Faith and Miracles: Tribute to Kenneth E. Hagin
(week 38/03)
Olubi Johnson
John 4:46-53(KJV): So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
Here we see the Lord Jesus discouraging looking for miracles and encouraging believing God’s Word before seeing miracles.
The reason for this is that miracles in themselves alone do not give faith.
If seeing miracles gave faith then the children of Israel that God by the hand of Moses brought out to Egypt would have had great faith.
Rather we see them doubting again and again even after seeing such great miracles as the plagues of Egypt, the dividing of the Red Sea, water gushing out of a rock and many others.
It is therefore clear from their experience that faith does not come by seeing even the most spectacular miracles.
The reason why is because faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans. 10.17).
If miracles do not give faith, then what is the connection between faith and miracles and why does God do miracles?
Faith comes by hearing the Word and then miracles confirm the Word that has been believed, like the Nobleman in John 4.50 quoted above.
Here, the man believed the Word that Jesus spoke and so had faith without seeing the miracle; the miracle of the healing of his son now confirmed the Word that Jesus spoke causing the faith which he already had before the miracle to become established.
This confirmation of the Word, by God’s supernatural intervention (which is simply what a miracle is) causes the faith we have to become established.
So faith comes by hearing the Word but faith is established by the miracles (sometimes spectacular, sometimes not so spectacular but nonetheless supernatural) that confirm the Word of faith that is believed.
This is why the Apostolic anointing, with its attendant miracles that confirm the Word (Isaiah 44.26) of wisdom that the Apostle teaches, when acted upon in faith, causes the Christian to become established (Romans 1.11) in the faith, particularly in the area of the specific message that the Apostle was sent to preach and teach.
In this regard, we would like to acknowledge, appreciate and honour, the ministry of Papa Kenneth E. Hagin who went home to be with the Lord on Friday 19th September 2003.
He was sent with the message of faith to our generation. If you acted upon the Word of God Kenneth Hagin taught, in faith, it would produce miracles in your life and experience that would cause you to become established in living by faith.
That is our testimony and the testimony of millions of Christians that had the privilege of sitting under Kenneth Hagin’s ministry: faith in God’s Word without seeing anything produces miracles you can see that establish you in living by faith.
