Not of Works, Part 1

Driving home: Paul knew that the human heart was so slow to grasp the nature of God's salvation that there was this constant tendency to pervert the pure stream of grace, that he is not content to give us a compendium of salvation by …

Martin uses the analogy of a mother telling children to come straight home from school, then adding 'I do not mean with a layover at the Carvel ice cream factory,' to explain how negative statements clarify and sharpen the meaning of a positive assertion.

Well you say, what in the world do you mean by qualifying negative? Well you know me well enough to know that if you are thinking, that, I'll attempt to answer the question. Your mother says to you children, I want you to come straight home from school today. That's a positive statement. Then she says, I do not mean with a layover at the Carvel ice cream factory, nor a break at the ballpark, nor a little time with your buddies in the backyard playing basketball. Now what has she done? She's made a positive statement, I want you to come right home from school. Now she's qualified her meaning wi...

3:53 - 4:54 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Paul knew that the human heart was so slow to grasp the nature of God's salvation that there was this constant tendency to pervert the pure stream of grace, that he is not content to give us a compendium of salvation by …

Martin shares a personal anecdote about his father's strict 11 o'clock curfew and the qualifying negatives ('not one minute after') that made it unmistakably clear, illustrating how such negatives prevent misunderstanding and sharpen the impact of a positive command.

in the evenings while still a high school student. I was told, now son, you're to be in that door at 11 o'clock. That was a positive assertion, but it was generally followed with some qualifying negatives. I do not mean, my father would say, one minute after 11, five minutes after 11, 10 after 11, you're to be in that door by 11 o'clock. Do you understand, son? And I said, I speed in the short dashes was not the area of my strength when I was involved to the years in athletics. I'm convinced I broke the half mile record more than once from the bus stop to my front door when the bus would be a ...

4:54 - 6:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize and reject the 'polluted streams' of ceremonial, legal, and evangelical works that defile and cripple spiritual life.

The Pharisee in Luke 18, who boasts of fasting and tithing, is used as a classic example of someone mixing ceremonial works with the ground of their acceptance before God, illustrating the perversion of what was meant to be a teacher into a destroyer.

But the human heart is so reluctant to have a salvation that is holy of God that man took what was given to be a teacher and he made it his destroyer. And people mixed the performance of ceremonial works as part of the instrumental means and also the very ground of their acceptance before God. And you have the classic picture of the expression of this in the times of the New Testament in Luke chapter 18 with that character that comes sauntering into the temple, draws his lungs and pulls down his diaphragm to force it out loud enough that everyone can hear. And he says, I thank thee I'm not lik...

18:21 - 19:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first 'polluted stream' addressed is ceremonial works, defined as external acts and rituals of religion (e.g., Old Testament circumcision, dietary laws). Martin explains that…

Paul's vivid language 'who did bewitch you?' is interpreted as 'somebody came along and spooked you,' emphasizing the deceptive and harmful nature of false teaching that mixes works with grace.

Oh foolish Galatians verse 1. Who did bewitch you? What vivid language. He said somebody came along and spooked you.

20:01 - 20:11 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first 'polluted stream' addressed is ceremonial works, defined as external acts and rituals of religion (e.g., Old Testament circumcision, dietary laws). Martin explains that…

Martin traces the historical corruption of baptism from a simple ordinance into a 'ceremonial savior,' leading to practices like clinical baptism and infant baptism, illustrating how pagan notions and superstitious mumbo jumbo polluted the stream of grace.

And people began to bring their pagan notions. Superstitious religious mumbo jumbo. Into the sacraments of baptism in the Lord's supper. And when they began to think that the waters of baptism.

26:56 - 27:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second 'polluted stream' is legal works, defined as acts and attitudes connected with ethics or morals, particularly conformity to the moral law (Ten Commandments). Martin…

The simple supper of remembrance is described as being 'shrouded with magical mystery' by theologians, illustrating how the 'sacramentalist heart' in man turns simple ordinances into complex, saving rituals.

Because there was some saving efficacy. In a ritual. And the same thing happened with the simple supper of remembrance. And volumes are written.

28:11 - 28:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second 'polluted stream' is legal works, defined as acts and attitudes connected with ethics or morals, particularly conformity to the moral law (Ten Commandments). Martin…

The contemporary evangelical practices of walking aisles, raising hands, and going to inquiry rooms are presented as examples of turning external acts into 'saving sacraments,' where a 'decision card' becomes the only proof of salvation, rather than Christ alone.

But you come right down to our day. And we've got sacramentalism. You take your walk down the aisle. You're in.

29:01 - 29:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not put evangelical works (deep repentance, strong faith, holy appetite) between yourself and the Savior; come to Him just as you are.

Martin uses the analogy of a father promising a spanking for a child's misbehavior to explain the word 'inevitably,' clarifying that evangelical works 'inevitably and necessarily flow out of' salvation.

the works described in verse 10 look at it for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works he's talking about evangelical works those works which inevitably and necessarily flow out of and accompany a saving relationship to God in Jesus Christ what are they they start with repentance and faith and love to God and love to his son and love to the spirit sensitivity to his word desire to obey him mourning over sin grieving over weakness seeking to serve my neighbor all of this out of love to the God who's redeemed me in Jesus Christ those are evangelical works done from a motiv...

38:15 - 39:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not put evangelical works (deep repentance, strong faith, holy appetite) between yourself and the Savior; come to Him just as you are.

The phrase 'whenever you put forth the hand to touch the ark God lets you know he doesn't need your help' is used to warn against human attempts to 'help God' by protecting the doctrine of free grace with unbiblical conditions.

has no significance at all let us sin that grace may abound and early in the history of the church there was the blight of antinomianism that's just a big word kids for saying against God's law and you can still be safe see antinomianism is not a word you give to the blatant unregenerate man who professes no religion because he's against God's law anyway but it's the spirit that says I don't need to submit to God's law and I can still be safe now the book of James was written to antinomians the book of 1st John was written to antinomians parts of Romans were written to antinomians so you know ...

39:43 - 41:12 Read in full sermon