Sealing of The Holy Spirit, Part 4

The point: Accompany yourself to prayer with a hymn book as well as a Bible to find fuel for praise.

Martin suggests using a hymn book alongside the Bible in devotions, as the words of others can be a 'catalyst' to 'spring loose praise' in one's own heart, just as Ephesians 1:3-14 can be used as a hymn of praise.

There's a desire to praise Him, but to have fuel for praise is often difficult. And one of the counsels I have often given is that one ought to accompany himself to the place of prayer with a hymn book as well as with a Bible. And many times taking the words of another servant of Christ, who in a moment of unusualness, full devotion, was able to frame his thoughts and his ideas and put them in a hymn, this becomes a catalyst, this becomes an assistance to spring loose praise in our own hearts. May I suggest that this is how Ephesians 1, 3 to 14 can also be greatly used?

0:44 - 1:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Think carefully about the statement that the gift of the Spirit is given as a divine seal wherever and whenever the simple gospel of forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ is preached and believed.

He addresses children, encouraging them to break down his lengthy sentence about the Spirit's gift into subjects and predicates, making the complex theological statement more accessible.

Now it's a lengthy sentence but it's not complicated. You kids that have to break up sentences into subjects and predicates and modifiers you shouldn't have too hard a task doing that if you could only get the preacher to slow down enough so you could write it down. Alright, let me give it to you again. What we're going to attempt to prove and demonstrate from the scriptures this morning is that the gift of the Spirit Spirit of promise the Holy Spirit the Holy One is given as a divine seal wherever and whenever the gospel of forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ is preached and believed.

8:38 - 9:19 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The core of the gospel is this the one ground upon which God forgives sinners is the merits of Jesus Christ and the one way to enter into those merits is by faith. That's the core of the gospel. Subtract anything from it…

He imagines someone being asked on the street for the core of the gospel, using this scenario to distill the gospel into two essential points: Christ's merits as the ground and faith as the way.

These passages illustrate what Paul says in Ephesians 1 having heard having believed ye were sealed. Romans chapter 5 The context of the passage we'll be reading is I'm sure clear to many of you. The Apostle Paul has been demonstrating that the answer to men's dilemma of guilt condemnation is the provision of full and complete forgiveness in Jesus Christ received by faith alone. If then someone should walk up to you on the street and call well this morning and say can you give me in one or two statements the core of the gospel I hope you'd answer some way

11:34 - 12:18 Read in full sermon

Driving home: how different you see from the emphasis in our day that the low level of Christian experience is due to the inadequacy of the simple gospel and what we need is the full gospel now Paul says your problem is you're not liv…

Martin explains that one should only call someone a 'fool' (as Paul did to the Galatians) if they are also travailing in prayer for them, implying that such strong words must come from a place of deep pastoral love and concern.

anywhere else but in Christ and notice how he does it in chapter 3 verses 1 and 2 oh foolish Galatians and if you're ever going to call anyone a fool you better be able to say as Paul did in chapter 4 my little children of whom I travail again in birth till Christ be formed in you don't call anybody a fool unless you're travailing in prayer for them then you can get away with it and they'll still love you for it same man who said foolish Galatians said I travail in birth for you who did bewitch you now that's not very common he says you've been spooked somebody's pulled the wool over your eyes

29:38 - 30:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Speak evil of no man, be gentle, showing meekness toward all men, especially the ungodly.

He shares a personal struggle with a 'wicked attitude' when seeing high-handed ungodliness, likening his feeling to John's desire to call down fire, which Jesus rebuked, to illustrate the need for patience with the ungodly.

In this particular passage, he's exhorting the people of God to patience with the ungodly, an exhortation all of us need so desperately. I find a wicked attitude in my heart. The more I see high-handed ungodliness, flagrant, open, bold, brazen iniquity, I find myself at times having a spirit that I feel is like John's when he said, Shall we call down? Shall we call down fire on this motley crowd?

35:15 - 35:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Speak evil of no man, be gentle, showing meekness toward all men, especially the ungodly.

He uses the metaphors 'Look unto the rock from whence you were hewn' and 'Look unto the pit from whence you were digged' to remind believers of their past sinful state, fostering humility and patience towards the ungodly.

but to be gentle, showing meekness toward all men. And he said, Here's a good thing to keep you from that attitude. For we ourselves were all once. Look unto the rock.

36:05 - 36:17 Read in full sermon