Magic versus Miracles
Does God do magic? If you’ve ever read the Bible, you know that it’s full of God doing some rather magnificent things. Take a look at this short list.
Creation of everythingThe flood and re-birth of life afterwards Creations of languages Birth of Isaac The burning bush that doesn’t burn up Aaron’s rod changed into a serpentThe ten plagues of EgyptRed Sea dividedWaters sweetened, Manna sent dailyWater from a rock
And all of that is just in the first two books. In fact, I didn’t even get all the way through Exodus. What about the New Testament?
Blind men curedMoney in a fish’s mouthA deaf and dumb man curedJesus goes through a crowd, and no one sees himCool stuff, eh? But is this magic? Nope. These are miracles. The difference between the two is simple.
Miracle - God chooses to use supernatural powers. Sometimes miracles happen when we ask for them, and sometimes God throws them into our lives with little warning (John 9:1-7). Either way, miracles occur when God decides to intervene supernaturally in our lives – not when commanded to.
In contrast, magic is defined by Webster as “The use of charms, spells, etc. in seeking or pretending to control events; sorcery; witchcraft.” The key word I see here is control. Magic is about controlling the future, present, the weather, the sickness in your body.
Here’s the way I see the difference:
A miracle is when God chooses to do supernatural thingsMagic is when people try to control supernatural beings (God, angels, or demons) into using supernatural powers for themselves.
What do you think? Is it possible to control the supernatural?
Published on March 02, 2012 11:23
No comments have been added yet.