“AND GREATER WORKS THAN THESE SHALL HE DO.”
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.” John 14:12. This is a wonderful promise to the believer. There are no conditions or qualifications for him “that believeth on Me.” It is one thing to merely profess faith in the Son of God. It is another thing altogether to actually believe. For “he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also.” Now, are we who profess the name of Christ actually doing the works of Christ? If not, then do we really believe? The actual believer can have but one thought, and that is to work the works of his divine Master. Not only does the believer do the works that Christ the Lord did, but “greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.” What an inspiring promise! The Master returns to the Father and intrusts His human agents with even “greater works” than He did Himself while here. The Christian can not be conscious of doing these “greater works,” for he is all absorbed in his faithful devotion to his Lord. He is not thinking of himself, nor does he have a single selfish ambition. His every thought centers in the self-sacrificing Redeemer. He knows Jesus and Jesus only. He does not attempt to do these “greater works” of himself; for he knows that “without Me ye can do nothing.” He depends on Jesus solely and for everything. While he was of the world he was self-centered and sought to draw everything to himself. But now that he “believeth” on the Master, every one of his emotions centers in the Man of Calvary. “He that believeth on Me,” and to none other, is the promise made. And “he that believeth” does not do it from any self-centered motive. Indeed, before the real belief in Christ can come into the mind, self must be given up; because if self remains, faith in Christ is kept out. In other words, every man has one or the other of the two kinds of faith. The self-centered man has faith in himself. He plans to do wonderful things of himself. In fact, he has such great faith in himself that he believes that what he can not do must be an impossibility. On the other hand, the Christian has his faith reverently fixed upon Jesus. He has no faith at all in himself; he realizes the utter worthlessness of self; he has transferred all to Christ. Christ is to him all and in all. The Master says, “He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.” The Saviour began a great work when He was here upon earth, and He does not propose to leave that work to grow less and less in importance. He does not leave His followers to do a lesser work than He did Himself, but “he that believeth on Me” shall do “greater works.” God’s name was greatly glorified through the works of the Master while He was here in person, but even greater glory will He receive through the “greater works” that His followers perform.5 These promises seem wonderful beyond all comprehension. The Christian bows his head in humility before the divine promise and decree that he shall do “greater works” than his Lord did. He feels unworthy to be called to such work. But he is now a believer in Christ, having fully given up his faith in self, and so he says that whatsoever the Lord plans for him to do is right. It is God’s way; therefore it is unquestionably the best, and infinitely right. The works are not done to glorify the human agent anyway. The Christian is a believer in Jesus. He has no faith in self, and in the very nature of things he does not want any self-glory. For why should he seek to glorify that which he has given up as something so wholly undesirable that he no longer wants it? “The works that I do shall he do also.” Study this promise and heavenly decree. Do not take a contracted view of it. Seek to know it in its fulness. The “works” of the Master did not include merely the miracles that He wrought. These mighty miracles were wonderful works indeed. But the Lord lived a perfect life while clothed with just such sinful flesh as you and I have, and right here in this sinful world where we have to dwell. O, wonderful work was this! A perfect life in the flesh of sin and in the world of sin! What a thought! “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously.” 1 Peter 2:22, 23. What a wonderful life is described in this brief passage of Scripture! He “did no sin,” and He had no “guile.” “He was reviled,” but He “reviled not again.” “He suffered,” but in return “He threatened not.” There was no self in such a life as that. There was no impatience, no anger, no malice, no revenge, no evil of any kind or sort. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful indeed was the Master’s straightforward, perfect, and powerful life! And the purity of the Saviour’s life is the secure and strong foundation on which was builded the “great works” that He did. By “believing” He gives us the same foundation of power. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Rom. 4:3. Then the faith that believes God brings God’s righteousness. And God’s righteousness is power. Study this question of true faith in God; for incomprehensibly great things are prepared for him that “believeth.” In these days of peril just before the coming of the Son of man our Father in heaven wants believers who are believers indeed; for through them He will work His “greater works.” Precious privilege. Step in. There is abundant room for all in the Master’s vineyard to-day, and a mansion for each in the immortal kingdom that is so soon to be our home.