The fallacy of needing signs and wonders before coming to faith

Micah Stefan Dagaerag

Honest Engagements

And he said, “No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent!”
(Luke 16:30)

I’ve had nightmares of hell when I was much younger. Besides being indescribably terrifying,
they were rather vivid, so much so that I’ve never wanted to ask anyone else if they’ve had
similar dreams as well.

The above verse is from Jesus’ story of when Lazarus (a poor and miserably sore-stricken
beggar) and an unnamed rich man went into the afterlife. After death, Lazarus was “carried
away by the angels into Abraham’s side” (Luke 16:22), while the rich man found himself in
Hades, where he “lifted up his eyes as he was in torment and saw Abraham from a distance,
and Lazarus at his side” (Luke 16:23). The rich man called to Abraham for mercy, asking that
Lazarus dip his finger in water to cool the rich man’s tongue, crying out, “I am suffering pain
in this flame!” (Luke 16:24).

Abraham then explains that a great and impassable chasm was established between them
and the rich man. He thus asks Abraham to send Lazarus to the rich man’s house, to warn his
brothers “in order that they also should not come to this place of torment!” (Luke 16:28). To
which, Abraham says to the rich man, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither
will they be convinced if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31).

This is chilling. Here Jesus teaches that if we do not listen to Moses and the prophets (that is,
the written Scriptures), neither will we be convinced even if someone they know comes back
from the dead to testify to the truth. Indeed, we all think or at least understand that if certain
messages would be accompanied by supernatural signs and wonders, it would provide
undeniable proof necessary for anyone in his or her right mind to come to believe. So why
does Abraham say that if someone rejects the Scriptures, even a corresponding miraculous
display of signs and wonders would not bring people any closer to faith?

The Bible is not like any other book. God has breathed its books into existence (1 Timothy
3:16), it’s words are living and active (Hebrews 4:12), and it always accomplishes the
purposes and plans for which it was sent (Isaiah 55:11). And if we do not listen to this
supernatural book, which contains the very teachings of God Himself, it matters not if
another supernatural event comes along.

Rejecting Scripture rejects its authority. Christians must come to the word of God in humble
faith and unreserved submission. When we say that we need certain proof and evidence (e.g.
signs and wonders) before we can agree with the Bible, we put ourselves on the judge’s seat
with God’s Word on the defendant’s table, which takes upon oneself a higher position than
God Himself. And such is the essence of sin and rebellion against God, where even belief in
God is based, not on faith, but on certain pre-established personal standards. We remain
supreme.

Rejecting Scripture rejects its authorship. The composition, preservation, and dissemination
of the Bible is actually already a work of God’s power and love. To desire some further
demonstration of proof of the supernatural on our own terms, or of our own preference, such
as dead people returning from the grave, shows that we’d prefer the word of another than
that of God Himself. Needless to say, this does not result into true faith.

Ultimately, rejecting Scripture rejects its Author. Any moral resistance and repulsion that we
might have to its teachings goes against, not just those teachings per se, but the heart and
character of the Person on whom those teachings are grounded and anchored. Whatever
objections we might have of Scripture that lead us into unbelief and skepticism are
fundamentally acts of rebellion against the author of Scripture, God Himself. And if we are at
the point of spiritual hostility, we hardly need the word of the dead, but the word of the living.
We need Scripture.