These Signs shall Follow those who Believe…
Just before leaving the earth, Jesus said to His disciples:
And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)
First point of order is that we must note what Jesus did not say.
One: He did not say that everyone who believes will be able to do everyone of these things.
The statement we are examining is generic in nature; not specific. As a matter of fact, other passages of Scriptures state plainly that not everyone can do all those things. Paul’s rhetorical question in 1 Corinthian 12: 29-30 asks: “Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?”
A rhetorical question is stated to drum home the fact that the answer to the question is in the negative. In other words, the answer to all those questions Paul asked is “NO”. Not all work miracles. Not all possess gifts of healing. Not all speak in tongues.
Two: He did not say that people who believe would be able to do any one of these things as they will.
In 1 Corinthians 12:7 and hebrews 2:4, it is stated that these manifestations are all as the Spirit (the Lord) wills. In other words, no man can speak in tongues, work a miracle or heal the sick at will.
The example in Acts chapter 2 states that the believers spoke in other tongues (languages) as the Spirit gave them utterance. Again, we see that the manifestation of the Spirit happens by the Lord’s initiative; not man’s.
Yes; the Lord heals, can grant miracles, inspire a manifestation of other tongues or whatever else, but not one of those things can be initiated by man. If any man claims to be able to speak in tongues at will, we can be sure that the Holy Spirit is not involved in his speaking. Same thing goes for all those men claiming to be able to heal the sick and work miracles.
It is either we believe the Bible or we believe them. If we are to believe the Bible, there is no further conclusion on this matter than that these men are lying through the skin of their teeth.
