Christian Liberty #02

In this part of the sermon: The second strand of liberty is freedom from the sin-provoking influence of God's law, distinguishing it from the sin-exposing and righteousness-defining influences. Using Romans…

Martin compares God's pure law shining on the human heart to the spring sun shining on pig dung. The sun (law) is pure, but it activates the putrefying bacteria (enmity against God) in the dung (carnal heart), illustrating how the law provokes sin in the unregenerate.

Years ago when I used to be in the itinerant ministry, I traveled a lot out through the Midwest. And I shall never forget those times when I was out there in the spring. And I'd go by pig farmers' fields where all during the winter they had been spreading pigs' dung.

30:56 - 31:15 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second strand of liberty is freedom from the sin-provoking influence of God's law, distinguishing it from the sin-exposing and righteousness-defining influences. Using Romans…

He uses the example of a 'Wet Paint. Do Not Touch' sign on an otherwise uninteresting object. The prohibition itself provokes the desire to touch, illustrating how God's law, due to human sinfulness, becomes a sin-provoking influence.

And likewise, God's pure, holy, light-giving, healthful law shines upon the dunghill of the human heart. And it gives forth, you see, its response of putrefying enmity and indisposition to obey and honor the God who says, Thou shalt and thou shalt not. Or to use a different illustration, you may have walked by a fence or a little tree, or a little lawn chair out close to someone's sidewalk hundreds of times, never interested to look at it, sit on it, touch it. All you need to do is paint it and put a sign on it.

31:56 - 32:39 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Continuing with Romans 6, Martin uses the imagery of slavery to explain that everyone serves one of two masters: sin (leading to death) or obedience/righteousness (leading to…

Martin describes observing a man bowing to another, receiving directives, and then obeying them. This visible obedience reveals who the man's true master is, regardless of what he might claim, illustrating that one is a slave to the one he obeys.

Now notice, do you not know that to whom you present yourselves as slaves to obedience, his slave you are whom you obey, whether of sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness. He said, now look, a man gets up in the morning and goes to a certain place, bows before another human being. You see some kind of verbal exchange. He leaves and you ask, what was that verbal exchange?

46:30 - 46:59 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Continuing with Romans 6, Martin uses the imagery of slavery to explain that everyone serves one of two masters: sin (leading to death) or obedience/righteousness (leading to…

He describes God saving sinners by 'throwing them into the mold of the gospel.' This metaphor conveys the transformative power of conversion, where the gospel's form and substance reshape the believer's heart and life.

When it was delivered to you. You were delivered. That form of teaching unto which you were delivered. In other words, when God saves sinners.

52:00 - 52:09 Read in full sermon