Ask and Get according to God's Will (1 John 5: 13-16)

ASK AND GET ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL (1 JOHN 5: 13-16):

After writing about the testimony of God about Son, Apostle John further writes certain things for the believers in the name of the Son of God, that they shall be assured that they have eternal life. Every genuine believer who had repented with a true heart, seeking the forgiveness of sins by accepting, believing and committing the life to God, is saved and partakes in the inheritance of God and Eternal life, because of God’s righteousness and Lavishing love for mankind.

The confidence that the believers have in the Lord is that if they ask anything according to His will, He hears them, and if they know that He hears them in whatever they ask, they know that they have their requests that they have asked of Him. God is always good and He is all-powerful and sovereign over anything and everything, as it belongs to Him. Thereby there is nothing that could be impossible for God if it’s valid because the wisdom and authority of God are incomprehensible. The sovereign God always hears those who have faith in Him and those who purposed their life in Him. Thereby every believer can be sure that they are being heard by God and all their walks and talks are not hidden before God. Also, the believers ought to ask God with the conscious knowledge about the attributes of God, and thinking about how the things they ask would really please God. Then they could be sure that their petitions are according to how God really wants them to look up to Him or act in their lives by themselves. Also, the believers could be assured that they had asked according to God’s righteous provisions, as He provides it.

Apostle John also writes that if anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life, to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death and the author claims that he did not say one should pray for that. God’s will is that everyone should repent from their sins, reconcile with God, and restored in new life. The ultimate consequence of every sin is death, but a person who had been saved from the sins is transforming though the glitches of sins may always trouble, making to fall in certain instances. The sins that could be due to the physical, mental, or emotional instability and weaknesses of a person without denying the authority of God may not lead to death. The believers need to be cautious with any sin, as even those sins could lead a person to deny the purpose and deny the work of God at times. The sins of denial of the purpose and principles of God, or denial of work of the Spirit of God and against the people who are God’s special creation, may lead to death, and the prayers for it are vain, as the person had already destined himself to be away from God.

Stimulations for Self-Reflection:

1.      What should the believers know?

2.      What is the confidence that the believers have in God?

3.      What does it mean, ‘we need to ask according to his will’?

4.      How should we ask God or make our petitions known to God?

5.      What we should do, if we know that God hears us in whatever we ask?

6.      When shall a person plead for his brother? Why?

7.      When a person should not plead for his brother? Why?

8.      What do you think about the sins not leading to death?

9.      What do you think about the sins leading to death?

10.  How we could be cautious as an individual or fellowship about sins leading to death?