Page 8 - Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2010

Let us examine another presentation of the message of the gospel in which we find the biggest little
word in the Bible. Here is the message Paul presented to the Church at Colossi:

“AND YOU, WHO WERE ONCE ALIENATED AND ENEMIES IN YOUR MIND BY WICKED WORKS,
YET NOW HE HAS RECONCILED IN THE BODY OF HIS FLESH THROUGH DEATH,
TO PRESENT YOU HOLY, BLAMELESS, AND IRREPROACHABLE IN HIS SIGHT-

INDEED YOU CONTINUE IN THE FAITH, GROUNDED AND STEADFAST, AND
ARE NOT MOVED AWAY FROM THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL WHICH YOU
HAVE HEARD…” Col. 1:21-23

What follows the if in this statement alone dispels the concept of “unconditional eternal security,” and
“once saved, always saved,” does it not? Why aren’t the contents of the warning in verse 23 presented
along with the gracious words found in verses 21 and 22 about what Christ has done and wants to do
for us? Verse 23 is the rest of Paul’s sentence! There is no period found after the thought that God
wants “…to present you holy, blameless, and irreproachable in His sight”. The stipulations and
conditions to inheriting that beautiful promise follow the biggest little word in the Bible, if! The believer
is required to (1) continue in the faith, (2) become grounded and steadfast, and (3) not be moved away
from the hope of the gospel if he/she is going to be presented as “…holy, blameless, and
irreproachable in His sight.” The fact that Paul even lists these criteria tell us that it is possible for a
believer not to continue in the faith, and it is possible for a believer to be moved away from the hope of
the gospel once having embraced it!

Again, the if’s of the Bible clarify and qualify the whole message God wants to impart pertaining to His
promises. The if’s impart the whole counsel of God. Take them away and you are left with half truths
that can be easily placed under the all too simplistic banner of just “believe and receive.”

There is another place in which Paul gets so swept up in the use of the word “If” that he uses it four
times in three short verses:

“THIS IS A FAITHFUL SAYING:

WE DIED WITH HIM, WE SHALL ALSO LIVE WITH HIM.

WE ENDURE (SUFFER), WE SHALL ALSO REIGN WITH HIM.

WE DENY HIM, HE ALSO WILL DENY US.

WE ARE FAITHLESS, HE REMAINS FAITHFUL; HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF.”
2 Tim. 2:11-13

In spite of the terse sayings above, the condensed “believe and receive” gospel teaches God’s people
that (1) they can live with Him without dying with Him, (2) that they can reign with Him without suffering
with Him, (3) that even if they deny Him, He will not deny them, and (4) His faithfulness to them
prevents Him from ever denying them. Look, He just said in the third if that “If we deny Him, He will
also deny us.” The fourth if is not contradicting the contents of the third! We deny Him by being
unfaithful and faithless! This is not a statement of “unconditional eternal security.” Jesus cannot be
unfaithful or faithless. Therefore, He cannot deny Himself, but He will deny those who deny Him! Oh
yes, I know the verse that says, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). However, that famous
quote is half a sentence containing half the message God spoke. Here is that verse in context in which
we find the stipulations and conditions attached to that beautiful promise:

“MARRIAGE IS HONORABLE AMONG ALL, AND THE BED UNDEFILED;
BUT FORNICATORS AND ADULTERERS GOD WILL JUDGE.

LET YOUR CONDUCT BE WITHOUT COVETOUSNESS, AND BE CONTENT WITH SUCH THINGS AS YOU HAVE.
FOR HE HIMSELF HAS SAID, ‘I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU.’ “
Heb 13:4-5

Will God forsake and leave unrepentant believers who continue to practice fornication, adultery and
covetousness which Paul called idolatry in Col. 3:5? According to Paul, those who practice such things
will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Eph. 5:3-8, Col. 3:5-6, 1 Cor. 6:9-11). In context, God is encouraging
those who live in holy matrimony as they should and keep their hearts from idolatrous practices, that
He will never leave them or forsake them.