Last month our song leader did something really neat at the beginning of each worship service. He would read a scripture that had an "IF" clause. Each of the scriptures had a promise of God, but the catch was the "IF" clause. In other words, we had to carry out our end of the deal in order to claim that particular promise of God.
Here are just a few scriptures that have these clauses in them. Below the passage I will break it down and over emphasize the IF (clause/condition) that is our responsibility and the WILL (promise) that is God's promise to His children. However, you will notice that not all of the promises are positive. Some are negative. But they are only negative if we are negative in our Christian walk. God's promises have conditions. Those conditions are determined by how we live our lives. Scripture verifies that fact over and over.
But God's promises are abundant on the positive side! He wants to pour out His blessings upon His children - and He does! He wants to see us learn by our mistakes and follow more closely to Him! He wants us to put our complete and total trust and faith in Him.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[ sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 1 John 5-10
IFS AND PROMISES
THE IF CLAUSE: If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness
GOD'S PROMISE: we lie and do not live out the truth.
THE IF CLAUSE: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light
GOD'S PROMISE - we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[ sin.
THE IF CLAUSE: If we claim to be without sin
GOD'S PROMISE: we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
THE IF CLAUSE: If we confess our sins
GOD'S PROMISE: he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
THE IF CLAUSE: If we claim we have not sinned
GOD'S PROMISE: we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
And let's finish this thought with another great "If and Promise":
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But IF anybody does sin, WE HAVE an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:1-2
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