Should Christians actively pursue signs and wonders? Rev Joshua Lye explores the biblical purpose of signs and wonders, and how believers can be empowered by the Holy Spirit to perform them for the glory of God.
The question before us today is, “Should we keep seeking signs and wonders, which are often manifested through the supernatural gifts and offices of the Holy Spirit?” It is often said that we should seek not the gifts but the Giver. But I believe we should seek the gifts to glorify the Giver and to fulfill His calling.
Seeking the Giver Through His Gifts
There are two extreme positions in the body of Christ. On one extreme, there are cessationists who believe that God no longer works miracles and that the supernatural gifts of the Spirit have ceased. They limit the God of miracles of the Bible and hinder the working of the Holy Spirit, resulting in a Christianity devoid of power.
But I believe we should seek the gifts to glorify the Giver and to fulfill His calling.
On the other hand, there are hyper-Charismatics who pursue signs and wonders as the ultimate goal, to the extent that they would embrace New Age practices and disregard biblical instruction. For example, there are Christians who adopt the practices of New Age spiritists, such as using tarot cards. In Deuteronomy 18:9-14, God warned the Israelites not to adopt the abominable spiritual practices of the Canaanites when they enter the promised land. Likewise, we should not adopt abominable practices of the world, but we must be guided by the Word of God as we operate in signs and wonders.
Signs and wonders are manifested by the person of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7). Paul preached with mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:19). These signs and wonders are often manifested through the supernatural gifts and offices of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 27-30). Some examples of the supernatural gifts mentioned by Paul include the gifts of healing, prophecy, and working of miracles. Philip, who was in the fivefold office of an evangelist, preached the gospel with signs and wonders such as healing and deliverance (Acts 8:5-7).
In addition to fulfilling the Great Commission, signs and wonders also play an important role in the body of Christ.
The Purposes of Signs and Wonders
There are two key purposes for signs and wonders. Firstly, it is for evangelism purposes, for the attestation of the gospel so that people will believe in Jesus (Acts 1:8; John 20:30-31; Romans 15:18-19; Acts 14:3; 1 Corinthians 2:4-5; 1 Thessalonians 1:5). Secondly, the signs and wonders manifested through the gifts of the Spirit are for the edification of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 14:3,5,12,26). We should never pursue signs and wonders as an end in themselves or for selfish purposes.
The Bible tells us that we are to seek empowerment by the Holy Spirit and to desire spiritual gifts, which results in signs and wonders for the two key purposes mentioned above. This empowerment is often referred to as the anointing of the Spirit.
When Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission, He also instructed them to wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which would empower them to fulfill their assignment (Acts 1:4-8). The disciples did not wait passively, but they all sought for the empowerment of the Spirit actively in prayer for many days (Acts 1:14). Finally, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost, and the disciples spoke in the supernatural gift of tongues, which the foreign crowd understood. When Peter stood up in His office as an apostle to preach an anointed sermon, three thousand people received salvation. The lesson from this story is that we are to seek to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the Great Commission, and the empowerment is often manifested as signs and wonders through the operation of the gifts and offices of the Spirit.
In addition to fulfilling the Great Commission, signs and wonders also play an important role in the body of Christ. Paul tells the Corinthians not to be ignorant of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1). He tells them to desire spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1). He affirms that they should be zealous for spiritual gifts but instructs them to excel in using them for the edification of the church (1 Corinthians 14:12, 26). The lesson from Paul is that we should eagerly seek for the gifts of the Spirit to edify the body of Christ.
Once the gifts are stirred up, we should operate them as faithful stewards of the talents that God has given us.
Stirring Up the Gifts of the Spirit
In addition to seeking, believers are to develop and nurture their gifts. Paul tells his spiritual son Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” We are to be intentional to stir up our gifts. As Pentecostals, we know that we can stir up the gifts by praying fervently in the Spirit. Once the gifts are stirred up, we should operate them as faithful stewards of the talents that God has given us.
The best way is to look at the fruits.
The Fruit of Signs and Wonders
How can we know if we are on the right track with regard to signs and wonders? After all, Jesus warned that in the last days, there will be false prophets who will deceive believers through signs and wonders (Matthew 24:24). The best way is to look at the fruits. Does our operation of signs and wonders through the gifts of the Spirit result in the salvation of the lost and the edification of the body of Christ? Does it glorify Jesus or bring attention to ourselves?
I will end with the story of Elisha, who requested a double portion of Elijah’s anointing (2 Kings 2:9). He would receive it only if he saw Elijah taken away from him. He demonstrated great persistence in refusing to leave Elijah on three occasions. Finally, he saw Elijah taken away, and he received the double portion (2 Kings 2:11). Today, I challenge you to have Elisha’s persistency in desiring the anointing. May we seek the empowerment of the Spirit and eagerly desire spiritual gifts to glorify Jesus and fulfill His kingdom purposes.
Rev Joshua Lye is the senior pastor of New Horizon Church. Prior to full- time ministry, he worked as the chief financial officer of a large corporation. He founded and pastored Revivalife Church for a decade before joining New Horizon Church in July 2023. He has an MDiv, an MBA, and a BAcc. He is married to Florence Ho, and they have two children, Ronnie and Tania. Rev Joshua is passionate about revival, Christian apologetics, discipleship, and raising the next generation.
