You hear this gospel almost weekly from the pulpit, "God loves you and sent Jesus to die for your sins."
The hearers are right to respond that if God loves me that much and Jesus died for my sins then I am okay and have no need to worry about dying and what follows death.
Hearers are right to respond, "How could the God,of such love and sacrifice, cast anyone to eternal conscious torment in hell?"
This is today's gospel, but it is not the gospel preached by Jesus and the Apostles. It is not the gospel preaching found in the Book of Acts.
I said
The pulpit leaves out the IF's. And everything about a Christian has an If to it.
ONLY CHRISTIANS IF? ONLY LOVED IF? IF IS A CONDITION
Heb 3:5-6
5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,
6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are IF we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.
Eph 4:21
21 IF indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
John 6:29
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
Matt 11:27
27 "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
1 Pet 4:17-18
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and IF it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
18 Now "IF the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"
Heb 3:14
14 For we have become partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
I Jn 1:8-10
8 IF we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 IF we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 IF we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
2 Cor 10:3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
I Jn 2:4-5
4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
John 15:10
10 "IF you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
John 15:14
14 "You are My friends IF you do whatever I command you.
I Jn 2:3
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, IF we keep His commandments.
Matt 6:14-15
14 "For IF you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 "But IF you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
I Jn 5:3-4
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-- our faith.
Rev 22:18-19
18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: IF anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
19 and IF anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Matt 28:20
20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
(NKJ)Col 1:23
23 IF indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
(NKJ)
xxx The IF's in the Word of God are conditions of love. There is no such thing as unconditional love. God says He will(not is) but will be a Father to us. If has always been one of the biggest conditions for love in God. God will love you IF.