Problem Texts for Sovereign Grace (Part 15) – Luk 7:48, 50; Luk 15:24

Click here for the entire series and the outline.

Click here for previous sermon.

Click here for next sermon.

Click here for more Sovereign Grace sermons.

1.      Luk 6:43-45

1. “For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44) For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45) A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” (Luk 6:43-45)
2. See Luk 3:9 – Section III

2.      Luk 7:48,50

1. “And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 50) And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” (Luk 7:48,50)
2. Was this woman eternally saved by her faith?
3. The context of Jesus’ statement:
   1. This woman who was a sinner washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and anointed them with very expensive ointment (Luk 7:36-38).
   2. This offended a self-righteous Pharisee named Simon because he knew she was a sinner (Luk 7:39).

• Jesus told Simon a story of two debtors, one who owed 500 pence and one who owed 50, both of whom the creditor frankly forgave (Luk 7:40-42).

1. When asked, Simon answered that the one to whom most was forgiven would love the creditor most (Luk 7:42-43).
2. Jesus then explained to Simon that the woman loved Him much because she had been forgiven much (Luk 7:44-47).
3. Jesus then told the woman that her sins were forgiven and that her faith had saved her (Luk 7:48-50).

1. What type of forgiveness did this woman have? and did she receive it because of her contrition and faith?
   1. As the story of the two debtors showed, forgiveness comes before loving the forgiver (Luk 7:41-43).
   2. The story also shows the forgiveness under consideration is unconditional (he frankly (Freely; unrestrictedly, without restraint or constraint) forgave them both) and would therefore represent an eternal forgiveness (See Section II,10,A).

• Therefore the woman’s love and faith were a response to the forgiveness that Jesus had given her (Luk 7:47).

1. She knew that Jesus had forgiven her much and therefore she loved Him much.
2. Her love didn’t cause the forgiveness, but was a response to it.
3. Jesus then affirmed to her that her sins were forgiven (Luk 7:48).

1. What type of salvation did she experience because of her faith?
   1. The salvation which was procured by her faith was not eternal salvation for the following reasons:
      1. Eternal salvation is by grace, not works (Tit 3:5) (See Section II,7,A,i).
      2. As was just proven, she already had eternal forgiveness, which God gives to a person who is dead in sins prior to giving them eternal life (Col 2:13).
      3. Faith is the evidence, not the cause of eternal salvation (Joh 5:24) (See Joh 5:24 – Section III) (passing from death unto life happens before belief).
      4. Therefore she had eternal life and eternal forgiveness prior to having faith in Christ.
   2. Therefore the salvation she experienced because of her faith was temporal salvation (See Section II,7,B).
      1. She was saved from living in fear, torment, and guilt because of her great sins, and was free to live in peace (Luk 7:50).
      2. Peace n. – 1. Freedom from, or cessation of, war or hostilities; that condition of a nation or community in which it is not at war with another. 3. a. Freedom from disturbance or perturbation (esp. as a condition in which an individual person is); quiet, tranquillity, undisturbed state. 5. Freedom from mental or spiritual disturbance or conflict arising from passion, sense of guilt, etc.; calmness; peace of mind, soul, or conscience.
      3. She was saved from doubt by knowing that she was forgiven.

3.      Luk 12:8-9

1. “Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 9) But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.” (Luk 12:8-9)
2. See Mat 10:32-33 – Section III

4.      Luk 12:10

1. “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.” (Luk 12:10)
2. See Mat 12:31-32 – Section III

5.      Luk 15:24

1. “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” (Luk 15:24)
2. Was Jesus’ story of the prodigal son teaching that a person can lose his eternal life because of sin and get it back again through repentance?
3. The story of the prodigal son was part of a response to the scribes and Pharisees who were taking issue with Jesus receiving and eating with sinners (Luk 15:1-2).
4. Jesus first told a parable of a man who had an hundred sheep and lost one and left the 99 others to go find his lost sheep (Luk 15:3-6).
   1. In the parable it was a sheep which was lost.
   2. It was not a goat or a dog.

• The sheep was lost, not dead.

1. Jesus likens the lost sheep which was found to a sinner who repented (Luk 15:7).

1. Jesus continued with a parable of a woman who lost one her ten pieces of silver and sought for it diligently until she found it (Luk 15:8-9).
2. The piece of silver which was lost belonged to the woman, not a stranger.
3. The silver piece didn’t turn into dross when it was lost.

• The silver piece did not become the property of another person while it was lost.

1. Jesus likened the lost piece of silver to a sinner who repented (Luk 15:10).
2. These two parables shed light on the story of the prodigal son.
3. The two sons in the story equate to two of the sheep or silver pieces in the parables.
4. The prodigal son is the lost sheep and lost piece of silver in the parables.

• Like the sheep and the silver didn’t cease to be sheep and silver when they were lost, so the son didn’t cease to be his father’s son when he was lost.

1. What was the “death” that the man’s son underwent? (Luk 15:24)
2. The death was obviously not physical death, spiritual death, or eternal death.
3. The verse tells us plainly what the death was.

• The “death” was the son being lost.

1. The being “alive again” was the son being found.
2. This “death” was a death to fellowship with his father, not a death to his relationship with his father (he was always his father’s son).
3. Like the man who rejoiced when he found his lost sheep, so did the father when he found his lost son (Luk 15:20-24).
4. The son didn’t feel worthy to be called his father’s son (Luk 15:21), but his father didn’t see it that way.
5. This story illustrates how there is joy in heaven when a sinner repents (Luk 15:10).
6. The prodigal son never lost his father’s love, and neither can one of God’s elect lose God’s love (Rom 8:38-39).

• God’s sheep (His elect) can never lose their eternal life (Joh 10:28-29).

1. But as was the case with the prodigal son, God’s elect can lose temporal blessings in this life.
2. The prodigal son still had a place in his father’s house, but he lost the extra blessings he squandered and he would not regain them (Luk 15:31).