The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1301-R, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 20."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.  ©1982. All Rights Reserved.

Questioner

What if a believer makes unbelievers sin--they sin together? And how severe is the chastisement of the Lord on the unbeliever, and does the believer lose his salvation because of that?

Answer

So what you’re saying is, if a Christian makes a non-Christian sin, does God punish the non-Christian, and what does He do with the Christian who made the non-Christian sin—is that it?

Questioner

How severe is that chastisement?

Answer

Number one, it’s just as severe as God wants it to be, and I’m not sure that it’s ever going to be the same. There are some times when God chastens us severely for sin, and sometimes when He doesn’t in His grace. And that’s up to Him, depending on what lessons He wants to teach.

Questioner

But isn’t that like abuse? I mean it’s like being abusive---go ahead confess your sins for any little thing, and it’s like then you go and sin again.

Answer

Yes, but see if you have that attitude, then you give evidence to the fact that you’re not really born again; you’re just trading on God’s supposed grace.

Now, it’s possible for a believer to make an unbeliever sin, sure. I mean, a guy could take out a girl who’s not a Christian and draw her into a sin. Or a guy could be a business partner, and he could get his partner who’s not a Christian to do something that was crooked; it’s very possible. I do not believe that God chastens non-Christians period. I mean, what for? When you get a shaped-up non-Christian, what have you got? You’ve got a shaped-up non-Christian.

I believe a non-Christian is going to get it all in the fury of the judgment anyway, and that’s why it says in Romans 2 that God is storing up wrath against the day of wrath for the non-believer. The Lord chastens us. If a Christian makes a non-Christian fall into sin, I think the Lord would probably chasten, but that would be up to the Lord, and there’s no way we could know how He would do that.

Questioner

I mean, even to the point of death to a believer?

Answer

If the Lord chose to do that, He could do that, yes.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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