The Christian and Sinful Offenses

1. Read: Matthew 18:1-5

2. About the Text:

1) The disciples begin by asking the question who is the greatest in the kingdom.

2) Jesus responds with the illustration of a child’s humility.

3) He tells them that they must be converted, turned, or changed.

4) From what must we be turned? Our own pride.

5) One becomes humble by eliminating pride.

6) But pride causes offenses. What is to be done about offenses?

7) The “little ones” that Jesus is referring to are believers (v.6).

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Jesus condemns people who deliberately causes Christians to sin (v.6-7).

1) It would be better for them to die than to cause a Christian to sin (v.6).

2) Woe is pronounced on them (v.7).

3) A “woe” is a state of grief, affliction, distress, or trouble.

2. Jesus commands everyone not to despise believers.

1) No one is permitted to despise or hate believers (v.10).

2) Love does not think evil of others (1 Corinthians 13:5).

3) Their angels are before the Father’s face (v.10).

4) This has reference to the prayers of the saints being delivered to God.

5) Jesus’ purpose is to save the lost, not destroy them (v.11).

6) When we despise believers, we are acting against Jesus’ purposes.

3. Jesus tells a parable about how far he goes to save the lost (v.12-14).

1) He leaves the 99 to go to the mountains to find the lost sheep (v.12).

2) He rejoices that the lost sheep is found (v.13).

3) God the Father does not want any believer to perish (v.14).

4) It is a grave sin against the Father to cause a believer to stumble and fall.

1. Jesus addresses the Christian and his own sin.

2. The presumption is that something can be done to prevent sin in the Christian’s life.

1) “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).

2) “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death” (1 John 5:16-17).

3) Jesus is discussing here sins that lead to eternal death.

3. What Jesus is saying here is this:

1) If one has a choice whether to sin or not, and if one has a choice whether to sin so as to become lost eternally, it is better to maim oneself than to be eternally lost.

2) In other words, we must go to the utmost extremes to ensure that we are not lost.

3) That is how Jesus feels about us being lost.

4. We really have no excuse to be lost.

1) We have forgiveness of sins through baptism (Acts 2:38).

2) We have forgiveness of sins through the cleansing of the blood (1 John 1:7).

3) We have forgiveness of sins through prayer (1 John 1:9).

4) It would be better for us to be maimed than to abandon all of these.

1. If your brother sins against you (15-20).

1) This is the process that Jesus commands us to follow.

2) First, go to your brother privately.

3) Second, take two or three witnesses with you.

4) Third, tell it to the church.

5) Fourth, withdraw fellowship from the offender.

2. If your brother sins against you repeatedly and repents (21-22).

1) Notice that the responsibility is upon the one sinned against to forgive.

2) There is no limit as to the number of times we are to forgive our brother.

3. What happens when we fail to forgive (23-35).

1) “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).

2) If we hold a grudge against our brother, we are at fault.

3) We have no excuse when it comes to relationships with one another.

4) The world has this backwards.

5) We must not let the world define us.

6) Remember that pride is the key sin here that we must fight (v.4).

1. Jesus teaches us what to do when it comes to sinful offenses.

1) From the World

2) From One’s Self

3) From Other Christians

2. The Christian is always obliged to love his brother or sister in Christ.

1) This means that non-sinful offenses must always be forgiven and must never be begrudged.

2) “bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Colossians 3:13).

3. Invitation