Why doesn’t God act miraculously to bring people to faith? Why doesn’t He act miraculously to validate my faith? It is true that God acts providentially to bring people to faith: “coincidences” in life, a timely conversation or sermon, etc. But wouldn’t it be so much easier if God were just constantly creating miraculous events? And wouldn’t people be more inclined to put their faith in Him? While we may be tempted to think along these lines, what we actually find in history is rather paradoxical: miracles generally do not lead people to put their faith in God.
Take, for example, what is probably the most miracle-saturated generation in history: the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt. These individuals witnessed God’s plagues upon Egypt, participated in the crossing of the Red Sea, witnessed God’s glory on Mount Sinai, and were miraculously provided for in the wilderness. You would think that these people more than any others would be inclined to put their faith in God. But, as Paul writes about this generation in 1 Corinthians 10:5, “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” Despite the abundance of miracles, the people groaned and complained; they created for themselves a golden calf to worship; and once they made it to the promised land, they refused to trust God and enter it. The generation witnessing the most miracles proved to be an exceptionally faithless generation.
We see this pattern also in Jesus’s time as well. While some individuals were convinced about Jesus based on His miracles, many people saw His miracles simply as a good way to get free food (John 6:26). Despite seeing so many miracles, the Jewish leaders asked for more (John 12:37). Even on the cross, they demanded “just one more sign” so they would believe in Him (Matthew 27:42).
You see, even if we think they will – and even if someone claims to simply need to see one in order to become a Christian – the fact is that miracles are not the cure for unbelief. When Jesus speaks of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man insists that if only someone would rise from the dead, then his brothers would heed the warning and repent. What is the response? “[Abraham] said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:31).
The answer to unbelief is not miracles, but the Word of God: “Moses and the Prophets” and the writings of the New Testament. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). God tells us that His very words have power. The Holy Spirit is able to wield His sword (Ephesians 6:17) and strike the heart of those who hear, “piercing to the division of soul and spirit.” The question for us is, do we trust the power of God’s words? If we do trust that power, then we will recognize that we do not need miracles, but the faithful proclamation of Scripture. We proclaim God’s words, and pray that those who hear might have their hearts pierced with the truth and power of the Word of God. May we pray for faithful proclamation and that God would use that proclamation to add ever more people to His kingdom.
Studies in the Bible 