Miracle Workers.
A person made the following comment on one of
my posts, from his comment I conclude he is of the opinion that the
faith men mentioned in the Bible reference he mentions below are there
because of what they did.
Below is the direct quote;
“We can read the great Faith chapter of Bible Hebrews chapter 11 and see what faith can accomplish. Ask yourself the question if you were back in Bible days would
Below is the direct quote;
“We can read the great Faith chapter of Bible Hebrews chapter 11 and see what faith can accomplish. Ask yourself the question if you were back in Bible days would
you have done enough to be included in this chapter.”
This thinking is an example of the emphasis that is put on "works" as gaining God's acceptance and favor. If you don't do enough works you are not included in the "faith" chapter nor a great man of God.
It seems to me that he is under the delusion that the people that are worthy of inclusion in the “faith chapter” had a greater faith than those who did not get their name mentioned there…and those that are there are there because of the great miracles they did. Well, what about Stephen, Peter, Paul, John and, oh yes...Jesus Himself, they were not mentioned in that chapter, does that mean they were not men of faith?
By reading the chapter we find out that it is not so much about what they did that they are recorded as men of faith, it is because their faith is more in the person (God) who instructed them. Their faith was in God, not themselves or their ability as great miracle workers.
Let’s look at a man that Jesus said was the greatest prophet…greater than Moses, greater than Elijah. both of whom are mentioned in the “faith” chapter of the Bible. If miracles are the proof of men having great faith, yet John the Baptist, who did not do any miracles, was called by Jesus as the greatest, what made him the greatest?
Was it that John had a greater insight of Jesus than any of the men mentioned in Hebrews 11? In John 3:30, the Baptist is recorded as saying “He must increase, but I must decrease” and in his statement is the “doctrine of all things”. If the person who I quote above understood this he would not be so hung up on miracle workers as great men of faith and see Jesus as the great FAITH MIRACLE WORKER.
John in these few words saw Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose that is still veiled to people who maintain that miracles are the proof positive of great men of faith. May I remind the gentleman that many will say in that day….”we have done miracles in your name…we have cast out devils in your name”…yet will hear the words, “depart from me, I never knew you”.
John made that all inclusive statement to his disciples because they were complaining that Jesus was gathering a following that was larger than John’s. I am surmising that the person who commented would take the words of John literally and simply interpret them in the context of John’s deference to Jesus
However, in applying the statement personally to ourselves, it takes on a prophetic significance. We will know that Jesus must increase, but I must decrease, this gives the picture that it is HIS WORK that gives them the distinction given them in the Hebrews 11 account. Now, I ask you, is that the attitude of the so-called miracle workers out there?
It is possible to be a miracle worker without knowing the MIRACLE WORKER! If that is the case with us, we are living in the same deception as the miracle workers themselves.
Jesus is Who our focus is to be on, Jesus is our Standard, Jesus is our Source, Jesus is our righteousness, Jesus is the Miracle Worker and in anything that we do Jesus must INCREASE, we must decrease, for in actuality, it is JESUS doing the works through us!
If in the working of miracles we are increasing our image, our ministry, our popularity, our following, our greatness, our pocket book, it is time to question our source!
This thinking is an example of the emphasis that is put on "works" as gaining God's acceptance and favor. If you don't do enough works you are not included in the "faith" chapter nor a great man of God.
It seems to me that he is under the delusion that the people that are worthy of inclusion in the “faith chapter” had a greater faith than those who did not get their name mentioned there…and those that are there are there because of the great miracles they did. Well, what about Stephen, Peter, Paul, John and, oh yes...Jesus Himself, they were not mentioned in that chapter, does that mean they were not men of faith?
By reading the chapter we find out that it is not so much about what they did that they are recorded as men of faith, it is because their faith is more in the person (God) who instructed them. Their faith was in God, not themselves or their ability as great miracle workers.
Let’s look at a man that Jesus said was the greatest prophet…greater than Moses, greater than Elijah. both of whom are mentioned in the “faith” chapter of the Bible. If miracles are the proof of men having great faith, yet John the Baptist, who did not do any miracles, was called by Jesus as the greatest, what made him the greatest?
Was it that John had a greater insight of Jesus than any of the men mentioned in Hebrews 11? In John 3:30, the Baptist is recorded as saying “He must increase, but I must decrease” and in his statement is the “doctrine of all things”. If the person who I quote above understood this he would not be so hung up on miracle workers as great men of faith and see Jesus as the great FAITH MIRACLE WORKER.
John in these few words saw Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose that is still veiled to people who maintain that miracles are the proof positive of great men of faith. May I remind the gentleman that many will say in that day….”we have done miracles in your name…we have cast out devils in your name”…yet will hear the words, “depart from me, I never knew you”.
John made that all inclusive statement to his disciples because they were complaining that Jesus was gathering a following that was larger than John’s. I am surmising that the person who commented would take the words of John literally and simply interpret them in the context of John’s deference to Jesus
However, in applying the statement personally to ourselves, it takes on a prophetic significance. We will know that Jesus must increase, but I must decrease, this gives the picture that it is HIS WORK that gives them the distinction given them in the Hebrews 11 account. Now, I ask you, is that the attitude of the so-called miracle workers out there?
It is possible to be a miracle worker without knowing the MIRACLE WORKER! If that is the case with us, we are living in the same deception as the miracle workers themselves.
Jesus is Who our focus is to be on, Jesus is our Standard, Jesus is our Source, Jesus is our righteousness, Jesus is the Miracle Worker and in anything that we do Jesus must INCREASE, we must decrease, for in actuality, it is JESUS doing the works through us!
If in the working of miracles we are increasing our image, our ministry, our popularity, our following, our greatness, our pocket book, it is time to question our source!
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