healing a paralytic to finding a parking space at the mall on the day before
Christmas. So we begin our ten things we should all know about miracles with a
definition…
(1) Max Turner, a professor of New
Testament at London Bible College, uses the term in the semi-technical sense of
an event that combines the following traits:
it is an extraordinary
or startling observable event; it cannot reasonably be explained in terms of
human abilities or other known forces in the world; it is perceived as a direct
act of God; and it is usually understood to have symbolic or sign value (e.g.,
pointing to God as redeemer and judge).
Part of the problem is that many
Christians envision God as remote from the world, removed from any direct
involvement in their lives on a daily basis. Yet there are numerous texts that
assert God’s immediate involvement in everything from the growth of a blade of
grass (Ps. 104) to the sustaining of our very lives (Acts 17; Col. 1:17). For
this reason we must reject the definition of a miracle as a direct intervention
of God into the world. The phrase “intervention into” implies that God is
outside the world and only occasionally intrudes in its affairs.
Some
define a miracle as God working in the world apart from means, or an instrument,
that would bring about the desired result. But God often uses instruments in
performing the miraculous, as in the case of Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand
by means of multiplying one little boy’s lunch.
Others define a miracle
as God acting contrary to natural law. But this implies there are forces
(natural laws) that operate independently of God, forces or laws that God must
violate or override to perform a miracle. But God is the author and providential
Lord over all natural processes.
Wayne Grudem has proposed a definition
that avoids the virus of deism while seeking to remain faithful to the
Scriptures: “A miracle,” says Grudem, “is a less common kind of God’s activity
in which he arouses people’s awe and wonder and bears witness to himself.”
What’s important for us to remember is that no matter how we define a miracle,
we must not think that a miracle means a typically absent God is now present.
Rather, the God who is always and everywhere present, upholding and sustaining
and directing all things to their appointed consummation, is now working in a
surprising and unfamiliar way. This also helps us answer the question of whether
unusual answers to prayer are miracles. I would say yes—if such answers are
sufficiently unusual to arouse awe and wonder and to evoke acknowledgement of
God’s power and activity (e.g., 1 Kings 18:24, 36-38; Acts 12:5-17;
28:8).
(2) It will help us to understand miracles by looking at
Galatians 3:1-5 where the apostle Paul clearly describes both the initial
reception of the Spirit at the moment of salvation (“Let me ask you only
this:
v. 2) and the on-going supply and provision of the Spirit throughout the course
of the Christian life (“Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works
miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?” v.
5).
(3) Clearly, God never gives his Spirit at any time or works
miracles because we have put him in our debt by doing good things.
through which God gives his Spirit to his people, whether that be at the point
of their conversion or at any time during their Christian lives. In other words,
Paul is ruling out any form of legalism or works-based approach to our
experience of the Spirit. Twice in this paragraph, first in v. 2 and then again
in v. 5, Paul rules out “works of the law” as the reason why we experience God’s
Spirit.
(4) Just as clearly as Paul ruled out works as the reason why
we receive God’s Spirit he affirms that faith is the cause, faith is the
instrument, faith is the grounds for our experience of the Spirit.
bestows his Spirit. It is when we believe and trust God and his promises that he
is pleased to pour out his Spirit, not only for the purpose of saving us and
causing the Spirit to indwell us permanently (v. 2) but also for the purpose of
working miracles in our midst.
(5) The faith to which God responds by
giving us his Spirit comes by “hearing”. Hearing what? Obviously we “hear” the
word of God when it is proclaimed or taught or read.
believed and trusted and treasured and embraced, God responds by pouring out his
Spirit.
(6) Merely “hearing” isn’t enough. We must have “faith” in
what we’ve heard. Simply listening to a sermon isn’t enough.
but if you don’t believe what you’ve memorized it serves no good end. Reading
theology books is wonderful, but if you never move beyond understanding to faith
in what you’ve read, it profits you nothing. God doesn’t reward us with the
Spirit simply because we’re smart or well-educated. People can know a lot about
the Bible and can out-argue anyone theologically and never be the recipient of
the miracle-working power of the Spirit.
In both Galatians 3:2 and 5 Paul
says that our hearing must be the sort that leads to faith. In other words, we
have to “believe in” and “trust” and “treasure” what God has taught us or said
to us in his Word. That’s what pleases God. That’s what serves as the instrument
through which he pours out his Spirit.
(6) Observe closely how God
himself is described in Galatians 3:5.
tense participle. In other words, God is by his very nature and also by his
choice a God who loves to give more of his Spirit to his people when they humble
themselves and trust the truth of his Word. This is almost a badge of
identification. God is saying, “This is who I am. This is what I do. I
continually supply the Spirit to my people.”
(7) Don’t forget that
Paul is writing to Christians!
Back in Galatians 3:2 Paul referred to the provision of the Spirit that God made
to them when they first trusted Jesus for salvation. But now in Galatians 3:5 he
is saying that God continues to make provision for believing men and women. I
stress this point simply because this is one verse that should forever put to
rest the debate about whether God continues after our conversion to supply and
provide us with more and more of the Spirit. He doesn’t call this experience in
Galatians 3:5 “Spirit baptism” or “Spirit filling”. He doesn’t use the word
“anointing”. But does it really matter? All that matters is that God is the sort
of God whose very nature and purpose it is to give more of his Spirit on an
on-going, daily basis to his people.
(8) What specifically is it that
God wants us to believe?
answers with the extraordinary supply and provision of his Spirit? We aren’t
told explicitly, but I think I know. There are several things Paul likely has in
mind.
Given the larger context and purpose of the letter to the
Galatians, he surely has in mind our faith in the finality of Christ’s death and
resurrection and our confidence in that gracious work of God as the only hope
for salvation. In other words, believing that we are justified by faith alone,
through grace alone, in Christ alone is central to what we must believe. This is
obvious when we read on in v. 6 of Galatians 5 where Paul speaks of Abraham
“believing” God and being justified as a result.
I also think Paul has in
mind our faith and confidence in the character of God. Do you believe God is the
sort of God who loves to do wonderful things for his people? Do you believe God
is the kind of God who delights to build up and restore and heal? Do you believe
that God is of such a character and nature that he has compassion on his people
and rejoices to do them good at all times? Believing this about God is crucial
to our experience of the supernatural work of the Spirit.
Related to the
former point is our faith that God is able to do such things. You may think that
goes without saying. Surely if you are a Christian you know and are confident
that God can do miraculous things for us. But may I remind you that Jesus always
responded to that sort of faith with healing and deliverance and blessing. Let
me give you a couple of examples of this. In Matthew 9:28-29 Jesus said this to
two blind men: “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him,
“Yes, Lord.” Then Jesus touched their eyes saying, “According to your faith be
it done to you.” And they were instantly healed.
According to what
“faith”? What exactly had they believed that led Jesus to heal them? It wasn’t
their belief or faith that it was his “will” to heal them. Jesus never asked
them, “Do you believe that I am willing to heal you?” He merely asked if they
believed he was “able” to heal them and when they said Yes, he healed
them.
The leper in Matthew 8 said to Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing,
you can make me clean” (v. 2). The leper didn’t question Christ’s ability. He
trusted that completely. He did have doubts about the willingness of Jesus to do
it. But Jesus didn’t rebuke him for such doubts, as if it were a shortcoming in
his faith that might jeopardize his healing. He healed him because of his
confidence that he could do it.
(9) God is working miracles among and
through these Galatian Christians in the absence of any apostolic
influence.
wrote this. Thus contrary to what most cessationists say, miracles were not
exclusively or even primarily the work of apostles but were typically found
among ordinary, average Christians like those in first-century
Galatia.
(10) In conclusion, consider how this passage relates to what
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and the spiritual gift of
“miracles”.
“workings of powers” (energemata dunameon). Although all gifts are “workings”
(energemata) or “energizings” by divine power (compare to vv. 6, 11), the word
is used here in conjunction with “powers” (dunamis) for a particular gift. The
word often translated “miracles” in 1 Corinthians 12:10 is actually the Greek
word for powers (dunamis). Thus we again have a double plural, “workings of
powers,” which probably points to a certain variety in these
operations.
So, does God “work miracles” among us, or do gifted
individuals “work miracles” among us? Yes! God “works miracles” among us by
awakening faith in his Word, in conjunction with or as a result of which he
imparts a gracious divine enabling (i.e., a charisma, a gift) so that the
believer can “work miracles” among us.
What are these “workings” or
“effectings” or “productions” of “powers”? Whereas all the gifts mentioned in 1
Corinthians 12:8-10 are certainly miraculous, the gift of miracles must
primarily encompass other supernatural phenomena as well. Simply put, whereas
all healings and prophetic words are displays of power, not all displays of
power result in healing or prophetic words.
Several possible
manifestations of divine power may be included in what Paul means by “workings
of powers” or “miracles.” Consider the following: see Acts 9:40 where Peter
raised Tabitha/Dorcas from the dead (although even this is a healing in the
strictest sense of the term).
Or consider Acts 13:8-11 where Paul
induced blindness on Elymas. One might also include here Peter’s word of
disciplinary judgment that resulted in the immediate death of Ananias and
Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). Perhaps nature miracles would be included here, such as
turning water to wine, stilling the storm on the Sea of Galilee, reproducing
food, and causing the rain to cease (or commence), as with Elijah. We might also
include supernatural deliverances (exorcisms) are in view as
well.
[written by Sam Storms, president-elect of the
Evangelical Theological Society]
