Miracles mean that God intervenes in his own creation. He owns it, so it does not violate any natural law when he works a miracle, as if he were an outsider. He merely introduces a new situation. We also look into this question: Can Satan work miracles too?

Further, there are real dangers in the world today, particularly with Artificial Intelligence (AI). It can make fake things look real. But it goes deeper than computer programs.

Satan is a real spirit being who can work signs and wonders in our physical world, in the sky or even in our bodies, like healings. We need some basic Scriptural knowledge to tell the differences between God’s signs and wonders and Satan’s. But first let’s define miracles and offer some modern examples, just to keep the door open to authentic miracles.

I.. Theological Definition

A.. Formal definition

Theologically, a miracle may be defined as God’s (or his agent’s) intervention, introduction, or insertion of a new condition or factor that would otherwise be impossible naturally. (Cf. Craig, Reasonable Faith, p. 144)

A more specific definition reads:

A miracle is a less common kind of God’s activity in which he arouses people’s awe and wonder and bears witness to himself. (Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 355)

The words “less common” implies that God sustains and governs the universe, but specific miracles such as those found in Scripture or healings today do not happen as often or are “less common” than his constant governance.

B.. Christian context

Miracles take place in a Christian context, so they are not bizarre anomalies. Such miracles often take place after prayer—even a one-word prayer of “help!” Miracles of healing, for example, eliminate abnormalities attacking human health.

C.. Miracles correct defects

Some theologians have called physical abnormalities parasites attached to the good (health). These destructive conditions describe evil. Healing miracles purge out or destroy or correct debilitating conditions, such as shrinking tumors to nothing, repairing bent and dislocated bones, and restoring sight and hearing, to cite only these examples.

D.. Supernatural element

It is true that modern medical treatments like chemotherapy can destroy cancer cells, for example (and there is nothing wrong with seeking medical attention), but miracles of divine healing take on a new dimension of God’s intervention coinciding with prayer, as we have seen in the examples listed above.

II.. Miracles Do Not Violate the Laws Nature

A.. Reapplying the laws of nature

Theologically speaking, a miracle is not a violation or transgression of the laws of nature, even if it destroys a metastasized tumor or cancer cells, which are abnormalities in human health. It does not violate or transgress God’s laws even if Jesus turns water into wine or walks on water. Instead, it inserts new material conditions to which the laws of nature apply (See Larmer, Water into Wine? pp. 3-30, though he may not agree entirely with my own conclusions).

B.. God is free to enter his own creation

More importantly, the words “violation” and “transgression” have a negative, even criminal connotation. Therefore, nor is a miracle an intrusion or in-breaking in the sense of capriciousness or burglary even, but in the positive sense of rescuing. God as hero saves us, perhaps at the last minute. He is not capricious, for his character is good, and he acts with purpose, even if we do not or cannot come to know it; we have a limited epistemic point of view. Nonetheless, he is free to walk onto his own property (the universe), so to speak, without violating or transgressing any of his own laws—the very laws he created.

C.. God’s miracles are redemptive

Therefore, God’s actions in the world are positive and redemptive. They show his love for people without violating or transgressing any of his own laws, as if he were a home invader or a rapist of Mother Nature. For example, if a prison warden allows a concert in chapel, then he commits no violation or transgression of the rules. He calls for them within the limits of his own authority. But if a lone guard does this for his own purposes and without permission, then this would be a violation or transgression because he does not act as a rightful authority.

The existence of God lifts the analogy beyond the human level. More than a warden, God does not violate or transgress anything of his creation when miracles occur, because he is the final authority over it. God inserts a new factor (miracle) and then nature accommodates it. As C. S. Lewis says: miraculous wine still intoxicates, miraculous bread is still digested and nourishes, and a miraculous conception still has to go through nine months of pregnancy and then a painful birth. Normal, natural processes say, “If A, then B.” A miracle says, “If A2, then B2.”

D.. God owns all of creation

In fact, Christians who understand the Bible believe that the universe will not last forever because God will exercise his right even to destroy part of his creation and make another one or to renew parts of the first (Matt. 24:35; Heb. 12:27; 2 Pet. 3:10). So if he destroys cells that are abnormal to human health, then this action is minor, when contrasted with his rights over his entire creation in the Last Days. God owns it, so he gives himself permission to renovate it, to improve—redeem—it.

E.. Miracles are wonderful but temporary

Thankfully, he gives himself permission to renew the human body at times by eliminating abnormalities, such as diseases, and by restoring normality to such impairments as dislocated bones, dysfunctional limbs, and non-functioning eyes and ears—all working normally after miracles are effectuated. But the laws of nature will have their way, as God ordains them. Even a person completely healed of cancer will die eventually.

III.. Theology of Biblical Miracles

A.. An Illustration

In working miracles, God walks into his world much like a homeowner walks into his house, but who had rented it to people (you and me, us). He sometimes has to take action without our permission, though Moses had to hold his staff up at the parting of the Red Sea, when the criminals (Egyptians) were going to destroy his chosen renters (Israelites), or when Jesus came to usher in the kingdom during his ministry.

In other cases, the renters (broken humans) are involved in receiving miracles and signs and wonders and have to ask and seek and knock and have faith to receive miracles. He gives them jurisdiction and authority over his creation, so they must invite the landlord into his own house to work the miracle! In Acts 2:1-3, the 120 gathered in the house were praying and seeking and were in total unity. He was glad to break in with power and wonders and signs. At other times, the owner of the house (God) can walk into his property without our asking him. He sovereignly intervenes and works a miracle.

But in one instance, he did not do—could not do—mighty works among his own hometown people because of their unbelief (Matt. 13:57-58; Mark 6:5-6). They did not believe he was the Messiah. So in a sense, they rejected his miracle-working power, except a few people whom he healed. Evidently, they had believed he was the Messiah. He did not refuse to heal them when they approached him and believed in who he was. But the other people in his hometown refused him and his miracles.

In another passage, the people of Gerasene asked Jesus to leave after he liberated a demonically oppressed man (or two men) (Matt. 8:34; Mark. 5:17).

B.. Miracles have not ceased.

In the above Scriptures, the trend line is to continue in them, just as the first-century church launched them. Why? How? It’s in the simple (but not simplistic) formula (the arrows meaning “leads to”):

Need → Want→ Demand → Supply

Need drives want and want drives demand for the supply of miracles. People have to need and then want the miracle with a free heart, full of faith and trust. Once the demand—or request—is made, the supply from God comes. Wherever people have needs, the age of miracles will never cease, and neither will the gift of Spirit-inspired languages. God really, really wants to patch people up in body and soul, and if he has to work signs and wonders and miracles to accomplish his mission, he will.

See these articles:

1. Gifts of the Spirit in Early Church Fathers

2. Healing and Deliverance in Early Church Fathers

3. Prophecies, Visions, and Hearing from God in Early Church Fathers

However, in the modern Western world, we believe that we don’t need God to perform a miracle of healing, for example, because we have doctors and pills. In the developing world, in contrast, their access to medicine is limited, so their need for healing is strong, which drives the want—demand—and the supply. Does God work miracles in the Western world? Absolutely! But only when the process is set in motion. It seems an individual here and there catch the vision to see God work a miracle.

We should not draw the false conclusion that because we in the West are spiritually self-satisfied and can get our healing needs met without God, miracles have ceased. People in the developing world would laugh at that over-reaching conclusion.

The trend line that flows out of the heart of God is that God continues with his miraculous power.

IV.. Reflections

A.. Postmodernism is shortsighted.

First, let’s tackle a deficient worldview. Just because modern men and women do not witness such miracles does not mean that they do not happen. Postmodernists need to investigate before passing negative judgment. The age of science does not slam the door shut on miracles; in fact, technology can be used to verify them to the satisfaction of reasonable observers, not hyper-skeptical ones who are too eager to discredit them as miniature Bermuda triangles or as images of Jesus appearing in tortillas.

B.. Healing is available.

Now let’s get into the Scriptures. If you really need healing, seek God and his church for help. You can experience miracles today. They really do happen. Someone with completely non-functioning eyes can see after prayer in Jesus’ name.

C.. What to look for and not look for.

Don’t look for signs in the sky or nature miracles with no benefit of helping people in down-to-earth ways. Jesus replied that the only sign that the religious leaders and the people would get is his resurrection, the sign of Jonah (also see John 2:18-19).

D.. New Testament signs and wonders

Signs and wonders in the New Testament boiled down to healings and deliverances. Signs in the sky, like falling gold dust inside or outside a church or feathers appearing (seemingly) out of nowhere, go too far off from Scripture, even if it is filmed, especially if it is filmed.

E.. The gospel is confirmed.

When the miracles in the four Gospels happened, the gospel was confirmed. It is the (bodily) resurrected Jesus Christ whom I encounter in my human existence, through the Spirit of the living God. He shapes and gives my existence purpose—a divine, existential act that is missing in people today, who drift around like icebergs, cold and isolated.

F.. God can work through a yielded Christian.

A great truth that can change your life: God today can work the same mighty deeds and signs and wonders—through you, based on Acts 1:8 and 2:1-4 and John 14:12 and 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. We must receive his Spirit-immersion and Spirit-empowerment. This is not to say that we have his fully divine attributes (not even close!), but he does give us the Holy Spirit in fire (purification) and power, so he through us can do those things. And this is not to say that we also are anointed without limits, though Jesus was (John 3:34).

However, we do share in his Spirit-empowerment, though not as powerfully, because Jesus is the Spirit-baptizer-immerser (John 1:33; Acts 2:33). Jesus in his humanity and his anointing can now relate to his followers, who also need to receive the Spirit’s power, so they can minster effectively and carry on those wonderful works. Itis a joint effort and cooperation—God and human—with God working the miracle through us.

RELATED

 

LONGER POST

17 Miracles, Evidence, and Faith

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Works Cited