Eternity’s in our heart, which means man knows inside that he’s eternal in the sense of there is something after death. Otherwise, why would he be so afraid if there is nothing? But if you know there is something, then you ask yourself, what is it? Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” In other words, we already know there is a separation. The body that is going to be buried is a different thing than the soul that cannot be buried because it cannot be destroyed and it cannot die. You see, our souls are eternal and the question is: location, location, location. Where will the location of your soul be?
The dead can see, the dead can feel, the dead can understand, but it’s too late when you’re dead, because then you can only see and feel and understand but cannot change anything. So while you’re still alive, believe in Him and allow those rivers of living water to come out of you. That will completely change you. And just as the Dead Sea is going to become a living lake with living creatures in it, your heart can be made from stone into flesh. Your soul can be revived. Your life can change, and you can have eternal life if you trust in Him and ensure your salvation. And as He said, if you only believe in Me, from your bellies, rivers of living water will flow.
People today are often looking for divine miracles for two main reasons: to prove that God exists or to bolster their faith through the experience. Yet some within the church say that the supernatural was limited to the age of the Apostles or until the canon of scripture was complete, and there is no point in looking for or expecting such things.
John 14:12 KJV – “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.”
The works Jesus was referring to were the nature and physics defying miracles He performed on behalf of the blind, lame, sick, possessed, and fearful. The greater works than these is in reference to the saving of lost souls.
Colossians 1:28-29 KJV – “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.”
The Greek word translated as “perfect” means complete or mature in mental and moral character. But, remember, God has taken an inventory of all humanity and found that there is none good, no, not one (Romans 3:12). So how does one go from being amongst the pool of humanity among which there are “none good, no, not one” to someone complete or mature in mental and moral character? The answer is to be “in Christ Jesus” through being born again.
1 Corinthians 1:21 KJV – “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
Ephesians 2:1 KJV – “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”
The word “foolishness” in 1 Corinthians doesn’t mean foolish in the sense of ridiculousness, but rather the absurdity of the means and the results that it yields. Through preaching, human souls are rescued from eternal death and spiritually dead people are made alive in Christ Jesus. This is the greater work that Jesus spoke of.
Many Christians today are longing to see a miracle when there is one standing in front of them in the mirror every day.
Colossians 1:21-22 KJV – “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”
Jesus said what happened to every born again Christian is a greater work than healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and even raising the dead. He said this for one simple reason: the sick He healed later died, the blind He gave sight to later died, the dead He raised, like Lazarus, later died, but the work He did to save human souls lasts forever.
There is a lesson for us in all this beyond the amazing truth of what happens to us when we are born again. What Jesus said about greater works should determine our focus and pursuit in life. Does God still do miracles today? Absolutely! Every born again Christian is one. Does He still heal the sick and raise the dead and do things we would consider to be of “biblical proportions”? Absolutely! But, according to Jesus, the greater work is the saving of the human soul, making people dead in sin to be alive in Him.
Mark 16:20 KJV – “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”
We all love to see miraculous things even as crowds did in Jesus day, many coming to see Him for that reason alone. But as born again believers we have been told by the One who saved us that there is a greater work than seeing or even doing flesh-impacting miracles in His name. That greater work comes exclusively through preaching. We also need to remember that the word “preach” means to “proclaim”. That reminds us that preaching is not limited to those who have been called to it as a vocation. Instead, proclaiming the good news is something we are all called to do, because through proclaiming Christ to those who are perishing we are offering them an opportunity to experience the greatest miracle of all, that of becoming a new creation in Christ.
Many today gather in group settings for the express purpose of experiencing the supernatural and “seeing” God move. We do not find such practices in the Bible or the early church, because they were busy proclaiming the good news and signs that confirmed the word accompanied them.
Do you want to see a miracle today? Tell someone about Jesus and you just may see a dead person be made alive right before your eyes. This, according to Jesus, is a greater work than all the things many want to see Him do today.
Yes, He still heals; yes, He still casts out demons; yes, He can even raise the dead. But it is He who said these are lesser works than the saving of the human soul.
Tell someone about Jesus today and who knows what amazing things you will see – maybe even someone being born again!
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus
