“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders…” – 2 Thessalonians 2:9
Islam, Hinduism, and the occult are all false religions that we must be wary of. So, is all their teaching on miracles incorrect?
Islam refers to miracles as signs and even affirms Jesus’ healings and virgin birth but does not recognize Him as God or the Son of God. Also,
Hinduism has long had many gurus claiming siddhi powers, but the best-known is the late Sathya Sai Baba (d. 2011), who was worshiped by millions of people as the incarnation of Shiva for nearly fifty years. His popularity arose from his ability to materialize vibhutti (sacred ash), candy, flowers, and small idols allegedly out of thin air. (1)
In the cults,
Aberrational forms of Christianity take diverging views. Mormonism was founded on the continuation of miracles (Mormon 9:7–20), particularly the discovery of the Book of Mormon. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe miracles and divine healing ceased with the death of the apostles. Christian Science espouses the miracles-as-higher-law theory mentioned above and touts a 150-year record of healings as proof of Mrs. Eddy’s claim that sickness is an illusion. (2)
Often, the counterfeit of a miracle is referred to as a paranormal experience or magic. “The function of wonder creates awe of the magician or shaman, and the function of sign points to the magician’s power to bless, curse, heal, or control the unknown.” (3)
It’s important for us to be knowledgeable about what other false religions believe and practice so we can properly discern between the truth and counterfeits.
Come back for tomorrow’s devotional where we discuss the effects of counterfeit miracles on the Church.
Spend some time in prayer today for deliverance for anyone you know who is actively practicing one of these false religions.
- Eric Pement, “Miracles in Non-Christian Religions,” ed. H. Wayne House, The Evangelical Dictionary of World Religions (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2018), 325–326.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
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