1456. Christ the Preacher, with His Power Circumscribed

Christ the Preacher, with His Power Circumscribed

"And He said unto them, Ye will surely say unto Me this proverb, Physician, heal Thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Thy country" (Luk_4:23).

No sooner had the people in the synagogue said, "Is not this Joseph's son;" than Christ said unto them, "Ye will surely say unto Me this proverb, Physician, heal Thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Thy country" (Luk_4:23).

Christ could do no mighty works in Nazareth. Why? Because the people doubted.

The wreckage of doubt is all around us to-day. Christ has said: "According to your faith be it unto you" (Mat_9:29).

God cuts off our blessings where our faith ends.

In the old days in Israel, when Elias was prophet, there were many widows, "But unto none of them was Elijah (1911 Bible) sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow" (Luk_4:26).

What was the difficulty? That widow alone believed.

In the old days, there were many lepers, but "none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian" (Luk_4:27).

What was the trouble? Unbelief.

The ministry of to-day is circumscribed just as the ministry of Christ was circumscribed. The spirit of doubt and of unbelief ties the hands of the preacher.

The Lord Jesus said, "Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life;" and the reason that He gave for their refusal to come was, "For whom He hath sent, Him ye believe not" (Joh_5:40, Joh_5:38)

There is no possible channel through which God can work save through the channel of faith. God has given us every reason for faith. God has placed in our hands a Bible that carries within itself abundant marks of its Deity, and yet, men believe not.

"They * * entered not in because of unbelief" (Heb_4:6). There is no joy or peace in Christ, because we believe not. There is no victory over sin, no power in service, because unbelief ties the hands of God, and makes it impossible for Him to prove a blessing.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR