clcgh.org Building The Capacity Of Christian Leaders, Equipping The Saints For The Work Of Ministry, Redirecting Straying Christians To The Sound Knowledge Of Christ
By James Quansah, Pastor
IT IS not evil for people to see the miracles, signs and wonders performed in the name of Jesus Christ and consequently believe in His name. Christ is the supreme miracle worker without peer, and we expect that as He works miracles people believe in Him. But do men and women become Christians just by seeing and believing in miracles performed in the name of Jesus Christ?
The answer to the question above is emphatically no. Scripture makes it clear that people do not become true Christians by believing in Christ Jesus after seeing miracles or wonders. The Bible reveals to us the appropriate way or step by which a person can be made a Christian.
During the earthly ministry of Christ Jesus, many people wanted to become His disciples by believing in His name after seeing His signs and wonders, but our Lord took notice of the unapproved step they attempted to take in becoming Christians. Thus, Christ Jesus refused to entrust himself to those believers. Let us read the text below.
“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man” ( John 2: 23- 25).
Jesus Christ sees those who take the genuine way to become His disciples. To such people the Lord entrusts Himself, but those who are mere miracle seekers, breakthrough seekers and money seekers, He does not commit Himself to them. Christ knows all the people who first earnestly desire to have His person before His provisions. A person who is genuinely drawn by God to partake in the Kingdom of heaven first seeks the person of Christ before His provisions.
Now, you may ask: what then is the true, fundamental and biblical approach to become a Christian? The Bible teaches that for a sinner who is alienated from God to start a journey of a lasting, eternal relationship with God, he must FIRST HEAR THE GOSPEL of Jesus Christ from an anointed preacher, one who speaks by the Holy Spirit. I mean the preacher who is carried along by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel. This preacher must be someone sent by God.
“And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10: 14b- 15). “In him you also, when you HEARD THE WORD OF TRUTH, the gospel of your salvation…” (Ephesians 1: 13)
The first appropriate step a sinner must take in becoming a Christian is not to see a miracle or sign but to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. This means the Lord must send a preacher to the sinner with a message called the Word of truth that saves. This is why obedient ministers of Christ embark on missions, evangelism and organise campaigns in nations, cities, towns and villages so unbelievers can hear the gospel of salvation.
Hearing the gospel of salvation is a key thing in being made a Christian. The power to convert a sinner is embedded in the hearing of the Word of truth. A person who does not hear the gospel or will not hear the gospel cannot be made a Christian because the preaching and hearing the gospel is the bedrock of Christianity.
Christ Jesus knew that the only true way people can be saved and be made legitimate children of God is by first hearing the gospel. This is why Jesus Christ, the Founder of the Church, strongly commanded the preaching of the gospel or Good News of the kingdom of God throughout the world. Christ did not first command us to work miracles but to preach the gospel; He did not instruct us to teach people motivational stuff for them to be saved
These things mentioned above are good, but our Lord’s charge to us is that we should preach the gospel clearly for people to hear and understand the purpose of His coming into the world. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations…” (Matthew 24:14). “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS…” (Matthews 28: 18- 19).
