Thread: Matthew 18:12-14 The Parable of the One Lost Sheep
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Matthew 18:12-14 The Parable of the One Lost Sheep
Posted : 28 Aug, 2011 04:08 AM
Matthew 18:12-14
New International Version (NIV)
12 �What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
14 ��In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.�
I don�t mean to pound this into Oblivion�but�I keep coming upon Verses!
This piece of Scripture sure doesn�t sound like God wants �only a Select few� to be Saved�but rather that �None Perish�. It is not saying that �All will be Saved��but rather that God�s Will (His Desire) is for All to be Saved.
It is Interesting that Scripture (God�s Word) says
God is not �Willing� that Any should perish. According to some�when God Wills Something to Happen�that Thing Will Happen! They must be Wrong (Heaven Forbid) because �some� do Perish. So God's Will here must mean a "different" type of God's Will.
It Does...here it means that God Desires this for us but because God Gave us Free Will...God leaves it up to us...to Choose.
So�from just this piece of Scripture we find that
(1) God wants�Desires that No One Perishes and
(2) God�s Will can also mean (His Desire)�What God Wants for us but because God Gives us Free Will�we can Reject it�and PERISH and
(3) That some of us�do Reject God Free Gift of Salvation and Perish.
I do not see any other way of �reading� this Scripture.
Matthew 18:12-14 The Parable of the One Lost Sheep
Posted : 28 Aug, 2011 10:41 AM
There is no other way to read that verse, Arch. Of course, James [and other Calvinists] will tell you that this verse somehow refers to the 'elect', ie, God is not willing that any of the 'elect' should perish, which doesn't make sense because those 'elected for salvation' are already saved even before they're saved, so why would God will or desire they be saved thousands of years after He already determined it? He created them to be elect, to be saved, from way beyond time. It's a done deal, so no reason to will or desire that it happens. However, as you wrote, "(1) God wants�Desires that No One Perishes and (2) God�s Will can also mean (His Desire)�What God Wants for us but because God Gives us Free Will�we can Reject it�and PERISH and (3) That some of us�do Reject God Free Gift of Salvation and Perish.", explains the reasoning behind God's desire or will that none would perish.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. - 2 Peter 3:9
Arch wrote - "God is not �Willing� that Any should perish. According to some�when God Wills Something to Happen�that Thing Will Happen! They must be Wrong (Heaven Forbid) because �some� do Perish. So God's Will here must mean a "different" type of God's Will."
This is why Calvinists have to insert "elect" in these verses. They cannot admit that anyone can be saved... only the 'elect'; they cannot accept Scripture that tells us that Christ died for all... only the elect; and they cannot accept Scripture that tells us you can reject Christ and His free gift of Salvation.
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. - 2 Peter 2:1
EVEN DENYING THE LORD THAT BOUGHT THEM.
How does the Calvinist reconcile the fact that Christ, who shed His blood for all, including those who will deny Him to their own destruction, with their perverted view that Christ' blood was not enough for the sins of the world.. that His blood was the purchase price for the 'elect' only and not for all mankind? How does the Calvinist explain 2 Peter 2:1?
Matthew 18:12-14 The Parable of the One Lost Sheep
Posted : 28 Aug, 2011 11:29 AM
It really is Sad and Astounding that what is so Clear is Ignored only because they have �painted themselves in a corner�! That is the only reason I can think of�they made a �Mistake� in buying into Calvinism and now feel that they cannot admit to it�for fear of �looking foolish� and are willing to play �Russian Roulette� with their Salvation!
Can they Really be so Blind? Are they Indeed under so kind of Spell? All of the Calvinists that I know are quite Intelligent�maybe that is it�maybe the fact that they are so �Intelligent� is a Contributing Factor. The dark one enjoys using our �Higher Faculties� to Ensnare us�to Deceive us and to �Feed� us his Lies.
Or Perhaps they are Simply Ignorant and Unstable�
2 Peter 3:16
New International Version (NIV)
16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Matthew 18:12-14 The Parable of the One Lost Sheep
Posted : 28 Aug, 2011 11:55 AM
Arch,
Personally, I wouldn't go so far as to say they are playing a game with their own salvation [they do profess Christ], but what of the salvation of others? Are they playing with the salvation of a lost world of souls by saying that salvation can only come to the 'elect' and by regeneration forced upon them, and that Christ died only for the 'elect'? How many end up going to hell waiting to see if they were of the 'elect', waiting for regeneration, instead of simply believing?
Matthew 18:12-14 The Parable of the One Lost Sheep
Posted : 28 Aug, 2011 12:22 PM
Good post Arch,
14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
This passages mean what it says, and says what it means. And the word ANY means the same whether in the Greek, Hebrew, Sapnish, French, German, or English...
God's desires is that NONE of His creation perishes, although He knows there will be those who are stiffnecked, heardheaded, and rebellious... but EVERYONE ever bron and will be born.. ALL have been, and will be given the invitation to return(reconciled) back to His their orginal Creator through Jesus Christ, therefore, no one is with excuse...
Those who believe in Jesus Christ are the one whom God calls His elect becasue we are the one who responded to the invitation and repented of our sins, and TURNED back to Him.
Matthew 18:12-14 The Parable of the One Lost Sheep
Posted : 28 Aug, 2011 01:53 PM
God calls them
ELECT
because God Knows beforehand...before we are even Born
who will Believe and thusly be Saved.
It is as if I Knew who was going to become President in 2012...before they are even born...and thusly ( I seem to say that a lot...thusly) I can Legitimately call that person
"President" even "before" and most certainly "After" they are born!
So God can call His Elect or Chosen because God KNEW that rthey would Believe and Obey.
Matthew 18:12-14 The Parable of the One Lost Sheep
Posted : 28 Aug, 2011 02:26 PM
I could care less about the Calvinist and Arminian doctrines. The only thing that counts is what God's Word says!! Both doctrines have been guilty of many half-truths.
THE **CALLED** THE **CHOSEN** AND THE **FAITHFUL!!
Romans 8:28-39: "We know that all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who:rolleyes: have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined:rolleyes:, He also called:rolleyes:; those He called He also justified:rolleyes:; those He justified:rolleyes:, He also glorified:rolleyes:.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us:rolleyes:, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all--how will He not also , along with him, graciously give us all things?Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...
No in all these things we are more then conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us form the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.":applause::angel:
John 6:39,44: Jesus says, "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall ****LOSE NONE**** of all that He has given Me, but raise them up on the Last Day...No one can come to Me **UNLESS* the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the Last Day!"
John 1:13,14: To all who received Him {Jesus}..He gave the right to became children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of *HUMAN DECISION** or of a husband's will, but BORN OF GOD!"
Ephesians 2:6-10: And God {The Father} raised us up with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is be *GRACE* {Unmerited favor} you have been saved, through faith--and this **NOT FROM YOURSELVES**, it is the {100%} *GIFT* of God--**NOT BY WORKS**, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do!"
There will be two comings of Jesus on the same Last Day. The first will be **FOR** His saints and the second will be **WITH** His saints just after the Marriage Feast of the Lamb as per Revelation 19:8-20 and Revelation 17:14 "They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings-- and **WITH HIM* will be His **CALLED **, **CHOSEN** and **FAITHFUL** followers!!":applause:
God only *CALLS** and CHOOSES** those He knows will be **FAITHFUL**.
Matthew 13:18-23: Jesus says, "Listen to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it {Such as all Roman Catholics}, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the Word and at once receives it with joy: But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution {See Matt 24:9-13} comes because of the Word, he quickly falls away.
The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the Word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth {The Prosperity Gospel} choke it making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the Word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown!"
He is one of the **CALLED**, **CHOSEN** and **FAITHFUL**!! It is interesting that ONLY the **CALLED**, **CHOSEN** and **FAITHFUL** will be WITH Jesus on the Last Day as per Revelation 17:14!!
And after we are called and chosen we are born of God and receive His Spirit we become God's fellow workers and have the free will to seek countless eternal unseen heavenly rewards for faithful and loving service.
I John 2:3-5: �We know that we have come to know Him **IF** we obey His commands. The man who says, �I know Him,� but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the Truth is not him. But if anyone **OBEYS HIS WORD**, God's **LOVE** is truly made complete in Him!!�:angel:
So let us read God's Word daily {Acts 17:11} and then *DO WHAT IT SAYS*! {James 1:22,25}
Acts 17:11: �The Bereans were of noble character, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures *EVERY DAY*!�
James 1:22,25: �Do not merely listen to the Word. *DO WHAT IT SAYS*!... and he who continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but *DOING IT*�will be blessed in what he does.:angel:
2 Peter 1:3-11: �His Divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith {a 100% Free Gift}; goodness, and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, LOVE. For if you possess these qualities in INCREASING MEASURE, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your **CALLING AND ELECTION SURE**. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a **RICH WELCOME** into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!�:applause::angel:
