Have You Encountered the Supernatural?

Have you had supernatural experiences? I have. Years ago, the night after returning from a mission trip, I had a demonic attack. Recently, I read an article about someone who could see ‘ghosts’. Various friends shared accounts similar to the interviewee’s.

Some scientists try to explain these away as brain errors or electromagnetic fields. Many scientists assume there’s no such thing as the supernatural in the first place.

Yet, the supernatural is as mysterious as many things which science cannot yet fully explain, including: the proportion of dark matter, quantum entanglement; the arrow of time; the finely calibrated universal physical constants for life; the origin of life; the coherence and comprehensibility of mathematics and physical laws; the interaction between abstract physical laws and human consciousness; and the implausibility of random unguided evolution to fully account for the living world in this span of time.

Some of these are arguments for the likely existence of God; see also this. I would add to the list the arrival of human beings, a strangely different type of living thing from all others. Why is humanity so depraved and yet capable of noble deeds? Science can only answer the questions of “how?” but not “why?” regarding physical things. It cannot provide answers regarding non-physical things.

In the Christian worldview, these can be accounted for. The Bible tells of God the Son, Jesus, delivering people supernaturally from demonic oppression. He also created the physical world (Gen 1; Jn 1), created life and set humans apart (Gen 2). His ways are incomprehensible to humans (Isa 55:8-9). The Bible presents Jesus as inhabiting our physical world and time (John 1) as much as He exists outside our world and time (Isa 57:15; 2 Pet 3:8; Rev 1:8; 22:13). Jesus is fully God (Phil 2:8; Col 1:19) and fully human (Jn 1:14; Col 2:9; Phil 2:7), yet without sin (2 Cor 5:21). By His selfless love exhibited on the Cross, He satisfied justice as to the evil of humanity, so that mercy may be freely available to all who follow Him.

In case anyone doubts, there’s more than sufficient non-Christian historical evidence to prove He’s real. Also, the historical evidence for Jesus having risen from the dead is convincing. So also the historical, manuscript, archaeological and cogency evidence for the reliability of the Bible.

More importantly, the Bible tells us that Jesus, who is God, came into the world to bring spiritual illumination to us who otherwise are trapped in spiritual darkness (Jn 1). This is not just intellectual answers or emotional salve. It is a revelation from beyond human limits.

Yet, Jesus came not just to illuminate, but to reconcile us to God the Father, so that we may become adopted into His family. We are not just physical but also spiritual beings. We are not just biological organisms, but also eternal souls. We are not just creatures with impulses but persons created for divine communion.

We cannot live as if we are nothing but material things. Instead, we must live on the basis that we are eternal beings created to be with God. And if we do live each day in communion with God, then we are experiencing the supernatural every day. We are ‘eternals’ hosting the divine presence. I pray you will ever be confronted by things that point you beyond this physical world, so that you may live well in the light of eternity.

by brother Ronald Wong