Leaving Beyond – Grounded In Scripture

If everything is a miracle then nothing is a miracle.

This is not an exhaustive treatment or even an attempt to cover all the abuses or unintentional ways that these words are misused. It is meant to be a helpful resource that provides definitions of these words, Biblical examples of how they are correctly used, and briefly describes how they may be unintentionally misused or intentionally misused to deceive. It is meant to encourage the reader to recognize why even the unintentional overuse of these words may cheapen the real work of God who does still miraculously heal today and who does still perform miracles today. This is meant to be a helpful resource to both encourage the correct use of these terms and to recognize their unintentional misuses as well as intentional abuses.

The greatest miracle today is when God works to regenerate those dead in sin and makes them new creatures in Christ Jesus.

Defining our terms:

Miracle: an extraordinary work performed by the immediate power of God in the external perceivable world, which is an act against nature that only God can do; an event that involves the direct and powerful action of God, transcending the ordinary laws of nature and defying common expectations of behavior.

Providence: refers to the divine guidance and care that God exercises over His creation. It encompasses God’s sovereign will and His active involvement in the world, ensuring that His purposes are fulfilled.

Power Of Suggestion: the concept that what we expect or are led to believe can significantly impact our actions and responses, even if the suggestion is not explicitly stated.

Placebo Effect: a phenomenon where a person’s physical or mental health improves after receiving a treatment (like a sugar pill or saline injection) that they believe is effective, even if it has no actual therapeutic benefit, due to their expectations and beliefs

Faith: complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Intellectual assent and trust: believing something to be true and relying on the fact that the something is true.

Doctrine: a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, political party, or other group

“God’s providence is one of the most comforting truths revealed in Scripture. It reminds the believer that the loving Father revealed in the Bible knows all about our every need and fear even better than we do. And because He is Lord, He can meet all our needs and assuage all our fears. (Phil. 4:19). ~ Ligonier Ministries, Providence Defined

Why is it important that we are working with correct definitions and that we are sitting under sound doctrine?

If we are working with incorrect definitions (e.g. miracles) and are learning false doctrines (e.g. it is always God’s will to heal) that create expectations for unbiblical experiences (e.g. we should be experiencing miracles all the time) then we have faith – complete trust – but it is misplaced and we are open to suggestion (e.g. “Don’t you feel that; God is healing you right now, can’t you feel it”) that leads us to have real temporary experiences that affirm false teachers. When the high wears off, so often does the “healing” and these need another rush of adrenaline, another high, another experience to maintain it.

“If a miracle is a ‘supernatural, extraordinary event that diverges from observed natural processes,’ then I can’t think of a time that I’ve seen a clear example of one. That’s not to say that God can’t work miracles today or that he doesn’t. Thats’ not to say he hasn’t worked around and about me in extraordinary ways. It’s simply to say that I can’t look at a particular event in my life and say, ‘That was a miracle.’

And if I’m honest, this doesn’t bother me in the least. It doesn’t bother me in the least because on many occasions I’ve witnessed something I count equally significant or perhaps even more so: I have witnessed the evidence and the intricacy and the perfect timing of God’s providence. I have witnessed how God has carefully arranged circumstances so that events unfolded in a way that proved his detailed involvement in the affairs of man. ……..

The reason I share this is that I know of many Christians who crave miracles and who long to see one. They long to see a miracle because they are convinced it will buoy their faith and confidence in God. And while the Bible does not forbid us from longing for miracles, neither does it instruct us to. It makes no promises that we will witness one and does not associate the presence of strength of our faith with them. (If anything, it does the opposite.) But wouldn’t it be tragic if we spent our lives searching for miracles while overlooking providence? Wouldn’t it be tragic if God was working wondrously in us, and for us, and through us, and around us—and we missed it because he chose not to work miraculously? …….

For while God occasionally displays his glory through miracles, he far more commonly displays it through the beauty of providence.” Tim Challies, What I Long for More than Miracles

Why We Need To Be Careful With How We Use Biblical Terms

False teachers use biblical language but are often working with different definitions. You may be using the same language but you do not mean the same thing. False teachers invent new doctrines foreign to the meaning of the text and teach it as true and present themselves as credible and trustworthy. They promise what you desire: health, wealth, success. (I will deal with this more in my next blog)

False faith healers teach that you must affirm immediately that you have experienced a miraculous healing. Not to do so, they say, is a lack of faith. What you are actually doing is affirming a false faith healer and endorsing their false teachings and false claims to be able to heal while robbing God of His glory. We must be slow to affirm and quick to test all things Biblically. Let them falsely accuse you of lack of faith for being Biblically discerning and making sure that what is being said and done is of God.

False faith healers steal God’s glory. Hold their feet to the fire; don’t let them pressure you into agreeing with what is false. When God heals, He does so instantaneously and there is no question that a miracle has been done. Even critics affirm a miracle has taken place.

When we overuse words like “miracle” we make the word meaningless and we rob God of His glory.

Examples of the misuses of Miracle: Intentional and Unintentional

Unintentional: “I was on my way home and a truck swerved in my lane and at the last second it swerved back into their lane. It was a miracle I didn’t die.” This is not a miracle; this is God’s providence.

Unintentional: “I was struggling with how to pay my bills and prayed that God would help me because it seemed impossible; I was about to lose everything. Then, the next day at work, our boss surprised us all with bonuses sufficient to cover my past debt. It was a miracle.” That is not a miracle; it is God’s providence.

Intentional: (Example of conversation between false faith healer and desperate people) “Come here. What is wrong with you dear?” “I suffer from migraines and they interfere with my daily life.” “Do you believe God is going to heal you today of these migraines?” “I do.” “Now you just stand right there. Oh, the power of God is all over you. Can you feel that? God is healing you right now? Do you believe it?” “I think I feel something.” “Don’t you doubt. You must believe. Can you feel the power of God on you?” “I feel it. God is healing me.”

Notice the power of suggestion. This is not a miraculous healing. This is a psychosomatic healing produced by the power of suggestion and an environment created to cut off critical and biblical thinking and to produce a euphoric temporal high. When they leave that environment, most, within 24 hours to one week, have their symptoms return.

God doesn’t use nor does He need manipulative tactics to heal; He heals and He does so such as none can deny it. False faith healers depend on manipulative tactics and prey on the desperate.

Biblical Examples of Miracles and Miraculous Healing

“And ordering the crowds to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food. And breaking the loaves, He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. And there were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.” Matthew 14:19-21 LSB

“And behold, there was a woman who for eighteen years had a sickness caused by a spirit, and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. But when Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, ‘Woman, you are freed from your sickness.’ And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God.” Luke 13:11-13 LSB

“And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’ But the crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, saying, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!’ And Jesus stopped and called them, and said ,’What do you want Me to do for you?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, that our eyes may be opened.’ And moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.” Matthew 20:29-34

Contrast what we see in Scripture at the hands of the Apostles and of Jesus with what is claimed today to be “miracles” or “miraculous healing”.

Final Thoughts

Be careful to test all things Biblically but do so orderly and as pleases the Lord.

Be mindful that false faith healers and those influenced by false teachings (e.g. Word-Faith) have doctrines that leave the people unable to test them. If you apply these tests above (working with correct definitions and going to Scripture to test the doctrines and examples of real miracles) and find that what they are calling a miraculous healing or miracle is nothing more than psychosomatic healing, they have doctrines to insulate the false faith healer. They falsely teach that you cannot claim your sickness (i.e. Admit it didn’t work) because to do so is a lack of faith. They teach that by your words you can lose your healing so you must claim it until it manifests. This insulates the false faith healer from correction, and rebuke while leaving many believing something is wrong with their faith.

Remember when testing these claims to do so with grace as many are deceived. Take them to Scripture and pray that God enables them to see the truth. Pray for them.

Remember that many do not intend to mislead by their incorrect use of these words. It looks more like someone who has prayed for healing and they are grateful to God that they are recovering from a long-fought battle with a serious illness and says, “God miraculously healed me”. Their intentions are often good and they want to praise God as they should. What is God’s providence and His sanctifying them in their suffering, they may call a “miracle” or “miraculous healing”. It is the kindness of God in His providence that they have progressively recovered and won the battle. They are right to praise God. Their terminology is wrong but their heart is to praise God. We should not discourage that. We need to do better at defining terms Biblically, exposing false doctrines that infiltrate even otherwise doctrinally sound churches, and not be ashamed to go to the texts that allow us to glory in God for what is truly miraculous. Not every circumstance requires our Biblical correction. Use wisdom. Be patient and understanding.

Grace and Peace

Soli Deo Gloria

April J. Buchanan

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Find you a local church that exposits God’s Word that has a plurality of Biblically qualified elders, that practices church membership and church discipline according to God’s Word and where sound doctrine is not only taught but demonstrated in the life of the believers. Join it!

For more resources: Costi Hinn @ For The Gospel, Justin Peter’s Ministries, Dan and Robin Long @ LongForTruth1, Steve and Paulette Kozar @ The Messed Up Church, Chris Rosebrough @ Fighting For The Faith, John MacArthur book Strange Fire, Download the American Gospel TV (AGTV) app, GotQuestions.org