On Faith & Magic

Faith & Magic

The physical world operates by certain principles, and these principles guide the results that emerge from it. Scientists today, with enough self-belief, can produce rockets that traverse the Earth and travel to other planets simply by obeying observable laws of physics.

Miracles, on the other hand, also obey the physical laws of the universe. Miracles abound on different planes, and one could even call it a scientific miracle to see objects built on Earth hovering over other planets in our solar system.

Jesus Christ didn't just perform miracles haphazardly; He performed miracles with those who believed that a miracle was possible in their lives, and many projected this belief onto Him. Instant miracles demonstrate that the person receiving the miracle had already initiated the process of faith within themselves, and that faith had reached the manifestation stage. By the time the person encountered Jesus, spoke with Him, or touched Him, whatever they were believing God for instantly became a reality.

Take the example of the centurion, who was concerned about his servant. Despite not being able to heal his servant himself, the centurion had faith that was evident in his words. He told Jesus that He didn't need to come to his house to heal his servant; Jesus only had to speak the word. The basis of the centurion's faith lay in his belief in his own authority—he commanded a battalion and knew the power of words. Even though his own faith couldn't heal his servant, when his faith was joined with the faith of Jesus, who was spiritually empowered, it produced an instant healing in the servant. The centurion had a living faith, and his faith in Jesus was likely increasing due to what he had heard about Him.

Jesus' miracles did increase the faith of those who already had faith, but they had little effect on the unbelievers, who were more focused on the power by which He performed miracles than on the miracles themselves. Their unbelief wasn't due to extensive learning or sophistication, but rather a result of the work of the devil. It is faith that transforms and makes miracles happen. For those who walk in faith, it is a process of perfection.

On the cross, one of the thieves was curious as to why Jesus couldn’t save Himself, even though He demonstrated the power to do so for others. Jesus, though full of spirit in the flesh, was subject to God and His commandments. If Jesus had been subject only to Himself, perhaps He would have saved Himself, but He had to adhere to the Father's will.

After His death, He did save Himself by resurrecting and living for a period before ascending into heaven. His ascension appeared to defy the laws of gravity, but if scientists today have developed rockets that defy gravity and fly into space, perhaps Jesus was simply ahead of His time and knew exactly how to achieve this in the flesh.

Magic, on the other hand, does not require faith. While a little self-belief may help a magician perform effortlessly in front of an audience, magic relies on knowledge unique to the magician, allowing them to manipulate the elements and forms of the Earth in ways the normal mind cannot fathom. The magicians of Pharaoh's time could turn rods into serpents, and Moses could do the same—not because God taught him magic, but because Moses was a product of the Egyptian school of magic. However, God's words have the power to change the earthly realm. The God who created the world from nothing and who parted the seas incorporated Moses into the act of separating those very seas. This is not magic, but something far beyond it that only faith in God can comprehend.

Magic is the human pathway into the supernatural, while faith is the designated pathway into the supernatural by God. The results in the natural world may appear similar, but only a mind full of faith can perceive the difference and choose which path to follow.

God created all things, and all knowledge belongs to Him.