GENERAL NOTE | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 23, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 12.

GENERAL NOTE.

The three miracles referred to in this lesson illustrate the power of the word over disease, over evil spirits, and over the elements, and convey important instruction to us, bearing upon our Christian experience. We are sick with sin (Isa. 1:5, 6), "but it is the will of God to cleanse us from sin, to make us his children, and to enable us to live a holy life." The power is in his word (John 15:3) to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), and God desires to say to each one, "Be thou clean" (Mark 1:41). We are to believe that he is "able to do this" (Matt. 9:28), and, as of old, so he says to-day, "According to your faith be it unto you" (verse 29, compare with Mark 5:34; 10:52, etc.). The result of disease finally is death, as sin ends in the second death (James 1:15; Rom. 6:23), and Satan has power over death (Heb. 2:14). He is the prince of this world (John 12:31), but Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33), meeting the temptations of Satan with the word of God (read Matt. 4:1-11), which is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). Faith in the same power gives us the same victory (1 John 5:4). Lazarus came forth from the grave in response to the word of Christ (John 11:43, 44), though bound hand and foot; but the same authority said, "Loose him." So we who were dead have been made alive (Eph. 2:1), and set free from the power of sin (John 8:34-36), and all who are in their graves will be brought forth by the power of the same word (John 5:28, 29). Christ has given peace to his followers (John 14:27), but the wicked know not of this peace (Isa. 57:20, 21). When the storms of life arise, his word will bring a calm, as it did upon the lake. Christ's power over the elements is further shown by his walking upon the water. When he said to Peter, "Come" (Matt. 14:29), he gave him his word to walk upon, and it sustained him so long as he did not doubt. The word of God placed the earth here (Heb. 11:3); it is upheld by the same word (Heb. 1:2), and by the same it will be renewed (Heb. 12:26, 27). Then the same word, "Come," which upheld Peter, will be spoken to the saints (Matt. 25:34), and they will meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:17). All the miracles were recorded for a purpose (John 20:31), and should lead to unshaken confidence in the power of God's word manifested in salvation.