Being Established in Holiness

1 Th. 3:12 1 Thessalonians

Pastor Albert N. Martin expounds 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13, focusing on the means by which believers are established in unblameable holiness. He argues that this goal is achieved through an increasing and abounding love for God and neighbor, which is a process initiated and sustained by God's Spirit. Martin systematically refutes common misconceptions about sanctification, emphasizing that true holiness is inseparable from love and the law of God, and is demonstrated in intimate Christian fellowship and benevolence toward all people.

3 illustrations in this sermon

The Scriptural Means: Increasing and Abounding Love

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British vs. American Pronunciation

The point: Resist the 'itch for shortcuts' in spiritual life and embrace sanctification as a process.

Martin shares how spending time in Great Britain made him almost adopt the British pronunciation of 'process,' illustrating how environment shapes speech and subtly introducing the idea of 'process' in sanctification.

So, whatever this means is, two things are very clear before we go into some of the details. It involves a process. The words increase and abound are words of process. And I find from being in the Great Britain for two and a half weeks, I almost said process.

10:42 - 11:03 Read in full sermon

The Source and Subject of Love

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Children Stuck in Wrought Iron

Driving home: Who's the source of this love? God. Who is the subject? The redeemed sinner. Now, if you separate one or the other, you've missed it.

Martin describes his children getting their legs entwined in wrought iron and needing him to physically remove them. This illustrates the difference between Christ doing something 'for' us (like a father lifting a child) versus enabling us to do it ourselves (giving directions).

Christ strengthening me to do something and Christ doing it for me. There are times when my children get themselves in situations where they need Daddy to do something for them. As often as we've told them some of you know that wrought iron place up from our hallway that separates the cliff there, the living room floor from that hallway about four feet below. And we've told the children not to get sitting in there, but sometimes they like to get their legs entwined in there and they just have the best time.

36:03 - 36:32 Read in full sermon

The Measure of Love: Increase and Overflow

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Opaque Glass and Overflowing Milk

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that the measure of this love is its increasing and overflowing nature, using the analogy of a full cup that spills over. The 'overflow' is the outward…

Martin uses the analogy of an opaque glass being filled with milk to explain that inward fullness (increase in love) is only known by its outward manifestation (overflow). This illustrates how others discern our love.

The New English Bible translates it this way, May the Lord make your love to mount and overflow. The first word referring primarily to the inward experience. The Lord make you to increase inwardly in this experience of love, and then overflow will be its outward manifestation. Now, you children, listen to your pastor now while I ask you a question.

37:41 - 38:04 Read in full sermon

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