HAVE MIRACLES CEASED? There is much interest in the world today in miracles. Some who believe that miracles are still being done have a different concept of miracles than the Bible teaches. Miracles are “works of supernatural origin and character, such as could not be produced by natural agents or means.” (Vines Expository Dictionary Vol. 3, p. 75). Miracles have been performed in all things. The world is a product of the miraculous, for in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Hebrews 11:3 declares, “Through faith we understand the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” This is truly a miracle for God to make the world when nothing existed before. However, the world continues by natural law. Things created have the seed within themselves are told to multiply and replenish the earth. (Genesis 1:28, 29). The claim that a miracle happens every time a baby is born is not so for children are born after natural law. Now if babies came into existence without the agency of fathers and mothers this would be a miracle, but no such thing is happening in our day. All things began by a miracle and continue by natural law. The spiritual kingdom, or church, came into existence accompanied by miracles. Christ performed many miracles and the purpose of them was to prove him to be the Son of God and Savior of the world. John said, “Many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name.” (John 20:30,31). Christ promised the apostles, “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.” (Mark 16:17-18). Verse 19 declares that Jesus ascended up to heaven and sat on the right hand of God. Verse 20 declares the purpose of the miracles he conferred on his apostles: “And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” The miracles proved the divine authorship of the gospel they gave. That miracles were not to continue can be seen from the following facts: 1)Only a few received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the accompanying powers. The Apostles were promised this on Pentecost according to Acts 1:1-5. They were the only ones who received it that day as pointed out in Acts 2:1, 14,37, 43. The like measure upon Cornelius household did not give the power that the apostles received on Pentecost but they spoke in tongues to prove that the gentiles had a right to the gospel (Acts 10:44-48). 2) Outside these two recorded instances the only others who had miraculous powers were those on whom the apostles laid their hands according to Acts 6:6; 8:6; 8:15-20; Acts 19:1-6; Romans 1:1l. Paul identifies the nine gifts thus conferred in I Corinthians 12:8-10 and then in chapter 13:8-10 shows that they would cease when the perfect was come. The perfect was the completed revelation of the New Testament because it is referred to as the “perfect law of liberty in James 1:25. 3) The Bible teaches clearly that the miraculous accompanied the giving of God’s revelation and that when it was completed they would cease. Paul told the Ephesians that the apostolic, prophetic offices were for the purpose of perfecting the saints, the work of the ministry, and edifying the body of Christ; “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13). The unity of the faith refers to the gospel, which produces faith, being completely given and confirmed. Now we have that completed gospel so the miraculous has ceased. The question of Hebrews 2:3,4 is “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?” When we say that the miraculous has ceased it is not because we doubt the power of God but because we submit to the will of God (Hebrews 2:3,4). It is not because we deny what God has done in the past in developing and revealing the plan of redemption. We believe in the verbally inspired word of God (I Corinthians 2:10-13). When we deny the miraculous today we are not saying thee is not any reason to pray, but to the contrary we need to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). God does things providentially through His laws of nature, and makes all things work together for good to His trusting children (Romans 8:28). We believe that God heals everyone who is healed but it is through His laws and not a miracle, so if any are sick let them pray. We are not denying the nature of God for He is all powerful. We are not limiting Him but He has limited himself to His word in the spiritual realm and His laws of nature in the physical realm (Genesis 1; I Corinthians 13:8-10; Jude 3). All things began by miracles. All things continue by law. C. D.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 08:39:36 +0000
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