Miracles Aren’t the Measure of a Ministry

I believe in miracles.  I became a believer because I witnessed miracles, and I’ve experienced many miracles since I came to faith.  But miracles aren’t the measure of a ministry.

Let’s look at Matthew 7:21-23. This is where Jesus said,

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 

Elijah did a lot of miracles, and Elisha performed twice as many miracles as Elijah did. But it was Elijah, not Elisha, who appeared with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration. John the Baptist did no miracles, whereas Jesus’ disciples healed the sick and cast out demons. Yet Jesus told his disciples that “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11).  So what DID John the Baptist do?  John the Baptist fulfilled Gabriel’s prophecy to Zechariah that John would “bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.” 

God doesn’t see the way man sees.  Man looks at the outward appearance--miracles included. God looks at the heart.  Not only that, but most miracles only affect things that happen here, whereas salvation affects how we’ll spend eternity. From God’s point of view, soul winning is far more important than miracle working.  But I know of nothing that stops believers from experiencing both.

Margot Armer