Signs and Wonders

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Hebrews 02:01-04, NKJV).

According to Scripture, the purposes of divine supernatural events - those things we call signs, wonders and miracles - is to confirm the the truth of God's word. Every single such event recounted in the Bible is for that purpose, and while we would like them to occur more often, usually for our own benefit, existence would be utterly chaotic if that were the case.

Think about it. If God contravened His natural physical laws as the norm, rather than the exception, nothing in everyday life could be relied upon. Gravity, chemical reactions, the behavior of subatomic particles, the laws of cosmology and physics would all be up for grabs. It would be a nightmare of epic proportions. You could not protect yourself or your loved ones from the ensuing calamities. Nothing would be certain, not the solidity of the ground under your feet, the applicability of air to life, nor the behavior of any aspect of the natural world.

Furthermore, signs and wonders do not bring people to faith. This is shown throughout Scripture, but especially in the New Testament, where we are told repeatedly that miracles followed the preaching and teaching of the apostles. Faith came first and then supernatural confirmation as a gracious gift. Why does this not happen today? I believe it does, especially in those areas of the world where the Bible is not readily available.

In the last days, however, there will come an increase in supernatural activity. Unexplained phenomena will abound, but we are warned that these are lying signs and wonders to deceive; to distract people from the simple truth of the gospel.

I will not be surprised, if the Lord tarries, for undeniable reports of this type to become routine. In this age of instant digital dissemination, where even in the midst of tsunamis and murderous mayhem, videos can be uploaded instantly to the internet documenting inexplicable events for all to see, the world will become saturated and inoculated to the supernatural. So much so that those who do not love the truth will be given over to the lie.

Beware those who claim to exercise these gifts on demand, for gifts are what they are, distributed by the Holy Spirit according to His own will, not ours. Anyone who claims to be able to control such things, in and of themselves, are liars, or worse. Do not be deceived is the loving cry of the Bible, especially as the end approaches.

Know that as the Children of Israel wandered in the wilderness they were given benchmarks with which to measure any utterance of prophecy, or any sign or wonder. The test was not only that the foretelling must come to pass exactly, but that it must also not draw anyone away from God. He warned that He would allow His people to be exposed to such things as tests of their fealty to the true and living God.

This will be the case today, as well. Again, do not be deceived. Listen to these explicit warnings:

“For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. (Matthew 24:5, NKJV).

“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. (Matthew 24:11, NKJV).

“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24, NKJV).

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10, NKJV).

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: (2 Timothy 3:1, NKJV).

He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. (Revelation 13:13, 14, NKJV).

For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Revelation 16:14, NKJV).

The only certain remedy for deceit is immersion in the truth of God.

No Escape

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Hebrews 02:01-04, NKJV).

Christians are accused by popular culture of being wishful thinkers. Years ago the derogatory mantra applied was "pie in the sky by and by". I submit that all such characterizations are reverse projection. It is unbelievers who are the wishful thinkers. Real Christians understand that inescapable judgment is coming. Inescapable that is, except through the one means established by God - the Great Salvation available through Christ. Without that one provision there is no escape.

Note the graciousness of the highlighted passage above. In essence, human beings have to work to be condemned since clemency is readily available, and only by our negligence can it be avoided. Note that, please. There is no feat we have to perform, no worthiness we have to prove, no test we have to pass. Salvation is a gift that need only be received by faith. Period.

Note also how graciously the gift was and is offered. The Lord Himself became a Man to reveal the truth of our sinfulness and God's mercy through the sacrifice of Himself on our behalf. The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. He showed us His glory and allowed mere humans to be, and become, witnesses to His immeasurable grace. And then through confirming signs and wonders, the truth of the proclamation was rendered all the more credible, after which Christ established His church, and the spiritual gifting within the church, to continue that irrefutable attestation through the centuries. 

What extravagant persistence on the part of God! How He must love us even in our fallen state!

Personal negligence is therefore the only explanation why some humans will trample the Son of God underfoot on their way to everlasting Hell. God has done all possible and necessary to shelter us from the coming judgment, save imposing His mercy against our will.

Now neglect is a willful act. It is active not passive. It is impossible to be neglectful of something of which you are honestly unaware. You can only be negligent of something that you know about but choose to ignore. 

This is crucial in understanding the culpability of those who will suffer eternal torment. They themselves are responsible; not God, not culture, not upbringing, not psychology, not mitigating circumstances, not anything other than the conscious exercise of the terrible and awesome gift of their own free will. This is also why I believe that the Bible teaches that those of us incapable of making an informed decision, either through disability or immaturity, are granted this great salvation by default.

For the rest of us, damnation is the direct result of negligence.

Those who rail at God, claiming He is an egotistical tyrant are simply indulging in childish self-justification. Unwilling to submit, they fabricate reasons not to, like a spoiled toddler. It would be merely annoying of it weren't so tragic.

But the real evil is that those who practice negligence, take perverted joy in preaching it as well, attempting to win converts to their losing side. Again, this would be merely annoying if it wasn't so despicable.

In the long war against God, declared unilaterally by the fallen human race, there can be no neutrality. As Jesus said, you are either for Him, or against Him. There is no middle ground.

Yet declaring allegiance to the inevitably victorious side is simply a matter of paying attention and being open to the truth. He could not have made it any easier to switch loyalties. We are born as enemies and can be reborn as allies if we simply choose not to neglect so great a salvation.

I am convinced that mankind knows all this like it knows how to breathe. We have an inherent sense of approaching doom, just as we have an inherent sense of justice. The two go hand in hand. Try as we might to ignore either one, these components of our conscience are writ large in our personhood. To be human is to be without excuse.

There is nothing noble about being negligent.

A Just Reward

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Hebrews 02:01-04, NKJV).

The Law was given to Moses, appointed by angels through the hands of a mediator (Ga 3:19), and it mandated harsh punishments against those who transgressed or disobeyed a holy, eternal God. Sometimes, God Himself would render judgment upon the Children of Israel for rebellion and apostasy. At other times He used the Nations to exact His retribution. In each instance, when sentence was pronounced, it was a just reward.

This is a key to understanding the unity of both the Old and New Testaments. God's Law is perfect and breaking it warrants severe consequences. This is true simply by right of His divine power and sovereignty. We don't like that, of course. We want God to be neatly under our control if He exists, excusing our own rebellion, but meting out His justice on all those who offend us, or upon whom we loftily disapprove.

Thankfully, God is impartial and not like us at all in that regard. But His righteous justice is not the only thing that God possesses; it is one of His attributes operating in perfect unison and harmony with His other characteristics: Mercy, Kindness, Long-suffering, Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence. All these are components of His entire divine nature, but there remains one aspect of His Deity that is described uniquely. While He possesses those things just listed, He is Love.

This is important because it enables us to reconcile the harsh (to us) judgments of the Old Testament, with His seemingly increased tolerance of the New.

Two common and widely promulgated mistakes are made here. The first is that God undergoes a major personality change; the harsh and dictatorial Monarch of ancient Israel transforms into the Sacrificially Forgiving Suffering Servant of the Church. Both these caricatures are egregiously incorrect and are a result of either willful ignorance of Scripture, or premeditated character assassination.

God does not change. His dealings with Israel and the Nations prior to Christ were exact representations of His divine and perfect justice. His righteous wrath against His creatures on His world is absolutely consistent with His nature. 

Yet, the Old Testament histories are rife with His mercy and forgiveness, as well. He longed for Israel to return from its countless rebellions, and graciously rescued them from their oppressors for centuries. He lavished upon them His lovingkindness endlessly, and prospered them above and beyond anything they could conceivably have deserved. 

And most importantly, although He made an end of many people-groups who set themselves as enemies of His Chosen People, He remained true to His word of never making a complete end of Israel itself. Even when they rejected and crucified His beloved Son.

With the Coming of Christ, and the Church Age, it might seem that God's sense of justice changed, but that is most emphatically not true. In fact, it is Jesus who spoke more forcefully of Hell and the coming final wrath of God than any prophet of the Old Testament. The Lord's description of the Great Tribulation is exponentially more catastrophic than any episode of divine justice recounted prior to His Advent. Additionally, there were instances in the early church where God's retribution was as immediate and devastating as in the past (Acts 5).

The crucial linch-pin tying these together is the Son's propitiatory death on the Cross. The Father poured out upon Christ the fullness of His wrath. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. Every punishment that we deserve and Jesus did not was heaped upon our Savior in our place. This was the plan of redemption from the beginning because God is Love. It enabled Him to be both perfectly just and the loving justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. All at Christ's unfathomable expense. 

And it ushered in this gracious Age of the Church, where God is desiring that all should come to faith in His Son to escape the coming fires of judgment.

Do not mistake this long-suffering patience of the Father for a change of heart with regard to sin. What was true in the Old Covenant has not been abrogated one iota. The soul that sins must die. And that death is not the blinking out of existence or consciousness, but the eternal agonizing separation of a soul from everything that is good. 

The nation that does not obey God will be brought down to destruction. Transgression and disobedience, nationally and individually, will receive a just reward. God is not mocked. His justice will be carried out.

Thus the writer of Hebrews implores his audience to understand this unity by pointing backward to what occurred in the past so that the current offer of this great salvation in Christ is not neglected. To do so would be insane.

We complain about not getting what we deserve in this life, but be assured that without Christ we will receive precisely that.

 And there will be no escape.

Drifting

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Hebrews 02:01-04, NKJV).

The Book of Hebrews contains some dire warnings. Chapter 2 begins with the first one, encapsulated by the phrase drift away and preceded by the exhortation to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard. Thus we have both the disease and the prescription in one succinct sentence, and it is a sentence that speaks volumes about human nature and our tendency to slip-slide away into disaster.

Most apostasy is gradual. It doesn't happen overnight; we do not typically find a new and vibrantly sincere convert to Christianity become suddenly lukewarm. It is a process that takes awhile, and is the result of carelessness and theological sloth. A slow degradation occurs because the fire of fervent motivation is left untended, fading into barely glowing embers that ultimately become room temperature, casting no light, providing no warmth, and impacting no other soul - except perhaps for an errant streak of charcoal meaninglessly and randomly smeared across someone's life in a show of trite legalism, heartless worship, or empty prayers.

There is a remedy, a preventative regimen spelled out plainly for all to see, and it can be paraphrased this way: pay vigilant attention to the Word of God. Immerse yourself in its purifying truths. Inoculate yourself against distraction and deceit by focusing not on the things of the world, but on the things above.

Drifting is a nautical term, both in English and Greek. It is used to describe what happens when a vessel's does not make the necessary course corrections along the way to maintain a true heading. Instead of safe harbor, the ship finds itself in uncharted waters, or captive to currents and riptides that threaten its ability to remain afloat.

In a world becoming increasingly relativistic, it is crucial to maintain solid bearings so that your spiritual compass can hold steady. You MUST desire God's Word as both an infant craves milk, and as a growing child craves solid food. You must guard against being conformed once again to this fallen world and strive to be transformed by the renewing of your mind in the truth of Scripture.

How many of us are able to focus our energy and time on something that we love to the virtual exclusion of all else? How many hobbyists can find time to devote to their passion despite other priorities and demands? We know how to do this; it is an inherent ability of our human nature. Our problem is not inability, but lack of will.

And when we succumb to the distractions of our flesh, and the world, and the schemes of the enemy, we neglect the one thing that will prevent us from going astray - the Word of God.

There is abundant evidence that more than justifies a life of active and engaged faith. As believers we have already accepted that God is real, that the Gospel is the power of salvation to those who believe, and that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, and yet we are still susceptible to the drifting that comes from lack of diligence in paying attention to the whole counsel of God. And no matter what your views on eternal security or conditional perseverance of the saints, if we feed our flesh rather than our spirit, we will become anemic Christians, potentially blown about by every wind of doctrine.

There is nothing the enemy would like better than for a Christian to wander aimlessly through the journey of life, operating on squishy convictions, never feeling empowered to make a difference in this life for the eternal life to come. It is tragic. It is a waste. We need to be wise and faithful stewards of that which our Lord entrusts us, and that requires constant attention.

Exhortation after exhortation to diligence, self-discipline, fervency, and long-suffering appear in Scripture, and while I believe emphatically that the Bible teaches that once saved, always saved, I also believe that out of gratitude, love and obedience we are to work out our own salvation in fear and trembling - for it is God who works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

It is no less a spiritual principle than sowing and reaping, forgiving and forgiveness, and humility and exaltation.

We are saved by faith for good works, but to maintain the course set for us by God that He has laid out beforehand, we must give that more earnest heed to things we have heard and learned of His truth. We cannot grow lazy in spiritual things, or allow our new natures to become malnourished. To do so is like a starving man with food abounding within easy reach, who is too slothful to reach out his hand to take it in.

Uncorrected drifting leads to a world of potential hurt, disillusionment, distress and sin. Our unerring compass is God's truth. We must remain reachable and teachable, by not neglecting to gather together for fellowship, prayer, and sound doctrine. We must purpose in our hearts to value His Word more than our necessary food.

As one beloved brother has said, "when the world cuts me, I want to bleed Bible."

Do not become shipwrecked. Be diligent to show yourself approved by rightly dividing the word of truth.

It's your choice.