Writing about Session 9: Does God Still Speak Today?, Bob Sweeny shares his thoughts on one of the discussion questions.
Discussion question #8: How was your thinking most challenged by the lesson?
Well I did a little research online to help me get some discernment on this issue but I’m not sure if it helped or not. I did not realize this to be such a big issue until our class and reading about it online.
Honestly, I don’t have this nailed down yet and I am getting tossed around a bit. As soon as I read a verse, or someone else’s blog, it sways my conclusion. One major view point is that because of a lack of faith or seeking God on our part, that the special revelations have diminished or ceased, but God still wants to give them.
In part they use 1 Corinthians 14:1-7 to support this. Basically they say that because we don’t pray and believe we can do the gifts through Christ, we can’t. But in 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, it talks about that we all have different gifts and that we should desire the gifts that are the most helpful.
So it’s possible that the gifts that are least helpful have passed away because they are no longer profitable for today. A gift like teaching, preaching, or helping may be more profitable to spread the true Gospel than tongues, miracles, and healing in today’s culture. If the ceasing of signs and wonders were due to a lack of faith, I think there would still be someone who had a great faith and did these signs with a pure heart and motive, like Paul.
All of the “miracle workers” that I know of today can very easily be proven to be false by their motives or false message. I think I have come to the conclusion that the special revelations have ceased for now. Though at any time God could use them again if He should so choose.
Whatever your spiritual gift is, using your gift with the right motive and purpose is probably far more important than what your gift is and the WOW factor of it. We who have believed in Christ for the forgiveness of sins have different gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit and as a part of the body of Christ we should use them for His glory and with thankfulness.