Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.” [John 10.37-38]
Jesus' claims about Himself were not abstract. Neither was His faith. To the contrary, Jesus defined Himself by the evidence of the miraculous works He performed. In fact, in this passage Jesus warned people against believing in Him unless the miraculous works were present!
And yet, Christians today, for some strange reason, feel no compulsion whatsoever to have the same "evidence of the miraculous works" so that they are validated as belonging to God through Jesus. All the while, Jesus made profoundly clear statements like the following:
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]
Christianity has invested incalculable effort in time and resources to explain why Jesus' clear words don't mean what they say. Consequently, the Church is beyond confused about what the Bible really says and means while Christian libraries are burgeoning with countless volumes of writings refuting the very commands of Jesus as if they know better.
What's worse, these same Christian libraries are just as full of writings in defense of the miraculous aspect of following Jesus! All the while, the general population of believers continues to live in powerless abstract faith.
There should be warning alarms blaring all through Christianity and the Church!
If Jesus warned that He was a fraud unless accompanied by the evidence of miraculous works, how in the Kingdom of God do His followers think they will be validated any differently?
The implication of this casts a damning light upon the powerless Church today (regardless what they "say" they believe). Abstract faith is powerless faith (and in reality, not faith at all).
So, what do we see the Church do? It immediately goes into self-defense mode (pride) citing repeated failed human experiences in matters of faith as reason to believe Jesus' words do not mean the same thing today as they meant when He said them.
...And here I sit, writing this with a bent-over stiff neck and other infirmities as if I know something! But before judging me, consider also why I have not been made well by the faith of others around me (remember, Lazarus had no say in his being raised from the dead). It would make us all look better to just say, "miracles have passed away," wouldn't it?
Let's just be sure that Jesus OF THE BIBLE is the standard by which we measure ourselves - not man's experience or interpretation. When we do, there is only one response: repentance for our obvious and powerless unbelief. And so...
Father, forgive me for all the instances I have prayed powerlessly for others to be healed or delivered with no results. Forgive me for not driving infirmities out of my own body with faith. Forgive me for resigning myself to powerlessness ignoring Jesus' words about a tree being identified by its fruit as if it doesn't apply to me. God I need You! May Your power manifest in and through my life as evidence that Christ OF THE BIBLE is in me and I am His! So be it!
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