Page 11 - Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2010

11

In considering our next two if’s of the Bible, I printed out a large
segment of Romans Chapter 11 in order to show you how frequently
this biggest little word in the Bible appears. Paul uses it ten times in
just 12 verses! By circling the if’s, I believe we can visually dramatize
how easy it is to overlook them in reading God’s Word.

The two if’s I singled out below, written to the Gentile church at
Rome, should be very sobering to us as followers of Christ. These
Gentile believers (like you and me) were becoming high-minded with
an elitist attitude toward the unbelieving Jews. It is the very core
problem of the elitist “replacement theology” that exists in the church
today.

Here is Paul’s warning to New Testament, blood-washed believers
who held a superior attitude toward the Jewish people who had been
cut off from their relationship to God due to their unbelief:

Romans 11:12-24 “…BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF THEY WERE BROKEN OFF,
AND YOU STAND BY FAITH. DO NOT BE HAUGHTY, BUT FEAR.
FOR

GOD DID NOT SPARE THE NATURAL BRANCHES,
HE MAY NOT SPARE YOU EITHER. THEREFORE CONSIDER
THE GOODNESS AND THE SEVERITY OF GOD: ON THOSE
WHO FELL, SEVERITY; BUT TOWARD YOU, GOODNESS,
YOU CONTINUE IN HIS GOODNESS.
OTHERWISE YOU ALSO WILL BE CUT OFF.”

Rom. 11:20-22

Were the Jews cut off from inheriting eternal life by their unbelief in
Jesus Christ? You know the answer is yes, for Paul has already
stated clearly that they need to be saved (Rom.10:1-4). If they can be
cut off then so can we! Is that not what Paul says?

Are we “unconditionally eternally secure” or does the above “if” state that to prevent being cut off as New
Testament believers in the same manner as were the Jews, we must continue in His goodness (which
the Jews did not). They remained in unbelief, true? Note what does Paul warn believers:

(CONTINUING “BEWARE BRETHREN,
IN HIS LEST THERE BE IN ANY OF YOU

GOODNESS) AN EVIL HEART OF UNBELIEF
IN DEPARTING FROM THE LIVING GOD…
LEST ANY OF YOU BE HARDENED THROUGH THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN.
FOR WE HAVE BECOME PARTAKERS OF CHRIST
WE HOLD THE BEGINNING OF OUR CONFIDENCE STEADFAST TO THE END.”

Heb. 3:12-14

“BUT CHRIST AS A SON OVER HIS OWN HOUSE, WHOSE HOUSE WE ARE
WE HOLD FAST THE CONFIDENCE AND REJOICING OF THE HOPE FIRM TO THE END…”

Heb. 3:6

This last set of if’s will also help qualify what it means to “continue in His goodness”:

“ YOU ARE WILLING AND OBEDIENT,
YOU SHALL EAT OF THE GOOD OF THE LAND;
BUT
YOU REFUSE AND REBEL,
YOU SHALL BE DEVOURED BY THE SWORD;
FOR THE MOUTH OF THE LORD HAS SPOKEN.”
Isa. 1:19-20

We have only examined a handful of the 1,522 if’s found in the Bible. I pray that what we have
considered will quicken you to begin to circle the biggest little word in the Bible!

Pastor Randy Shupe