2013-02-07 What about miracles?

Q: With all this talk about natural and supernatural going on nowadays – I’ve become a bit confused as to the meaning of a miracle. Do miracles still exist? How would you define a miracle? And, how do you know for sure that something that happened really is a miracle or not?

RESPONSE: If I can refer back to a message that was preached on Sunday morning 6th February – God is active in so many different ways. James 1:17 says that every good and perfect gift comes from Him. This means that our salary, our food, our relationships, the simple joy of a sunrise, comes from Him. None of these however are miracles. They are wonderful and we are grateful for every gift, but they are not miracles.

A miracle occurs when the natural order of things is interrupted or suspended. Miracles mentioned in the Bible include the Sun standing still (Joshua 10:13), the Sun going backwards in the sky (2 Kings 20:9-11), food being multiplied (Matthew 14:17-21), Jesus walking on water (Matthew 14:25). These things are super–natural. The word “super” as it is used here mean “above”, so an event that is supernatural is above the natural order of things.

Miracles certainly still exist today. Many of us have either experienced the miraculous or seen it in others, where it is not instantaneous. Using healing as an example, the natural process of healing has at times been supernaturally accelerated to the place where the doctor has said, “I don’t have an explanation for this”. Other healings take longer. Jesus said, “you will lay hands on the sick and they will recover”. Recovery sometimes involves a process, but what we can be sure of, is that EVERY time we pray the prayer of faith, something happens.

There are some mainline Christian churches who believe that miracles have ceased but we believe that miracles still exist and are available for us today. The reason we believe that miracles still exist is because we have no reason to not believe. There is no word in Scripture to indicate that miracles were only for a limited time in church history, or that only Jesus could perform miracles (because He was God). On the contrary we have the very words of Jesus who said “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do,” (John 14:12, ESV). The reason miracles are still available to us today is because Jesus did His miracles by virtue of the fact that He was empowered by the Holy Spirit – not because He was God (Phil 2:6-7). This is an important point because since we are empowered by the same Holy Spirit, we are able to do what Jesus did. Simply put, we can and should expect miracles.

Whether something is a miracle or not is of little consequence for the Christian because they see every good and perfect gift as coming from the Father’s hand. We are sure that God is intimately involved in our everyday lives – even the in most mundane of activities. We have then so many occasions and opportunities for joy and thanksgiving. What do you need? If healing, pray. If provision, ask. If breakthrough, knock. Your answer will come from a good Father – it may come supernaturally in which it is undeniable to outsiders, or it may come naturally. Either way, we know Who it has come from.

A final word needs to be added though. Miracles do not validate someone as being true. If someone preaches things contrary to the Word of God and then heals people to prove that God is with Him, do not believe them. Jesus said there will be many who say: “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ ” (Matthew 7:22-23, ESV) What Jesus is implying here is that working miracles doesn’t validate a true disciple. Miracles then are important and we should expect them to happen, but we should not make them more important than the truth of God’s Word.