Miracles cannot serve as our ultimate authority, the basis
of what we believe, since Satan can also perform miracles:
·
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity
of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked
deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth
and so be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:9–10; Revelation 13:14)
·
For false christs and false prophets will arise
and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even
the elect. (Matthew 24:24; 1 John 5:19; 2 Timothy 2:24-26)
·
…Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So
it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of
righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. (2 Corinthians
11:14–15)
The power of suggestion and deception can also produce
miracle-like signs. Israel had been warned against allowing signs and wonders
to reign over the Word of God:
·
“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises
among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he
tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which
you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words
of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing
you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with
all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his
commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. But
that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has
taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of
Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way
in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil
from your midst. (Deuteronomy 13:1–5)
Even if someone performs miracles and claims to be God’s
prophet, his prophecies must always accurately predict what will
happen:
·
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in
my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of
other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How
may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in
the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a
word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously.
You need not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:20–22)
However, Bill Johnson, lead pastor of Bethel Church and
“apostle,” wrote that this no longer applies:
·
Many think that a false prophet is uncovered
when a prophetic word is inaccurate, but that is not necessarily true. Study
the prophecies of Agabus in the book of Acts. He was a true prophet of God, as
acknowledged by the Holy Spirit, but not all the details of his word to Paul
were accurate.” (Johnson, Bill. Experience the Impossible: Simple Ways to
Unleash Heaven’s Power on Earth, Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition, p.
40).
However, many have studied the prophecies of Agabus without finding
error. In contrast to Johnson, we are taught to abide in the Word of God above
all else. Therefore, it is unthinkable that a so-called prophet of God might ever
be mistaken. Instead, the Word of God must be completely authoritative. It must
judge all “truth” claims:
·
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the
flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and
every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought
captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4–5)
·
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in
my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These
things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may
be full. (John 15:10–11; 14:21-24)
·
But [Jesus] answered, “It is written, “‘Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of
God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4; 5:17-19; 1 Corinthians 4:6: Isaiah 8:19-20)
If Jesus lived by every Word of the Father—the Scriptures—so
must we! However, many deceivers are today indirectly claiming that their signs,
wonders, and prophecies should be regarded as more authoritative than the
Scriptures. Johnson proclaimed:
·
We owe the world the miraculous because, in many
ways, it is the clearest illustration of God’s love for humanity.
Instead, the Scriptures declare that the clearest
illustration of God’s love is the Cross of Christ:
·
but God shows his love for us in that while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been
justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of
God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his
Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans
5:8–10; John 12:23-25)
Johnson justifies his teaching by the alleged results—the number
of conversions and miracles:
·
The numbers of conversions in this hour are
staggering. The sheer numbers of people being raised from the dead are beyond
comprehension. Church planting is at an all-time high. The transformation of
cities and nations is climbing rapidly. The leaders of nations and industries
are turning to Jesus in record numbers. (Johnson, Bill. Experience the
Impossible: Simple Ways to Unleash Heaven’s Power on Earth, Baker
Publishing Group. Kindle Edition, p. 80)
However, Johnson may be correct about the great number of “conversions,”
but converted to what? Besides, his reports of signs and wonders should not
override the Word of God! Meanwhile, pastors of the New Apostolic
Reformation declare that churches that are not characterized by miracles
are practicing a dead pharisaic Christianity. However, others will regard them as
“patiently waiting in faith”:
And after you have
suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his
eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and
establish you. (1 Peter 5:10)
4 comments:
I appreciate the depth and clarity of your writing. Jesus spoke of a great falling away. Bill Johnson is intent on a 'billion man revival'. As nice as that would be, I still am going to go with Jesus.
Miracles in my life that were consistently in accordance with the Scriptures have been an important set of experiences over many years. I believe that The Lord did such things for me to keep my faith; in Him, and His Word, and His Church, secure.
NJP, I too have experienced many miracles. However, I haven't experienced the dramatic kind for 37 years. I too believe that they had subsided because our Lord now expects me to walk by faith and not by sight.
Anonymous, Yes, we need to stick with Jesus according to His Word.
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