Monday 18 October 2010

It's a miracle!

Getting a handy parking space or having just the right amount of money for your shopping - miraculous?  Hardly, but there are some who are desperate to see miracles on a daily basis - it's not the way it works.

I have written briefly on why I am sceptical about most "miracle" reports, and I also wrote about why I feel my scepticism is scripturally based - miracles were intended by God to act as a confirmation of new revelation (e.g. Hebrews 2 v 1-4), and as the Word of God is complete no new revelation is being given and no miraculous confirmation is required (I believe this is what is in view in 1Corinthians 13 - that which is perfect is the completion of the revelations given to Paul, something Paul anticipated in Colossians 1 v 25).  It was never God's intention that we would be taken up with the miraculous, but that we would be taken up with His Word.  The Holy Scriptures are all that is required to make the man of God complete (2Timothy 3 v 16-17).

However, there are many reports from trusted sources about God working in a miraculous way in Muslim lands particularly, as well as in Communist countries, and I want to give a brief thought on this because people are asking why we don't see this in our own land.  In countries where the Word of God is not readily available I have no problem accepting that God would "revert" to His way of working prior to the completion of Scripture, that is giving miraculous manifestations to lead people to hear the message of the Gospel, and then giving miraculous confirmation to the message of the Gospel.  I anticipate that in such circumstances, if and when the Word of God is readily available, the miraculous manifestations will recede as the Word of God is preached.  The Word of God has its own authority.