Argument from Miracles

Focal Point: 

Miracles are often cited as compelling evidence for the existence of God because they represent events that defy natural explanation, pointing to a supernatural cause. In a world governed by predictable natural laws, miracles stand out as moments where those laws seem suspended or overridden, suggesting the intervention of a higher power. For believers, miracles are seen as signs of God's presence and activity in the world, revealing His power and purpose. Our faith is bookended by miracles. We believe that the ineffable God took on human flesh, to dwell in our midst. The incarnation is the beginning of our faith story. Additionally, the resurrection of Jesus, for is the capstone of our belief and is regarded as a miraculous event that not only validates Jesus' divinity but also affirms the existence of a God who can transcend life and death. Skeptics may challenge the authenticity of miracles or seek natural explanations, but the consistent testimonies of miraculous occurrences throughout history—healings, divine interventions, and inexplicable phenomena—are, for us, strong indicators of a reality beyond the material, pointing to the existence of God.

Introduction:

In considering the argument for God's existence from miracles, we must first acknowledge the peculiar nature of the event itself. A miracle, properly understood, is not a violation of the natural order but an intervention from beyond it—a purposeful act by the Creator who stands outside His creation. To call such an occurrence "impossible" presupposes that nature is a closed system, an assumption that itself begs the very question we are addressing. If God exists, nature is not a closed system but an open one, subject to the free will of its Creator. Thus, the possibility of miracles depends on whether we are willing to admit that the universe might contain more than the merely material—something we are led to suspect, not only by our experience of reason, morality, and beauty, but by the yearning we feel for something beyond this world.

A miracle, therefore, is like a window through which we catch a glimpse of a larger reality—a flash of divine light breaking into the shadowlands of our daily experience. If we witness such an event, it is not a random or chaotic disruption, but a sign pointing us to a deeper truth. The resurrection of Christ, for example, is not simply an inexplicable anomaly; it is a revelation of God's ultimate power over life and death, a profound affirmation of His existence and His purpose for humanity. To deny the possibility of miracles is to deny the freedom of God Himself, reducing Him to a mere force within the system rather than its author. The reality of miracles serves, therefore, as both a signpost and a seal—a signpost directing us toward the divine, and a seal confirming that the God who made the world has not left it to run on its own but continues to act within it for the sake of His creatures.