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Do we believe in miracles? Yes
Can God do miracles in our lives? Yes
Does it mean necessarily that if a miracle happened to us that we are saved by that or we will definitely go to heaven because of that? NO!
Do we have to be saved or be a Christian for God to do a miracle in our lives? NO!
How is a person saved according to the Bible? 5 steps for salvation
1. Hear the word of God
Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
2. Believe Jesus is the only way, he is the only savior
John 3:16-18
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
3. Repent of your sins, after confessing them
Luke 13:5
(Luke 13:5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
4.Confess that Jesus is your Lord – acknowledge that he is the Lord of your life before witnesses
Romans 10:9
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
5.Get baptized as a disciple for the forgiveness of your sins[ at this point you are saved]
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Acts 2:38
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For example let us take a look at the steps of Paul’s conversion:
Acts 22:1-16
1 "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense."
2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said:
3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,
5 as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'
8 "'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied.
9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
10 "'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. "'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.'
11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
12 "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.
13 He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him.
14 "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.
15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'
1. He was a persecutor / a sinner – Not saved, because sins not yet forgiven
2. He saw Jesus Christ – Not yet saved, because sins not yet forgiven
3. Believed in Jesus Christ – Not yet saved, because sins not yet forgiven
4. Miracle happened [he was able to see after his short-term blindness] –not yet saved, because sins not yet forgiven
5. Then he got baptized to wash away his sins [v 16] – at this point he was saved, as his sins were wiped away or forgiven.
What we see very clearly is that the miracle of seeing Jesus and getting healed did not bring salvation to Paul. Only after his repentance and Baptism his sins were forgiven and he was saved.
In the Old Testament miracles happened to and through people. But it did not prove their salvation.
For example in 1 Sam 19:23 we see Saul prophesying when the Spirit fell of him, yet
1 Samuel 16:14
Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.
We read in 1 Sam 16:14 that the Spirit had already left Saul.
What was the main purpose of miracles in the Bible? WE will learn that in today’s lesson.
PURPOSE OF MIRACLES MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE
We believe the main reason for miracles in the Bible was mainly to confirm the spoken word of God and not to confirm the written word.
For example: In the OT
1. Moses
Exodus 4:5
“This,” said the LORD, “is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God
of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
The reason for the miracle was for people to believe that God sent Moses, so they would listen to him.
2. Elijah
1 Kings 17:24
Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.”
This is what the woman said after Elijah raised her son from the dead. The main backing people had was the miracles they could perform to confirm their spoken word.
In the New Testament
1. Mark 16:20
Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
2. Acts 14:3
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do
miraculous signs and wonders.
3. Hebrews 2:3
how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
4. Hebrews 2:4
God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
2 Corinthians 12:12
The things that mark an apostle--signs, wonders and miracles--were done among you with great perseverance.
So we see from the above scriptures that Miracles were mainly used to confirm the Spoken Word.
Confirmation of the Word of God has already taken place. We don’t need any further confirmation to believe in the written word of God. Even miraculous gifts were given to confirm the Spoken word.
SO do we need miracles today to believe in the Word? {the written Word} – No
John 20:30-31
30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.
31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
The reason the miracles are written in the Bible is that we may believe in Jesus. We have the written word to believe.
But people say we need miracles to have faith in Jesus! What does the Bible say about that?
Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
It says that faith comes from hearing the [written] word of God-the Bible. To get faith we just need to read the Bible and we don’t need any miracles.
The parable of Richman and Lazarus What did Jesus say in the parable of the Richman & Lazarus, about miracles.
The rich man demanded a miracle of sending Lazarus back to earth to convince his brothers to change.
What did Jesus say for that in Luke 16:29
Luke 16:29
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
[It simply means that, they have the Bible, that is enough for people to believe and repent]
Luke 16:30
‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
[But he insisted for a miracle]
Luke 16:31
He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’
[Jesus said if they don’t listen to Moses & the prophets [the Bible], they won’t be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!
The greatest miracle has already happened, the miracle of resurrection.
No so-called miracle worker can perform this feat now that Jesus already did 2000 years ago.
We just need to believe in this miracle of resurrection written in the Bible to have faith.
Miracles does it prove we are saved?
Matthew 7:21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
The above people claimed to do miracles that too in Jesus name, yet they were not saved.
Miracles don’t prove our salvation!
But God can do a miracle in your life today, just to tell you that he cares and that you need to start looking for him and the truth about him.
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