Week 23, Jun 2007 | Faith and Miracles

Faith and Miracles
(week 23/07)
Olubi Johnson

Many Christians think that if they saw spectacular miracles it would give them faith.

However, this is not true because the children of Israel saw great spectacular miracles in Egypt, at the Red Sea and in the wilderness and yet the majority did not have faith, but perished in the wilderness because of unbelief:

Hebrews 3:16-4:2 (NKJV):  16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. 4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word, which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

Jesus himself taught us to believe before we see and not try to get faith by seeing miracles:

John 4:46-53 (NIV):  46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 48 “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” 49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.” 53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and all his household believed.

John 20:29 (NIV): Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

If miracles do not give faith, how then do we get faith?

By the revelation of the written Word of God in our hearts.

Romans 10:17 (NKJV): 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

2 Corintians4:6 (NIV): For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

What then is the use of miracles?

Miracles establish or strengthen the faith that is already there through the Word.

Miracles are important because they strengthen and cause your faith to grow: even though they do not give faith.

How does this work in practice?

Faith comes into your heart through the Word. When you act on the Word that faith produces a miracle.

The miracle causes you to be established in the integrity of God’s Word, causing you to seek God’s Word more and so get more faith and then more miracles and then more faith and then more miracles and so on.

So the miracles cause your faith to be established and motivate you to get more faith through the Word so increasing your faith.

This is why faith without works, that will produce miracles: physical manifestation of what God has promised, is dead or unproductive.

Faith with works will produce results that will in turn reproduce more faith!

It is for this reason we need the apostolic anointing that causes spectacular miracles to confirm the preaching and teaching of God’s Word and so cause the saints to be established:

2 Corinthians 12:12 (NKJV): Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

Romans 1:10-11 (NKJV): For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established