Problem Texts for Sovereign Grace (Part 12) – Mat 18:14; Mar 1:4

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1.      Mat 18:8-9

1. “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.” (Mat 18:8-9)
2. See Mat 5:29-30 – Section III

2.      Mat 18:14

1. “Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” (Mat 18:14)
2. Assertions made by some:
   1. Was Jesus here saying that all little children are saved and none of them will go to hell?
   2. Was Jesus here teaching the “age of accountability” doctrine?
3. Who was Jesus speaking of in this verse – who are “these little ones”?
   1. Mat 18:14 was part of Jesus’ instruction to his disciples on humility which began in Mat 18:1.
   2. Jesus was using a little child (Mat 18:2,4,5) and little children / little ones (Mat 18:3,6,10,14) as an example of the humility necessary to be converted and to enter into the kingdom of heaven (the church).

• Notice that these little children / little ones were those which believed in Jesus (Mat 18:6).

1. These were not just any little children, they were believers.
2. Therefore, this verse is not speaking of little children who are too young to believe, nor is it establishing an “age of accountability”.

1. These little ones were among Jesus’ lost sheep which He came to seek and save (Mat 18:11-13).
   1. Jesus’ sheep have eternal life and shall never perish eternally (Joh 10:27-29).
   2. Sometimes a sheep will wander away and the shepherd has to go and find it and bring it back.

• Though the sheep was lost and away from the flock, it was still the shepherd’s sheep.

1. The little sheep that gets lost could fall into a pit or get killed by a wolf and would perish (die), but that would not be the will of its shepherd who would try to find it and bring it back into the fold where it has protection.
2. Even so (Exactly, precisely, ‘just’), it is not God’s will that one of his little believing children should wander from the fold and perish in the world (Mat 18:14).
3. God is longsuffering with His children, not willing that any of them should perish, but should come to repentance (2Pe 3:9).

1. “Perish” doesn’t always mean to go to hell.
   1. Perish v. – 1. a. intr. To come to a violent, sudden, or untimely end; to suffer destruction; to lose its life, cease to exist, be cut off.
   2. The Bible sometimes uses “perish” to refer to physical death (Luk 13:1-5).

• The Bible sometimes refers to death as a death to fellowship (Luk 15:24).

1. Jesus’ sheep can perish in both of these ways.
2. But they can’t perish eternally (Joh 10:27-29) (See Section II,6).

3.      Mat 18:35

1. “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” (Mat 18:35)
2. See Mat 6:14-15 – Section III

1.      Mat 24:13

1. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Mat 24:13)
2. See Mat 10:22 – Section III

2.      Mar 1:4

1. “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” (Mar 1:4)
2. Does this verse say that a person has to be baptized to have their sins forgiven them?
3. This verse is teaching that there is a forgiveness of sins which is conditioned upon baptism.
4. Remission – 1. Forgiveness or pardon of sins or other offences.
5. This forgiveness is not an eternal forgiveness of sins since it is conditioned upon something a person does (See Section II,10,A).
6. It must be therefore a temporal forgiveness of sins (See Section II,10,B). A short review temporal forgiveness:
   1. There is an aspect of forgiveness of sins which is conditional in nature and brings the elect into fellowship with God.
   2. This is the type of forgiveness that a father would give to a wayward son who repents; it doesn’t make one a son, but brings a son into fellowship with his father.

• This forgiveness is dependent on confessing our sins (1Jo 1:9).

1. This temporal forgiveness of sins is conditioned upon repentance and baptism (Act 2:38; Act 10:43; Act 22:16), which is accompanied by confession of sins (Mar 1:5).
2. This forgiveness of sins happens at conversion when a person turns to God (Act 26:18), which is accompanied by confession of sins (Act 19:18-19 c/w Mat 3:6-8).
3. Therefore the forgiveness of sins which comes by repentance and baptism which John preached is a temporal forgiveness obtained by confession of sins.

3.      Mar 2:5

1. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Mar 2:5)
2. See Luk 5:20 – Section III

4.      Mar 3:28-29

1. “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:” (Mar 3:28-29)
2. See Mat 12:31-32 – Section III

5.      Mar 4:11-12

1. “And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.” (Mar 4:11-12)
2. See Mat 13:11-15 – Section III

1.      Mar 11:25-26

1. “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mar 11:25-26)
2. See Mat 6:14-15 – Section III

2.      Mar 13:13

1. “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Mar 13:13)
2. See Mat 10:22 – Section III