Much can be (and has been) said about miracles—there are many recorded instances of Jesus performing miracles in scripture—often to the bewilderment and indignation of the cultural and religious elite.
By definition, miracles are something that is inexplicable by ordinary or natural means. And whether you realize it or not, this definition applies to your conversion experience as well as mine. Inexplicable. Extraordinary. Unnatural.
Because of the extensive legacy of human sin, it’s nothing less than a miracle that the Creator of the universe would choose to have any association with us at all (inexplicable). Yet he goes beyond mere association and instead pursues intimacy with us (extraordinary), even though it was our sin that nailed Him to the cross (unnatural). How can we explain His reasons for removing our sin? For creating new hearts within us? For calling us His heirs? Again, all miracles!
“Yes, that was the story of my conversion,” you might say. “Jesus changed my life, saved me, cleansed me of sin and gave me a new heart—it was a miracle.” However, drawing the line there—as if it were a one-time event—calls into question the thorough and complete nature of Christ’s converting power.
Here’s the truth: your life actively testifies of God’s faithfulness on a daily basis (Lamentations 3:22-23). It testifies to His commitment to the miraculous. One author put it this way: “The practical, nitty-gritty, day-to-day living of the Christian life is the experience of a miracle. If it were not, then all of our moral choices and our pursuit of holiness would be done in our own strength. It would signify our own merit and it would redound to our own glory.”
In a devotional compilation titled, “God’s Amazing Grace,” Ellen White attributes these daily miracles to Grace when she says: “The miracle-working power of Christ’s grace is revealed in the creation of a new heart within man—a higher life, a holier enthusiasm. God says: “A new heart also will I give you”. Is not this, the renewal of man, the greatest miracle that can be performed?” (p. 252)
Are we living each day as if it’s a miracle? Are we living as if our very existence is “inexplicable by ordinary or natural means?” I’m not sure that we’ll fully understand the how and why of miracles from this side of heaven. However, whether we understand them or not, by His grace I pray we’ll strive to do better at humbly and thankfully recognizing their impact on our lives.