Expert: Clifford H. Readout, Jr. - 9/5/2008

Question
Hi Clifford, thanks for being available.  John 15:7 seems too good to be true.  Is this to be taken literally?  Jesus also mentioned this a couple times, so what really did He mean?  Thanks & have a blessed day.

Answer
Dear Greg,

Thank you for your question.  It pleases me that you have some awareness of the importance of verifying things with other texts: "Jesus also mentioned this a couple of times."  The answer I give you will use that awareness.

“Wishes granted?” – No, I think that implies something that is not at all included in the meaning of the Lord Jesus’ words in John 15:7.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

There is a general rule for understanding “promises” contained in the Scriptures:
If He made the promise to you, and you fulfill all of the conditions He specifies, then He will do exactly as He said He would do.  In other words, His commitments are fulfilled according to His terms, not ours.  We need to discover what His terms are and fulfill them before we attempt to apply such promises to ourselves.

It is always important to consider the context of the verse, passage or promise in question, because sometimes an apparently broad promise has constraints imposed by the context.  My first bible teacher taught me this simple phrase to remind me of this fact: “Any text without a context is a pretext.”  No truth can be established by a pretext. This is certainly true in this case.

There are always at least three contextual components that must be considered before a doctrine can be established from any text.
First, there is the immediate context, that is, the specific setting of the verse, those verses before and after it, in chronological perspective.
Second, there is the internal context, that is, the specific details provided in the verse itself.  Be careful not to neglect the specific words of the verse itself.
Third, there is the thematic context, that is, the details other scriptures that deal with the same subject matter provide. Treating god’s Word with the honor it deserves imposes upon us the need to reject the idea that the Scriptures will contradict themselves, so we must find a way to make each text agree with the whole teaching.
The three components supply the context of any given verse, and are critically important for accurate understanding.

1. Immediate context:

In this text there are some specific limitations established by the immediate context: To whom were the words spoken? Are there any limitations given in the verses before or after that affect the scope of the words?

The immediate context in John 15:1-6, 8 establishes that the Lord Jesus was talking to His chosen disciples, not to everyone.  Immediate context limits the application of the promise in verse 7 to specific chosen disciples. We are not allowed to apply the promise to all believers unless that we find thematic context to establish that broader application.  (I think the thematic context, some of which we will see below, supports applying the words to all qualified disciples, and will now begin writing as though that were established.)

Additionally, the immediate context indicates that what the disciples ask for is focused on making themselves “fruitful.”  In the immediate context, we are justified to limit the application of verse 7 to a promise that the Lord Jesus will do whatever the disciple asks that will help him to be fruitful, rather than barren and unfruitful.

2. Internal context:

There is a wealth of detail given in the internal context.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

It is obvious that you must first get in Christ before you can abide in Him. There are many scriptures that specifically define how to get “in Christ.” But, since this is not the object of your question, I will not include an exposition on that subject.  If you would like to know more about that, write me directly at the email address given in my profile (readout@earthlink.net), and I will be pleased to share some scriptural truths about the subject that you may not have seen before.

It is equally obvious that His words must get in you before they can abide in you. There are some prerequisites for this to be fulfilled. One of them, which would certainly lead to fulfilling the others is that you must love Jesus Christ. This is not talking about having a warm fuzzy feeling about Him, but being willing to sacrifice everything to satisfy Him.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

It is equally obvious that you must do a bit more than wish, you must “ask.”  There are limitations put on this process. Asking out of a selfish motive will not result in a positive response from God.
James 4:1-4   From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?  2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.  3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.  4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

It is easily overlooked that the Lord expects that the fulfillment of these conditions will result in your asking for something to be done “unto you,” not “for you,” or “to others.”

Thus, we see complete agreement of the internal context with the immediate context.

To extend the application of the promise beyond the limits imposed by the immediate and internal context demands finding thematic context that justifies doing so.

3. Thematic context:

First, there are texts which limit the application of the promise of John 15:7.  Scripture specifically states that God will not hear or answer all prayers:

Psalm 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Proverbs 28:9  He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Isaiah 59:2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.  (See also 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If” and  Zechariah 7:12-13)
1 Peter 3:12  For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers:  but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners:  but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
[Worshipping is a way of life: the opposite of sinning (Psalm 96:9; John 4:24; Proverbs 14:27; and many others).]

Second, the thematic context of “worshipping” will lead us to broader thematic context specifically related to John 15:7:

Psalm 34:15-17  The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.  The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.  The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Proverbs 15:29  The LORD is far from the wicked:  but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
1 John 5:14-15  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
[Worshipping God and doing His will, insures that you will receive and hold His attention and receive His response.]

This thematic context justifies applying John 15:7 to all qualified disciples. It also helps define “qualified disciples.”

Third, there is thematic context involved with the nature of the desire of a qualified disciple that specifically applies to john 15:7:

Psalms 37:3-4 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.  4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
[The internal context of this verse is astounding, and directly applicable to our subject!]

There are five pre-conditions to be met before the Lord gives you “the desires of your heart.”  They are that you trust in the Lord, do good, dwell where He put you, eat what He provides for you, and that you also delight yourself in the LORD.  If you meet these conditions He will “give you the desires of your heart.”

It is not possible that Psalms 37:4 means God will give you whatever you could possibly desire. He is not going to give harmful things to His qualified disciples:
Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

There is thematic context that demonstrates what happens when “backslidden” people finally annoy God so much that He gives them what they want:
Psalms 106:15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
Jeremiah 5:25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

Psalms 37:4 means that God will give you the desires themselves, that is, put into your heart the desires you ought to have. This is certainly in perfect harmony with the thematic context dealing with the change of heart and motives that result from getting “in Christ.”

Thematic context has revealed that John 15:7 is not nearly the “blank check” that it is so often thought to be. There are specific qualifications and limitations.

Fourth, there is another thematic context that should not be overlooked: how did the specific people to whom the promise was given apply and use it in their own lives?

Thematic context tells us that the Lord Jesus opened their understanding of the Scriptures, and inspired the activity of their ministries:
Luke 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
2Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

It also tells us that we are to be taught by them:
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

So, how did they apply the promise of John 15:7?  I will give you two samples of this dimension of the thematic context:

1 John 5:14-16  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:  :15  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.  :16  If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
Hebrews 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

It is obvious that the disciples to whom the Lord Jesus made this promise, “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you,” did not consider it to be a “wishes granted” kind of promise.  Rather they understood it to be saying that if they would continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God and obedience to him, that they would always want what He wanted, and He would fulfill His purpose in them and build His Church through them.

Yours was not as quick and easy a question as many might have thought, and it deserved a bit more than a quick and easy answer.  I hope it helps.

Yours for truth,

CR