mark 16:17 cannot be referring to all believers, because now we see there is more than just casting out devils and speaking with new tongues, and healing the sick. There is also taking up serpents and drinking any deadly thing. The Pentecostal/Charismatic movement always put their focus on the casting out devils, speaking in tongues, and laying hands on the sick...and that's all.
How about taking up serpents, or drinking anything deadly? Why are these two ignored by virtually all mainstream Pentecostal/Charismatic churches? After All, Jesus did say believers would be doing these signs...right? How many Pentecostal/Charismatic churches do you know of that are taking up serpents, or drinking anything deadly? If all believers are to be doing these signs, then we must be doing them all! We cannot just pick and choose which ones we would like to do, but ALL of them which includes taking up serpents and drinking anything deadly!
Mark 16:20 also confirms that these sign miracles are not for all believers today because it says: And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
This was the purpose for the sign miracles mentioned in Mark 16. You never hear the Charismatic movement mention verse twenty! Let me see if I can break this down for you: the "them that believe" in verse seventeen are "they" that went forth in verse twenty! In other words, "them that believe" are the apostles, because "they" went forth preaching and God confirmed what they were preaching by signs and wonders that followed, since the canon of the scripture was not yet completed at that time. Also note all the signs Jesus mentioned in Mark 16:17-18 were all fulfilled in the Book of Acts.
1 Corinthians 12:28-30 clearly shows that the sign gifts were in operation in the Church at that time, but also clearly shows that not everyone was doing them:
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
The obvious answer to these questions above are NO! NOT ALL BELIEVERS WERE DOING MIRACLES! The scriptures makes it very clear that the sign miracles were done by the hand of the apostles, not all believers:Acts 2:43 - And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Acts 5:12 - And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
The apostle Paul also says the same thing here when he describes the signs of a true apostle:
2 Corinthians 12:12 - Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. The apostles NEVER encouraged the believers at ANY of the churches to perform, or to seek signs, wonders and miracles! NEVER!
2 Peter 1:16-18 the apostle Peter gives his eyewitness account of what he saw and heard at the the Transfiguration which is found in Matthew 17:1-5.
2 Peter 1:16-18 - For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
This must have been an amazing miracle to see! Surely this would be enough to convince anyone, we do not need anything else...do we? It seems Peter states very clearly there is something much more solid and secure than signs and wonders. After giving his account of the Transfiguration he says this:
2 Peter 1:19 - We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.
Wow! Something more secure than miracles? Yes, that is the Word of God! The scriptures are enough! Romans 10:17 - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Remember on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two, it was not the miracle of speaking in tongues that saved the three thousand, in fact, none of the three thousand saved that day ever spoke in tongues. Rather it was the preaching of the cross which saved their souls! If you read Acts 2:14-36 you will see how Peter preached to the crowd...NOT ONCE mentioning the tongues miracle, or any other miracles for that matter. He did not keep asking if they wanted to see more miracles. Instead Peter preached repentance through the cross of Jesus Christ and that stirred the hearts of those people that when they heard the word they said in Acts 2:37 - Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Peter's reply was not asking them “do you want a miracle from God?” but rather he said in Acts 2:38 - Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Three thousand people saved that day because they HEARD the preaching of repentance through Jesus Christ. Not because of miracles! The same can be said about Acts chapter three and four as well. I recently received an email from a reader who disagrees with my views on this topic, he states:
“The church is finally getting back to what it was when it first started 2000 years ago, and a traditionalist like you can't stop it... It's pretty clear that Christianity in America has been decreasing over the past 100 years. Do you think its because people are becoming more sinful? How about because what the church Has been doing is not working? Its time for a change.”
It is the opinion of this person the Church today needs to see more signs and wonders just like they did in the Book of Acts. There are two errors in this persons statement. First, if the Church today is “finally getting back to what it was when it first started 2000 years ago” then Christians today should be Traditionalists, just like the first century Church was, because the very first thing they did was remain steadfast in the doctrine of the apostles...not seek signs and wonders (Acts 2:42).
Second,
if you read through Acts, and the New Testament there
is one thing that cannot be denied. You clearly see the decline of
sign miracles, to the point where they ceased, as the foundation of
church doctrine was established in the writings of Paul and the
apostles. God was doing extraordinary miracles in Acts
chapter 19:11-12.
People were healed of diseases and evil spirits were cast out just by
touching Paul's handkerchief or his apron alone. The very same
apostle Paul, through whom God did all these marvelous miracles in
Acts 19
tells Timothy in regards to his stomach ailment:
1
Timothy 5:23 - Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy
stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.
Why
didn't God heal Timothy's' stomach illness? Paul could have sent
Timothy an anointed handkerchief to heal his stomach! But he didn't.
Instead Paul tells Timothy to drink a little wine to help his
stomach, and his often infirmities...why didn't Paul simply do a
miraculous sign and heal Timothy of his sickness if all the signs and
wonders were still continuing in the Church?
Here's another
example:
2
Timothy 4:20 - Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at
Miletum sick.
Paul
left Trophimus sick? Why did he not lay hands on him to instantly
heal him? Where was the sign, miracle or healing here? Simple, there
was none! The sign miracles that God had once done through the
apostles had all but ceased at this point in time!
Jesus Himself said this about those seeking signs and wonders:
Matthew 12:38-39 - Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas
The only sign Jesus mentions they will see is His resurrection from the dead. Even with this, to this day, some still do not believe! Miracles cannot save anyone. From the biblical perspective they only pointed to the one who preached the Word of the Lord and validated his ministry (Hebrews 2:3-4). Those who only seek after signs and wonders will never be satisfied. They only want more and more claiming they “expect” their miracle from God!
It was and always will be the preaching of God's Holy Word that convicts people's hearts and brings them to true faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:17 - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Search the Scripture for yourself! SOLA SCRIPTURA! The Scripture ALONE! May the Lord bless you!
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