If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that (1 John 5:16).
John is coming to the end of his letter, and he has saved the big climax for the end. What is the unforgiveable sin? What does he warn us not to pray for? The only thing that can stand between us and heaven is to deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He came to save us. To deny the Deity of Christ, is to deny God and all He has to give us. The whole world, with the exception of the few atheists among us, believe there is a God, but when it comes to the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, that He is the only way, the only truth, and the only life, that only through Him can we approach our Father in Heaven, as we Americans say, that’s where the rubber meets the road, or the debris hits the fan. That Truth is what separates the believers from the sinners. We believers are no longer considered to be sinners, even though we sin. We know we are forgiven. The world can’t know that wonderful state of existence, to be able to stand before God as pure as the driven snow! Because of Jesus.
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And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions
that we have asked of Him (1 John 5:15). We can never go wrong praying according to what the Bible says. We don’t have to beg God for anything. In fact, begging tends to land on a closed ear. Faith opens God’s ears wide! We know that we have the thing for which we asked. What other so called “god” offers such joy to the people who believe in that false god? They have nothing to offer except a morose life full of disappointment. Whereas we, we know! We are certain that if He hears our prayers, He will answer them gladly. And how does He hear? Because we have prayed according to His will. It’s His will that we have everything we need. It’s His will that we have the desires of our heart. You don’t believe me? READ YOUR BIBLE! It makes Him happy to see His children happy! Any parent will say the same thing. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14).
Now, where’s the secret of strength in this verse? It’s in the phrase “according to His will.” Many people end their prayers by saying “if it be Thy will.” Why don’t they know what His will is? It’s as plain on the nose on your face. His will, what He wants, is written over and over again in His Word. That’s why the Scriptures say that in two or three witnesses a thing is established. When we find what we believe to be His will in the Scriptures, for instance, we know that He wants all men to be saved, then we look for other places where it says the same thing. By two or three witnesses we can know His will. Another example would be about healing. It mentions three times that by His stripes (the marks of the lash on Jesus’ back), we were healed. We can only conclude that He paid for our healing as well as our salvation, and yes, He wants us to be healed. When we pray according to this knowledge, we know He hears us. And if He hears us . . . ? 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 (1 John 5 :13).
Thank God for the name of Jesus! It is the most powerful name in the universe. It carries power. That’s why the demons flee when they hear that name; they hate it. But do you believe what I’ve just said about His name? That’s the secret ingredient in this verse: believe in His name. Do you, in time of need, use His name and then wonder if anything is going to happen? Let’s be honest. You don’t believe. Where I live right now, the Vendee, has a cloud of darkness over this department that is so thick it seems impenetrable. So I have to walk around, do my shopping, drive my car, saying “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus” under my breath in order to prevent all the little difficulties the little demons are creating all the time. When I do that, I can actually feel the open heaven above me. Perhaps some of you should try it. Have you also noticed that Jesus is the only one of the Trinity who has a name? The other two have an identity, but not a name. However, since the three are one, when we use the name of Jesus, all three of them respond! We’ve got protection up, down and inside out! All in a name! Pretty simple, isn’t it? |
Marty
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