Statement of the Doctrine

Driving home: And one of the reformers rightly said that no summary of the gospel is complete unless it contains an adequate statement concerning the precise nature of the liberty that is purchased for us by Jesus Christ.

The gospel is likened to a major chord with several fundamental elements, where liberty forms one of the dominant notes, emphasizing its essential nature.

in which the note of liberty forms one of the dominant notes in the chord of the gospel. The gospel is not a simple message. It is a message comprised of several fundamental elements. We should liken it to a major chord.

1:04 - 1:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And one of the reformers rightly said that no summary of the gospel is complete unless it contains an adequate statement concerning the precise nature of the liberty that is purchased for us by Jesus Christ.

Believers' past religious experiences are described as 'choppy seas' where they picked up 'barnacles on their hull,' representing misunderstandings or legalistic influences that hinder true Christian liberty.

For many of us have, in our religious background, been subjected to influences that have greatly misled us. We've misunderstood, if even been aware of, the doctrine of Christian liberty. And so on the one hand, many of us have some barnacles on our hull that we picked up when we were floating through those choppy seas of our past religious experience. And on the other hand, we see some people who claim for generations to have believed this doctrine, and there seems to be a rather indifferent attitude toward personal godliness, and we're scared to death at the thought that perhaps, believing an...

3:57 - 4:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin states the evening's purpose: to provide a broad biblical and theological statement of Christian liberty, using the Westminster Confession of Faith as a guide. He explains…

Martin uses a humorous analogy to acknowledge that some listeners may be unfamiliar with the Westminster Confession, highlighting the need for a brief introduction to its significance.

I have chosen a way that I trust is the wisest for our purposes, and that way is this. We're going to use the Westminster Confession as our guide, as our framework, for a consideration of the biblical and theological statement of this doctrine. Now recognizing that there are some of you that wouldn't know the Westminster Confession from a blind cat if they both met you at the same time in the same place, I should perhaps mention just a word about the Westminster Confession. In the years...

5:28 - 6:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin states the evening's purpose: to provide a broad biblical and theological statement of Christian liberty, using the Westminster Confession of Faith as a guide. He explains…

Martin counters the objection 'I came to hear the Bible, not a confession' by asking 'the Bible through whose eyes?' He argues that using the Confession allows access to hundreds of years of collective pastoral wisdom, enriching the understanding of Scripture beyond one preacher's insights.

all of their historical perspective. And it's a cop-out for people to say, well, I didn't come to church to hear a confession, I came to hear the Bible. Yes, but the Bible through whose eyes? Just this one preacher who brings to the Bible 20-some-odd years of study of the Bible?

8:30 - 8:47 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Now in redemption God has delivered us from all of these things that we studied in paragraph one in order to bring us back to that place of original intention where as his creatures our consciences will be bound to no ot…

Conscience is described as the 'one party pooper' in an unregenerate man's fun, illustrating how it disrupts the temporary joys of sin by bringing guilt and accusation.

While he is sinning with abandonment and filling his ears as it were with the echoes of his own sin all is well but the moment he is quiet conscience pundits and begins to suck off and bleed off all the temporary joys of his sin. That's what it's doing for some of you right here tonight. Conscience. And conscience originally answered to one thing in the Garden of Eden the law of God.

34:25 - 34:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Grapple with biblical principles of worldliness rather than merely submitting to a checklist of forbidden activities.

Martin uses the Mormon prohibition against coffee and tea as an example of a cult binding consciences with man-made regulations, contrasting it with a brotherly exhortation about health.

Now you see coming out of Rome this was a very real issue because you see the teaching of the church of Rome is that the consciences of the faithful are to be bound not alone by the scriptures but by every pronouncement that the apostolic succession makes upon the scriptures So the conscience of a good Romanist is bound to all of the decrees that come out of the councils of the bishops and from the popes and from the papal see and the poor conscience is bound to every single thing Why? Because the authority is in the church and therefore the church can continue to pronounce what is truth and w...

40:09 - 41:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Grapple with biblical principles of worldliness rather than merely submitting to a checklist of forbidden activities.

Martin illustrates how some churches bind consciences with lists of forbidden activities (like movies) without grappling with biblical principles of worldliness, leading to hypocrisy where people avoid public theaters but consume similar content at home.

Now that's one thing for me to exhort him It's another thing for me as an elder to say you drink more than three cups of coffee a day and you're on the carpet You see there's a difference Now the cults often bind the consciences of their followers with regulations to which they must submit upon pain of excommunication of discipline Does it sound very familiar What about churches You can't become a part of us unless you agree that And then they give you the list of their membership covenant It has nothing to do with biblical norms It has to do with you will never do this do this go here go ther...

41:38 - 43:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not use Christian liberty as an excuse to live like the devil; such behavior will lead to church discipline.

Martin recounts Paul's decision to circumcise Timothy for strategic reasons (adiaphora) to avoid unnecessary offense, contrasting it with the situation in Galatians where circumcision was demanded as essential for salvation.

God alone is Lord of the conscience he exercises that lordship through the scriptures alone therefore to believe any doctrine or obey any command of men in areas where the word is given to them is to be silent is to give up what is to be robbed do I suffer but my savior is insulted 2nd passage Galatians chapter 2 and this passage coupled with another incident in the life of the apostle is a wonderful example of the proper use of the doctrine of Christian liberty you remember when he's going to go out on a missionary journey with Timothy Timothy uncircumcised knowing they'd go to many areas whe...

48:57 - 50:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not submit to pressures from men to obey rules or practices where God's Word is silent, as this is a sin against God.

Martin shares a personal anecdote about a young man calling to ask if his beard would be a problem at church, illustrating how man-made rules (like those against beards) can destroy liberty of conscience and alienate people from evangelical churches.

or deduction to believe doctrines or obey commands which men have made concerning which the word is silent is to relinquish the liberty of conscience purchased by Christ second deduction is to force such doctrines and commands upon us and men not taught in the word is to destroy the liberty purchased by Christ and to violate the sanctified functions of reason itself look at the language of the confession and the requiring of an implicit faith you see on the one hand you have the believer who is obeying commands or doctrines out of conscience not taught in the word of God now in the second inst...

53:22 - 54:50 Read in full sermon