GOD'S GREAT WONDERS
3. THE MAN OF GOD AND FALSE WONDERS
Poul Madsen
We have already observed that so far as the Church's history is concerned, there are many mysteries associated with God's refusal to deliver by means of miracles. He permitted James to be killed by Herod's sword before miraculously delivering Peter. Although Paul witnessed many acts of divine power in healing he was not able to command the recovery of Trophimus, but had to leave him behind sick, and proceed without him (2 Timothy 4:20). It is not for us to argue that there would have been greater spiritual value if Trophimus had been made well enough to journey on with Paul. Nor can we suggest that the apostle should have silenced the tempestuous wind called Euroclydon and avoided shipwreck, or that he should have walked to shore on the waters instead of taking his place with the rest, who only got to land by swimming or floating on boards or [16/17] broken pieces of the ship (Acts 27:43). God's giving or withholding of miraculous deliverances are mysteries which are not explained to us.
Indeed God's real wonders can often be most unimpressive to natural judgment. It is true that He allowed His people, even women and children, to be torn to pieces in front of the mocking crowds in Roman arenas, but can we really imagine any greater wonder than that of saints facing ravenous lions with songs of praise on their lips, or giving radiant testimony to Christ in the cruel fires of the inquisition? Some of God's choicest saints have suffered physical limitation, have been invalids or cripples, with no wonderful acts of power to restore them to health, and yet have been "a wonder unto many". We are not in a position to judge what is most glorifying to God in any given situation. We do know, however, that George Matheson in his blindness, and Andrew Murray after his crippling accident, were used of God to dispense great spiritual riches which perhaps could never have been had their lives continued normally. All the world has come to thank God that John Bunyan was kept so long in prison. God's ways are mysterious -- even to the man of God.
There are, though, other wonders which he ought to enquire into, for he has been specifically warned against seductive signs and false wonders which are especially calculated to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. As early as the days of the tower of Babel, God said that if men really got together nothing would be withholden from what they purposed to do. To prevent this unholy confederation, He scattered the people and confounded their languages, but even so mankind through the centuries has managed to produce many godless prodigies, even before our day. Now that distances and differences have diminished to such a degree that our modern Society is considered to be 'one world', it is not difficult for us to understand God's statement that "nothing will be withholden from them which they purpose to do" (Genesis 11:6). We now live in times when men have successfully penetrated the world of the unseen, not only by scientific achievement but also by traffic with occult, spiritual powers. As a consequence man can do great signs and wonders quite apart from God. This is no surprise to Bible-reading Christians, who have always realised that there are invisible beings, both good and evil, angels and demons.
The man of God knows that it is not for nothing that the Scriptures command him not to communicate with the spirit world, and he realises, too, that the so-called spirits of the dead are in fact deceiving masqueraders of the unseen world of darkness. He does not fear them, for he is indwelt by the Spirit of the living God, but he needs no convincing that they are many and very powerful. Nominal Christian lands have been less affected by wicked spirits in the past, possibly because the atmosphere of such lands has hitherto contained enough godliness to discourage their presence, but those days seem largely to have passed now. In the congenial depravity of our permissive society they probably feel more at home and operate more freely. In any case we are told that as we approach the end of the dispensation we shall witness many false wonders and seducing signs. How shall we be able to evaluate them? How can we determine whether such wonders are from God or not? Let us deal with three considerations: (a) Christianity and magic; (b) Bible teaching on the subject; (c) the character of those involved.
(a) Christianity and magic.
What is the basic difference between Christ's power and false wonders? It is that the man of God never has supernatural power at his own command, to use it as a tool for his own wishes; whereas that is just what a magician has and does. The man of God can do nothing of himself, and in this he is like the Son of God Himself. If the man of God has gifts (and every man of God has!), he cannot employ them at will. If, for example, he has the gift of healing, this does not mean that he can heal whom he will when he will, or that he can make promises of healing. This explains Paul's behaviour and counsel in regard to Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23). If the man of God has the gift of working wonders, that does not mean that he can do a single mighty work of himself, or promise anyone else that he will do so, hence Paul's words of reassurance to the puzzled Philippians who could not understand his prolonged imprisonment (Philippians 1:12). The man of God can do nothing of himself, but only do what he sees his Lord and Saviour doing.
It is quite different for the one who is not a man of God. For him nothing need be impossible; if he has contact with the spirit world nothing restrains him from using its powers. He bears allegiance to no name, he acts according to his own impulses. The most surprising thing is that [17/18] if he chooses to do so he can perform his wonders while using the name of Jesus. We might judge this impossible if our Lord had not foretold that it will actually happen (Matthew 7:22-23). The man of God knows this and is never led astray by mere words or professions, for to him 'the name of Jesus' has no meaning simply as an empty formula, but demands a total personal commitment to the Bearer of that name. The magician has never made that commitment, but uses his link with demons for his own purposes, even though he may pay some lip service to God or Christ.
Poul Madsen
We have already observed that so far as the Church's history is concerned, there are many mysteries associated with God's refusal to deliver by means of miracles. He permitted James to be killed by Herod's sword before miraculously delivering Peter. Although Paul witnessed many acts of divine power in healing he was not able to command the recovery of Trophimus, but had to leave him behind sick, and proceed without him (2 Timothy 4:20). It is not for us to argue that there would have been greater spiritual value if Trophimus had been made well enough to journey on with Paul. Nor can we suggest that the apostle should have silenced the tempestuous wind called Euroclydon and avoided shipwreck, or that he should have walked to shore on the waters instead of taking his place with the rest, who only got to land by swimming or floating on boards or [16/17] broken pieces of the ship (Acts 27:43). God's giving or withholding of miraculous deliverances are mysteries which are not explained to us.
Indeed God's real wonders can often be most unimpressive to natural judgment. It is true that He allowed His people, even women and children, to be torn to pieces in front of the mocking crowds in Roman arenas, but can we really imagine any greater wonder than that of saints facing ravenous lions with songs of praise on their lips, or giving radiant testimony to Christ in the cruel fires of the inquisition? Some of God's choicest saints have suffered physical limitation, have been invalids or cripples, with no wonderful acts of power to restore them to health, and yet have been "a wonder unto many". We are not in a position to judge what is most glorifying to God in any given situation. We do know, however, that George Matheson in his blindness, and Andrew Murray after his crippling accident, were used of God to dispense great spiritual riches which perhaps could never have been had their lives continued normally. All the world has come to thank God that John Bunyan was kept so long in prison. God's ways are mysterious -- even to the man of God.
There are, though, other wonders which he ought to enquire into, for he has been specifically warned against seductive signs and false wonders which are especially calculated to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. As early as the days of the tower of Babel, God said that if men really got together nothing would be withholden from what they purposed to do. To prevent this unholy confederation, He scattered the people and confounded their languages, but even so mankind through the centuries has managed to produce many godless prodigies, even before our day. Now that distances and differences have diminished to such a degree that our modern Society is considered to be 'one world', it is not difficult for us to understand God's statement that "nothing will be withholden from them which they purpose to do" (Genesis 11:6). We now live in times when men have successfully penetrated the world of the unseen, not only by scientific achievement but also by traffic with occult, spiritual powers. As a consequence man can do great signs and wonders quite apart from God. This is no surprise to Bible-reading Christians, who have always realised that there are invisible beings, both good and evil, angels and demons.
The man of God knows that it is not for nothing that the Scriptures command him not to communicate with the spirit world, and he realises, too, that the so-called spirits of the dead are in fact deceiving masqueraders of the unseen world of darkness. He does not fear them, for he is indwelt by the Spirit of the living God, but he needs no convincing that they are many and very powerful. Nominal Christian lands have been less affected by wicked spirits in the past, possibly because the atmosphere of such lands has hitherto contained enough godliness to discourage their presence, but those days seem largely to have passed now. In the congenial depravity of our permissive society they probably feel more at home and operate more freely. In any case we are told that as we approach the end of the dispensation we shall witness many false wonders and seducing signs. How shall we be able to evaluate them? How can we determine whether such wonders are from God or not? Let us deal with three considerations: (a) Christianity and magic; (b) Bible teaching on the subject; (c) the character of those involved.
(a) Christianity and magic.
What is the basic difference between Christ's power and false wonders? It is that the man of God never has supernatural power at his own command, to use it as a tool for his own wishes; whereas that is just what a magician has and does. The man of God can do nothing of himself, and in this he is like the Son of God Himself. If the man of God has gifts (and every man of God has!), he cannot employ them at will. If, for example, he has the gift of healing, this does not mean that he can heal whom he will when he will, or that he can make promises of healing. This explains Paul's behaviour and counsel in regard to Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23). If the man of God has the gift of working wonders, that does not mean that he can do a single mighty work of himself, or promise anyone else that he will do so, hence Paul's words of reassurance to the puzzled Philippians who could not understand his prolonged imprisonment (Philippians 1:12). The man of God can do nothing of himself, but only do what he sees his Lord and Saviour doing.
It is quite different for the one who is not a man of God. For him nothing need be impossible; if he has contact with the spirit world nothing restrains him from using its powers. He bears allegiance to no name, he acts according to his own impulses. The most surprising thing is that [17/18] if he chooses to do so he can perform his wonders while using the name of Jesus. We might judge this impossible if our Lord had not foretold that it will actually happen (Matthew 7:22-23). The man of God knows this and is never led astray by mere words or professions, for to him 'the name of Jesus' has no meaning simply as an empty formula, but demands a total personal commitment to the Bearer of that name. The magician has never made that commitment, but uses his link with demons for his own purposes, even though he may pay some lip service to God or Christ.
