Greater Things than These

The Power of God in Us

Throughout the creation account in Genesis 1, we see the sheer might and power of God displayed for all of us to see. Genesis 1:1-3 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.” It’s those three little words, “and God said”, that stir my imagination. God spoke – and it was so. What an incredible, amazing, wonderful thing. All God had to do was to speak and it happened.

Doesn’t that just fill you with awe? To me, the word ‘awesome’ is one of the most abused and overused words in the English language, yet God, in creation, was at His most awesome. Yet Paul, when writing to the Romans refers to it as calling or speaking things that do not exist as though they do exist. Romans 4:17 “ . . . . God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.” What a phenomenal claim to say that God simply speaks and something happens.

However, there is more to it even than that. In John 14:12, Jesus says this, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” We will be able to do greater things that Jesus?? That is a truly astounding claim - even for Jesus. The Word of God records that Jesus said that anyone of us who has faith in Him shall do greater things than Him. Truly, an astonishing claim. Think about it – the Lord God Almighty, who made heaven and earth, is saying that we shall do greater things than Jesus did while here on earth. He raised people from the dead. He made mud and gave a man, blind from birth, his eyesight. He healed people with incurable diseases. What, on earth, can be greater than these? He spoke, and a fig tree withered overnight. He spoke, and the weather, a storm, obeyed him.

Greater things than these?

Yet Paul once again comes to our rescue and confirms everything Jesus said. In Ephesians 3:20, Paul says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Here is our first real clue. What he alludes to here, I believe, is that same power that God displayed at creation. When God ‘called those things that were not as though they were’ – the world was formed, created at the Word of our creator God. And this same power is at work in us – if only we have faith as big as a mustard seed. That is what Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Our imagination is too limited to conceive an idea too big for God to act upon. We will move mountains by faith “according to the power of God at work in us.” What a staggering thought. I have met people with great imaginations. People who imagine, ask for, and receive outrageous things. Things like legs growing to the same length. Even more outrageous, like the kiddie born without legs at all, last seen RUNNING around the platform on perfectly formed legs and with perfectly natural balance even though previously he had never had legs to balance upon.

I have personally ‘seen’ – at least I am witness to – creative miracles that some of you would not even understand let alone believe. A man and a baby both given new heart and lungs. Another man, a musician and an alcohol fuelled drug addict, given virtually every organ new and pristine – medically confirmed. All we need is a little faith and belief. Like Smith Wigglesworth used to say, “Only believe.” or Luke 8:50 (NIV) "Don't be afraid - just believe !!"

Yes it’s true. According to God’s Word, we can speak things that are not as though they are and they will happen. Oh Hallelujah - What an amazing God we serve.