That No Man Should Boast

In this part of the sermon: Martin analyzes the connection of 'that no man should glory' to the preceding verses (8-9a), showing how grace, faith, and the exclusion of works all lead to this purpose. He then…

Martin uses the analogy of gratuities and the tipping system to explain the biblical meaning of 'gratuitous' (undeserved) in contrast to common usage, emphasizing that salvation is truly undeserved.

Well, these words are preceded by the affirmation that the salvation of the Ephesian Christians was all of grace. It was not deserved or merited, but it came to them gratuitously. And not like the gratuities that you pay in a place where you buy a meal or have other services rendered. They should change the term.

6:51 - 7:15 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin analyzes the connection of 'that no man should glory' to the preceding verses (8-9a), showing how grace, faith, and the exclusion of works all lead to this purpose. He then…

He uses the analogy of a mother giving her son instructions (rise at 7:15, wash by 7:30, breakfast by 7:45) all with the calculated goal of catching the bus at 8:00, to illustrate how all preceding elements of salvation lead to the purpose 'that no man should boast'.

In other words, a mother says to her son, Now, son, you must rise at 7.15, you must wash and dress by 7.30, you must come for breakfast at 7.45 in order to get the bus at the corner at 8 o'clock.

8:53 - 9:15 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin analyzes the connection of 'that no man should glory' to the preceding verses (8-9a), showing how grace, faith, and the exclusion of works all lead to this purpose. He then…

The metaphor 'all roads lead to Rome' is used to convey that all lines of thought in Ephesians 2:8-9a converge on the central purpose of 9b: 'that no man should boast'.

You've heard it said that all roads lead to Rome. Apparently an allusion to a historical fact that in the Roman Empire, Rome was the center of that empire. And all of the roads, like the spokes going out, from the hub of a wheel, would lead to Rome. Well, there's a sense in which all the roads of thought in the previous verse 8 and the first part of verse 9 lead to the Rome of 9b.

10:18 - 10:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The meaning of 'glory' or 'boast' is explored through New Testament usage (Romans 2, 2 Corinthians 9), defining it as an inward disposition of pride leading to verbal expression…

He uses the example of a sports team winning a championship to illustrate the inward pride and outward bragging that defines 'boasting' or 'glorying'.

Glorying, focusing on the inward, boasting, upon the verbal expression outwardly. Maybe your team, your little league team, or your local high school or junior high school team has won a local championship and what do you do? Well, you're proud of that. That's my team.

19:07 - 19:24 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first abiding message is that these words provide a penetrating analysis of the human heart, which naturally resists a salvation that leaves no room for boasting. Only grace…

He quotes an 'old saint' who called God's called people 'God's five-ranked army of descending human weakness' to emphasize that God chooses the weak and base so that no flesh should glory before Him.

The apostle asks the Corinthians to reflect upon who it is that God has called in mercy to himself. Verse 26, For behold your calling, brethren. He says it's obvious God wasn't going around, bringing into his train the important of the earth. He says, look at yourselves, you're a motley crowd.

35:30 - 35:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Identify your boasting point: Is it your performance, good breeding, religious deeds, or a decision you made? Recognize if it is anything other than Christ.

Martin uses the example of a 'poor, deluded, but sincere Romanist' who boasts in his faithful performance of religious duties (rosary, confession, Mass) to illustrate false boasting in works.

Not to put upon a man's lip, the language of humility, but to put in his heart the spirit of humility, the acknowledgement from the depths of one's being that I have no ground of boasting, save in Christ, save in his cross, save in the activity of God that brought me into vital union with Christ, and made me heir of all the blessings of salvation. Now let me press home to your conscience, sitting here this morning. What is your boasting point? Is it your performance? You see, this is the problem of the poor, deluded, but sincere Romanist, who is so faithful to thumb through his rosary, to go t...

37:18 - 38:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for God's help to see if salvation by grace has truly cut down every tree of human boasting in your heart, leading you to boast only in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

He uses the example of 'dear New England friends' who are proud of their 'good New England heritage' (moral, hardworking, upright) to illustrate another form of human boasting.

I've met some of my dear New England friends, proud, as the devil himself, of their good New England heritage. Moral. Hardworking. Upright.

39:35 - 39:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for God's help to see if salvation by grace has truly cut down every tree of human boasting in your heart, leading you to boast only in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

He uses the example of people who boast in 'the almighty favor they did to God when they made their decision' to illustrate another form of human boasting that obscures God's grace.

Others, it's amazing what the human heart will find as its point of boasting. Others, their religious deeds. If boasting is their decision, I've met any number of people who cannot speak of Christ and His work, who cannot speak of Christ and His merits, Christ and His righteousness. They talk about the almighty favor they did to God when they made their decision.

39:48 - 40:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Gather for worship with a conviction that your presence among God's people is solely due to God's grace, leading to a sense of 'breathless wonder'.

He quotes John Newton's 'Amazing Grace' to illustrate the 'breathless wonder' that accompanies true worship when believers understand salvation undercuts all human boasting, contrasting it with those who contradict its truth.

If when we gather to worship, we gather as men and women who are convinced that the only reason we're here amidst a gathered assembly of God's people is because God in grace saved us and gave to us that faithfulness and the faith to embrace Him and that our works have nothing to do with our acceptance, it is only then that we will come with that sense of breathless wonder. And when we sing the hymns of John Newton, we enter into the spirit of the converted slave trader. Amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. Oh, how ofte...

45:27 - 46:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Let the understanding that God saved you purely by sovereign grace fuel a 'holy optimism and intelligent zeal' in evangelism, trusting He can do the same for others.

He uses 'guitar plunking evangelism,' 'film evangelism,' and 'musical evangelism' as examples of methods that can obscure the gospel's truth when they become preoccupations, rather than focusing on God's power and the simple message of sin and grace.

If there was nothing in me that moved God to save me, and He did so purely because of sovereign, omnipotent mercy and grace, what is there to say He cannot and will not do that for others? There is the note of holy optimism and intelligent zeal in conveying that message which God can, where and when He pleases, make effectual to the salvation of this world. in conveying that message which God can, where and when He pleases, make effectual to the salvation of this world. of others it will deliver us from any kind of evangelism that centers in men that seeks to appeal to men on the basis of carn...

46:50 - 48:08 Read in full sermon