How should we judge a witnessed miracle's source?
A witnessed miracle's source is judged by whether it comes through the keeping of the Law or through the manifestation of the Spirit activated by faith. Miracles could not be performed under the working of the Law. The Spirit works among believers by the hearing of faith, not works—grace through faith, plus nothing.
Les explains that Paul asks the Galatians whether the Spirit and miracles among them came by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith. Under the working of the Law, they could not perform any miracles; it was impossible. But when the Holy Spirit activated the hearts and minds of those pagan Galatians and others throughout the Roman Empire, it produced a miraculous transformation from paganism, idolatry, and immorality into a whole new lifestyle. Les notes that is a miracle in itself, and though other manifestations of the miraculous existed in the early church, Paul does not explicitly delineate them; the question remains the same. If a miracle was witnessed, it must be judged as either through keeping the Law or through the manifestation of the Spirit activated by faith. The theme of Galatians is that we are not under Law but under grace, and we come under grace and out from under the Law by faith plus nothing. Les warns not to be suckered into a works religion but to maintain salvation by grace through faith, plus nothing.
He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
More Questions
Do all genuine miracles come through faith and not through the law?
Every miracle, including any witnessed today, comes through the Spirit activated by faith, not through keeping the Law.