-By: General James Green-
JESUS CERTAINLY continued this “if” teaching. The Bible, dear professors of the Christian faith, uses considerable repetition of the truths about our salvation – Peter wrote: “though ye know them, and be established in the present truth” (2 Pet. 1:10-15).
Go through the Old Testament and see how many times you find the “if” clause; go through the New Testament for the same purpose… the Sinaitic covenant was an “if-covenant;” the Davidic covenant was the same, and on and on. Jesus was the “son of David; the son of Abraham” (see Matt. 1:1; Acts 13:23; Rom. 1:3; Gal. 3:16; 2 Tim. 2:8 etc.). So, each covenant that followed the Abrahamic Covenant (A.C.) was an out-growth and further expansion of that A.C.
Note Matt. 6:14, 15 – both verses have the “if” clause. Both the Old Testament and New Testament have the same meaning – “if” is used to express A CONDITION. One might want to examine how this word is used in the Courts. “English in the Law Courts” (F. Unger Co., 1962), written by Prof. M.M. Bryant states (p. 230) that: “when ‘if’ is used to express a condition, it has the same meaning as in general usage.” When the Holy Bible uses the word “if,” the same would apply.
Jesus used the “if” clause often in his speech (see Matt. 16:24-26 – in this “if-statement,” Jesus was speaking about a man losing his soul. WHAT? Oh, yes, He says: “…if any man will come after Me, let him (or her) DENY himself, and take up his Cross, and follow me” (v. 24) … “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? …” (v.26). But what do we find being taught today (especially in Mega churches)? “Love yourself,” celebrate yourself,” “treat yourself good,” have your best life now” blah, blah, blah.
Jesus taught (as well as the New Testament writers) that “whosoever” OBEYED the conditions for salvation would “save his life” (reverse this please and see how it reads). The grammar of the Greek New Testament (or Hebrew Old Testament) in the “if-texts” means: Begin now to follow Me (Jesus or the Father) and CONTINUE DOING SO” (see “A Manual Grammer of the Greek New Testament,” Dana and Montey, p. 300, 25th ed; Macmillian, 1960).
Luke 14:25-35
CHECK IT OUT – pretty severe!… “if any man come to me.” “…but if the salt have lost his savor… it is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out…” Go through Jesus’ teachings and see what you find… nothing at all like this namby-pamby stuff we get from these worms called pastors, evangelists, and youth leaders etc.
Bluntly, Jesus taught “the sword that cuts and the fire that burns.” Today’s reprobates teach that “Jesus is crazy about you.” Really? Just where do we find such stuff?…or, “God loves the believers in their rebellion, in their pride, in their unbelief, blah, blah, blah.” All LIES!!! Jesus taught that WITHOUT ABSOLUTE SURRENDER of SELF, salvation is hopeless(see J.F.B.C.). Why isn’t this being taught today? Well, because of unbelief, rebellion, and the pride-of-life. Everyone wants to live the “good life,” which will DAMN them for sure.
More of Jesus’ “ifs”
JOHN 8:31-51 contains more of Jesus’ “ifs.” Jesus starts out with: “…if ye continue in My Word, THEN ARE YE MY DISCIPLES indeed,” speaking to those who believed on Him. Do you think this applies to us today (v.31)? Jesus ends His discourse with: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, IF A MAN KEEP MY SAYINGS, he (or she) shall never see death” (v.51).
John Calvin, the “once in grace, always in grace” man comments on v.31, which is one of the few times he was right! We now look at Calvin’s entire exposition on Christ’s conditional statement in John 8:31:
“If ye continue in my word.” Here Christ warns them, in the first place, that it is not enough for anyone to have begun well, if their progress to the end does not correspond to it; and for this reason, he exhorts to perseverance in the faith those who have tasted of his doctrine. When he says that they who are firmly rooted in his word, so as to continue in him, will truly be his disciples, he means that many profess to be his disciples who yet are not so in reality, and have no right to be accounted such. He distinguishes his followers from hypocrites by this mark, that they who falsely boasted of faith give way as soon as they have entered into the course, or at least in the middle of it; but believers persevere constantly to the end. If, therefore, we wish that Christ should reckon us to be his disciples, we must endeavor to persevere.”
Calvin sounds like an Arminian here, doesn’t he? In checking Calvin’s commentaries on various if-texts, he seemed vague and inconsistent to me, but this was one of the few clear statements I found. But you must be careful reading Calvin because he gives it to you in one place and takes it away in another. Like Augustine, he is inconsistent and self-contradictory. Notice in the above statement that Calvin used ‘if’ twice.
Jesus applied both the “sin-test” and the “Word-test.” Don’t you think that the Holy Spirit will apply these to us today? It goes without saying that those who “believed on Him” (v.31) got really irate because Jesus stripped away their religious facade by saying: “Ye are of your father the devil” (v.44); his discourse ended with: “Then they took up stones to cast at Him…” (v.59).
Prof. A.T. Robertson
ROBERTSON (foremost Greek authority of modern times) comments on v.31:
“Your future loyalty to My teaching will prove the reality of your present profession. So, the conclusion of this future condition is put in the present tense. As then, so now… continuance in the Word proves the sincerity or insincerity of the profession. It is the acid test of life” (Word Pictures in the New Testament, v.5, p. 149, 1932).
Listen up! Jesus made everything CONDITIONAL upon obedient love. Sure, everything comes from His free grace, but obedience/faith make it possible for Him to give this grace to those who ask for it (see also Jn. 14:15, 25).
More “Ifs”
TAKE JOHN 7:17: “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.”
…and: “If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered: and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (See Jn. 15, count how many times Jesus uses the “if” clause – 10 times in all! See verses 6, 7, 10, 14, 18, 19, 20 (twice), 22 & 24).
WHAT? Yes, “if a man (or women) ABIDE NOT IN ME (Jesus).” Is this conditional or not (Jn. 15:6)? Now, look at v.10: “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love…” Is v.10 conditional?
Robertson comments on Jn. 7:17: “The conditional is used here with full force of (Greek) thelo: (G2309) ‘to will, to wish.” So, Jesus, ‘if-essential’ demands the CONTINUAL wish/will/obedience/love of those who claim to be Christian. Not so today! One can live like a devil and still expect to go to Heaven.
The “ifs” in Jesus’ teachings are sufficient evidence for our conclusion that redemption/salvation is CONDITIONAL. The New Testament Greek teaches in Jn. 3:15; 5:24; 6:35; 11:25: “Whosoever is continually believing has eternal life” etc., etc.
We are continually WARNED AGAINST presumption, which most Church-ites pay no attention to. The continue-in-sin (false) doctrine is refuted from Genesis to Revelation.
So, if the Jews are living in unbelief, disobedience, and racial pride, where is their salvation? No Jew can enter the Kingdom unless he or she repents of his/her sins and invites Christ into his/her heart – to be their Savior and Lord.
P.S. The “if” clause = the antecedent; The “then” clause = the consequent.
