WHATSOEVER | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 23, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 25.

"WHATSOEVER."

Jesus says: "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11:24. Again, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do." John 14:13.

From a misunderstanding of the above scriptures there has often grown fanaticism on the one hand, and discouragement on the other. Unsanctified hearts have taught that God must give everything asked of him, and that we have a right to demand it. Good, humble souls have been filled with such teaching, have not received answers to unwise prayers, and have doubted and become discouraged. But God's word is not given to breed either fanaticism or doubt. God means what he says. Faith will obtain his answer.

But do not the above texts say "whatsoever," and does not "whatsoever" mean anything, without an exception?—Yes. But there are conditions always on which God bestows the blessings of his grace; and his promises are limited by the conditions. We may not take one text on a certain truth and base all upon its mere wording apart from other texts upon the same subject; for it is in this way that Satan obtains advantage of us. He told Jesus to cast himself from the pinnacle of the temple; and, to make the temptation effectual, quoted the promise: "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone."

The promise was all true, every word of it, and a little later in the mission of Christ, at Nazareth, it was demonstrated. But the text quoted by the enemy did not apply to a presumptuous or selfish act, and so Jesus says, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Here was another text which had a bearing upon the question, and the first must be understood to apply only when in harmony with the second. "All thy ways" would be all the ways in harmony with God's way.

So, while it is written, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them," "it is written again," "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything 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." 1 John 5:14, 15.

But in the very texts used at the beginning of this article there are the same limitations. In the first—that of Mark 11:24—is faith (see verses 22, 23), and in the second—that of John 14:13—is the expression "in my name."

We must ask in faith; but faith is founded on God's word. That is not faith which is not founded on the word of God; it is presumption. But the word of God expresses the will of God; it is the revelation of his will. Then if our faith is founded on God's word, as it most assuredly is, if we possess faith (Rom. 10:17), and we submit to all that word, both in precept and promise, as we will if we "have faith in God," we will desire nothing so much as we desire God's will, and will, therefore, ask in accordance with God's will. We, therefore, may plead with unlimited confidence all that God has promised us in his word.

The second text uses the expression, "In my name." Christ's name; yea, names are indicative of character. See Ex. 34:6, 7; Matt. 1:21; Jer. 23:6. But God's character is revealed to us in God's word by faith. Asking in Christ's name is, therefore, again asking in faith, asking according to God's will; and in thus asking God will surely answer.

Upon this we may rely. Let us begin by pleading such promises as these: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification." This is to be made like Christ; it is to have Christ dwelling within; and in him are all blessings.