Why doesn€™t God still perform miracles like He did in the Bible?

Scripture clearly shows that the miraculous in the Old Testament was confined to one little nation, it was not universal; to a few individuals, it was not general; to particular epochs, it was not continuous; and when that which it was intended to effect was reached, it ceased.

More than two thousand years of the world's history rolled its course, and we have no instance of servants of God performing miracles. Abraham did not. Isaac did not. Jacob did not. There was plenty of need in the world, and there was power with God surely. Not till we come to the time of Moses do we read of miracles.

Why was Moses given the power to perform miracles? We believe it was because he stood on the threshold of a new beginning in God's ways. God was about to claim His redeemed people, and conduct them to the land that He had promised to Abraham. God gave Moses to perform these miracles so that he might be publicly attested by Divine power as the leader of God's people.

The supernatural element was strongly in evidence at the inauguration of the law dispensation at Sinai, and also in connection with Israel's entrance into possession of the promised land. Later on, when the great national apostasy was developing and Jehovah set Himself by the prophets to recall His erring people and stem the rising tide of idolatry, there was another great display of miraculous power, particularly in connection with Elijah and Elisha. When, however, the apostasy was so complete that the Babylonian captivity resulted miracles disappeared.

The miracles of Pentecost marked the inauguration of the church period, just as formerly they had signalised the beginning of Israel's national history. The "church" ship was launched and the flags flew fittingly enough. When once launched other and sterner work awaited her than flag-flying.

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?" (Hebrews 2:3–4)

Does this passage not indicate that miracles were the attestation of the Divine message, and once that was recognised, the miracles should cease to be characteristic?

There was no lack of power with Paul, yet we know that he himself had some infirmity in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him, something that made his bodily presence weak and his speech contemptible, something that he prayed thrice might be removed, but he was NOT healed.

He advised Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach's sake and his often infirmities, and no longer to drink water. He did NOT heal him.

He left Trophimus at Miletum sick. He did NOT heal him.

Epaphroditus was sick, nigh unto death. It was through his zeal for Christ's service that he was thus laid low. Surely here was a case for healing. But Paul did NOT heal him. He recovered, but in the manner sick people generally recover.

It will be noticed that there are no miraculous gifts mentioned in this passage. They would hardly be in place in a portion that speaks of the Lord's provision for the church. Miracles and signs were given at the commencement to call the attention of the Jews to the glory and exaltation of Christ and the power of His Name. The Jews rejected this testimony and the signs and miracles ceased. The Lord's love to His church, however, can never cease, and the gifts that bear witness to His love continue.

True the outward signs were much in evidence in apostolic times, inasmuch as then God was publicly accrediting the Church which He had just founded. Now that stage is over and it is these less sensational and more hidden and important things which abide. We may draw an analogy between this and the human body, the most important and vital organs of which are hidden away beneath the surface.

At the present moment many excellent Christians are filled with a great longing for some display of spiritual power of a wholly extraordinary sort. Impressed, doubtless, with the low estate of the professing church, they long for something unprecedented — at all events in these latter times — something miraculous which may rehabilitate her in the eyes of the world, rally her scattered forces, and close the mouths of her critics.

Scripture gives no support to the expectation that such gifts will be revived. Indeed, as we have seen, the very opposite. In the closing days of the professing church, when apostasy is ripening, miracles would be no more fitting than they would have been at the end of Israel's responsible history up to Christ.

Miraculous power is one thing, SPIRITUAL POWER another, and vastly more important. John the Baptist had none of the former, in the latter he excelled. And the secret of such power is — what? Simply unswerving fidelity in the testimony of life and lip to Christ.

Miracles have gone, but He remains, and with Him remains the ability of the simplest and weakest believer to rightly testify of Christ.

When truth and especially the revelation of Christ came, God graciously gave miracles confirming the word; but He begat souls by the word of truth, never by miracles, though, when the truth was received and the heart disposed by grace, the works surely confirmed the word. So scripture puts it, Hebrews 2, "confirming the word by signs following."

In a word, the word testifies of Christ and the Father's love; and to establish its efficacy and claim, the works are added.

Christ's miracles were the expression of the power of divine goodness present in the world in man, the incarnate Lord, who, by a word, removed every fruit and effect of sin.