You possibly remember that song from Schoolhouse Rock titled, “Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?”
Back in the day when I wrote computer programs, the conditional statement – IF, THEN, ELSE – was very commonly applied. By definition, a conditional statement is a set of rules performed if a certain condition is met.
In his poem titled “If”, Rudyard Kipling used this conjunction 18 times. (I counted.)
How often do parents use the conditional statement with their children? “If you finish your homework, then you can go out to play.” Answer: the conditional statement is used thousands of times over the years children reside in the homes of parents and the number of times used is directly proportional to the size of the brood.
Here’s a fun question. How many times does the conjunction IF appear in the Bible? Nominally 1,600 times, depending on the version you search, 1,595 times in 1,420 different verses of the King James version. My Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance references use of this little conjunction on pages 523 to 528.
Here’s my point: Not once does the conditional conjunction depend on a choice God would make; in every case, the outcome of the conditional statements depend on our actions, our choices.
Here are two examples.
“IF you love Me, [THEN] keep My commandments.” – John 14:15 NKJV (note to skeptics: insert the implied ‘then’)
“…IFMy people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 1 Chronicles 7:14
Before you vote this 2018 election season, choose to ask God for wisdom.
Choose wisely, my fellow Americans. IF we choose wisely, THEN we shall do well. ELSE the consequences of poor choices will be with us a very long time.
Soli Deo Gloria