I John 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
14  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.

God wants those who are saved to be confident that His Word is true. There is no sure way to know we are saved unless we have an absolute true source to turn to. The Charismatics and their many “siblings” go by feelings. God says we need more than just feelings. Feelings are fickle. Something that is written down in “stone” is sure. The devil understands this and thus he has worked hard to pervert God’s Word. He has kept the majority of mankind in the dark with his perversions. Most book stores are happy to promote a variety of perversions to keep people coming back, The distribution of God’s Word should not be a commercial venture, but it certainly has become that. Every need that any one of His children has is answered in the Word of God. The basic need of man is to know that his soul is alive and healthy. Only true faith in the Son of God can provide that assurance.
We see in verse 13 that this letter was written to those who believe on the name of the Son of God. We have looked at what it looks like to believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not a matter of just saying those words. We noted that the devils believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They know that He has more power than they have. They know that their time is short and they will be condemned to the lake of fire.
Believing on the name of the Son of God requires following the Son of God. It certainly requires much more than what the devils believe. It also requires more than the devil’s human servants want to give. Those who believe on the Son of God, have been given a new nature, and thus they now desire to please the Son of God, rather than mock Him. We have examples of what that looks like in Peter and John in the book of Acts. We see it as well in Stephen’s life. He was willing to be killed for speaking the truth. He refused to back down. He was not a politician. He was not putting his own life ahead of the Truth. He already had eternal life, and because he had that, he would honour the God Who provided him with the gift of salvation. The apostle Paul also demonstrated that he believed on the name of the Son of God. He suffered in various ways due to his faith in the true Son of God. Church history reveals others who also believed on the name of the Son of God.
Those who believe according to God’s will, can know they have eternal life. Eternal life is a gift of God. It requires faith in the true God and in the Lord Jesus Christ. God wants His children to know they have eternal life. As we have noted many times, true Christians face an uncertain life on this earth. They will be hated and abused.
We noted how John the Baptist needed assurance that his hope and faith were in the right place. Jesus gave him that assurance. Those who are saved today also have that assurance. Should one or more of us get arrested and imprisoned, we do not need to fear and try to make a deal with the devil. We do not need to be ashamed of believing on the name of the Son of God. Many people have slandered the precious name of the Son of God. That is no reason for those who truly know Him to back away from identifying with Him. We know that Peter tried that prior to Jesus’ crucifixion. He was shown to be lying. Those who tried to tie him to Jesus, were right. Peter ended the confrontation when he went out and wept bitterly after hearing that cock crow the second time. Jesus looked at him, and he knew he had denied His Lord and Saviour three times. He had failed his Master, just as Jesus prophesied he would. Jesus shows us what the gift of eternal life looks like. Jesus did not cast Peter off. Peter was left in his misery for a short time. He needed to know the gravity of his sin. However, Jesus made a point of calling Peter out at the sea shore. Peter got side-tracked. He needed to get back on track. Jesus restored him to right fellowship and He also challenged him and Peter responded wisely to Jesus’ challenge.
In verse 14 we are reminded that we have confidence in Jesus Christ. It is not just a possibility. It is a fact. Since we have that confidence we can ask anything of Him. The true child of God loves God the Father and God the Son. He is not into pleasing self. He may get sidetracked at times, but God will always pull him back in line.
True saints ask according to God’s will. We can know God’s will for us once we are saved and walking humbly with Him. It is a blessing to know that God will hear us. The Bible is clear that all prayer must be directed to God the Father. All prayer must be in Jesus’ name. He is the Mediator between God and men. He intercedes for true saints as they make their requests known to the Father. God wants us to have confidence when we come before Him. Sometimes I hear people ask for something from others, but they make it known that they do not really expect to get the response they are looking for. Why would you ask for something if you do not believe you can receive what you are asking for?
God wants His child to know that he/she can ask with confidence because he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. There is nothing too hard for God. Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of His Father. As we pray to God, Jesus hears our prayer. He knows what we are doing and what we are asking. He intercedes for His sheep. He is the Mediator between God and man. There is no arm-twisting or deception or trickery. It is important to have the eternal Son of God interceding for me when I go to God the Father.
On this earth, it is difficult to find a lawyer that will not use a bunch of spin to try to confuse the judge. The judge needs to be given clear and truthful answers. Jesus Christ will never try to lay a trap for His Father. He will never try to discount the will of God the Father.
In verse 15 we are further reminded that we can know that God will hear us. We know that we can ask for anything that is according to God’s will.

James 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

It is possible for us to ask for the wrong things. It is possible for us to have wrong doctrine and assume things that are not for us. John was directed to remind us that we can have full confidence in God. We can know that He will hear us. We do not need to speak louder, or do some pagan ritual to get God’s attention.
The apostle Paul knew that God heard him when he prayed to Him regarding that “thorn” that he had. It was not that God did not hear. It was that God had a purpose for leaving that thorn there. Paul accepted God’s wisdom and he continued to serve God faithfully, knowing that thorn was not going to hinder him from doing the will of God. It would be a constant reminder of his need to humbly submit to God’s will.
Those who are born again, can have full confidence in God through faith in the eternal Son of God. Nothing else will give that confidence. That confidence is not based on feelings. It is based on the sure Word of God. We need that and we can have that today.
Pastor Bartel