What is the Straightened Way? Part 2

Mat. 7:14 Are You for Real?

In the second part of his sermon "What is the Straightened Way?", Pastor Albert N. Martin expounds Matthew 7:13-14, focusing on the distinguishing characteristic of the narrow way: a continuous, humble dependence on Christ's righteousness alone for acceptance with God. Drawing from John 6, Philippians 3, and Galatians 2, he argues that true believers, having entered the narrow gate by renouncing self-righteousness, must continually 'eat Christ's flesh and drink His blood' through faith, never shifting their confidence to their own obedience or accomplishments. Martin emphasizes that this disposition is 'straightened' because our natural pride and remaining sin constantly tempt us to rely on ourselves, a temptation the devil exploits through various forms of false teaching.

5 illustrations in this sermon

Demonstration from Philippians 3: Paul's Ongoing Renunciation of Self-Righteousness

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Paul's Brownie Points

Driving home: The robe with which God dressed me, comprised solely of the threads woven upon the loom of the perfect life and the substitutionary death of Jesus, that robe is the only robe in which I want to be found through all of ti…

Martin uses the analogy of 'brownie points' to describe Paul's impressive religious credentials, which he ultimately counted as worthless compared to Christ, illustrating the renunciation of self-righteousness.

glory in christ jesus and put no confidence in the flesh present tense and then he talks about all the areas in which he might if people are going to put any confidence in what they are or what they've done he says i've got a lot more to rest on than anyone else that i know of and then he gives all of the brownie points that he would naturally have circumcised the eighth day of the stock of israel hebrew of the hebrews etc but what does he say he says i've got a lot more to rest on that as well as i could say on my last few verses here face to face and i've broken reading i've broken reading h...

27:06 - 28:27 Read in full sermon

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Tattered Rags of Righteousness

Paul's former self-righteousness is depicted as 'tattered rags' and a 'moth-eaten, stinking, rotten garment' that God ripped off him, contrasting it with the perfect robe of Christ's righteousness, illustrating the need for imputed righteousness.

the loss of all things, and count them that refuse to what end, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, even that which is of the law, even as a renewed man, with the law of God written upon his heart, and the Holy Spirit giving him power with an evangelical motive to obey that law, not perfectly, but purposefully and evangelically. He says, I right now want a righteousness that has nothing to do with my law keeping. Even as a Christian. But he says, that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. He said, the postu...

28:27 - 29:57 Read in full sermon

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Constructing a Thread of Righteousness

Martin challenges the idea that Paul's sermons, prayers, and tears could contribute even 'one thread' to the perfect robe of Christ's righteousness, emphasizing the utter inability of human effort to add to Christ's work.

You've wept a bucket of tears over your sins, Paul. But who can reach into the combination of my sermons, my prayers, and my preaching? And out of that stuff, construct one thread that is worthy to go into the perfect robe of the righteousness of Christ.

30:33 - 30:55 Read in full sermon

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Stained and Polluted Threads

He describes the 'best of my prayers' and 'best of my sermons' as having 'defilement' and 'pollution,' and any thread made from them as 'stained and polluted,' reinforcing that only Christ's righteousness is pure and acceptable.

In the best of my prayers, there is the defilement of the heart out of which they come. In the best of my sermons, there is the pollution of the heart and mind through which the sermon comes. In the best of my endeavors, every thread that could be made, every thread from that stuff is stained and polluted. The robe with which God dressed me, comprised solely of the threads woven upon the loom of the perfect life and the substitutionary death of Jesus, that robe is the only robe in which I want to be found through all of time. And even when I stand in the presence of my God. Do you see the prin...

30:57 - 32:00 Read in full sermon

Demonstration from Galatians 2 and Romans 8: Unwavering Confidence in Christ Alone

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Paul's White-Hot Pen

Driving home: I will neither be budged from it by my evangelical righteousness nor will I be bullied from it by my sins.

Martin imagines Paul's 'feathered quill probably melting after every paragraph' as he wrote Galatians with 'white-hot pen,' illustrating the intense passion and urgency with which Paul defended the gospel against perversion.

You see, the Apostle Paul never, never, never shifted the focus of his confidence from Christ to anything else. And one final text even more quickly, Galatians chapter 2. In this epistle, you remember, Paul says, I remember Paul with white-hot pen. I like to think of his feathered quill probably melting after every paragraph and having to pick up a new one.

33:41 - 34:11 Read in full sermon

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