"...if miracles are expectable—there’s nothing miraculous about
them. If they’re ordinary then they carry no certifiable weight. It’s by
their extraordinary character that they have sign power: sign-ificance." - Sproul
The above quote is from today's blog post over at Ligonier. Sproul clearly explains the definition of miracle and if we can expect miracles today.
Excerpt:
"Now of course when people ask me, do I believe in miracles, they’re asking one question and I’m answering a different one. If they’re saying to me, “Do you believe that God is still working in the world supernaturally?” Of course I do. “Do you believe that God answers prayers?” Of course I do. “Do you believe that God heals people in response to prayer?” Of course I do. All miracles are supernatural, but not all supernatural acts are miracles. Theologians get real tight in their making of distinctions, and when I say I don’t believe in miracles today, I don’t believe in the tight kind of miracle in the very narrow sense where a miracle is defined as a work that occurs in the external perceivable world; an extraordinary work in the external perceivable world against the laws of nature, by the immediate power of God. A work that only God can do, such as bringing life out of death, such as, restoring a limb that has been cut off—by command—such as, walking on the water, such as, turning water into wine.
Excerpt:
"Now of course when people ask me, do I believe in miracles, they’re asking one question and I’m answering a different one. If they’re saying to me, “Do you believe that God is still working in the world supernaturally?” Of course I do. “Do you believe that God answers prayers?” Of course I do. “Do you believe that God heals people in response to prayer?” Of course I do. All miracles are supernatural, but not all supernatural acts are miracles. Theologians get real tight in their making of distinctions, and when I say I don’t believe in miracles today, I don’t believe in the tight kind of miracle in the very narrow sense where a miracle is defined as a work that occurs in the external perceivable world; an extraordinary work in the external perceivable world against the laws of nature, by the immediate power of God. A work that only God can do, such as bringing life out of death, such as, restoring a limb that has been cut off—by command—such as, walking on the water, such as, turning water into wine.
...
Now God’s still alive, He’s still working; He’s still answering prayers
in an amazing way. I’ve seen marvelous answers to prayers, I’ve seen
people healed of so called terminal illnesses, I just have never seen
anybody raised out of the cemetery, or an arm that is severed grow back,
or a preacher walk on the water, or water turned into wine. But in any
case, the Lord Jesus did these miracles not only in the broad sense, but
also in the narrow sense. It’s the miracles of the New Testament that
are so important to us, because they are God’s attestation of Jesus’ and
of the Apostles, before whose authority we submit."
Here is a video on suffering as a Christian by Sproul
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