When I first came to know the Lord Jesus Christ I did so through a movement which did not believe in the present day continuation of ’sign’ gifts such as tongues, healings, exorcisms and workings of miracles (1 Cor 12-14). Through my reading of scripture I could see no real evidence that the N.T writers expected the miraculous gifts to pass away. Alongside this observation was a deep conviction that such a view of the scriptures did not reflect the all powerful God of whom  the scriptures clearly speak. For this reason I found myself more at home in the pentecostal and charismatic communities.

However, if those who believe that the gifts have ceased, do so on a faulty premise, many charismatics have created an equally (if not a greater) faulty view of God, the gospel and the gifts. What is this faulty view that I speak of? The faulty view is this;

The gospel needs to be accompanied by signs in wonders in order

1. For people to believe

2. To be revealed as powerful

3. To validate the fact that it is truly from God

This belief system, apart from being false creates problems for charismatics and the wider Christian community. There are three main problems that this type of thinking creates.

  • It creates a faulty notion of God. God does not need to perform miracles inorder to get people to believe in Him. He is the one who draws people to himself and he is the one who opens the eyes of the sinner in the first instance. God does not need to use miracles as signs inorder to get people to believe because God does not need to do anything. He is completely sovereign in his dealings with humanity
  • It gives people the impression that the gospel is insuffiscient unless accompanied by signs and wonders. This is a terrible deception which undermines the power of the preaching of the cross, the Glory of God and the sufficiency of the completed work of Christ. In this regards those who promote this view within the church may actually find themselves at odds with God!
  • It creates an unhealthy obsession with signs and wonders, leads to unrealistic expectations, exaggerated claims of miracles and a culture of delusion and deception. People look for answers in the altar call, the prayer line, the prophetic word or some inner experience. Forever seeking but never finding.Forever hoping against hope they look for answers in the next ‘wave’ or fad which hits the charismatic scene promising answers.  Instead they should look to Christ as the all sufficient one.

If we are going to develop a healthy view of signs and wonders we need to look at all the scriptures that speak about signs and wonders and interpret them in the light of Christ and his gospel.

We need to remember that Christ rebuked those who sought signs and wonders for wrong motives and refused to pander to the request for the miraculous. God is not a magician seeking our approval by jumping through hoops and performing tricks.

Matthew 12:38-40 (New International Version)

 38Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.”

 39He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

We also need to remember that miracles do not authenticate a persons ministry. Many who emphasise signs and wonders will find themselves rejected by Christ in the day of judgement. These professors of faith emphasised ministry and miracles but they did not know Christ. Knowledge of Christ is the real issue not so called miracles. If the emphasis of ‘miracles’ eclipses the Christ and his saving work then you are on shaky ground. The charismatic movement continually finds itself in this predicament.

We also need to remember that one of the signs of the end of the age is that false prophets will use signs and wonders to deceive people,

Matt 24: 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-if that were possible. 25See, I have told you ahead of time.

 It concerns me when believers will tolerate false teaching in a leader who is reputed to have ‘power’ on the basis that they have a ‘powerful annointing’. This is back to front. We are not to accept a man with bad theology because he has power. We are to test the source of his power by examining his teaching. Does his teaching faithfully proclaim Christ and his gospel? If not we are not to accept him on the basis of ‘power’. This is foolishness.

So does this make me anti charismatic? Does this mean I ‘deny the bible’? Do I reject the miraculous? Absolutely not. It is my commitment to the bible and the miraculous that causes me to say these things. God is God. The bible is true. God heals the sick. He anoints us with power. However I will embrace the view that does most justice to Christ and His saving work. I will not reject one faulty premise (cessationism) and replace it with another (charismania). I will not limit the power of the gospel in the way that many charismatics do but neither will I deny the miraculous, quench the spirit or despise prophesies but I will test and discern as the bible instructs me to.

1 Thess 5:19Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good.