Mark 9:43
Mark 3:28-30 (see also Matthew 16:26)
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell , into the unquenchable fire, [where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.] If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, [where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.] If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.
Notice the conditional statements, set in the context of “life” vs. “hell.” However, if Calvinism was true, then none of this would make any sense, as the Calvinistically elect cannot do anything that would otherwise alter the course of their destiny to receive “life,” no more than the Calvinistically non-elect could do anything to alter the course of their predetermined destiny to “hell.” As a result, this passage bears a strong resemblance to Matthew 16:26.
Question: So who might Calvinists that Jesus is addressing?
Answer: The elect, who according to Calvinists, cannot do anything to lose their salvation (even if their right hand causes them to sin), or to the alleged non-elect, who according to Calvinists, cannot do anything to earn forgiveness unto salvation?
This is reminiscent of Matthew 16:26. When Jesus asks, “What would it profit a man if he were to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”, He implies that if a man loses his own soul (due to placing a greater importance on living a life dedicated to gaining material wealth or power), he has made a poor choice. However, if Jesus was speaking to those who could never, ever be saved, namely, Calvinism’s alleged “passed by,” then the question becomes irrelevant because they are going to lose their souls whether they die rich or poor. On the other hand, if He’s talking to those who are allegedly, predestined for salvation, then the question also becomes irrelevant because they are not going to lose their souls whether they die rich or poor. Therefore, Jesus can only be speaking to a single group, and that group being all of mankind. So His question reveals that anyone can lose his own soul if his desire to obtain riches and power is more important to him than obedience to God.
