Doubting Thomas
Active Member
Actually, Scripture is full of conditional statements regarding salvation with plenty of "ifs". If I get a chance tonight I'll list several. (In fact, I've already listed some in a previous post on page 2 of this thread)</font>[/QUOTE]So as promised here's a few references to conditional salvation:</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />DHK:
There is no IF in salvation. Salvation is not conditional.
Romans 2:5-10--eternal life is conditional on one's patient continuance in doing good.
John 15:1-6--IF one doesn't abide in Christ, he's cast off as a branch and burned.(v.6)
Romans 11:20-22--remaining in Christ is conditioned on continuing belief and continuing in His goodness. IF one does not continue, he is cut off.
Those passages I've mentioned already. Now here are some more...
Romans 8:12-13--"Therefore, brethren*, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For IF you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live."
(*Paul's addressing fellow Christians)
1 Cor 15:1-2--"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand[present tense], by which you are also saved, IF you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain."
Colossians 1:21-23--"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 and blameless and above reproach in His sight--IF indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel you heard"
Hebrews 3:6--"but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are IF we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing if the hope firm to the end."
Hebrews 3:14--"For we have become partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.
Hebrews 10:26--"For IF we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins."
2 Peter 2:20--"For IF, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning."
1 John 1:9--"IF we [Christians] confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (ie, forgiveness is conditional on confession)
1 John 2:3-4--"Now by this we know that we know Him, IF we keep His commandments [plural]. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments [plural], is a liar, and the truth is not in Him."
(so we have to obey his commandments (plural) not just the one command to "accept Christ")
There's plenty more where that came from. I didn't really begin to discuss the many conditional statements of Christ Himself. In closing I'll end with this word from Peter:
"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perserverance, to perserverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For IF these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed form his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for IF you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." --2 Peter 1:5-11
(so not only must we be diligent to add certain things to our faith, we must do those things in order that we ensure our election and have an entrance into God's kingdom!)
(Selah)