WALKING IN WONDERS

“He brought them out, after he had shown WONDERS and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years” – Acts 7:36

Not only is God a Wonder, and He wants us to be Walking Wonders, His Word teaches us HOW to WALK in WONDERS. God has always been the Wonder-working God! The Greek word for “wonder” is teras, meaning “a wonder” or “a marvel,” as used in Acts 2:43, “Then fear came upon every soul, and many WONDERS and signs were done through the apostles.” God does “wonders and signs” and “signs and wonders,” but the difference, according to Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, is that “a sign is intended to appeal to the understanding, wonder appeals to the imagination.” The purpose of wonders, such as the apostles performed, is to amaze people with the Power of God and to lead them to receive the gospel. Why walk in the wonders of God? We may best begin to discover the answer from the accounts of the early church.

In Acts 4:23-33, we see the account of the prayer of the early church. We could begin by praying the way they prayed: “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” The needs of our contemporary world are so great and the present experience of the church seems so weak, that we should be passionate for the very thing they longed for. In the face of great opposition the Christians cried to God for boldness in their witness; for His hand to be stretched forth in healing; and for God to perform signs and wonders. They were not just "open" to signs and wonders. They were desperate for them.

Why did the generation of the early church, with its ready access to resurrection witnesses long to see God stretch forth His hand to do wonders among them? The Church wanted wonders – with the potential dangers, excesses and abuses – because they caused the outsiders to stand in awe of the church, and in the midst of the fear and amazement, drew many to faith in Jesus (Acts 5:12-14). Signs and wonders helped bring multitudes to saving faith; and they still do! This was not an isolated instance, but a pattern. There are at least 17 times where a miracle led to conversions in the book of Acts: the miracle of Pentecost led 3,000 converts; the miracle of the lame man in Acts 3:6 led to 2,000 converts (Acts 4:4); and Peter’s healing of Aeneas and raising of Dorcas, turned whole cities to the Lord (Acts 9:34-35; 40-42).

Praying for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit with power in signs and wonders does not in any way compromise the centrality of the Word of God or belittle the preaching of the gospel. It doesn’t depreciate the value of preaching God's Word or jeopardize the sufficiency of the Word to save sinners. Trusting God and exercising faith for miracles and wonders in addition to preaching of the Word does not imply that the Word is not trusted or esteemed as sufficient to save. If the early church prayed for signs and wonders, we should much more! Wonders are valuable in winning souls to Christ.

True, the Lord Jesus said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign” (Mt.12:39; 16:4). However, this should not be misinterpreted out of context. Seeking signs from God is wicked and adulterous when the demand for more and more evidence comes from a rebellious heart and simply covers up an unwillingness to believe. Trusting God for signs and wonders is acceptable and desirable when we come to Him with a heart longing to vindicate His glory and save sinners, through healings and wonders performed in the Name of Jesus! Wonders are not against the Word. They are secondary testimonies and witnesses to the value, truth, and centrality of the Word of Grace. God confirms the Word with signs and WONDERS (Mk.16:20).