If ever there was
a word which help us
to understand that there are some things we can
do to be saved and some things we can
do to keep us from being saved,that word would be "IF". When we study this word we find that salvation is conditional,grace is conditional. Jesus saids many times "IF" you do my commandments you are my friend,you love me.There are also omissions that could cause us problems.
Here is a short lesson which might help some to understand more about the word of God.
The Little Word "If"
December 10, 2005 by
Mike Riley -
Mike Riley's Blog / thepreachersfiles.com
According to E.W. Bullinger's, "A Critical Lexicon and Concordance To The English And Greek New Testament" (1982), p. 396, the little word, "if" (note 1. (b) - followed by the subjunctive mood) means, "This expresses a condition of uncertainty, with an assumption of some small amount of contingency or probability, where experience will show whether the thing is really so or not, (
John 7:17)". This word has only two letters in its makeup, but it is one of the most important words in the Bible. Let's look at a biblical example in
1 John 1 of just how important this little word is.
In
1 John 1:6-10 (KJV), John uses the little word, "if" no less than five times. In so many words, he is stating that in our Christian walk, we can continually be cleansed by the blood of Christ "if" we are willing to (1) "walk in the light" (of God's word -
Psalm 119:105;
Proverbs 6:23), and (2) "confess our sins" before God. Note that the blessing of our continually being cleansed by Christ's blood is conditioned on whether or not we continually adhere and are obedient to the word of God (
1 John 1:7; cf.
John 7:17;
Matthew 7:21;
Hebrews 5:9;
James 1:23-25;
1 Peter 1:22).
In the Bible, is the little word, "if" important? You bet it is, as our adherence or non-adherence to this little word can carry with it
eternal consequences (cf.
Romans 11:18-22 - KJV). in love Baerly
