IF…

I have been amazed the last few years while reading the gospels of Jesus Christ at the number of times the word “if” or “whosoever” is used.  God does give us certain commands, and we know this.  However, Jesus seems to also use a lot of “ifs” as well. 

Many times the word “if” is used in relationship to being a “disciple” of Christ.  What does the word “disciple” mean?  It means simply “a learner or a pupil”.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:24-25a, “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord.”  Also in Luke 6:40 Jesus says, “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.”  We learn in these two passages that Jesus is stating that the disciples are to be like the master.  In the case of Jesus, it means that if we want to be a disciple of Christ, we are to be like Christ.  Hence, we are to be Christ-like.  People should see us act as Christ acted… to be the light of the world, as Jesus was that light.  People should see us and see Jesus.  But how do we do this?  I believe one way to learn how to be Christ-like comes from Jesus’ use of the word “if”.

In Matthew 16:24 Jesus says, “IF any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”  He goes on to say, in the following verses, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”  Jesus is saying that we must give up our rights to our lives if we are to follow him.  He is speaking to his disciples here.  IF we want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, we must first give up our rights to our own lives.  Notice the word “whosoever” in verse 24.  This is a conditional word much like the word “IF”.  If you will save your life, you must lose it.  This will give to us more than just being “Christ-like”.  It also gives us eternal life as evidenced by the verses that follow in Matthew 16:26-28.  Read it for yourself and let the Scriptures speak to you.

Luke 14:26 states that we are to love Jesus above all other human loves, IF we want to come to him.  He says it this way, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”  He continues in verse 27, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”  In Luke 14:33, Jesus states, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”  In other words, Jesus is saying, we have to desire Him above our own lives… as it stated in Matthew 16.  We are to give up our rights to ourselves. 

We know that we cannot just say that we are Christians and have eternal life.  God knows our hearts.  God tells us through James (in James 2:17) that even the devils believe there is one God and they tremble.  It isn’t enough to know there is a God or even that Jesus is the Son of God.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:21 that “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”  We are told in Romans 10:9-11, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”  If we are truly saved, others will be able to tell by our works of love towards others and by our actions towards both God and others.  James says it this way in James 2:18, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”  People will know that we are disciples of Christ by our way of life, which includes our words and actions and attitudes towards both God and people.  We have a choice to believe and confess Jesus is the Lord so that we will not be ashamed, and we will be saved and have eternal life. 

There is another conditional in the Matthew 7 passage.  Jesus explains in this passage that it isn’t the works themselves that make the difference.  Rather, he says, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man…   and every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man.”  Again, we have the choice to be a wise man or a foolish man.  Many times the word fool in the Bible is used to denote those who do not believe in Christ or those who turn from God.  So, to be a disciple, we need to hear Jesus’ sayings and DO THEM.  In fact, in John 8:31-32, Jesus says, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  In other words, even though we surrender all and give up our rights to ourselves, we will be free.  This may be hard to understand (using Peter’s words about some of Paul’s teachings), but when we truly surrender to Jesus, we no longer fight the battles with our flesh in the same way.  We no longer feel alone and caged.  Instead, we feel free.  When the Pharisees did not understand this saying, Jesus explained that it was sin that makes us not free as we become servants to our sin natures.  Jesus states that “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”  Those of us who know Jesus Christ as our personal savior AND LORD (master) can attest to this statement. 

Next, Jesus goes on to tell the Pharisees in John 8:52 “If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.”  This is a pretty serious choice! IF a man keeps Jesus’ sayings, then he will live forever… never tasting death! We are saved into an eternal life with God by grace alone, if we keep Jesus’ saying.  So, what did Jesus say?   In John 6:29 he states, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”  We must believe on Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is to be our Lord.  So, continuing in the word of Jesus Christ means believing on Him as the Son of God and believing that He was sent to save us AND giving up our rights to ourselves (“Keeping Jesus’ sayings”). 

Finally, (although not the last time we see conditionals in the New Testament), another “IF” is found in John 13:35 where Jesus states, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”  Remember that the disciple is to be as the master.  Jesus came to show God’s love to the world by dying for our sins and allowing us entrance into an eternity with the father (John 3:16).  We should naturally, if we follow Jesus and are learning of Him, have love toward others as well.  People will see a difference in a disciple of Christ versus someone who just says they “believe” in Christ.  There is a difference.  Again, even the demons believe.  James 2:19 says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”  Just because we believe Jesus is the Son of God does not necessarily mean that we make Him the Lord of our lives.  There is another step to that.  There is the conditional… IF.  If you will save your life, lose it.  If you want to be a disciple, keep His sayings.  If you want to have eternal life, be wise and call on the Lord (master).  If you want to know if you are a disciple, examine yourself to see if your love for others naturally flows from your love for God.  You must believe in Jesus Christ to be saved… but it is conditional.  God gives you a choice.  John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever should believe on Him would have eternal life.” 

What is your choice?  You get to choose… salvation, eternal life, freedom, love toward God and love toward others.  What is your choice?  How do you respond to “IF”?