IF

Happy Wednesday!

I really enjoy courtroom dramas!  I have to admit that I had a crush on Perry Mason!  He always saw what others missed.  I have noticed many legal examples in the Bible as well.  God is the Supreme Judge.  Revelation 20:12 says, "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before GOD; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were JUDGED out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."(KJV).  God has shared his legal duties with Jesus.  2 Timothy 4:1 says, "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall JUDGE the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;"(KJV).  And Jesus has shared some of the responsibility with the us. 1 Corinthians 6:2 says, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?"(KJV).   Jesus is our advocate or our attorney.  The Apostle John encouraged the believers not to sin, but if they did sin he reminded them that they have someone representing them in the court of God. 1 John 2:1 says, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an ADVOCATE with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"(KJV).

Where am I going with this? So glad you asked!  Many of the promises of God are conditional.  The word "IF" is used over 1500 times in the bible. In the dictionary "IF" is defined as, and used to say that something must happen before another thing can happen.  We have to read the small print.  We frustrate ourselves and breed unbelief, when we don't consider that some of the things we want, desire, and expect, require our obedience.

Let's look at a few scriptures...

1 John 1:9 - "IF we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]."(Amplified)

John 15:7 - "IF ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."(KJV)

Romans 8:13 - "For IF ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but IF ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."(KJV)

1 Timothy 3:5 - "For IF a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?"(KJV)

2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore IF any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."(KJV)

Mark 9:23 - "What do you mean, “If there’s anything?” All things are possible, IF you only believe."(Voice)

2 Timothy 2:11-13 - "This is a sure thing: IF we die with him, we’ll live with him; IF we stick it out with him, we’ll rule with him; IF we turn our backs on him, he’ll turn his back on us; IF we give up on him, he does not give up—for there’s no way he can be false to himself."(Message)

Isaiah 1:19 - "IF ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:"(KJV)

Malachi 3:10 - "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there will be food enough in my Temple; IF you do, I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have room enough to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!"(Living Bible)

Deuteronomy 28:1-8 - IF you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you IF you heed the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your beasts, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading trough. Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out. The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouse and in all that you undertake. And He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you."(Amplified)

I could go on and on, but I think you understand. We have a part to play in receiving from the Lord.  We can do it!  We can obey and keep our part of the bargain.  Romans 8:34 says we have an important person pleading our case..."Who then will condemn us? Will Christ? No! For he is the one who died for us and came back to life again for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us there in heaven."(Living Bible).

Love and prayers, Cynthia