If – this one little word can cause an awful lot of trouble.  Kids ask if they can go outside and play.  Parents may respond with “If you clean your room” or “If you do the dishes” or “If you sweep the floor”.  If so, then watch out!  The sparks will most likely start flying about that time.  

God gives us an “if” and it is a very big “if”.  If, God says, you do not turn away from the gospel, and remain grounded in your faith, you will be reconciled to Me and be without charge in My sight.  And then the sparks fly.  We want to live our own lives because they are OUR lives.  We want to do things our own way, because we can do it better than anyone or Anyone else.  But our lives are not ours.  Colossians 1:15-16 gives us an insight as to why our lives are not our own.  I have learned when God says “all”, there isn’t a whole lot left out of this equation. 

This “if” that God gives us is really about cleaning our rooms.  We have, throughout our short lives, collected a lot of dust and dirt and debris and, in many cases, skeletons in our room that the thought of cleaning it out is nearly impossible to us.  But God requires us to clean things up, IF (there’s that word again) we want to be reconciled to Him.  Okay, I get it.  So, God, you are dangling this eternal carrot in front of me to get me to do what You want me to do, right?  Survey says, Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!  Thanks for playing. God is not selfish.  Well, maybe He is.  Sort of.  He wants us.  Pure and simple.  God wants us to be with Him.  But there are rules.  Like in your house, you have rules.  No running on the stairs.  Don’t hit your brother (or sister).  Clean your room (there it is again).  But God has only one rule that we must obey if WE want to be with Him.  Remain in the gospel.  That’s it.  Keep to the words that He taught us through Jesus Christ and you’re in.

Now, go clean your room.