Conditions

They are out there. I am talking about those ideas people have about salvation. Ideas that do not include the instructions God has commanded regarding our common salvation. They are saying certain things are not required or necessary to be saved. I imagine John Calvin must be pushing up fresh daisies for joy for all that people are calling "unconditional."

Condition (n) - anything required for the performance, completion, or existence of something else.

If we don't think there are conditions for certain things according to God, we might need to re-check our Bibles. Here are a few examples:

1. Hearing the gospel is conditional for Biblical faith - (Rom. 10:17) - "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

2. Repentance and Immersion are conditional for remission of sins - (Acts 2:38) - "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins..."

3. Confession of sin(s) is conditional for the Christian to receive God's forgiveness - (1 Jn. 1:9) - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

4. Denial of self and full sacrifice are conditional for discipleship - (Mt. 16:24) - "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.'"

The conditions are simple, but a man's heart is complex. The condition of the heart will not change the condition of the Scriptures, but it will determine the condition of the soul.

"Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers." ~ Deut. 8:1