Words and Works

From: David Seckinger [mailto:david@parkwayfellowship.org]
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:45 PM
To: Jim Black; Mark Wood
Cc: Tom & Nancy Welch; Craig Hofer
Subject: Re: A few questions

Mark,

I have been looking at Judges recently and specifically this past week Gideon and the 3 signs the Lord gave him. This led me to wonder about the role of the supernatural in the life and experience of God’s people. Should the true church expect to see God’s manifest presence? Is it a test of authenticity?

It seems to me that all through the Old and New Testaments there was a inseparable link between the Word and works of God in life, in worship, in witness. Inherent in the Covenant promises and warnings of the OT is this idea that God would dwell in their midst and be their God and they would be his people and thus a witness to the nations. The evidence of his nature and power was to be on display in Israel (obey and they would like his works, disobey and they wouldn’t - blessings and cursings). The book of Acts begins with the affirmation that it is only as the believers know “God-in-their-midst”, literally indwelling them, that they could be holy and witness effectively. Again the witness of God’s character and power comes through his people. Again, the dual realities of Word (truth) and works (presence).

Some people feel that the presence of the objective written Word of God replaces the need or role of signs, wonders, and miracles as indications of God’s presence and power. But does it? The OT is full of the works of God even after the Law and other scriptures were established. Jesus life was full of miracles despite the fact that, as he showed them, the completed OT spelled out who he was very clearly. Peter’s quote from Joel seems to indicate that Peter saw no discontinuity between the “supernatural” ministry of Jesus and the ongoing ministry of the Spirit of Jesus in the last days despite the fact that the NT would eventually be written.

It is true, because of the fall, our experience of the supernatural and ability to discern and understand it are severely flawed. We must therefore always test and subordinate our experiences to the Word because of the dangers of subjectivity and counterfeit/evil powers. It is not the work of God that is being judged or scrutinized by the Word, but our experiences (which may or may not be his work).

So I’m wondering if the church can be defined purely in terms of things we do, or believe to align ourselves with the Word or there should be some testimony by God, that he is indeed dwelling in the midst of these people? It was the public sense that God was present that freed Moses to move forward after the Covenant was given- he knew it, the people knew it and that the nations knew it. How?

Because they were a people defined by the Word and marked by his works?