Anything Your Heart Desires

 

John 15:7 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” 

Last Sunday, the Pastor of our church preached on the Gospel of John chapter 15 and the verse above stuck out as something that could be understood wrong, if taken out of context. Jesus wants to give me the desires of my heart, but the Lord is no genie in a bottle granting wishes. Just earlier in John 14:14 Jesus stated, “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” But there are qualifiers for the born-again disciple of the Lord to consider. (1) If you abide in me. In Christ are all supports and supplies for strong, healthy followers to have fruitful lives with a God’s kingdom heart and mindset. Commentator Matthew Henry points out that the branches of the vine are many, yet, meeting in the one vine; thus all true Christians meet in Christ. In order for fruitfulness, we must abide in Christ; must have union with Him by faith. 

 

(2) If my words abide in you. The word of Christ is spoken to all believers; and there is a cleansing virtue in that word, as it works grace, and works out corruption. In John 8:31-32 Jesus said to those who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The word “abide” is defined as: to be or exist, to continue; to dwell, rest, to tarry or stay; continue permanently or in the same state, stand fixed and firm, or be stationary and immovable. Christ the Lord’s word is our word and we live by His word. 

 

(3) Our will aligns with Christ’s will, which aligns with God’s will. 1 John 5:14-15 clarifies, “And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.” When our will is the same as Christ’s will, then our desires and associated requests will be of kingdom affirming values and objectives that are pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. That is why Jesus says in Mark 11:24. “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” In the sanctification of believers, the brethren are growing and maturing into the likeness of Christ and His purposes. 

 

James 4:3 “You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [self-indulgent, pleasure-seeking, hedonistic] desires.” They would not wish their requests to be granted to their own hurt, the hurt of others, or God’s dishonor. Galatians 5:16-17 instructs us, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Galatians 5:22-25continues that, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Psalm 37:3-4 encourages us to, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” When your heart is aligned with God's heart, He'll give you anything your heart desires.

Produce much good fruit.

In Christ, Brian