Miracles Proving Truth

Many people down through time have suggested that they were representatives of God because miracles have been perceived to have come from them. Others expect that these miracles will convince others that what they say about spiritual matters must be Truth.

For instance, there is a small group of people here in the Ohio valley that promulgate the teachings of one William Branham. He allegedly wrought innumerable miracles of healing, and this is supposed to be taken as proof that he taught the Truth. “Witnesses” claim that he was pointed at by an apparition of God Himself and announced to be, sort of like John the Baptist, the “forerunner of the second coming” when he was baptized. He is now dead, and Jesus hasn’t come again, so the analogy doesn’t seem to hold; make of that what you will. I’ve not studied the historical facts. However, I did run into a couple once that gave me a stack of “Branhamite” literature.

It didn’t take long to find something disturbing. Mr. Branham claimed that the serpent in the Garden of Eden was actually a walking, talking creature, not just the snake-in-the-grass we think of today. That we can debate; after all, being cursed to crawl on the ground isn’t much of a curse if that’s already your primary mode of travel. On the other hand, it doesn’t seem to me that the bible makes a big enough deal about this point for it to be a foundational point of my doctrine. Anyway, Branham went on to claim that the serpent was actually the father of Cain, and that’s why he turned out to be a “bad apple,” pun intended. Well, my trusty King James tells me how Adam knew his wife, and she bare Cain. It’s very clear on this point. And the people that gave me the material told me all about how I could trust these kinds of teachings because Branham had performed lots of miracles.

At first you might be tempted to simply dismiss the whole thing out of hand, but didn’t Jesus himself say that the miracles He performed were proof that He was sent by God?

John 10:36-39, “Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”

So when someone else comes along performing miracles and says that they are a sign of God’s endorsement of what they are saying, what are we supposed to think?

First, let’s talk about the obvious. No amount of miracles in the world are going to cover up or excuse teaching something that is contrary to God’s Word. The Bible has been settled since the “foundation of the world,” and it’s easier for “heaven and earth to pass” than for one jot or tittle of the law. I had a gentleman from Germany trade many respectful and sincere emails with me about this “serpent’s seed” doctrine. He patiently laid out what the Branhamites see as the scriptural support for the idea. I won’t go into it here because this isn’t my point on this page. Furthermore, I doubt I can do it justice, since I’m so critical of it. The bottom line is that this doctrine requires that the plain meaning of the Word that has been understood for roughly 4000 years to mean one thing must now be contorted to infer something completely different. When Branham says that the serpent was the father of Cain, he is simply wrong. However, this realization only begs more questions.

1. What does that mean about the miracles that might have indeed been performed through him?
2. What does that mean for the other things he claims as Truth?

On the first issue, we must be very, very cautious. The Bible says that there is but one sin that cannot be forgiven: blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 12:31, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.”

It took me a long time to understand what this meant, but the meaning is clear in the context of the story. In this passage, the Jews are claiming that Jesus is casting out devils because He is empowered by the devil. Jesus explains that “a house divided against itself” must fall. The implication is that the devil isn’t going to cast demons out of people. Why undo what he must have worked hard to accomplish? The broader implication is that the devil isn’t going to do anything “good,” because that would be contrary to what he is all about. The devil doesn’t heal or deliver. The bible says “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” (John 10:10) Therefore, when something spiritually “good” happens, it must be of God, because the devil isn’t in that business.

So when we see that something “good” happens at the hands of someone of questionable character or uncertain doctrine, we must not dismiss it as evil. It is still God working. I know that seems weird, but, again, the devil certainly isn’t the one doing it, and that only leaves one other person. And to say that the “good” miracle that has been performed is of the devil is to “blaspheme the Holy Ghost.” So always be careful to separate observations about the person from the things that he does.

Take Benny Hinn, for instance. I don’t know where his doctrine lies, except that is doesn’t include being filled with the Holy Ghost like the apostles thought it did, and that’s enough for me. He apparently has said some other strange things, which I just discovered when looking for reference material on William Branham for this page. (Not as wacky as some of the other topics I cover on this part of my site, but strange just as well.) But the bottom line is that I have seen him do miracles on TV. One of the first ones was the healing of a blind woman. I won’t bother with the details, but the woman’s reactions were just too real to have been faked. And besides, I felt a witness of the Holy Ghost – that excited, goosebumpy feeling that’s like nothing else in this world – that made me realize I had just seen a real miracle.

Does that mean that Hinn is speaking for God? Not necessarily, but not not necessarily, either. The bible also says this:

Mark 16:17-18, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

Notice that “these signs shall follow them that believe,” not them that “have the Truth.” The presence of miracles isn’t proof positive that someone knows and is teaching the Truth, although that person could certainly be saying truthful things. It just means that they have the faith to believe for these things.

But that’s not the end of the story, either, because, remember, God still must be the author of “good” miracles. Therefore, He is around what’s happening, even if Truth isn’t being promulgated. I know that won’t make sense to a lot of people. The best way I can explain it is through this scripture:

Luke 9:49-50, “And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.”

See, God takes all the good press He can get, even if there is some garbage involved. The important concept here is that God is permissive. It’s like security on an operating system. Some systems install such that no one can do anything unless specifically permitted. Others are set up to allow everyone to do everything unless specifically denied. God is more like the latter. He is open with His gifts. In my opinion, this is in effort to fulfill this scripture:

2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

God is less restrictive such that people have a chance to figure out the whole Truth. As I may have mentioned on other parts of this site, God’s judgment – through the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice – has been put off until the “White Throne Judgment.” We are living in a time of mercy and grace, and God is extending these virtues to us in order that we might find Him in the fullness of “Spirit and Truth.” (John 4:23)

You may think that I’ve boxed myself into a corner, because this theology actually allows for someone who is completely at odds with God to work miracles. And you know what? You’re exactly right, though it almost certainly didn’t start out that way. Paul talked about the fact that God’s favor was still with the Jews after the coming of Jesus, despite the fact that Israel, as a nation, had not received Jesus as the Messiah. Why?

Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

Huh? That’s right. God gives His gifts and calling to certain people, and whether they follow Him in Truth or not, He honors those things. How else could it work otherwise? Really. Think about it. No one is perfect. If God didn’t permit gifts of the Spirit to operate in someone’s life unless they were without fault, there simply wouldn’t be miracles. And think what you will about them, but I’ve seen plenty.

So, in answer to question 1 above, we see that miracles are miracles, and they always come from God. And I hope I have answered why. In answer to question 2 above, we see that miracles aren’t a witness to Truth; rather they are a testimony of faith. This, in turn, must lead to the conclusion that miracles don’t prove anything, except that God is “around.” And, really, I think that’s what Jesus was saying. To refresh:

John 10:38-39, “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”

See, Jesus is saying that even if you don’t believe me, in what I’m saying about Myself, that I am the Son of God, believe that these miracles are from God, and stick around and hear me out on the rest of what I have to say. If you are tempted to read more into this, then remember the part where Jesus talks about how some powerful people are going to miss being saved!

Matthew 7:21-24, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Jesus Himself shows here that miracles aren’t proof. The bottom line is that miracles are a sign of something good, and that “something good” is worth looking into further. But there are things in that goodness that can still, in the end, be “bad.”

1 John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

And so it is we must “try the spirits.” Miracles aren’t indicators of Truth, just belief.