Jesus said, “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. The first question that almost invariably arises whenever this is read, is, “What greater works can anybody possibly do than the Lord did?” or, “How can anybody do greater works than he did?” To this the hearer is obliged to answer, “I don’t know.” But the fact that we do not know, and can not form any conception of the thing, has no effect upon it. Jesus has said it in the most positive manner, and that is sufficient.SITI December 9, 1897, page 754.1

Let it be remembered that it is only those who believe that can do these great works; and certainly no one who is not able to do the works, can be expected to know anything about the matter. But the very asking of the questions, “What?” and “How?” implies more or less unbelief. The person may not realize it, but there is at least a shade of doubt underlying those questions; there is a trace of the notion that we will not believe what we can not understand. Now if there is unbelief even in the slightest degree, then it is certain that no works at all will be done; for “this is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom he hath sent.” John 6:29. But if there is unbelief, there can not possibly be belief. Therefore the one who questions this matter need not expect ever to know anything about it.SITI December 9, 1897, page 754.2

“But is it not unbelief that prompts my questioning,” some will say; “it is only a real desire to know what the works are, and how they are to be done.” In other words, it is curiosity. Well, of one thing we may be sure, and that is that whatever good works one has, come from God; for that which was true of Christ must most certainly be true of us, “I can of mine own self do nothing.” John 5:30. “The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” John 14:10. Since “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13), it is not necessary for us to know how. Our part is simply to yield ourselves as instruments of righteousness. The instrument does not need to know what the one who handles it is doing, nor how he is able to do it. Nay, the instrument can not know how, else he would no longer be the instrument. “Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?” Psalm 106:2.SITI December 9, 1897, page 754.3

Finally, is it useless to ask how we can do greater works than those which Christ did, for those who do them will be unconscious of them. When at the last day the Lord says to the faithful ones, “Come, ye blessed of my Father,” and enumerates the good works that they have done, they will wonderingly ask, “Lord, when did we ever do these things?” They will have been so yielded to the Lord that his mighty power will have wrought them in the most natural and unobtrusive way, just as it does through the growing plant. It is well that we are thus ignorant. If it were possible that the mighty works of God could be wrought through self-conscious folks, it would be most uncomfortable for those who were obliged to live with them. If we thought that we were doing greater works than Christ did, we would become so conceited and overbearing that nobody could live with us. Let us be content, yea, we may even rejoice, that we are weak and ignorant, since our Father is almighty and all-wise, and he is ours. E. J. W.SITI December 9, 1897, page 754.4

November 25, 1897

December 16, 1897