Do Miracles Happen? Can People Be Resurrected?
I Saw a Miraculous Resurrection
Dead in Spirit
This woman, whom I will call Jane for purposes of anonymity, did not look dead. She was breathing, talking, and walking before the service started. Jane's spirit, however, was dead before God resurrected her. Sin had killed her spirit, and she needed a miracle.
Sin, or disobedience to God, causes death. The first part of Romans 6:23 states, "[T]he wages of sin is death." James wrote, "[T]he sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death" (James 1:15b). Paul wrote to people who had been "dead in transgressions and sins" (Ephesians 2:1b). Everyone who has sinned is dead and needs a miraculous resurrection.
Everyone who has sinned is spiritually dead. Who has sinned? We have all sinned, and we all need a miracle of resurrection. Romans 3:23 states that "all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." Paul wrote later in the same book, "[D]eath passed to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12). It isn't far off to claim we are spiritually stillborn, "because the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Genesis 8:21b).
Resurrected in Jesus
Jane was spiritually dead or stillborn, as we all were. Today, though, God resurrected her with a miracle. How? She accepted Jesus into her life.
Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life," as recorded in John 11:25. "If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness" (Romans 8:10). When we accept Jesus' offer of payment for sin, God resurrects our spirit. Paul, writing to Christians in the Ephesian church, stated clearly that they had been resurrected: "You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). In Romans 6:13b, he instructed believers to "present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead." It takes a miracle to make a dead person alive, but Paul claimed this had happened.
Resurrection Demonstrated in Baptism
Hopefully, Jane will be baptized. Knowing the leadership of the church I attend, she has presumably been encouraged to do so. Among other things, baptism symbolizes exactly the miracle of resurrection discussed above.
In Romans 6:3-13, Paul explains one purpose of baptism. The old life is dead and buried, shown by going under the water. When the person rises from the water, that shows "that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4).
You Can Be Resurrected
Jane was spiritually dead, but God resurrected her through a miracle. If you haven't already, you can experience this same miracle of resurrection. Just pray this prayer, or something like it.
God, I know that I have sinned by disobeying you. I repent of, or turn away from, my sins, and I accept your son Jesus' death in my place. Please forgive my sins and cleanse my heart. God, please send your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, to live in my heart as my Comforter and my guide. Thank you, Lord, for making my spirit alive, for forgiving and cleansing me, and for giving me eternal life. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Rejoice
I've seen many people resurrected. I may have allowed God to use me for distressingly few miracles, but I see them continually. Usually, I'm so wrapped up in my own petty concerns that I can't properly rejoice for the person who is newly alive.
I wasn't any different this morning. I had stayed up too late, so I was tired. My water heater was broken, so I wasn't physically clean. I had enjoyed the service, but I just wanted to get home as quickly as possible afterward. I acknowledged Jane's acceptance of Jesus as a good thing, but I couldn't really rejoice.
I only realized later how selfish and wrong I was. This wasn't a good thing, it was a miracle. A person who had been dead was alive. Jesus said, "I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7). When heaven is rejoicing, should I be thinking of a shower and a nap? No, I should rejoice.
Do miracles happen? They happen daily. God continually performs resurrections and other miracles. We just aren't always prepared to see them as miracles.
All Bible quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain.
Published by Eric R.
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12 Comments
Post a CommentSaphron, thank you for your comment. I wasn't speaking of a physical resurrection. The Christian Research Institute is a good place to compare the claims of false teachers to Christianity based on the Bible.
Yes, miracles of that sort do happen all the time. A seed is buried and becomes a tree. Light reflects and refracts through droplets of mist in just such a peculiar way as to create a rainbow. A new life comes into the world. Do you know the One who performs these miracles - of Whom it is said, "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made?" Do you know the One who said, "I set My rainbow in the cloud?"
I deleted a couple of duplicate comments.
Ardeth, thank you for your comment. Jesus makes very clear claims that are flatly, unequivocably, irreconcilably incompatible with those of Mohammed, modern-day Judaism (which denies that He is the Messiah), the Buddha, athiesm, agnosticism, and "all the billions of people who practice other world religions." One or (for some combinations) several of those logically could be true. All of them could be false. All of them, or Biblical Christianity and any of the others, cannot logically be true, any more than a particular animal can be both a cat and an octopus.
By saying they're all right, you're automatically saying that Christianity (as well as Islam and some others) are wrong. So are you bigoted or prejudiced against Christians, Muslims, and others? (Please don't take that the wrong way - I'm just showing it works both directions.)
Ardeth, huh? I guess I'm a damned bigot then because that IS the only way to be spiritually alive...at least it's the right way. There can only be one right way...and that way is Truth and there's only ONE truth and that is Christ. He said it, I didn't. "I am the way, the truth and the light...no man comes to the father but through ME (meaning Jesus...not a priest...not Buddha, not any other God). I do; however, respect all those who want to believe what they want as I would like to be respected to like or believe what I want. I am proud to be a part of the Jesus Club...yay!
A miracle happens to me everyday when I do yoga I was dead inside but I feel alive and energize my mind feels relax All kinds of miracles happen in everyway whether the seed becoming a flower water turning to ice it all a miracle but raising the dead physically that is impossible and unscientific it can't be measured. I doubt any Church that can raise the dead and have it validated before critical eyes for objective analysis. We do see Benny Hinn faking it along many others but to raise the dead physically that is impossible
I don't know, Eric. If you truly believe that the only way to be spiritually alive is to be a member of the Jesus Club, then you're saying that you're bigoted against Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and all the billions of people who practice other world religions, besides being prejudiced against those who are spiritually alive but not at all religious, like atheists and agnostics. And religiousness and spirituality are two quite separate issues. Do you eat meat? To me, people who eat meat and exploit animals are spiritually dead. You see how complicated it gets? ;)
Nice article Eric. Very well written.
Great job on this!
What a beautiful read !!!!!
Very well written Eric. Thanks for sharing this!
I enjoyed reading this article. There are many people in the world who are spiritually dead. I certainly have had my moments. Your message is so important. Thanks for sharing.