There’s something about miracles that grabs our attention. Who doesn’t want to witness the blind receiving sight or the lame walking again? The Bible is peppered with astonishing accounts of supernatural acts that left people in awe—the parting of the Red Sea, Jesus walking on water, Lazarus rising after four days. But here’s the kicker: those spectacular miracles weren’t handed out like party favors to the early church or anyone who prayed hard enough. If you’re someone who digs into scripture the way I do—rightly dividing the Word—you know that miracles in the Bible had very specific times, purposes, and players. They were foundational, confirms of God’s Word, and served to reveal Jesus before the New Testament age wrapped up. The idea that these kinds of miracles are for the church today? That’s a misunderstanding that can actually muddy the waters of grace.
Miracles Were the Signature of an Old Covenant Era
Look at the flow of biblical history. From Moses to Elijah, and then Jesus and the apostles, miracles were proof that God’s messengers had authority. Moses turned the Nile into blood to confront Pharaoh’s gods. Elijah called down fire from heaven to show who was the real God. Jesus Himself used miracles as a billboard for the Kingdom of God. But all that shows us something else—the miracles were a kind of divine self-advertisement for God’s unfolding plan before the church as we know it came into full view.
When Jesus died, rose again, and ascended, He poured out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Miracles did continue for a time as the apostles preached the good news. Roads get paved for the gospel’s global journey, but miraculous signs did not last as the norm. This wasn’t a failure on God’s part or His love for us running dry. Rather, those works were part of God’s design to validate His messengers and to lay the foundation for the church.
Some believers today expect ongoing miracles as proof of God’s favor or presence—but Scripture cautions against that mindset. It’s not about us crafting spiritual showmanship; it’s about walking in the reality of salvation through grace, not by signs and wonders.
The Grace Gospel Changes the Game
Here’s where many get tripped up. The miraculous works in the Bible come primarily from God’s dealings with Israel under the Law and during Jesus’ earthly ministry. After Pentecost and the revelation of grace through Paul, things shifted. The emphasis turned away from miraculous signs toward sound doctrine, faith, and the new life Christ gives.
If you’ve wrestled with rightly dividing scripture—as well you should—you recognize the difference between the Acts era and the Church today. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, speaks repeatedly about walking by faith and living by the Spirit rather than relying on miracles to prove anything. The grace message isn’t about supernatural spectacles; it’s about the supernatural transformation of the heart.
By clinging to signs and wonders as a requirement, believers risk missing the true heartbeat of God’s grace: the finished work of Christ. Paul never offers himself as a miracle worker—he leans on the gospel, teaching believers to be rooted in truth rather than chasing after miraculous experiences that were primarily to establish early ministry credentials.
Signs Are Not the Mark of True Believers Today
Ask yourself: When reading the New Testament epistles today, do you see them instructing believers to demand ongoing miracles as a norm? No. Instead, you find admonitions to know God’s Word deeply, to walk in love and faith, and to be good stewards of what has been entrusted to us.
Why? Because miracles, in the biblical scheme, were often signs to Israel, confirming God’s messengers and prophecies. Now, in the church age of grace, the sign that marks believers is the fruit of the Spirit. If someone insists this or that miraculous manifestation is the badge of true faith, that puts the spotlight on the wrong thing.
Think about the Epistles. Are miracles featured prominently? No, fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness—that’s the unmistakable mark of God’s children today. If you’re hanging your faith on whether someone falls under the power or the beautifully dramatic healings, you might be missing the essential message of grace.
Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater
There’s something powerful about seeing God work supernaturally. I’m not here to dismiss the possibility of God intervening miraculously in today’s world. But when we elevate those events so they define our faith or confuse us about what the Bible teaches now, we stray.
Grace doesn’t deny God’s power; it simply realigns our understanding to the right era. The Bible’s miracles were God’s way of setting the stage. Now, the redeemed walk by faith, confident in the finished work of the cross, not seeking demonstrations of power to bolster their belief.
There’s a balance here—a humility to say that God can and will intervene when He chooses, but the baseline of Christian living is not marked by moment-to-moment miracles. Instead, it’s marked by a firm confidence in God’s promises, the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit changing hearts, and the truth of the gospel shining fully.
Walking by Faith in the Present Time
If miracles were meant to be the norm today, why does Paul urge us to put away childish things and walk in maturity? Faith isn’t about flashy signs or personal experiences but about trusting God’s revealed Word and the power of His grace over sin, death, and judgment.
I often think about how easy it is to chase after the supernatural when you don’t fully grasp who you are in Christ or the authority you already carry by grace. The faith we need is quiet but unshakable. It’s peace amid trials and confidence that God is on His throne even when the miraculous isn’t visible.
If you hunger for proof, dive into the Word—you won’t find a mandate for miracles in the church today; you’ll find an unmistakable call to live by faith, grounded in grace. The reality of salvation itself is the greatest miracle, and that miracle does not come with smoke and fire or sudden healings. It comes through the cross, and it shows in transformed lives.
Maybe the bigger wonder is not eyes opened or bodies healed, but souls renewed and hearts changed by grace. That’s where the real power is—not out there in dramatic signs, but deep down in the quiet conviction that Jesus Christ is Lord.
For a steady diet of scripture that reminds you where God is taking you, check out this helpful daily devotional site, inspiring daily Bible verses and reflections.
Faith isn’t about chasing miracles. It’s about resting in the grace God so freely gives and living out the transformation His Spirit provides. The church today is not called to duplicate Old Testament spectacles but to shine the light of the gospel clearly and confidently, trusting God to use ordinary means for extraordinary outcomes.
And honestly? That’s pretty miraculous all on its own.