Miracles

Galatians 3:3-5,10 - Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?... All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 - To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

Galatians 2:15-16 - "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Conclusions:

• Both salvation and sanctification are the work of the Holy Spirit
• Human effort is the flesh, a reference to human nature in its unregenerate weakness
• Trying to achieve righteousness by works, including circumcision, was a part of life in the flesh
• Paul hopes that those who have been misled will return to the true gospel
• In Scripture a miracle is an action that cannot be explained by natural means
• A miracle is an act of God intended as evidence of His power and purpose
• Prophecy is a communication of the mind of God imparted to a believer by the Holy Spirit
• Prophecy may be a prediction or an indication of the will of God in a given situation
• Since there can also be false prophecies that come from evil spirits, distinguishing between spirits is necessary in order to distinguish the true from the false
• Since the Greek word for tongues means languages or dialects, some understand different kinds of tongues to refer to the ability to speak in unlearned human languages, as the apostles did on the day of Pentecost
• Others believe that the term tongues refers to both earthly and heavenly languages, including ecstatic languages of praise and prayer
• Interpretation of tongues is the communication of the message spoken in a tongue so that hearers can understand and be edified

Application:

• Has the Holy Spirit communicated the mind of God to you?
• Do you refuse God's offer of grace and insist on pursuing righteousness through works?
• Have you put your faith in Christ Jesus?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible