RTBS: 07/01 | Q&A

1. Can God forgive someone who never repents?

He can, but he doesn’t

Repentance isn't a work that earns salvation.

It's the God-ordained response to the gospel.

The Bible never separates faith from repentance.

God is willing to forgive all who come to Christ.

But He never promises forgiveness apart from repentance.

True repentance doesn't save.

Christ saves repentant sinners.

Key distinction:

Repentance is not the cause of forgiveness.

Repentance is the condition God requires.

Luke 13:3 “3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” — "Except ye repent..." Acts 17:30 “30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,” — God commands all men everywhere to repent Acts 20:21 “21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” — Repentance toward God and faith in Christ 1 John 1:9 “9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” — Confess our sins 2 Peter 3:9 “9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” — Not willing that any should perish, but come to repentance Mark 1:15 “15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”” — Repent and believe the gospel

👉 Line: God forgives every repentant sinner—but no unrepentant one.

2. Could Satan be redeemed if he repented?

The Bible never presents that possibility.

Christ became a man to redeem men.

He did not become an angel to redeem angels.

God's redemptive plan is directed toward humanity.

Scripture speaks of Satan's judgment as certain and final.

Hebrews 2:16 “16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.” Matthew 25:41 “41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:” Revelation 20:10 “10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Jude 6 “6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;” 2 Peter 2:4 “4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;” Hebrews 9:27 “27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,”

3. Why did God permit polygamy in the Old Testament?

Permit does not equal approve.

God's design was established in Eden:

One man. One woman. One flesh.

Polygamy appears throughout Scripture, but it never appears positively.

Every polygamous family in Scripture carries conflict, jealousy, division, or tragedy.

God tolerated many things because of human hardness.

Jesus points back to Genesis, not cultural practice.

Original Marriage Design

Genesis 2:24 “24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Matthew 19:4–6 “4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Warning and Danger of Multiple Wives Deuteronomy 17:17 “17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.” 1 Kings 11:1–4 “1 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—2 from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.” 1 Timothy 3:2 “2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;” (I BELIEVE THIS IS A REFERENCE TO ONE WIFE AT A TIME - POLYGAMY)

Just because something is recorded in Scripture doesn't mean it's endorsed by Scripture.

4. Does God love everyone in the same way?

No.

The Bible speaks of God's love in more than one sense.

God has a universal love for His creation.

But He has a special, covenant love for His children.

Not every expression of God's love is identical.

Scripture shows several kinds of God's love:

1. Benevolent Love God is kind even to those who reject Him.

He gives life. Food. Rain. Breath. Opportunity to repent.

This is often called common grace.

2. Compassionate Love

God genuinely desires sinners to repent.

He is patient.

He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

His gospel invitation is sincere.

3. Saving Love

God uniquely sets His saving love upon His people.

Christ died for His sheep.

His bride.

His church.

This love accomplishes redemption.

4. Fatherly Love

Only believers experience God as Father.

This includes:

Adoption.

Discipline.

Intimacy.

Inheritance.

The unbeliever is loved as Creator to creature.

The believer is loved as Father to son.

Don't flatten every verse into one definition of love.

Sometimes Scripture is talking about God's kindness.

Sometimes His compassion.

Sometimes His covenant faithfulness.

Sometimes His fatherly affection.

Those are not contradictions—they're different expressions of the same holy God.

Matthew 5:45 “45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” — Rain on the just and unjust (common grace)

John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” — God loved the world (universal love; the offer of salvation extends to the world, not Israel only)

Ezekiel 33:11 “11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’” — No pleasure in the death of the wicked

Romans 5:8 “8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Christ died for us

Ephesians 5:25 “25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,” — Christ loved the Church

John 10:11 “11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” — The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep

Malachi 1:2–3 “2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. “Yet Jacob I have loved; 3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness.”” / Romans 9:13 “13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”” — "Jacob have I loved..."

1 John 3:1 “1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” — The Father has bestowed His love upon us that we should be called the sons of God.

👉 Line: God's love is broad enough to show kindness to all, yet deep enough to enter into covenant with His own.

5. Why did Elisha curse the youths and bears maul them?

2 Kings 2 — not “little kids,” likely . young men/teens

“Go up, baldhead” = mocking God’s prophet and God’s authority.

This wasn’t about feelings—it was . rebellion against God

Early in prophetic ministry—God establishing authority.