If Part 1 Series

IF – Part 1

Scripture: Genesis 18:26; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Proverbs 16:18; 29:23

This morning I am starting a new series that I have titled “If.” How many times have we made decisions in our past and looked back on those decisions and asked ourselves “what if?” What if I had made a different choice? What if I had handled that situation differently? What if, what if, what if? Sometimes we can truly answer that question because we can see the results of what would have happened if we chose differently. At other times we do not know what would have happened so we are left to ponder the best case scenario and wonder “IF” we have made the wrong decision. Wouldn’t it be great if when we are faced with “IF” situations we knew which decision to make? I mean we would never have to look back and say “what if” because when we faced the situation we made the right choice. Well, through this series I will show you scripturally how we can make the right choice when we are faced with those “IF” situations that truly matter.

As we go through this series of messages looking at different scriptural references, I want you to think about what the word “IF” truly means and how this word can define how we interact with God. Think about how many times have we said, “God if You do this for me then I will do that for You”? Think about what this statement says. This statement is placing a condition on something we are willing to do for God only after He first does something for us. “IF” is defined in the dictionary as “a conjunction used to indicate the circumstances that would have to exist in order for an event to happen.” In other words, only after the first thing happens can the second thing take place. The word “IF” applies pre-conditions for something else to happen.

This word is very interesting and is one of the most important words in the Bible because it speaks directly to our responsibility to God, NOT His responsibility to us! Most of the promises in the Bible have conditions and the word “IF” speaks to those conditions. We will see through this series that the conditions are never on God’s end – meaning He has to do something in order for us to do our part – it is always on us. How we respond to God’s commands directly affect our fellowhship with Him and what we receive from Him. You can say that how you walk in your faith with God is dependent on how many times you use the word “IF” when you are believing something He has told us in His word. For example, how many times you wonder “IF” God is hearing you; or “IF” God truly understands your situation. When we use the word “IF” when thinking about our relationship with God it speaks volume! When Jesus used the word “IF” in the New Testament, it was always on man’s side and never on God’s side. Why? Because God has made everything available to us but it is up to us to take advantage of it. In other words, “IF” we will do our part, “then” we will receive what God has already done for us on His part! Let me give you two “if - then” examples from the Old Testament.

In the eighteenth chapter of the book of Genesis, the LORD shares with Abraham His plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Upon hearing the news, Abraham begins to plead with the LORD to spare the cities so that the righteous would not be destroyed with the sinners. Abraham starts by asking the LORD to spare the cities if He found fifty righteous individuals. Listen to what is recorded in Genesis 18:26: “And the LORD said, ‘If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.’” The Hebrew word “IF” in this verse has a root meaning of something “being enough to cause” something else to happen or not happen. In this verse The LORD told Abraham “IF” He found fifty righteous people in Sodom then He would not destroy the cities. You know the story, Abraham negotiated with the LORD to spare the city if he found only ten righteous people in Sodom. The LORD agreed to spare the city if ten righteous people could be found – just ten. Lot, his wife, and his two daughters who were still living with him would be four. Then if you add in his other daughters and sons-in laws surely he could have found a total of ten people, but that was the case. Here is what I want you to see. The LORD stood by His word. The word “IF” laid out the conditions for which the cities would be spared. If those conditions were not met, and they weren’t, then the cities would be destroyed and they were. Let’s look at another example. Turn to Second Chronicles 7:14.