Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 9/3/2008

Question
Hi Don, thanks for being available.  Can you explain John 14:13-14?  This seems too good to be true.  Even verse 12.  I think Jesus said that a few times.

Answer
Hi Greg,

Thanks for this question.  Here is the passage in question:

John 14:12-14
12 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. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

What work can be greater than healing the lame man?  What can be greater than calming a storm?  What can be greater than seeing Lazarus come from the grave?

The Lame man would eventually die.  The storm comes again.  Lazarus eventually died.  Jesus promised another kind of power.

Acts 1:8
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

The Holy Ghost always provided power with a specific purpose in the Old Testament.  What is the purpose here?  Jesus gave the Holy Ghost to empower believers to win others to saving faith in Christ.  Once someone comes to Christ, he is saved forever!  He will never experience the second death.  This is a greater work than a temporary relief from the suffering of this world.... this is forever!  After the Holy Ghost came in Acts 2 look what happened!

Acts 2:41
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

I believe that God can use us to do anything, but the greatest work is to see souls saved.  This is why Paul made this his life's preoccupation, not healing folks or some other sign gift... it was about souls.

1 Corinthians 9:18-22
18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don