Doctrines of Grace: Total Depravity

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces the conference's focus on three points of Calvinism, emphasizing their interrelatedness while asserting that each doctrine must stand on its own biblical merit…

Martin explains that the 'five points of Calvinism' did not originate with Calvin but were formulated at the Synod of Dort (1618) as a response to five objections raised by the Remonstrants (followers of Jacob Arminius), clarifying the historical context of the doctrine.

For basically, as many of you are aware, the five points as such did not originate with Calvin, but because there was a group within the Dutch Church who rejected the orthodoxy that came out of the Reformation and had become rooted in the Dutch Church, presented... In areas of five objections, a national synod was called, known historically as the Synod of Dort in 1618, at which time a number of scholars and professors and theologians and preachers grappled with these objections

1:52 - 2:33 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces the conference's focus on three points of Calvinism, emphasizing their interrelatedness while asserting that each doctrine must stand on its own biblical merit…

Martin quotes Spurgeon to argue for the interrelatedness and systematic nature of biblical truth, comparing systematic theology to science's relationship with nature, thereby defending the coherence of doctrines like the points of Calvinism.

of the group who followed Jacob Arminius and were later called the Remonstrants. And after examining their objections in these five areas of doctrine, not only rejected them as unscriptural, but then positively asserted these peculiar areas of truth, and they have then come down to us as the so-called five points of Calvinism. There is a relatedness to these matters, and we should not be embarrassed that there is. As Spurgeon once said, and I now quote from him, to affirm of any human production that it contained many great and instructive truths, which it would be

2:33 - 3:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The biblical doctrine of sin is the foundation upon which the biblical doctrine of salvation is built.

Martin shares a personal anecdote about getting windburn at Newark airport, using it to lighten the mood before diving into the 'gloomy' topic of total depravity and to connect with the audience about the cold weather.

doctrine of total depravity. And finally, the importance of having right views of sin. And thirdly, the first of all, then, the importance of the biblical doctrine of sin. Now, here it is, a lovely Monday night, a bit cold. I guess your spring has sprung up and went somewhere else, like ours. In fact, I've

6:34 - 6:53 Read in full sermon

The point: We should have the maximum mentality: What does God in His Word require us to think of ourselves and to preach to others as their true state in sin?

Martin quotes Bishop J.C. Ryle's 'Holiness' to emphasize that 'a right knowledge of sin lies at the root of all saving Christianity,' illustrating how essential this doctrine is for understanding justification, conversion, and sanctification.

Bishop Ryle, in his excellent treatise, which I commend to all of you, do you have some on the book table, Jim? His book, a collection of essays really, called Holiness. In the first chapter he says, in the second paragraph, the plain truth is that a right knowledge of sin lies at the root of all saving Christianity. Without it, doctrines as justification, conversion, sanctification, are words and names which convey no meaning to the mind.

14:28 - 15:00 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Man's involvement in sin is extensive so that there is nothing to commend him to God legally and nothing to move him to God personally.

Martin uses the analogy of a drunk driver who crashes his car to illustrate that sin brings both a legal problem (guilt before God) and a personal problem (pollution, inability to help oneself), distinguishing between man's objective standing and subjective condition.

the corner, he fails to negotiate. And he runs his car into a tree and he blacks out. A few minutes later, someone's driving by and they see the thing and they call the police and the police come by and when they open the door, out reeks this smell of alcohol. They know here's a guy who's been driving his car drunk. Immediately they know there's

23:37 - 24:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He elaborates on the legal problem, explaining that for a work to be good in God's sight, it must proceed from a right motive (love to God), have a right end (God's glory), and be…

He uses the example of an unconverted nurse tenderly caring for a patient to show that while an action may be 'good' in a civil sense, it is still sin in God's sight if it doesn't proceed from love to God, desire for His glory, and submission to His law.

Anything that man does in a state of sin, by that standard, then you must say with the Isaiah, all our righteousnesses, all best performances are as figs in the sight of God. Let's go back to that nurse who's doing a good deed in ministering to that patient. Why is she doing it? She may be doing it out of genuine concern for that patient. But if

27:25 - 27:59 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details how sin has polluted every faculty of man, using the analogy of poisoned water. He describes the effects on the body (lust of the flesh), the mind (darkened…

Martin uses the analogy of three drops of arsenic poisoning an entire glass of water to explain that sin extensively affects every part of man's being, even if not every part is maximally evil (intensive vs. extensive depravity).

If I take the glass of water that's before me tonight and I drop in three drops of arsenic, that water is totally poisoned. Now, I could have dropped in six drops if I had it, or ten drops. But whether one drop, two or three, once that poison is diffused through the entire glass of liquid, that liquid is totally defiled. There is no part of the liquid unaffected by the arsenic.

30:36 - 31:06 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details how sin has polluted every faculty of man, using the analogy of poisoned water. He describes the effects on the body (lust of the flesh), the mind (darkened…

Martin shares a story about a brilliant engineering student and the power of modern computers to illustrate man's intellectual accomplishments, then contrasts this with man's inability to understand spiritual truth due to sin's effect on the mind.

of understanding, what has sin done to it? We live in the day when man prides himself in the accomplishments of his mind. We have a young man in our assembly, a brilliant young fellow. He went through one of the local engineering schools, and outside of one course that he got maybe an A-minus in or something because he was sick, he would have had the highest grades if anyone ever went through that engineering school in all of its history. Now he's in

34:18 - 34:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The natural man receives. It's not the things of the Spirit of God. They're foolish unto him. Neither can he know them.

Martin shares a personal anecdote about teaching his eight-year-old son the difference between 'can I' (ability) and 'may I' (permission) to clarify the meaning of 'neither can he know them' in 1 Corinthians 2:14, emphasizing man's lack of spiritual ability.

The word can is a word of ability. I'm trying to teach my eight-year-old son that every time he says to me, Daddy, can I do something? I say, do you mean, are you able, or do you have permission to? Well, Daddy, what I mean is, may I?

40:52 - 41:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The natural man receives. It's not the things of the Spirit of God. They're foolish unto him. Neither can he know them.

He uses the analogy of a blind man unable to see the sun's light, even at its zenith, to illustrate that the natural man lacks the spiritual faculty to perceive the things of God, even when the truth is clearly presented.

This is a word with ability. Neither can he know them because they are spiritually deserved. And unless there is some faculty to perceive them, there can be no perception. If one is to see them, it's not only, be light upon the object that's there.

41:13 - 41:32 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details how sin has polluted every faculty of man, using the analogy of poisoned water. He describes the effects on the body (lust of the flesh), the mind (darkened…

Martin uses the analogy of a young man gazing at a picture of his beloved, never bored, to illustrate what pure, holy affection for God will be like in the perfected state, contrasting it with man's current sinful affections.

Something of the pure, holy affection with which Adam must have turned to his God before sin entered. A little picture of what it will be like in the perfected state of the new heavens and the new earth when we read in Revelation 21 and 22, that they shall look. The holy space affections will be kindled to a white hot heat and stay there and grow for all eternity. You've all seen the young fellow sitting before the picture of his beloved,

43:39 - 44:21 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You alone, Erasmus, have attacked the real thing, the essential issue. You have not worried me with those extraneous issues about the papacy and purgatory and indulgences and such like trifles and issues in respect of wh…

Martin quotes Martin Luther's 'The Bondage of the Will,' where Luther tells Erasmus that he alone 'attacked the real thing, the essential issue,' highlighting that the freedom of the will was the hinge upon which the entire gospel of grace turned for the Reformer.

When I mention the name Martin Luther, what words immediately come to your mind?

48:28 - 48:33 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin asserts that understanding what sin has done to the will is crucial for grasping God's grace. Citing Luther's 'Bondage of the Will,' he argues that the will is not neutral…

Martin uses the extended analogy of choosing between a delicious sirloin steak and a plate of 'fried garbage' to illustrate how the will is not neutral but always acts in accordance with the judgments of the mind and the desires of the affections, demonstrating the will's bondage to sin.

Suppose when you came to the table tonight your wife had two plates of food before you. One of them was a charcoal broiled inch and a half prime sirloin steak. Where in the world she'd get the money to buy that you don't know but there it was. Because you know you don't give her that much for groceries.

52:32 - 52:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: From this original corruption whereby we are utterly indisposed disabled and made opposite to all that is good and wholly inclined to all evil do precede all of our actual transgressions

Martin quotes the London Baptist Confession (Chapter 6, Paragraphs 3 and 4) to succinctly summarize the doctrine of total depravity, stating that man is 'wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body' and 'utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all that is good.'

well then what is the result of this terrible state scripture any place where it's more clearly stated than in the london confession or the same paragraph in the westminster confession listen speaking of man's involvement in sin i read from chapter six paragraphs three and four they speaking of adam and eve our first parents by their sin fell from their original righteousness and communion with god and we in them whereby death came upon all men

61:42 - 62:26 Read in full sermon

The point: Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched, weak and wounded, sick and sore. Jesus ready stands to save you. Full of pity, joined with power. He is able, He is able. He is able, wait no more. Let not conscience make you linger,…

Martin quotes lines from the hymn 'Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Wretched' to extend a gospel invitation to unsaved listeners, emphasizing Christ's readiness to save helpless sinners and that the only 'fitness' required is seeing one's need for Him.

I say in the name of my Savior, Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched, weak and wounded, sick and sore. Jesus ready stands to save you. Full of pity, joined with power. He is able, He is able.

65:26 - 65:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Ask God for ever increasing understanding of the depths of your sinfulness, for it will drive you again and again to your Savior. And anything that drives me to Him and makes Him more precious is a means.

Martin uses the analogies of birth, resurrection, and creation to illustrate the monergistic nature of the impartation of divine life, emphasizing that in each case, the recipient does not consciously contribute to the process.

What are the three analogies in Scripture for the impartation of divine life? What are they? John 3. James 1.

69:09 - 69:18 Read in full sermon

The point: If you believe men are dead, running a three-ring circus in that place where you're a pastor will never impart life. It may fill the pews, but it won't impart life.

He references the disciples' reaction to Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler, asking 'Lord, who then can be saved?', to show that they understood man's utter helplessness and the impossibility of salvation apart from God.

When Jesus finished dealing with the man about how to get to heaven in Matthew 19, you know what the disciples did? They didn't jump to little shit and say, Well, look how simple it is. Boy, let's go on out and convert Jerusalem. When Jesus got done dealing with the rich young ruler, you know what they said?

71:00 - 71:16 Read in full sermon

The point: When we're convinced that only God can impart life and that He's chosen to give, we use very simple means. Prayer, preaching, entreating men personally, corporately, seeking to draw close to them and share our life with …

Martin shares his pastoral experience regarding how he discerns salvation in his church without altar calls or raised hands, emphasizing that changed lives and spontaneous expressions of gratitude to God are the true evidence of divine life.

People have come and said, well, how do you know when people get saved in your church? If you don't ask them to walk the aisle, and don't ask them to raise their hand, I say, well, by their changed lives. I think that's a pretty good way to tell if people are saved, don't you? I think that's pretty scriptural.

73:28 - 73:42 Read in full sermon