Understanding How God Works Today in the Dispensation of Grace
In recent years, many sincere believers have raised questions about the role of works, miracles, signs, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian today. Some insist that faith must be accompanied by visible manifestations, others appeal to personal experiences of healing or supernatural events, and still others argue that the miraculous signs of early Acts should be the normal expectation for the church today. These discussions often become heated because they touch deeply held convictions. For that reason, it is essential to step back from experience‑based arguments and examine what Scripture—rightly divided—actually teaches about God’s work in this present dispensation of grace. The purpose of this post is to clarify these issues biblically, to distinguish between Israel’s program and the Body of Christ, and to show why God’s focus today is spiritual rather than physical.
A common passage raised in these discussions is James’s statement that “faith without works is dead.” This is absolutely true, but it must be understood in its proper context. James wrote his epistle “to the twelve tribes scattered abroad” (James 1:1). His audience is Israel, not the Body of Christ. Israel’s kingdom program required works as evidence of faith because the kingdom was at hand and Israel was under covenant obligations. In contrast, Paul—the apostle of the Gentiles—teaches that salvation today is “to him that worketh not, but believeth” (Romans 4:5), and that it is “not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). Both James and Paul speak truth, but they speak to different programs. Mixing Israel’s kingdom requirements with the Body of Christ’s grace doctrine produces confusion and leads people to expect signs and manifestations that God is not performing today.
Another common argument is that God does not change and that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This is entirely correct regarding God’s character, nature, holiness, and truth. But His dealings with mankind do change. If God never changed His instructions, humanity would still be forbidden to eat meat, still be offering sacrifices, and still be preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Jesus being “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) refers to His unchanging deity, not to the continuation of every sign, miracle, or ministry He performed on earth. His earthly ministry was to Israel (Romans 15:8). His post‑resurrection ministry in Acts was still directed to Israel first. His present ministry is as Head of the Body, dispensing grace through Paul. The unchanging Christ administers different instructions in different dispensations, and believers today must follow the instructions given to us through Paul.
Much confusion also arises from Jesus’ promise that His followers would do “greater works.” These words were spoken to the apostles of Israel, not to the Body of Christ. The “greater works” were fulfilled in early Acts when thousands were saved in a single day, when the sick were healed by Peter’s shadow, when the dead were raised, when tongues were spoken as a sign to unbelieving Israel (1 Corinthians 14:21-22), and when judgments like that of Ananias and Sapphira occurred. These were kingdom signs, not the normal Christian life. They were temporary, tied to Israel’s offer of the kingdom, and they faded as Israel fell in unbelief. They were never promised to the Body of Christ.
With these distinctions in mind, it becomes clear how God works today. Scripture does not deny that God can heal, answer prayer, or perform miracles. He is God, and He acts according to His wisdom and purpose. But the Bible shows plainly that in this dispensation, God’s focus is not on the physical nature of our mortal bodies but on the spiritual growth and edification of the inner man. Paul’s own ministry demonstrates this beyond question. Paul suffered physically and was not healed. He prayed three times for the removal of his thorn in the flesh, and God did not remove it. Instead, God said, “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:9). If physical healing were the norm, Paul would have been healed instantly. Instead, God emphasized spiritual strength, not physical deliverance.
Paul also did not heal his closest companions later in his ministry. He left Trophimus sick at Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20). He instructed Timothy to use a little wine for his stomach and frequent infirmities (1 Timothy 5:23). Epaphroditus was so sick he nearly died (Philippians 2:27). If Paul still operated in the same healing power seen in early Acts, why did he not heal them? The answer is simple: the sign program was fading as Israel fell and the Body of Christ became the focus of God’s work. The shift from physical to spiritual is explicit in Paul’s letters. He never tells the Body of Christ to seek healing gifts, tongues, signs, wonders, manifestations, second baptisms, impartations, or anointings. Instead, he directs believers to the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2), the strengthening of the inner man (Ephesians 3:16), the pursuit of spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9), and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The Spirit’s work today is inward, not outward. It is doctrinal, not demonstrative. It is spiritual, not physical.
This is why Paul equates being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) with letting the Word of Christ dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16). The Spirit fills believers today through the Word rightly divided, not through signs and wonders. The Spirit’s ministry is to teach, convict, comfort, illuminate, sanctify, and produce Christlike character. This is the focus of God in the present dispensation. God can still heal, and He does according to His will, but it is not His dispensational focus. His focus is the spiritual man, not the physical body that is destined to perish. Our hope is not physical deliverance now, but the redemption of our bodies at the appearing of Christ (Romans 8:23).
Many believers today rely heavily on personal experiences, testimonies, or supernatural claims to validate their understanding of God’s work. But sincerity does not validate doctrine. Doctrine validates experience. If our testimony does not align with Scripture rightly divided, then our testimony is mistaken, no matter how strongly we feel about it. Paul warns repeatedly that in the last days people will be drawn to signs, wonders, visions, and experiences that are not from God. This is why believers must anchor everything in the doctrine Christ gave to Paul for this dispensation.
The real issue behind much of the confusion is that two programs are being mixed. The Acts 2/Pentecostal program belonged to Israel. The Body of Christ operates under a different calling, a different gospel, and a different set of instructions. When Israel’s signs are imported into the Body of Christ, confusion always follows. Paul says we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). He says the Jews require a sign (1 Corinthians 1:22). He says tongues shall cease and prophecies shall fail (1 Corinthians 13:8). The sign program ended because the kingdom offer to Israel ended. God is now working through the preaching of the cross, the edification of the Body, and the spiritual growth of believers—not through outward signs.
Zeal for God is commendable, but zeal must be according to knowledge (Romans 10:2). The goal of this teaching is not to diminish anyone’s sincerity, but to stand firmly on the doctrine Christ gave to Paul for this present age. Truth is worth pursuing, even when it challenges our experiences. When Scripture is rightly divided, the confusion surrounding signs, wonders, and the Spirit’s work disappears, and the believer is grounded in the spiritual riches God has provided for the Body of Christ today.
