Review of Ephesians Chapter 2

The point: Do not regard analyzing the structure of God's Word as unspiritual, lest you become a 'sitting duck for heresy'.

Ignoring the structure of God's Word is likened to insulting the Holy Ghost, the divine author, emphasizing the importance of structural analysis for proper interpretation.

We hold that the Holy Spirit, in the language of the Apostle Paul, moved the writers to speak in words which He Himself directed. But we hold that the Holy Spirit governed the flow of those words as they gather momentum into specific directives and units of thought that we call paragraphs. And so, if we have some understanding of the nature of inspiration, namely, that the Holy Spirit guided not only the selection of words to express the thoughts of God, but the very arrangement of those words and thoughts into specific relationships, we cannot be indifferent to the structure of any given pass...

3:33 - 4:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not regard analyzing the structure of God's Word as unspiritual, lest you become a 'sitting duck for heresy'.

Being 'too spiritual' to analyze the structure of God's Word makes one a 'sitting duck for heresy' and manipulative treatment of Scripture, highlighting the danger of neglecting careful study.

And then the pivotal word, in verse 13, but now ye are. Ye were, but now ye are. And so two major divisions, 1 to 10, 11 to 22, within each of those divisions, one major division, the before, verses 1 to 3, the after, 4 to 10, the before, 11 and 12, the after, 13 through 22. Now since the saving and sanctification ministry of the word begins when the word impinges upon our intellects, when it comes to our understanding, we must never regard such exercises as these as being unspiritual. If you are too spiritual to analyze the structure of any portion of the word of God, you're a sitting duck fo...

6:31 - 7:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not regard analyzing the structure of God's Word as unspiritual, lest you become a 'sitting duck for heresy'.

Those who twist the scriptures to their own destruction often end up 'doing the twist for many others,' leading them to destruction as well, illustrating the destructive ripple effect of irresponsible biblical interpretation.

And then the pivotal word, in verse 13, but now ye are. Ye were, but now ye are. And so two major divisions, 1 to 10, 11 to 22, within each of those divisions, one major division, the before, verses 1 to 3, the after, 4 to 10, the before, 11 and 12, the after, 13 through 22. Now since the saving and sanctification ministry of the word begins when the word impinges upon our intellects, when it comes to our understanding, we must never regard such exercises as these as being unspiritual. If you are too spiritual to analyze the structure of any portion of the word of God, you're a sitting duck fo...

6:31 - 7:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Drawing from Ephesians 2:1-3 and 11-12, Martin details man's ruin as being devoid of life (dead), liberty (bound to world, devil, lust), and divine favor (under wrath), as well as…

The apostle's description of man's ruin is likened to the 'first stroke of the apostle's brush upon the canvas,' immediately going to the heart of man's deadness, emphasizing the directness and severity of the diagnosis.

And you did he make alive a life, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins. What is the first stroke of the apostle's brush upon the canvas when he would paint the picture of man's ruin? He goes right to the heart of his ruin. He does not say he's been perverted.

11:33 - 11:56 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Because there's nothing that so humbles human pride as full-blown biblical Christianity. It refuses to ignore or to gloss over man's native condition.

The description of man's native spiritual condition in Ephesians 2 is called an 'untouched photo' of what we are by nature, stressing the unvarnished truth and humbling nature of the biblical diagnosis.

Exposed to a fallen world and all of its painful influences with no vital union with the knowledge of the living God. My friends, this is an untouched photo of what you and I are. You and I are by nature.

16:13 - 16:31 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Because there's nothing that so humbles human pride as full-blown biblical Christianity. It refuses to ignore or to gloss over man's native condition.

Man's condition is not merely a 'spiritual arm out of joint' but spiritual death, emphasizing the radical nature of humanity's fallen state beyond simple imperfection.

You don't have a spiritual arm out of joint. You're dead.

18:04 - 18:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Do you feel something of the sheer monergism that is God acts alone in salvation and what is explicitly and pervasively and overwhelmingly set forth in this chapter is set forth from Genesis to Revelation from the time m…

If God's rescue is a 'large square,' Jesus Christ 'fills the square in its entirety,' not just occupying the center, illustrating Christ's pervasive and all-encompassing role in every facet of salvation.

half way between the boundary and the center does he stand at the center while someone else occupies the fringes no no my friends if we can like in Ephesians 2 in its second great bulk of content God's rescue a comprehensive statement of God's gracious salvation if we can liken all of that content to a large square Jesus Christ is not off here or half way between there and the center or at the center fills the square in its entirety but look at any facet of the work of transformation without Christ being there explicitly and pervasively that's why again and again when he describes the transfor...

29:48 - 31:17 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Do you feel something of the sheer monergism that is God acts alone in salvation and what is explicitly and pervasively and overwhelmingly set forth in this chapter is set forth from Genesis to Revelation from the time m…

Paul's use of 'fancy compound words' with prepositions and verbs is explained as an attempt to convey that God never quickens a sinner apart from constituting an intimate union with Christ, highlighting the inseparable nature of union with Christ in regeneration.

half way between the boundary and the center does he stand at the center while someone else occupies the fringes no no my friends if we can like in Ephesians 2 in its second great bulk of content God's rescue a comprehensive statement of God's gracious salvation if we can liken all of that content to a large square Jesus Christ is not off here or half way between there and the center or at the center fills the square in its entirety but look at any facet of the work of transformation without Christ being there explicitly and pervasively that's why again and again when he describes the transfor...

29:48 - 31:17 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Do you feel something of the sheer monergism that is God acts alone in salvation and what is explicitly and pervasively and overwhelmingly set forth in this chapter is set forth from Genesis to Revelation from the time m…

Martin paraphrases 1 Corinthians 1, depicting a 'Mr. Greek' who prides himself on intellect and a 'Mr. Jew' who relies on tradition, both rejecting Christ crucified as foolishness or a stumbling block, illustrating why men hate the gospel's exclusivity.

union with Christ he never brings the sinner near apart from Christ he never incorporates him into his people apart from Christ what's the great common denominator of this second block of teaching first common denominator is God is the author of the work second Christ is the central figure in every aspect of the transformation and that's why men hate the gospel they not only hate it because God tells them the truth about how bad they are they hate it because God says if you're ever rescued I will do all the rescuing and I'll do it in my son and that's what Paul said the preaching of the cross ...

31:17 - 32:46 Read in full sermon

Driving home: the Holy Spirit is the agent of redemption who works with a hidden face if I may say it reverently he is not going around with a flashlight aimed at himself saying look at me look what I'm doing he's all the time shining…

The Holy Spirit is described as working with a 'hidden face,' not drawing attention to Himself but always shining the light on Jesus and pointing to the Father, illustrating the Spirit's self-effacing role in redemption.

for a habitation of God in the Spirit now follow closely there are those in our day who say the reason the church is so impoverished is she's ignoring the Holy Ghost now granted there may be many segments of the church who are ignoring the Holy Ghost and they ought to be chided for it but these people say it would just begin to talk about the Holy Ghost and pray to the Holy Ghost and preach up the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost will be honored and come down and everything will break loose my friend that's not the emphasis of the Bible the Holy Spirit is the agent of redemption who works with a ...

35:43 - 37:12 Read in full sermon

Driving home: the Holy Spirit is the agent of redemption who works with a hidden face if I may say it reverently he is not going around with a flashlight aimed at himself saying look at me look what I'm doing he's all the time shining…

The desire to have 'saving power where they can manipulate it' (e.g., in baptismal fonts) is contrasted with the Spirit's sovereign work, which is like the wind, unmanipulable by humans, emphasizing God's sole agency in regeneration.

of just the external word or just getting close to the people of God he's careful to emphasize at the end lest you miss the point he says all of these blessings come only as your access to the Father through the Son is secured by the mighty work of God the Holy Ghost and if you're brought into this living temple it's because the Holy Ghost has worked upon you directly supernaturally and efficaciously that's the common denominator he does not work by means of blood ties you've got the right genes or the sacraments or even the preached word as though there is some magical power no no we have our...

37:12 - 38:39 Read in full sermon

Driving home: oh dear child of God how can you read this chapter without getting up and dancing a jig even if you've got a bad back yes that's the transformation what a comprehensive statement of Trinitarian grace and I don't know wha…

If you are a Christian, 'the wind has manipulated you,' meaning the Holy Spirit has sovereignly worked upon you, giving you a new mind and heart, illustrating the Spirit's powerful and transformative work.

of the Spirit he cannot see he cannot enter the kingdom of God we don't like that religions don't like that you see they want to have the saving power where they can manipulate it see if the saving power is in the baptismal font or in the baptismal tank then I can manipulate it I can get you into the water or get the water on the water on you then you see I've manipulated salvation what did Jesus say in John 3.8 the ways of the Spirit are like the wind the wind blows where it wills you don't manipulate the wind the wind will manipulate you if it whips up enough and may I say without being irre...

38:39 - 40:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Acknowledge before God that you are separate from Christ, cut off from His people, without hope, and without God, with a broken heart.

Coming to the mirror of God's Word thinking one is 'well clothed' and beautiful, only to see the brokenness described in Ephesians 2, illustrates the humbling effect of true self-examination.

what about verses 11 and 12 separate from Christ cut off from his people without hope without God no rights to the promises I'm asking you friends I'm not just occupying time this morning I'm asking you when you stand before that picture have you ever said Lord that's me and I don't mean say it glibly oh yeah that's me but said it with a broken heart because the scripture says the Lord saveth such as be of a broken spirit the first characteristic of the sons and daughters of the kingdom according to Matthew 5 is what blessed are the poor in spirit what's it mean to be poor in spirit my friend ...

43:38 - 45:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Face what God says you are now, while something can be done, rather than being forced to face it on the Day of Judgment.

Martin asserts that no one will sink into hell 'mumbling out the side of your mouth I didn't get a fair shake,' nor will there be a 'caucus of malcontent' in the moral universe, emphasizing that God will secure the approval of all creation for His righteous judgment.

or he'll do it in the day of judgment because before any sinner sinks into hell God will get the conscience of the sinner on his own side God will get the conscience that's part of the reason why there's going to be a public judgment God is going to secure the approbation that is the approval of the entire moral universe for the sentence that he utters to every last sinner now you think about that for a minute my friend you won't sink down into hell mumbling out the side of your mouth I didn't get a fair shake there'll be no little caucus of malcontent somewhere in the moral universe sneaking ...

45:05 - 46:33 Read in full sermon