Miracles
All who follow Christ and become members of His church on earth have the affirmation that the Holy Spirit will endow them with power to perform the Father’s will, which may include miracles for some. The working of miracles was one of the more remarkable gifts of the Spirit. This gift played a favorable role in Christ’s ministry on earth.
And Christ also gave His disciples to perform miracles. For He said, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). Christ lists the different types of miracles the disciples had so often seen Him perform. All that He had done, they were to do. Devils and even death itself were to be subject to them.
And just before His ascension to heaven, He commissioned His disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:15–18).
“As He Wills”
However, the Scriptures confirm that the Holy Spirit distributes His gifts to believers as He sees best for their own and the church’s good. “For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:8–11).
Different Gifts
The Holy Spirit bestows His gifts in accordance with His knowledge of the believers’ abilities, needs, and experience. It is not a random division but one based on infinite wisdom. The main purpose of preparing the church to meet God without spot or fault at the coming of Christ is the directing aspect in the distribution of these gifts (Ephesians 4:12, 13; 5:27; Revelation 14:5).
Paul makes it clear that God doesn’t appoint everyone to do the same ministry. He asks, “…Not all perform miracles, do they? …” (1 Corinthians 12:29–30). Not all believers are qualified by the Holy Spirit to perform the duties of any one particular office in the church. But distribution of gifts is made by the Holy Spirit as He chooses.
This should remove from the recipients of the gifts all pride and ideas of superiority. Even though the gift of doing miracles is performed under divine direction, it is still the privilege of those not having it to pray for it and to have their prayers answered if God so chooses.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
