For a paperback book in outline form which addresses over 150 difficult verses that Arminians use against Sovereign Grace, check out: Problem Texts for Sovereign Grace: Rooting Arminianism Out of Every Verse.
For a master copy of the outline, click here:
Problem Texts for Sovereign Grace
2. Mat 6:14-15
A. Are these verses teaching that our eternal forgiveness of sins by God is dependent on us forgiving others?
i. Eternal redemption was obtained for us when Christ entered into the holy place (Heb 9:12).
ii. Redemption is forgiveness of sins (Col 1:14).
iii. Redemption - 1. a. Deliverance from sin and its consequences by the atonement of Jesus Christ.
iv. These verses are clearly not referring to eternal forgiveness of sins since eternal forgiveness is unconditional and is a completed fact (see section II,10,A).
B. Are these verses teaching that if we don't forgive others that God will not forgive our sins eternally and we will go to hell for them?
i. These words were spoken to Jesus' disciples (Mat 5:1-2).
a. His disciples were those who left all and followed Him (Mat 4:18-22).
b. His disciples therefore already had eternal life when he uttered these words to them (Mat 19:27-29).
c. Those who have eternal life have been forgiven all sins (Col 2:13).
d. Their eternal life could not be lost (Joh 10:27-28) (see section II,7,A).
C. Those to whom Jesus is addressing are those who already have God as their Father (Mat 6:14-15).
ix. God is not the Father of hell-bound reprobates (Mat 23:33 c/w Joh 8:44).
x. God is the Father of the elect whom He predestinated to be His adopted children (Eph 1:4-5).
xi. Since the disciples to whom Jesus was speaking already had God as their Father, they therefore were already the elect and already had eternal forgiveness of sins.
D. Therefore, because the forgiveness under consideration is conditional and cannot be eternal, it must be a temporal or fatherly forgiveness (see section II,10,B).
i. We ought to forgive people because God forgave us for Christ's sake (Col 3:13).
ii. If we have been forgiven much by God, then we ought to forgive others and if we don't, God will withhold earthly forgiveness from us (Mar 11:25-26; Mat 18:21-35).
iii. There can be severe consequences for not forgiving others such as suffering and loss of fellowship with God.
3. Mat 7:15-20
A. Are these verses stating that it is impossible for a child of God (a good tree) to bear evil fruit (sin, unbelief, etc.), so therefore there is no such thing as the "unconverted elect"?
B. These verses are speaking specifically of false prophets (Mat 7:15).
i. We are to try the spirits to see if they are of God (1Jo 4:1-3,6).
ii. For a prophet to be a true prophet of God, his doctrine must be sound (Deu 13:1-3).
a. If the prophet preaches a false doctrine he is not to be hearkened to (Deu 13:3).
b. If what a prophet says is not in agreement with God's word, there is no light in him (Isa 8:20; 1Co 14:37).
iii. For a prophet to be a true prophet, what he says must come to pass (Deu 18:20-22).
iv. A false prophet in the OT was to be put to death (Deu 13:5).
C. We can know a false prophet by his fruit (Mat 7:16,20).
D. Just as a thorns don't bear grapes, nor thistles figs, nor corrupt trees good fruit, so a true prophet of God doesn't bear evil fruit (Mat 7:15-18).
E. Just as every tree that doesn't bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire (Mat 7:19), so are false prophets going to be cast into hell (2Pe 2:1-6).
F. There is a difference between prophets and children of God in general: a child of God can sin and still be a child of God, but a prophet cannot give a false prophecy and still be a true prophet.
G. Things that are different are not the same.
For a master copy of the outline, click here:
Problem Texts for Sovereign Grace
