Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: edb@sequoia.execu.com (Ed Barker) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Doctrine vs. the Bible Message-ID: Date: 8 Nov 90 03:22:55 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Execucom Systems Corp Lines: 48 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , ASC105@psuvm.psu.edu writes: > For example, if a person gets sick and dies of cancer, many say, > "it's the will of God." But that's opposite of what the bible says. > The bible says that Jesus Christ carried out sickness so that we don't > have to carry it ourselves. But the writer of Hebrews says "It is appointed unto man once to die..." So it does not matter how many times God heals any of us of various diseases; there will be one sickness that we will not be healed from. Please understand, brother, I do not say this to cast doubt on the occurance of miracles today! I KNOW they are real. But I believe that we need a solid understanding as to exactly what the purpose of miracles is. For this I go to the gospel of John, where in chapter 21 he says that there were many other miracles done by Jesus which were not recorded in his gospel, but that "these were written that you might believe, and that in believing, you might find life in His name." Now observe that in the first 12 chapters of John 7 miracles are reported, and that in every case, John shows us that each miracle has a deeper spiritual significance. The feeding of the 5000 illustrates that it is Jesus who gives us spiritual food which, when we seek it with at least as much earnestnest as we seek bread and meat, will cause us to experience that full life which only He can give. The healing of the blind man shows that Jesus came to remove the spiritual blindness which all of us are victums of. And the resurrection of Lazarus was done to show us clearly that only in Jesus can we who are dead in our sins be raised to live with him forever. In short, miracles are a sign, intended to cause us to believe in God and put our complete trust in him. I remember 20 years or so ago an account in a secular newspaper about a woman who was dying of cancer, who was miraculously healed and later appeared in a worship service to testify to her healing. The secular article goes on to say that one month later this woman was dead. As if that should prove that the "miracle" was a fake. To which I respond, absolutely no it was not a fake. God rose that woman from her death bed for a sign to her local church, to strengthen the faith of the believers there. Once this purpose had been accomplished, then God called this dear sister home. To God be all glory and praise. Ed Barker Austin, Texas