Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Ignoring miracles--Is it a sign of pride or a sign of humble faith?

"The fact that the world even exists is a miracle."
"The flowers are miracles.  All of creation is a miracle."
"Why do I need to hear someone's claim that a miracle happened to them?"
"What does it matter?"
"God will do whatever He wills."
"I believed before I heard about so-and-so's miracle.  I don't need to hear about this or that miracle."
"I don't care.  I already have the faith."
"We don't need them anyway."
"The metaphorical understanding of Jesus' miracles are more important than the miracles themselves."

When I hear these things from good Christians, I cringe.  These beliefs are rooted in pride.  They can't understand them and they want to have it all figured out.  They convince themselves that they don't matter and they put them off, pretending they are not there to be dealt with.  The devil has already created enough confusion with tempting liars to convince others of miracles as a means to get them to believe in the faith, with the well-crafted plan of actually leading people away from the faith when the lie is discovered.  So, good Christians will just ignore all miracles and not fall victim.  It is a means of self-preservation.  They don't want to look stupid if something they believed turns out to be false.  That is a sure sign of their fear and lack of trust in judgement.  They are playing right into the devil's hands with that attitude.

Why does God perform miracles?  What should we do about miracles?

1.  To allow us to know where our allegiances are--with God, against God, or indifferent to God.

Exodus 7:9
“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’”

Here, God uses a miracle as a means to allow Pharaoh to discern his position--it forces him to acknowledge or deny God's existence and power, but God will not be ignored altogether.  A decision must be made.


2.  We are to remember miracles, talk about them, meditate upon them.  They strengthen our faith commitment.

Psalm 78:11
They forgot what he had done, and the miracles that he had shown them.


3.  God is our father and He wants to interact with us.  He can do so however He chooses.  He is God and who are we to judge how he behaves?  God does not just want to teach us and have us mature in our thinking.  He wants to have a real relationship with us.  How can a real relationship exist without God doing something amazing?  He is amazing and He wants to interact with each one of us personally.

Acts 8:13
Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.


4.  God can do whatever He wants.  His will, not mine.

Hebrews 2:4
while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his own will.

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