It's an interesting fact that the word "if" appears in the Bible more than 1000 times and can be found in each of its 66 books. This fact highlights the conditional nature of God's promises to the faithful and of His threats to the wicked. In other words, the fulfillment of God's word to human beings is dependent upon choices that human beings make. Still don't believe it ? Read it for yourself in a sampling of the verses at the end of this post (1).
God created man for
His own glory, that after test and trial the human family
might become one with the heavenly family. It was God's purpose to
repopulate heaven with the human family, if they would show themselves
obedient to His every word. Adam was to be tested, to see whether he would be
obedient, as the loyal angels, or disobedient. If he stood the test, his
instruction to his children would have been only of loyalty. His mind and
thoughts would have been as the mind and thoughts of God. His character would have been
molded in accordance with the character of God.
When Adam's sin had
forfeited eternal life, at infinite cost God provided for the race a second probation. The time of
probation is given us that we may perfect a character fit for eternity.In this life we are
on probation, placed under test and trial to form
characters for the future, immortal life. We are all to be
tested here in this life to prove whether, if admitted to heaven, we shall
repeat the same course that Satan pursued there. The present world is
designed as a scene of probation for man. He is here to form a character
which will pass with him into the eternal world. Good and evil are placed
before him, and his future state depends upon the choice he makes.
(1) SAMPLE OF IMPORTANT VERSES WITH THE WORD "IF"
