If/Then

God’s love is unconditional. Some of God’s promises are conditional. For example, see if you can locate God’s conditional promise to Solomon.

“When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace, the LORD appeared to him at night and said: ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.’” 2 Chron 7:11-15 (NIV)

Did you find it? God’s conditional promise to Solomon had an if/then element. If my people will…then I will. Yes! We want God to hear from heaven and we want God to forgive our sin and we want God to heal our land. Yet, God’s promise is conditioned by our willingness to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways.

In the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul gives us an if/then promise without using the words if and then. He unveils the realities of being “in Christ.”

Now that you have underlined or highlighted Paul’s use of “in Christ” in the book of Ephesians, see if you can detect the benefits or realities of being “in Christ.” For example, if I am in Christ, then I am…! Write down each reality and spend some time reflecting on one reality at a time. Over the next few days, we will explore each reality together.

Pursuing God,

Stephen Trammell
Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care