"Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment." (1 John 2:21-23)
The first verse quoted, concerning heart condemnation and confidence toward God, has been dealt with in a previous number of the paper. [The article Waggoner is referring to is called "Heart Condemnation," from Present Truth, November 30, 1893. It has been included in the collection called Studies in the Gospel of John, in the second section devoted to "Articles from the Epistles of John."] There we found that the only just reason for our hearts not condemning us is that God himself does not condemn us. When God justifies us, our hearts have no business to condemn us; and so our ground of confidence toward God is not our righteousness, but God's mercy.
Now for the next verse, "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." (1 John 2:22)
Many souls have been discouraged by the faulty use of this verse, namely, taking it out of its connection. They have supposed that before we can expect to receive anything that we ask of the Lord, we must be able to show that we have kept all the commandments, and that if after a careful examination of the commandment and our own hearts, we are not able to demonstrate that we have kept them all, then it is useless for us to ask. True, people who have that idea do go through the form of asking, but they never really expect to receive anything.
If it were the case that our confidence that we shall receive what we ask from the Lord grew out of our knowledge that we have lived perfect lives, then we should not be asking favors of the Lord, but demanding our just deserts. "Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that works not, but believes on Him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Romans 4:4-5)
The same apostle declares that it is "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." (Titus 3:5) "To him that works not, but believes on Him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Romans 4:5)
Faith is what brings the blessings of God; for: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)
Now this is just what is taught by the text at the head of this article, as will be seen when it is not cut off from its connection. Thus: "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 2:22-23)
Is faith in Christ, then, a substitute for the keeping of the commandments? Not by any means; it is the keeping of the commandments. The Jews asked Jesus, "What shall we do, that we might work in the works of God?" (John 6:28)
Jesus replied, "This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent." (John 6:29) "With the heart man believes unto righteousness." (Romans 10:10)
The law of God is unfathomable. The human mind will never be able to explore its utmost depths. Eternity will ever have something new to reveal to us in it, because it is the very life of God, and no man can by searching find out God. Therefore no man can ever be able to declare that he has kept all the commandments of God. "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin." (Proverbs 20:9)
Only God can declare a soul to be righteous, and then only as the soul accepts His righteousness through Christ by faith. Faith brings not only freedom from the consequences of past transgressions, but it also brings the keeping of the commandments in the present time. "The just shall live by faith." (Galatians 3:11)
Faith works by love. The only righteousness that will enable one to stand in the day of Lord's coming, is: "That which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." (Philippians 3:9)
And this is real righteousness, because it is the active righteousness of God. It will be manifested in the life, although its possessor will be too unconscious of it to boast. Boasting is excluded by faith, although the believing one will be showing forth in his life the excellencies of the Lord.
It is just because it is the righteousness of the Lord, who dwells in him, that he will have nothing of which to boast. And so we may still continue to sing, and may we sing it from the heart:
Just as I am, You will receive,
Will welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
Because your promise I believe;
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
--Charlotte Elliott (1781-1871), Hymn: Just as I Am.
--Present Truth, December 21, 1893.