Presented February 7, 2010 Study of God
How Does God Work Today?
a.
There are
many different views of this.
Perhaps the reason this is so is because however God works, you
cannot naturally verify His work with our five senses.
We subjectively look at our lives
and see His work in us (or lack thereof).
b.
Some of
the possibilities include:
i.
God
just wound up the world and let it go.
Such believe He has never (or extremely rarely) interacted in this
world. Theistic evolutionists could fit into this category.
ii.
God
interacts today miraculously
iii.
He
works providentially even today
iv.
He
does nothing in the physical realm today
– Unlike the first option these believe the Bible accounts and even
believe in the miracles of the Bible, and Jesus coming for the
forgiveness of our sins.
However, since God has completed His work (including revelation), He is
totally hands off with the progress of the world, except for spiritual
matters such as forgiving your sins.
a.
What is a
miracle?
i.
“ a
miracle is a sensible fact (opus sensibile) produced by the special
intervention of God for a religious end, transcending the normal order
of things usually termed the Law of Nature.”[1]
ii.
Simply
stated, a miracle is the setting aside of natural laws to accomplish a
task. ONLY God has the power
to do this.
iii.
Abuses of
the definition – people today call things miracles that are not –
amazing natural processes (such as birth), positive response to natural
acts (such as an operation or medicine), good luck or coincidence (such
as getting a job or a parking spot when you need it), a rare occurrence,
etc.
b.
Have
miracles ceased? Yes!
i.
To
answer this we must understand what the purpose of miracles was.
The purpose of miracles was to confirm that the message preached was
from God. This was
necessary because there had to be a way to distinguish between false
prophets & gods and the ONE true God & His word.
Consider
Mark 16:20 where Jesus gave authority to the apostles to
perform miracle after He ascended.
IT reads, “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord
working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying
signs. Amen.”
Hebrews 2:2–4,
“For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every
transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we
escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to
be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various
miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”
Matthew 9:1-4
records an event where Jesus forgave the sins of a paralytic.
This gained the attention of Jewish leaders who were present.
When they were critical because He acted as only God could
(forgiving sins), Jesus said, “But
Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your
hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to
say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive
sins”—then He said to the
paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
See also John 20:30-31, these are written, “that you may believe…”
ii.
We are told they would cease
-
1 Corinthians 13:8-10
where Paul speaks of the way of love.
He notes that prophecies, tongues and miraculous knowledge would
vanish away.
Furthermore, you find the ability to perform miracles required either
direct intervention from the Holy Spirit or the laying on of the
apostle’s hands.
There are only 2 instances in the New Testament of the falling of the
Holy Spirit upon people (i.e. baptism of the Holy Spirit).
First there was the Apostles (Acts 2:1-4) and then the household
of Cornelius (Acts 10:44-48).
Both were special occasions intended to verify prophecies about
establishment of the kingdom.
The other way that the ability to perform miracles was made possible was
through the laying on of the apostle’s hands – Acts 8:14-19.
Those to whom the apostles laid their hands upon could perform
various miracles, but they could NOT impart that ability on others.
THEREFORE, when that generation died out, so did miracles.
iii.
Why they are not needed today
The cessation of
miracles corresponds with their need being completed.
1 Cor. 13:8-10 again
emphasizes that a time would come when miracles would cease.
That time was, “when that
which is perfect has come…”
That which is perfect has reference to God’s word – James 1:25.
2 Peter 1:19 says, “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed
as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the
morning star rises in your hearts;”
His word is ALL we need – 2 Tim. 3:16,17; Rom. 1:16, etc.
And this makes logical sense
– when the word was completed, there was no need for further validation.
We have the perfected word which we need to study - 2 Tim. 2:15.
So-called miracle workers and prophets today often contradict one
another. How can we know WHO
is telling the truth? We
appeal to an OBJECTIVE standard – God’s completed word (1 John 4:1).
If what one says contradict His word – it is NOT His word.
In summary, WE DON’T NEED MIRACLES!
c.
Conclusion: God does NOT work miraculously today. It is not that He does
not have the power to perform them, but He does NOT need to.
However that doesn’t mean He
cannot or does not work today.
a.
What is
providence?
i.
“The
foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the
earth.” (Random House Dictionary,
www.dictionary.com)
ii.
Simply
stated, providence is God working to accomplish a task THROUGH natural
means. A key element of
providence is that because it is accomplished THROUGH natural means you
cannot specifically attribute it to God as it occurs (i.e. it could be
coincidence, etc.)
iii.
Providence
too is abused as some attribute every thing they do in this life as
being the result of God’s intervention.
b.
Providence
is best demonstrated with Biblical examples:
i.
Joseph
– was sold into slavery by his brothers which in time results in him
being exalted so that his family would have a place to reside outside of
Canaan which God desired.
His mistreatment by his brethren, being put in prison and various
other acts in time made this possible.
Joseph expressed it best in Genesis 50:20, “But
as for you, you meant evil against me; but
God meant it for good, in order
to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
ii.
Esther
– the book of Esther is about the
deliverance of Israel from destruction at the hands of the Medo-Persian
Empire. A remarkable fact
about this book is that it never mentions God by name, yet you cannot
read a page of the book without seeing His presence and work.
The book describes a long and complex series of events that
results in Israel’s deliverance.
Consider
Esther 4:14, where Mordecai is encouraging Esther to appear
before the king on behalf of here people.
He says to her, “For if you
remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise
for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will
perish. Yet who knows whether you
have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
iii.
Philemon
– this short book is about an escaped slave, Onesimus, who finds Paul in
Rome and is converted to Christ.
Because he is a law breaker, Paul sent him back to his master,
Philemon with a letter pleading on the slave’s behalf.
In the letter Paul presents a possibility as to why these things
happened. “For
perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive
him forever”
Philemon 15
iv.
Let it be
known that if God’s will is accomplished THROUGH natural means, it STILL
demonstrates His power. He
is all powerful, all seeing and all knowing.
c.
Has providence ceased?
i.
It is
my conviction that God still works providentially today.
I base this on the number of passages that speak of God working
in our lives today.
ii.
For
example:
1.
1
Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God
is faithful, who will not allow
you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation
will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it.”
2.
James 1:5, “If
anyone lacks wisdom let him ask
of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will
be given to him.”
3.
Matthew 6:25-33, speaks of
not worrying and how God will take care of His people, if we seek first
the kingdom of God.
4. 2 Corinthians 9:8–11, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.”
5. 2 Peter 2:9, “ then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment“
6.
These are
just a few of the many passages that provide promise for His people.
d.
Conclusion: God CAN
accomplish His will without miracles.
And if and as He does intervene providentially we can go to Him
in prayer with our needs (James 5:13, 16; 1 Peter 1:12; etc.).
a.
What
about those who believe He does nothing in this life?
i.
It is
argued by some that God ONLY works through His word.
In other words, the only help we will receive from Him is
guidance through study. Our
prayers are limited to asking forgiveness for our sins and praising Him.
ii.
While
study is certainly necessary and a guiding force in how the Spirit
influences us today (i.e. He is not going to teach us anything apart
from His word), that does not necessarily mean that God does nothing to
help us.
iii.
If God is
“hands off”, why pray for anything in this life? Some who believe this
think you should NOT pray for His help with anything physical, including
strength in dealing with temptations, etc.
iv.
One reason
I have difficulty with this concept is because of evil in this world.
If God does not have influence then neither does Satan (because
God is greater than Satan – 1 John 4:4, John 10:28-30, Eph. 2:1-5).
We all know that temptation is very real and scripture
attributes temptation to Satan (cf. Matt. 6:13, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”;
1 Thess. 3:5, “For this reason,
when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by
some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.”
1 Cor. 7:5, “Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time that you may
give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that
Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” Now,
if we do not inherit the sinful nature of Adam, why do we sin as we do?
b.
CAUTION: While saying
this, I do not wish to leave the impression that God has a hand in every
little thing that happens.
i.
We
can overreact in favor of His providence
just as some overreact against it.
In preparing this, one author noted that we ought to be
careful before we read between the lines.
ii.
We
have no right to expect personal favoritism from Him.
iii.
His
laws apply to all.
The sun shines on the good and evil alike (Matt. 5:45).
In this life we see plenty of what we might call inequities.
Evil men are going to prosper and good men are going to suffer,
sometimes unjustly. That
does NOT mean God doesn’t care and He cannot do anything.
The simple truth is we don’t understand His will in any given
circumstance. But He is in
control and will accomplish His will (Rom. 8:28).
DON’T QUESTION HIM!
iv.
Don’t expect Him to micromanage your life
and give you something to the neglect of others.
Being a Christian is not about you getting your way!
It is about serving others.
Don’t expect Him to do what you can do for yourself.
BUT if you do what you can, He can do for you what you can’t.
v.
You
still have free will – He
will NOT force you to do anything.
My conclusion: I
believe He works providentially, however
He does NOT intervene in our lives to the degree some think.
However, no matter what happens let us trust Him and give Him
glory! Like Paul in
Philippians 1:21-26 (Paul’s dilemma) and
2 Cor. 12:7-10 (Paul’s
thorn in the flesh).
[1] Cross, F. L., & Livingstone, E. A. (2005). The Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd ed. rev.) (1098). Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.