If. One tiny little word that means more in the Word of God than many of us can imagine. Let me instruct you with the Scriptures as to the invaluableness of this powerful word.
If you do not accept Jesus Christ as Lord, you will die in your sins. (John 8:24) If you die in your sins, you will die an unrepentant sinner, you will spend eternity separated from the love of God in the Lake of Fire. (Rev. 20:15) If you live this life that you have been blessed apart from His saving grace, the wrath of God abides upon you even today. (John 3:36) If you will not accept His mercy and ask for His forgiveness for your sins, you will become a vessel fitted for wrath. (Romans 9:22) If you remain in your sins, you will be as one of the goats, never to hear the voice of the Savior in love. (Matt.25:32) If you die in your sins you will stand before your judge at the great white throne judgment. (Rev. 20:11)
If you do not seek first the kingdom of God, none of these will be added unto you. (Matt. 6:33) If you do not forgive men their trespasses against you, God will not forgive yours. (Matt. 6:15) If you had faith the size of a grain of mustard seed, nothing would be impossible for you. (Matt. 17:20) If you have faith and doubt not, you can cast mountains into the sea. (Matt. 21:21) If you have been saved by grace, you will enter into heaven. (Eph. 2:8-9) You are joint heirs with Christ, if you have suffered with Him. (Romans 8:17) If you are lost, then the gospel is hidden from you. (2 Cor. 4:3)
If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed. (Gal. 3:29) If you are Christ’s, then you are to be seeking the things which are above. (Col. 3:1) You live now, if ye stand fast in the Lord. (1 Thess. 3:8) If you are not obeying the commandments of God, then believers are to have no company with you. (2 Thess. 3:14) If you are dead with Christ, then you shall live with Him. (Romans 6:8) If you suffer with Him, you will reign with Him, if you deny Him, He will deny you. (2 Tim. 2:12) If you hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm to the end, you will be the house of God. (Heb. 3:6)
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as a Son. (Heb. 12:7) If not, then you are bastards, and not sons. (Heb. 12:8) If you endure grief, suffering wrongly for what you have done well, you will be accepted of God. (1 Peter 2:19) If you do these things, you will never stumble. (2 Peter 1:10) If you claim to follow Him, yet continue to walk in darkness, you lie and do not live out the truth. (1 John 1:6) If you keep His commandments, you know Christ. (1 John 2:3) If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you will remain in the Son and the Father. (1 John 2:24) If you ask any thing according to His will, He hears you. (1 John 5:14)
If you hear His voice and open the door, He will come into you. (Rev. 3:20) If you will not abide in Him, you will be cast forth as a branch into the fire to be burned. (John 15:6) If you abide in Him, what you ask of Him will be done unto you. (John 15:7) If you keep His commandments, you will abide in love. (John 15:10) If you do whatever He commands you, you are His friend. (John 15:14) If you are not of the world, the world will hate you. (John 15:18)
This ends the study series, at least on my part for you, on the word if, but I would make a request of you my friends, I would ask that you complete this study series with one more of your own. Open the Word of God and place it before you, look at each of these verses in context in the light of your own life, in the life that you are living for Christ, and pray for wisdom from Almighty God to show you the areas that you need growth in, the places your following of Christ needs to be placed before Him for adjustment. And there is one last thing I would ask of you, add words to this study.
Many times I have said that if we want to know the totality of a thing, we must understand the inverse of that thing. Look here at John 15:14 “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you,” now add the word “not” to this verse, “Ye are not my friends, if ye do not whatsoever I command you.” Again, “For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.” (1 Thess. 3:8) The Holy Spirit could have just as easily said, “You will not live, if you do not stand fast in the Lord.” Take the time to look at the inverse of these words of God, and then ask yourself where you stand in Christ.
Who could have thought that such a seemingly insignificant word as that little word “if” could mean so much.
