When you turn back to Hebrews
chapter three, let me give you the title to this message, the
conditional if. The conditional if. Notice in our text that Christ
as a son over his own house in verse six, whose house are we
if? If. Look in verse 14. For we are made partakers of
Christ. If. If. Hold your finger there and turn
to Colossians chapter one. Verse 21, and you that were sometime
or before time alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight, if you continue in the faith, grounded and settled,
and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. The conditional if. What does conditional mean? Conditional means something can
only take place if certain conditions are met. Here's an example. If you are over 6 foot 6, I want
you to come up here, and I'm going to give you $20. Anybody meet that condition?
I've saved my money. I picked out that height. I didn't
say anybody over six foot. Somebody might have taken me
seriously. But if you don't meet the condition of being six foot
six, you don't get the $20. Now, I could say anybody who
will be will be saved if they first stop committing a certain
sin. And if you do that, then you
will be saved. Now I've given a condition that
you must meet before you can be saved. Now this is not an
exaggeration when I say 99% of what goes on under the name of
Christianity presents a conditional salvation. If you do this, then God will
save you. That is a conditional salvation. It's called salvation by works. There's no gospel in that message.
For instance, the message that is preached in almost every pulpit
in Lexington, Kentucky is that God loves everybody. Christ died
for everybody. God sincerely wants to save everybody,
but there is some condition you must first meet before you will
be saved. You must first have to accept
Him as your personal Savior. You know, I feel such contempt
for that kind of language. Accept Him as your personal Savior?
He's the Savior whether He's your personal Savior or not. Christ will save you if you first
repent of your sins. And if you repent of your sins,
then Christ will save you. Some condition is thrown out
that you must first meet before you can be saved. You cannot be saved unless you
of your will decide to believe on Christ. If you of your free
will decide to believe on Christ, then you will be saved. That is salvation by works. Someone that believes that does
not believe the gospel. You see, there's two major insurmountable problems with
that kind of thinking. Number one, it's not what the
Bible teaches. We look to God's word alone,
and that is not what the scripture teaches. Number two, a man dead in sins
cannot meet any conditions. What if I said to a dead man,
I will give you a million dollars if you'll just get up and receive
it. I'd still have my million dollars, wouldn't I? Because
the man dead in sins could not do anything in salvation. Now, I wanna talk for a moment
about unconditional salvation. Unconditional. salvation. And let me say this, that's the
only kind of salvation there is, unconditional salvation. What does unconditional mean?
It's not subject to any conditions that must first be met. You know,
the leper understood this when he came into Christ's presence
and said, Lord, if you will, There's no conditions I can meet.
There's nothing I can do to make myself clean. If you will, if you unconditionally
will my salvation, not by waiting for me to do anything. If you
will my salvation, if you will, you can make me clean. God's salvation is Unconditional. There are no conditions you must
meet in order for him to save you. Let me repeat that. God's salvation
is unconditional. There are no conditions you must
meet before God saves Now, God's salvation is not unconditional
in the sense that there are conditions that must be met. Justice must
be satisfied. None of God's attributes can
be abused or any salvation that's contrary to any of God's attributes
is not right. There are certain conditions
that must be completed. where I won't be saved,
but there is no condition the sinner must meet before God can
save him. Now let me show you that from
the scripture. 2 Samuel chapter 23. Now these are David's last
words right before he dies. Notice
it says in verse 1, these be the last words of David. Now
that puts some significance to what's being said at this time.
David had gone through a lot. David was used by God to write
the Psalms. David, by God's appointment,
had become the most powerful man in the world in a military
sense. The scripture actually says the
fear of David fell upon all nations. I mean, every country was scared
to death. They knew if they got in a battle
with David, David would win. David was called the man after
God's own heart. And I don't know of a commendation
that could be greater than that. God said with regard to this
man David, his heart beats with mine. Don't you want to be that
person? Where God would say of you, his
heart Her heart beats with mine. Now David's dying. He's had all
these experiences and he doesn't mention any of them. But what
does he say? Look in verse five. He says, although my house be
not so with God. Now, the Lord told him after
the incident with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah that the
sword would never leave his house. And he had more problems in his
home. Two of his sons tried to kill
him. He had murders. I mean, it was just a mess. But it wasn't all a mess. Bathsheba
was a believer. Abigail was a believer. There
were other people in his family who believed the gospel. So when
he's talking about his house not being so with God, I have
no doubt that he was not really referring to his family. He's
referring to this house. Quite often in the Bible, our
bodies are called our house. our habitation, this house. Although my house be not so with
God, and there's no condition that I can meet. That's what
that means. There is no condition that I
can meet. Do you know what David meant
when he said that? Do you understand that? Although my house be not so with
God. There's not one thing about me
naturally that could recommend myself to God. There's not one
condition that I can meet. If he gives any condition, you
need to do this before you can be saved. I can't do it. Although my house be not so with
God yet. Yet. He, the God of glory, hath
made with me an everlasting covenant. Now, don't miss that word everlasting.
This covenant was made before I was ever born, before I could
meet any conditions. Paul put it this way in Romans
9, 11, for the children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand. Yet hath he made with me an everlasting
covenant. Eternal. Ordered in all things. And sure. And this is all my salvation. This eternal covenant, this although,
yet, he made with me, this is all my salvation. And not only is it all my salvation,
it really is all I desire. I don't want it to be any other
way. If God cut into my heart, I say this fearfully, but I know
this. I don't want to stand before
God in my works in any way. I want to stand in Christ, in
that eternal covenant. This is all my salvation and
all my desire. And then he makes this, I think,
very hard statement to grasp, though he make it not to grow.
Now, why did he say that? That's kind of unusual, isn't
it? Although my house be not so with
God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things, ensure this is all my salvation. This is all
my desire, though we make it not to grow. David, do you not
care anything about growing in grace and the knowledge of our
Lord and savior, Jesus Christ? What does he mean? My salvation can't grow. It can't
get bigger. It's already infinitely big.
You can't add anything to it. It can't grow. I'm completing
Christ. Can you add anything to that?
Can you add anything to being complete in the Lord Jesus Christ? No, he doesn't make it grow because
it's so big it can't grow. It's infinite in the Lord Jesus
Christ. The fact that I, my house is
not so with God does not prevent God from making with me an everlasting
covenant. Now this is what you could call
a unilateral covenant. God just saying, I'm doing this,
it's done. It's not God saying, I'll do
this if you do that. I'll do this if you meet this
condition. No, it's a unilateral covenant. Done. Done. No beginning, no ending. Salvation is of the Lord. Now that tells me there's no
conditions I must first meet before God will save me. Turn to Romans 11 for a moment. Verse five, Romans chapter 11,
verse five. Even so then, at this present
time also, there is a remnant, a small number, who believe,
is what he's referring to, according to the election of grace. What a glorious word. The election of grace. Now let's read verse. Then there's
no more of conditions. That's what that means. Same
thing. If it's by grace, it's no more
of conditions. Otherwise grace is no more grace,
but if it be of conditions, don't call it grace. Because
that is not grace. Now when we talk about salvation,
salvation is by grace. By grace are you saved. Not by grace will you be saved,
if by grace ye are saved. Through faith. And that faith,
it's not of yourselves. It's not because of any condition
you met and you came up with the faith. It's the gift of God. The very faith that you possess
right now. There wasn't some condition you
met in order to have it. He gave it to you. Not of works,
lest any man should boast. God's ancient choice of his people
before time began election is unconditional. That means he
didn't look at you and see if there's anything that would make
you worthy of his election. Utterly unconditional. The forgiveness
of sins is unconditional. God doesn't forgive you because
you did this or you did that. As a matter of fact, salvation
begins with the full, free, complete forgiveness of sins. It's not
the end of the equation. If I do this and if I do that,
then I'll be forgiven. No, it begins. You know what
happens when you're forgiven? You find out, I've been forgiven. Justification. You didn't do
anything to be justified. He declared you to be justified
by what Christ did being justified freely by his grace, through
the redemption that in Christ Jesus, repentance is not some
condition you meet. Well, I must repent that no repentance
is called. Then have God to the Gentiles
granted given repentance. the remission of sins. Our perseverance
being kept is that of being kept by the power of God through faith
and to salvation. Our growth and grace is by grace.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it's God
that worketh in you both to will and to do. That covers everything,
doesn't it? It's God that worketh in you
both to will and to do His good pleasure. Now, if there were
one single condition that I had to meet before God could save
me, if there were one sin that I had to master and commit no
more before God could save me, I wouldn't be saved. Nor would you. But thank God, salvation is unconditional. Now, one term that I hate is
unconditional love. I hate that term because God
doesn't love me unconditionally. He loves me because I'm in Christ.
It's not just some kind of if he could love me unconditionally,
he quit loving me unconditionally. But his love is in Christ Jesus. It's conditioned upon Christ.
So when we speak of unconditional love, no such thing. He loves
me in the Lord Jesus Christ. But as far as me meeting some
kind of condition in order to have it, it is Unconditional. Now, let me give you some scriptures.
Turn with me to Psalm 106. I'd like you to look at these
with me. Verse six, we have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly. Our fathers understood not thy
wonders in Egypt. They remembered not the multitude
of thy mercies, but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red
Sea. Nevertheless, he saved him. for his names sake, that he might
make his mighty power known. He didn't save them because of
any condition they met. They didn't. He saved them for
his names sake. Turn to Isaiah 43. Verse 22, But thou hast not called
upon me, O Jacob, thou hast been weary of me, O
Israel. Thou hast not brought me the
small cattle of thy burnt offerings, neither hast thou honored me
with thy sacrifices. I have not called thee to serve
with an offering, nor weary thee with incense. Thou has bought
me no sweet cane with money, neither has Thou filled me with
the fat of Thy sacrifices, but Thou has made me to serve with
Thy sins. Thou has wearied me with Thine
iniquities. I, even I, am He that blotteth
out Thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember Thy sins. One more scripture, Ezekiel chapter
36. Verse 31, then shall you remember your own evil ways and
your doings that were not good and shall loathe yourselves in
your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations Not
for your sakes do I this. Sayeth the Lord God, be it known
unto you, be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of
Israel. Now, is there any doubt that
this is what the scripture teaches? What I'm preaching right now,
is this the teaching of the scripture? Yes, it is. Question, does this
lead to fatalism? Does this lead to apathy and
indifference? Does this lead to sinful living? After all, our sins cannot prevent
us from being saved. If he's willed our salvation,
therefore we're not worried about it. Fatalism, apathy, Indifference,
licentiousness, oh, this is a license to sin. That is the response
of an unbeliever. If I hear what I just heard and
think, great, this gives me a license to sin. I don't need to worry
about it anymore. No doubt many have responded that way. You
know why? Because the Lord's never done
anything for them. That would not be the response of a believer. Thy people shall be willing. Volunteers in the day of thy power. Deny yourself. Take up your cross
daily. And follow me, yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Now, Lord willing, next week,
we're going to spend probably at least three messages looking
at Hebrews chapter three, the rest of it, verse by verse. But what I want us to do, and
I'm gonna give you some scriptures to think about. is consider some
scriptures that use the word if. There's no doubt that salvation
is not dependent upon anything I do. It's not that God will
not save me unless I first do this, and when I do this, that
enables him to do something for me. That's anathema. That's salvation
by works. Somebody that preaches that,
somebody that believes that, does not believe the gospel.
They have no understanding of the gospel. They have no understanding
of their own sinfulness. They have no understanding of
God's holiness. if they look at something different than salvation
for Christ's sake. Ephesians 4.32, be ye kind, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven
you. Now, an unconditional salvation
does not exclude these conditional ifs. Now, if there's a pot of
boiling oil on the range and it's bubbling over. If you stick
your hand in it, what will happen? It'll be burnt, won't it? Matthew chapter 16. I'm going
to ask you to turn to these scriptures, Matthew chapter 16. I'm going
to go over rapidly and I'm not gonna spend much time on any
one of them but I want you to see this. I'm sorry Matthew chapter
6. Matthew chapter 6. Now the Lord
had just given what is known as the disciples prayer and how
I love this prayer and there's only one part he commented on
when he gave this prayer. Look in verse 14. You forgive men their trespasses,
your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you forgive
not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your
trespasses. That's what the Lord said. Does that mean my forgiveness
is totally dependent upon me forgiving somebody else? No, it means this, if I don't
forgive, I've never been forgiven. If you forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your heavenly father forgive your
trespasses. John chapter seven. Verse 16, Jesus answered and
said, my doctrine, is not mine, but his that sent me. The doctrine
of Christ, the doctrine of God. Now look what it says here in
verse 17, it's so important. If any man will do his will,
there's a conditional if. If any man will do his will,
he'll know the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak
of myself. If I will do his will, if that's
my desire, If any man will do his will, he'll know the doctrine. Now to believe something that
the Bible doesn't teach is not just an intellectual problem.
It's a sin problem. It's a rebellion problem. It's
an unwillingness to do his will. And where there's an unwillingness
to do his will, you're going to believe that which is contrary
to God's word. If I believe something that God
does not teach in his word, I chose to believe that and it was willful. Now, if I believe the truth,
I believe because it's the truth. I don't choose to believe the
truth. I believe it because it's true. But if I believe something
that's contrary to what God's word says, it's because of an
unwillingness on my part to do his will. Now, here's our prayer. Not my will, but thine be done.
Make me willing in every respect. John 8, 31. Then said Jesus to
those Jews which believed on him, if you continue in my word. Not in being religious. You continue in my word. Thou
hast the words of eternal life. If you continue in my word, then
are you my disciples. Indeed, if you do not continue
in my word, you are not my true disciples. John chapter 11, verse 40. Jesus said unto her, said I not
unto thee, that if thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the
glory of God. Notice he didn't say, if you
see, then you'll believe. He said, if you believe, you'll
see. And if you don't believe, you
will not see. But if you believe, you'll see. John chapter 12. Verse 26, if any man serve me,
let him follow me. And where I am, there also shall
my servant be. If any man serve me, him will
my father honor. Now, somebody may be thinking,
what all does it mean to serve the Lord? Well, you believe the
gospel, you're serving the Lord. Don't start thinking about things
you need to do to be serving. If you believe the gospel, you
serve the Lord. If any man serves the Lord, Him
will the Father honor. And if anyone doesn't serve the
Lord, the Father is not going to honor that person. John chapter
13, verse 17. If you know these things, happy
are you if you do them. He was talking about feet washing. If you know these things, you
know our feet get so dirty. We're clean every whit in Christ,
but our feet get so dirty, we need them washed every single
day in the gospel. That's always necessary. If you
know these things, happy are you if you do them. If you don't
do them, it can't be said, happy are you. John 15, 14, let me
start quoting them. You are my friends if you do
whatsoever I command you. This is his commandment that
we believe on the name of his son and love one another as God
gave his commandment. First John chapter three, verse
23. You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you.
If we don't keep his commandments, we're not his friend. Romans
10, nine, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus,
and believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved. But if you don't confess the
Lord Jesus, if you don't believe in your heart, God raised him
from the dead, you won't be saved. Galatians 11.8, though, and that's
the same word if, if we or an angel from heaven preach any
other gospel unto you than that which you preached unto you,
let him be accursed. If I preach another gospel, I'm
accursed. If I preach the gospel, I'm not. Galatians 5.2, if you be circumcised,
Christ shall profit you nothing. If you take that route, and go
into this conditional. You need to be circumcised. You
need to fill in the blank before you can be saved. You need to
do this. You need to do that. You need
to stop doing this and stop doing that. If you be circumcised,
Christ will profit you nothing. Strong words, isn't it? Colossians 1.13 says, forbearing
and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against
any, even as Christ forgave you. Were there any conditions you
had to first meet for him to forgive you? Was there anything you did? Even as Christ forgave you, so
do ye. Hebrews 1038, now the just shall
live by faith. The only way I live is by faith
in the Son of God. The only way I live is by trusting
Him alone and looking nowhere else. Now when we're talking
about the just living by faith, the only way I'm just before
God is because He made me just and I'm relying on His Son to
make me just. It doesn't have anything to do
with some condition I'm in. The just shall live by faith,
but if any man draw back, if any man draw back from this thing
of living only by faith, God says, my soul shall have no pleasure
in him. This is what we looked at last
Sunday. Go ahead and look at 1 John 1. Look at all these ifs. Verse
six, if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness,
we lie. Do not the truth. If we walk
in the light as he is in light. We have fellowship one with another
in the blood of Jesus Christ. God's son cleanses us from all
sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. The
truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. If we say we've not sinned, we
make him a liar and his word is not in us. Every one of those
verses has this if. Look at 1 John 2. Verse 19. They went out from us, but they
were not of us. For if they had been of us, they
would have no doubt continued with us. But they went out that
they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. If they had been of us, there's
that if. If they had, they would no doubt have continued in the
faith, grounded and settled. Now, in this unconditional salvation,
every conditional if is met. You see, the reason you meet
the conditions he speaks of is because he said, I will and they
shall. That is why. If you continue
in the faith, grounded and settled, and are not moved from the hope
of the gospel, if you're continuing in looking
only to him, It's because He caused you to. And if you don't,
if I don't, He hadn't done anything for us. The Lord said in John chapter
8, 24, if you believe not that I am, you'll die in your sins. But if you believe that he is,
the great I am that I am, you will die without sin. Perfectly accepted in the beloved. Let's pray. Lord, we ask In Christ's name
that you take your word and bless it to our hearts. And how we
thank you for the unconditional, complete salvation that's in
your son without our works accomplished by him. And how we thank you
that you work in us both to will and to do. Thy good pleasure. As we face this coming week,
Pray that we might be privileged and enabled to walk by faith
in thy son. We pray that you would give us
grace to honor you in our relationships. We ask that you give us grace
to honor you in our jobs and our work. We ask that you would
open up doors for us to preach your gospel to other people according
to your will. Bless this message for Christ's
sake, in his name we pray.