The title of this post is loaded and cocked like a high-powered rifle. Answering "no" runs the risk of limiting God, and affirming it creates the potential of wrongly attributing deeds to God. God is Almighty and has primarily revealed His character, righteousness, and Gospel through the Word of God. The times I have heard this statement used, the Bible is the book being referenced. The Bible is not just "a" book, but His book. I believe the Bible is exactly what it claims to be: all scripture is of His divine inspiration, His God-breathed Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17). So before we can even fairly tackle the question, we must consider the context of making such a statement. If we do not first understand the premise, we can arrive at the wrong conclusion.
When someone says "God is bigger than a book," it is the premise of the statement that concerns me more than the statement itself. Atheists or unbelievers are not the ones saying this, but often it is professing Christians. What is the motive to say such a thing? Scripture itself reveals that God is greater than all, so it seems obvious that God must be "bigger" than a book. But what is the word "bigger" intended to convey when speaking about God? Has He not placed His word above His name (Ps. 138:2)? What synonym better conveys the true agenda? By referring to the Bible as "a" book, the statement itself denigrates the sufficiency of the Word and shrinks down the scope and power of the Bible, equating it to just any old book. This is very problematic, especially today with a growing culture in the church that is moving away from literal trust and adherence to scripture.
John says Jesus did many things which were not written in the Gospel he penned, and what was written was to the end we might believe. He closed the Gospel of John with these words in John 21:25: "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen." If all the deeds Jesus did could not be contained in the world itself, then it seems clear that the scope of what Jesus did is not entirely contained in scripture. This by itself seems to lend a positive answer to the original question. But the case isn't closed. Jesus said there would be many who would come in His name but be deceivers. They would claim to do the works of God but have no part in Him. Paul describes the works of Satan in 2 Thess. 2:9 "...with all power and signs and lying wonders." For this reason we are not to believe every spirit but to test them, for many false prophets have gone into the world (1 John 4:1).
The Holy Spirit gives us discernment through the scriptures to know truth from error. Because that is one purpose for the scriptures being given it is not "limiting God" to look to the scriptures to find precedent. Did Jesus do miracles of all kinds? Yes! Can Christians do miracles of all kinds today in His name, even healing diseases and afflictions not specifically mentioned in the Bible? Yes! The baptism with the Holy Spirit is for today, and I personally have received this baptism from Christ. Our experiences and feelings will be different from each other because we are all different people. The Acts of the Apostles reveal the Spirit of God manifested Himself as tongues of fire on the heads of the believers gathered in one accord in the upper room as they prayed: is it possible the Spirit of God could manifest His presence in the same or different way today? Sure. But we must approach such "signs" or events cautiously, our feet firmly founded on the Word of God. We are not ever told to seek after signs or miracles in scripture, but after Christ. When the unbelieving Jews asked for a sign Jesus said it was "a wicked and adulterous generation" that sought after a sign when there He stood in their midst (Matt. 16:4).
God does miracles today. Because of this scripture reveals Satan performs lying wonders as an angel of light with the intent to deceive and destroy. If miracles or spiritual gifts were not in operation today by the power of the Holy Spirit, every supernatural act by Satan would expose his treachery! His greatest asset is his subtlety. His strongest approach is to question the validity of God's Word. Wolves can pose as sheep and infiltrate the flock of God. Therefore we must remain vigilant to hold fast to God's Word. Jesus said His followers would do greater works (in scope) than Him through the Holy Spirit (John 14:12), but God has established boundaries He will not cross. He cannot lie (Titus 1:2) or contradict Himself, almost like fresh and salty water flowing from the same spring. The Holy Spirit will always glorify Christ (John 16:14), and Christ always honours the Father (John 8:49). God's character is the same yesterday, today, and forever because He does not change (Ps. 102:25-27). In all these aspects God cannot and will not overstep the bounds set clearly by His Word. In this sense God always operates within the revealed truth of scripture. There is a consistency in God's Word that can be counted on. We must be cautious not to fall for Satan's sleight of hand, dazzled and duped. Men are liars and easily led astray, but God is true and trustworthy. That being said, God will not be confined by our limited view of Him. Our unbelief restricts His resurrection power from being displayed. We should have an expectancy of God to move in power and not to try and dictate how or when He will do wonders. Truly, the greatest wonder to me is the salvation of a soul and the testimony of a transformed life through the Holy Spirit. Physical healing is temporary, but the salvation of souls is eternal.
Understanding the premise of this statement is the key to the conclusion. I am no one to judge another man's servant, because we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Allow me to conclude with Psalm 19:7-14: "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 the statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
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More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
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Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.
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Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.
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Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
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Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer."
I absolutely agree! And I think you take the right approach to it. As I've heard Ravi Z often say, "We answer the questioner not the question." It's so important to understand why someone is making that statement and the point they are trying to prove with it.
ReplyDeleteGod is bigger than his revelation just as we are more than what we say, but to a much greater extent. But while we are not always true to our word, God is always true to his, even if every man were to be found a liar. (Rom 3:4)
Though God is more than just his word, he is not less than or different from it either. The truths he has given to us through it are sure and unchanging. We can hold fast to them in awe that the Lord of all has chosen to reveal himself to us.