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13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence which we have [a]before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
New American Standard Version I John 5: 13-15
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 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.
English Standard Version I John 5: 13-15
R.W. Orr reasons that this section of Scripture should provide assurance of eternal life (technically theologically and philosophically everlasting life according to the explanations on this blog, please see related posts in archives or on popular posts lists), as there is human fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and this should bring about a 'childlike frankness and assurance' while praying. Orr (1986: 1584).
ORR, R.W. (1986) 'The Letters of John' in The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
Basically God will answer prayer according to his divine will.
Theologically and philosophically I see some hypothetical issues in regard to this concept: This is a brief and admittedly non-exhaustive list.
One is a person praying may be in a state of non-repentance and/or lacking faith in a certain area or areas of life, and so although heard by God may have some blessings withheld until repentance takes place. If it does.
Consider James 1: 5-8 from the New American Standard Version:
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and [a]without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a [b]double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Another possibility is a Job like scenario where a person, although sinful (Romans 1-6), has basically repented, and continually repents of sins in life and in the particular area in life prayed about, but is still not being blessed. In regards to human free will, this person has within in my compatibilistic view made the limited free will decision within God's will and grace to be blessed in certain areas, but for whatever reason (s) God has not yet sanctioned certain blessings in this temporal life.
There is another related possibility and that is other secondary causes, as in human beings could either be sinning or not, and need be to blessed in a way that would influence and bless the first person involved in the sense on I John 5: 13-15. In other words, a secondary person or persons may need to repent in order for God to change the life of the first person involved or if not the case, God may need to influence and bless the secondary person to influence and bless the primary person involved in our discussion.
My theology is worth considering when one really ponders on it in regard to the web of life that is always relationship orientated whether it involves, work, family, health issues, romantic relationships or other. It is a complex answer to the problem of evil, especially when one really ponders on the many webs of life and suffering and also a Biblical one.
