Let’s read Mark 16:15-18, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”  In this portion in Mark, we have the last words of the risen savior before He ascended into Heaven.  We read in verse 19, “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”

It is good for us to consider these last words of the savior before leaving His disciples to return to Heaven to sit at His Father’s right hand in the glory. 

First, the Lord speaks of the importance of sharing the Gospel with the lost.  We are to go to them, not wait for them to come to us.  One who puts his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is declared to be saved. (Read Acts 16:31).  Baptism should follow right after salvation.  Notice those who are damned are those who “believe not.”  It is not those who are not baptized…it is those who refused to believe in the Lord.

Then, there were particular “sign gifts” that accompanied the apostles in the early days of the church.  In the beginning of the church, which began on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the Word of God was not yet completed.  The Lord allowed some to exhibit extraordinary actions, or miracles, to confirm that the words they spoke were truly from God.  We read in verse 20 of our chapter, “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and CONFIRMING THE WORD WITH SIGNS following. Amen.”

Some of these signs included casting out demons, speaking with tongues, taking up serpents, being protected from the effects of poison, laying hands on the sick.  Are these “sign gifts” still with us today?  While I do not want to try to shorten God’s hand by saying He cannot do such things, we realize that with the completion of God’s Word, the need for these miracles to confirm God’s Word is no longer needed.  In fact, as many so-called preachers practice much heralded miracle meetings, this has become quite a distraction from the truth of God’s Word and the need for men and women to repent of their sins and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

There is one good example of the truth of Mark 16:18 that is found on the island of Melita in Acts 28:2-5, “And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.”  When the Apostle Paul was bitten by a snake, he “shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.”  This was certainly a fulfillment of the Lord’s promise, but the result of this incident was terrible.  We read in verse 6, “Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and SAID THAT HE WAS A GOD.”  Instead of praising God, these men declared that Paul was a god. 

Sadly, those who practice the handling of snakes do it to show their faith in the Lord…either the Lord will prevent them from being bit, or if they are bitten, the Lord will heal them.  Is this a scriptural test of our faith?  Let’s see what 1 Peter 1:6-7 tells us.  That says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (NKJV).  The genuineness of our faith is shown in our handling of different trials, exhibiting our loyalty to the Lord in spite of persecutions and trials.  (CC)  (655.6)