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In My Name
Oct 15, 07:24 AM
“And I will do whatever you ask in my Name.” John 14:13
This is a curious statement by the Lord. How could He issue such a promise? Some have postulated that the promise was issued to His immediate Disciples, who were to become the original Apostles, and that the promise does not apply in the future tense to all believers. In other words, the promise was given to them, but not us. There are many who hold such a view. They believe that was then and this is now – that the giving of certain spiritual authority and gifts were for the age and time of the Apostles but not for current day believers. This stance is particularly troubling.
It is troubling first of all because it renders rather meaningless the promise which lies just prior to the one in consideration:
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12
Secondly, it is troubling because it renders all such promises moot and relegates them to the status of interesting information rather than vital promises. If this is true, we can gaze upon these great promises of God in Scripture as if they were objects in a museum to be appreciated but not apprehended and applied.
Thirdly, this stance is particularly disturbing because it puts us in the position of picking and choosing which of the Scriptures are applicable to us and which are not. All of us have to do this to some degree. No one absolutely adheres to every Biblical precept. Not only would that be madness, it would be impossible. Some Biblical admonitions have clearly been superseded by the advent of the Gospel. Others speak to particular cases in light of particular situations. However, when Jesus made the promises of John 14, He was not speaking just to the first Disciples but to ALL disciples. He was outlining the way He would relate with believers from that point onward. Instead of relating with His disciples as a teacher and example, separated and limited by physical realities, He would from that point on become a life-giving in-dwelling presence within the body, mind, and heart of everyone who obeys and seeks Him. These were not marching order for a small group of twelve, but the release of the new way of life under the empowerment and governance of the Spirit of God.
So how could Jesus make such a promise? “I will do whatever you ask in my Name.”
One of the keys to understanding the promise is to grasp the meaning of “In my Name.” When Jesus uses the term “In My Name” He is ostensibly saying: – as I live and dwell in you and you in Me – as you fully identify with Me by word, thought, and action – as you obey my commands
Jesus could make such a promise without fear because anyone who met the criteria of “In my Name” could be trusted with that kind of spiritual authority. That promise is not given to just anybody. It is for those who claim it by faith and walk under its mandate to abide in Him, i.e. in the fullness of His person and power.
Such a promise must necessarily be laid on a solid foundation. It cannot be issued to the immature who might misunderstand or misappropriate its authority. Therefore, while the promise might be available to all, it is applicable to those who know what it is to live and move and have their being firmly in Christ. Their minds must be shaped by Scripture and bathed in the Spirit of God. Such a life can only be fully submitted to the authority and purposes of God so that the authority of the promise will be exercised only in complete alignment with those redemptive purposes.