March 7, 2014
I John 5:13-15
(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)
We covered the first of John’s Nose! – the first of three in today’s featured scripture – in our last blog. Wow! Three of John’s Nose! in three verses here! John is endowed with an abundance of nose! Well, let’s just say that 42 times in this five-chapter epistle, John is absolutely sure of what he is writing – John Knows! Here is I John 5:13 though 15:
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God;
that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to
believe in the name of the Son of God. Now this is the confidence that we
have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And
if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the
petitions that we have asked of Him.
As I said in Wednesday’s blog concerning verse 13: “The Son possesses and bestows eternal life upon all who come to Him in faith believing! … Christianity is not a ‘hope so’ religion! It is a ‘know so’ faith!” That’s the first know of three today with which John deals.
The second and third knows are in verse 15. And a careful consideration of verses 14 and 15 will clear up a lot of confusion about prayer. I included verse 13 in today’s scripture – the last verse of Wednesday’s blog – because this has to do with Christians only! You see, God promises that He will not hear the prayers of an unbeliever! But there is one exception for the non-Christian – the prayer of asking Jesus Christ to save you! There are two scriptures that further support this:
• I Peter 3:12 (quoting Psalm 34:16) – “…the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
• Romans 10:13 (quoting Joel 2:32) – “…whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
But once saved, Peter explains that one has the ear – the attention – of God! But according to I John 5:13 and 14, this does not give the believer a blank check to ask and receive anything he or she wants! It has to be “…according to His [God’s] will…”!
There are some in the Christian faith who believe that if you ask God for something, and if you claim that request as if it were as good as done, then you will get what you want! It is called ‘The Name it, Claim it, and Frame it’ belief. I agree that there are scriptures that seem to support this way of thinking. For instance there is Mark 11:22 through 24:
…Jesus answered and said…“Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you,
whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and cast into the sea,’ and does
not doubt in his heart, but believes those things he says will come to pass, he
will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask
when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
But you have to examine the whole teaching on the subject, not just a part! And the whole teaching includes I John 5:14 and 15 that says it has to be according to the will of God!
Now I have family and friends who are not Christians. I love them and want them to be with me in heaven someday – plus I desire for them to experience the abundant life Jesus came to give here and now (see John 10:10). So I pray for my loved ones daily to be saved. I have been asked, “Well, what if it is not God’s will that they be saved?” But the scripture says in…
• …I Timothy 2:3 and 4 – “…God our Savior…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
• …II Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is…not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
So in praying for the salvation of my family and friends, I am praying according to God’s will! And from what it says in our scripture of I John 4:14 and 15, it will eventually happen!
Discern the will of God concerning the matter for which you are asking. Then ask in confidence, knowing for certain – just as John knew – that God “…hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
May this help you to pray biblically!