THE BIBLE: IS RAISING THE DEAD STILL POSSIBLE?
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. The Bible: Is raising the dead still possible?
a) In addition to Jesus Himself being raised from the dead, the Bible records nine other instances of people rising from the dead (1 Kings 17:22; 2 Kings 4:33-36; 13:21; Matthew 27:52; Luke 7:11-17; 8:40-56; John 11:43-44; Acts 9:40-41; 20:9-12). Clearly, bringing someone back from the dead is not beyond God’s power today. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). In John 14:12, Jesus declares, “I tell you the truth, anyone, who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” So, since God is still capable of raising the dead, and since Jesus promised that God would perform great miracles through Jesus’ followers – yes, raising the dead is still possible today.
b) A much more involved question is whether raising the dead actually occurs today. There are some in the Word-Faith movement who claim to have raised the dead, but credible evidence has never been produced. The many blatantly unbiblical teachings within the Word-Faith movement raise serious doubts regarding the legitimacy of any of their miracles. Some practitioners of voodoo and witchcraft also claim to have raised people from the dead. While satanic miracles are possible (2 Thessalonians 2:9), it seems unlikely that Satan possesses the power to raise the dead.
c) If a person who was officially pronounced dead was raised back to life, it would be an amazing miracle. Surely if a person was raised from the dead in the name of Christ, it would convince everyone to receive Jesus as Savior. Right? Wrong. Jesus addressed this very issue in Luke 16:30-31, “But if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. . . . If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Why does raising the dead probably not occur today? Amazing miracles are not what lead people to genuine faith. If a person is rejecting the Word of God, no miracle will convince the person to repent and receive Jesus Christ as Savior. All a miracle would do is cause people to clamor for more miracles (Matthew 12:39; John 6:26).
The End ...
1. The Bible: Is raising the dead still possible?a) In addition to Jesus Himself being raised from the dead, the Bible records nine other instances of people rising from the dead (1 Kings 17:22; 2 Kings 4:33-36; 13:21; Matthew 27:52; Luke 7:11-17; 8:40-56; John 11:43-44; Acts 9:40-41; 20:9-12). Clearly, bringing someone back from the dead is not beyond God’s power today. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). In John 14:12, Jesus declares, “I tell you the truth, anyone, who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” So, since God is still capable of raising the dead, and since Jesus promised that God would perform great miracles through Jesus’ followers – yes, raising the dead is still possible today.
b) A much more involved question is whether raising the dead actually occurs today. There are some in the Word-Faith movement who claim to have raised the dead, but credible evidence has never been produced. The many blatantly unbiblical teachings within the Word-Faith movement raise serious doubts regarding the legitimacy of any of their miracles. Some practitioners of voodoo and witchcraft also claim to have raised people from the dead. While satanic miracles are possible (2 Thessalonians 2:9), it seems unlikely that Satan possesses the power to raise the dead.
c) If a person who was officially pronounced dead was raised back to life, it would be an amazing miracle. Surely if a person was raised from the dead in the name of Christ, it would convince everyone to receive Jesus as Savior. Right? Wrong. Jesus addressed this very issue in Luke 16:30-31, “But if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. . . . If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Why does raising the dead probably not occur today? Amazing miracles are not what lead people to genuine faith. If a person is rejecting the Word of God, no miracle will convince the person to repent and receive Jesus Christ as Savior. All a miracle would do is cause people to clamor for more miracles (Matthew 12:39; John 6:26).
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