THOUGHTS FOR CONSIDERATION:
Greetings again my Brethren. Okay let us continue to look at the “Oracles of God” as we continue to look at the diversity of divine communication. The word “diversity” these days can mean so many different things of which have little to do with God, but here it means different types of communications that we receive from God from a divine prospective. This month we will look at a very controversial topic, signs. In Hebrews 2:1-4, the writer whom I believe to be Paul writes, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?” (Hebrews 2:3-4) Now to really get a true understanding of these verses we MUST get the context correct. First and foremost, Paul was not glorifying signs and wonders, but was talking about how the “great salvation” that Christ has made a way for us through His death on the cross and how can we escape our sin if we neglect this great salvation? Even if Angels and others tell us about wonderful signs and wonders and we neglect Jesus’ sacrifice we will not escape God’s judgment and wrath. You see that is what was being taught to the Hebrew (Jewish) people by other teachers. Angel worship, signs and wonders are greater than Christ while Christ was taking a back seat. So, Paul had to set the record straight. Keep reading and you will see where Paul deals with Angel worship and what I call hyper-spirituality that gets the focus off of Christ and His preeminence and puts it on man-centered (humanistic), Angel worship (which is huge today), and other types of worship rather than on Christ. Then second Paul was writing to Jewish people who always required a sign to believe which he was countering. Yes, God does speak to man through signs and wonders, but they are not for Believers. We are to believe the Gospel message and march on in our spiritual growth and development not laying again our repentance from dead works and faith in God. The Jewish people had to have a sign to believe. In John we see this exchange with Jesus and the Jewish people: “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30
They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” (John 6:29-33) They wanted nothing to do with this “bread from heaven” they wanted Jesus to do a few more miracles; turn more water into wine and multiply some more loafs and fishes. Like signs, today the “church” hungers and thirsts for, but do not have the stomach for the true bread of life from heaven. Anyway, Paul tells us signs are for non-believers. At the Church in Corinth the Gentiles had problems with signs and wonders too. Paul writes, “In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. 22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. 23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?” (1 Corinthians 14:21-23) Could it be secretly those who say they believe are no better off then the Jewish folks who needed a sign to believe? Now do not get me wrong, I believe in miracles, signs, and wonders they are for today, but they are not primary in our day-to-day Christ walk, but secondary, maybe even thirdly. Miracles are great, but they are not God’s best for our lives. If God has to do a miracle for us in most cases we probably have not done what He has told us to do. Live well within our means, give of our resources and ourself, and God will make sure we have all that we need to do that which He wants us to do. No need to do a financial miracle. Eat healthy, get exercise, get your rest, watch our attitudes and stress levels, allow God to work in our lives and He will not need to do a miracle to restore our health. God has already set these divine spiritual principles into motion and all we have to do is go after them and be obedient in them. No need for a sign, all we need to do is just believe in Christ and allow God to do His work in our lives, He will take it from there.
Next month we will continue looking at more Diversity of Divine Communication by looking at a few examples of communication. Do you hear Him draw near? He is speaking to us, but do we have the hearing ears to hear what the LORD is saying to us? Written by David Stahl
