Growth in Christ

Driving home: But the second truth that must be emphasized with equal clarity and in due balance with the first is that if we receive Christ alone by the grace of God alone in faith alone, that faith will not remain alone. But it is a…

Martin uses the analogy of 'fruit for the fire' from Matthew 7:19-20 to emphasize that it is the actual fruit of saving faith, not mere intellectual notions or ideas, that determines one's eternal destiny.

According to our Lord, it is fruit for the fire, not notions for the fire, not ideas for the fire, but fruit for the fire. And in the light of that simple and clear statement of our Lord, repeated in other contexts, I am presently considering with you, from the Word of God, the fruit of saving faith. Having opened up the teaching of the Word of God concerning the necessity and the nature of saving faith, we are now examining what the Scriptures tell us concerning the fact, that there are necessary and inevitable fruits, or accompaniments, of saving faith. If we are to maintain the purity of th...

0:43 - 2:02 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But the second truth that must be emphasized with equal clarity and in due balance with the first is that if we receive Christ alone by the grace of God alone in faith alone, that faith will not remain alone. But it is a…

He uses the phrase 'faith will not remain alone' to illustrate that true saving faith, while received by grace alone, is always accompanied by inevitable fruit, contrasting it with a dead, solitary faith.

is a salvation that is rooted in grace alone, is procured by Christ alone, and is received by faith alone. The maintenance of the purity of the Gospel rests upon a grasp of those realities, and a constant reiteration of those realities that our salvation flows out of grace alone, alone is found in Christ alone and is received by faith alone. But the second truth that must be emphasized with equal clarity and in due balance with the first is that if we receive Christ alone by the grace of God alone in faith alone, that faith will not remain alone. But it is a faith which working by love is acco...

2:02 - 3:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But the second truth that must be emphasized with equal clarity and in due balance with the first is that if we receive Christ alone by the grace of God alone in faith alone, that faith will not remain alone. But it is a…

Martin cites the historical tragedy since the Reformation where the truth of 'grace alone, faith alone' was not balanced with the necessity of fruit, leading to 'mere nominalism, formalism, dead orthodoxy' in multitudes who claim belief without evidence.

was clearly articulated, there have been periods in the history of the Church when not balanced with the second truth. It has led to mere nominalism, formalism, dead orthodoxy, call it what you will, but multitudes of people who say, I believe, but there is no evident fruit. That fruit which the Spirit of God in the Word of God says is both the necessary and the inevitable. accompaniment of saving faith. And if you ask the question, what are those necessary fruits? I have suggested that they certainly can be reduced to three that are indisputable. Where there is true saving faith in Christ, th...

3:23 - 4:44 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is not static. It is not even. But if you connect the dots over a period of time, the line is moving upward.

He uses the analogy of 'connecting the dots over a period of time' to illustrate that while spiritual growth may not be static or even, the overall trajectory of a true believer's life is moving upward towards Christ-likeness.

For one of the necessary and inevitable fruits of saving faith is a growing conformity to that moral likeness. It is not static. It is not even. But if you connect the dots over a period of time, the line is moving upward.

10:30 - 10:50 Read in full sermon

Driving home: So that this matter of conformity to the moral likeness of Christ is not an ancillary, secondary, optional element in salvation. It has its roots, its tap roots in the very saving of purpose of God from the time that pur…

Martin uses the metaphor of 'tap roots' to emphasize that conformity to Christ's moral likeness is deeply embedded in God's eternal saving purpose, making it central and foundational, not ancillary or optional.

We learn that when God birthed in eternity, and we're talking like nonsense, we mumble, but what else can we do when in passages like this? When God birthed his saving purpose in the very womb of eternity, it was his purpose that these wretched, fallen, marred image bearers in Adam should have his image fully restored, an image restored after the pattern of his own beloved Son. So that this matter of conformity to the moral likeness of Christ is not an ancillary, secondary, optional element in salvation. It has its roots, its tap roots in the very saving of purpose of God from the time that pu...

18:08 - 19:10 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He didn't go to the horrific realities of Golgotha just to have a people who say, oh yeah, I believe in Him. My sins are forgiven and now I'm getting on with life. He died to have a people who are passionate about the pu…

He humorously critiques some ministries that suggest Christ came 'to make us all gigglingly happy all the time,' contrasting this with the biblical purpose of Christ's death for sanctification.

Now sitting under some ministries you'd think that's why Christ came, to make us all gigglingly happy.

22:39 - 22:46 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He didn't go to the horrific realities of Golgotha just to have a people who say, oh yeah, I believe in Him. My sins are forgiven and now I'm getting on with life. He died to have a people who are passionate about the pu…

Martin uses the analogy of 'no man's land' to challenge believers who might draw a circle around certain areas of their lives (emotional, intellectual) and declare them indifferent to pursuing conformity to Christ.

So He died to have a people who long to have that moral perfection in every atom of their being. And there's no part of what they are concerning which they draw a circle and say a matter of indifference as to whether or not I'm pursuing conformity to Christ. My emotional life, that's my business. My intellectual life, that's my business.

24:57 - 25:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not live as though there is any area of your life that is 'no man's land' concerning conformity to Christ. You are purchased property, the whole of you, for a life conformed to the Lord Jesus.

He uses the strong analogy of 'frustrating the Trinity' to convey the theological impossibility of claiming belief in Jesus without growing in His likeness, as it would imply thwarting the Father's purpose, the Son's purchase, and the Spirit's work.

and shocked God is doing something in us to conform us to the likeness of his son beholding we are transformed looking and gazing we are experiencing a transformation into the same image from one stage of glory to another there is progress yes at times the progress is slow sometimes there is regression but connect the dots and in every Christian there is a growth growing conformity to the moral likeness of Jesus Christ if that's not true then tell the apostle to rewrite this and say but some of us but he says we all in community because God purposed in eternity that we be conformed to his son ...

39:02 - 40:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not live as though there is any area of your life that is 'no man's land' concerning conformity to Christ. You are purchased property, the whole of you, for a life conformed to the Lord Jesus.

Martin quotes Archbishop Ramsey to support the idea that transformation into Christ's image is the restoration of God's image in man, and that Christ reveals the true image of man.

as he walked to have your life a life of growing conformity to the moral likeness of Christ listen to one of God's choice servants commenting on this principle this process of transformation into the image of Christ is none other than the restoration of the image of God which was marred through the fall of man in Christ says Archbishop Ramsey mankind is allowed to see not only the radiance of God's glory but also the true image of man into that image Christ's people are now being transformed and in virtue of this transformation into the new man they are realizing the meaning of their original ...

41:56 - 43:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not live as though there is any area of your life that is 'no man's land' concerning conformity to Christ. You are purchased property, the whole of you, for a life conformed to the Lord Jesus.

He quotes John Calvin, who explains that the design of the gospel is to repair the defaced image of God within us, and that this restoration is a continuous, lifelong process.

as he walked to have your life a life of growing conformity to the moral likeness of Christ listen to one of God's choice servants commenting on this principle this process of transformation into the image of Christ is none other than the restoration of the image of God which was marred through the fall of man in Christ says Archbishop Ramsey mankind is allowed to see not only the radiance of God's glory but also the true image of man into that image Christ's people are now being transformed and in virtue of this transformation into the new man they are realizing the meaning of their original ...

41:56 - 43:25 Read in full sermon

The point: If you have laid hold of Christ by faith, let the certainty of your future perfect conformity to His image call you to worship and wonder.

The Holy Spirit dwelling in believers is described as the 'first fruits' and 'down payment,' illustrating that the full harvest and compensation of perfect conformity to Christ are guaranteed to come.

until the day of Christ and so child of God this is a call to worship and to wonder that my Savior will indeed be the firstborn among brethren he'll have the chief place but we'll all bear the family likeness with all the ways that our individuality will color and will shape our likeness to Christ every one of us will be like him but we'll see him as he is repentance no more mourning over sin no more contrition no more perfectly conformed to the likeness of Jesus the Holy Spirit dwelling in us is called the first fruits the harvest is going to come he's called the down payment the full compens...

47:54 - 49:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Seriously self-examine whether you can discern any real progress in conformity to the moral likeness of Jesus. Ask your spouse, children, or close associates for honest feedback.

Martin uses the character 'Eeyore' from Winnie the Pooh to represent a gloomy, unbelieving spirit, contrasting it with the holy joy that should replace it in a growing believer.

and strengthen you in the struggle we shall be like him it's a call to worship and wonder but secondly it constitutes a call to serious self-examination can you discern any real progress in conformity to the moral likeness of Jesus can you discern your spouse can your kids those who work with you your classmates do they see that your trigger temper is being by degrees restrained the indications of your pride being withered your irritability being harnessed your laziness giving way to industry your self-indulgence to self-denial your selfishness to judgment your genuine altruism your insensitiv...

49:23 - 50:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Adopt a right view of true godliness as the formation of Christ's character and disposition within you by the Holy Spirit, producing delight in holiness and obedience, not just external adherence to rules.

He clarifies that true godliness is not merely external adherence to 'do's and don'ts' but the internal formation of Christ's character and disposition, producing delight in holiness.

when we come to the end of Ephesians what is a husband supposed to do he's supposed to love his wife as Christ loved the church what's a wife supposed to do she's supposed to submit what's a father supposed to be it's not to provoke his children that they be discouraged what are servants supposed to do yes the Christian life in true godliness is made up of a whole bunch of do's and don'ts but hear me carefully it's not merely a bunch of do's and don'ts in external wooden adherence to the prohibitions and to the mandates it is the formation of the very character and disposition of Jesus within ...

53:49 - 55:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Adopt a right view of true godliness as the formation of Christ's character and disposition within you by the Holy Spirit, producing delight in holiness and obedience, not just external adherence to rules.

Martin describes Christ as 'the only perfect human that walked upon our earth,' emphasizing that becoming more like Him makes us more truly human, not weird, and highlights His winsomeness and attractiveness.

when we come to the end of Ephesians what is a husband supposed to do he's supposed to love his wife as Christ loved the church what's a wife supposed to do she's supposed to submit what's a father supposed to be it's not to provoke his children that they be discouraged what are servants supposed to do yes the Christian life in true godliness is made up of a whole bunch of do's and don'ts but hear me carefully it's not merely a bunch of do's and don'ts in external wooden adherence to the prohibitions and to the mandates it is the formation of the very character and disposition of Jesus within ...

53:49 - 55:19 Read in full sermon

The point: For those who desperately need a 'judgment day' in light of the sermon, do not forget what you have heard, but actively remove the 'smudges' in your life and relationships.

He uses the analogy of a man looking in a mirror, seeing smudges, and walking away to illustrate the danger of hearing the sermon's truth without applying it to remove the 'smudges' of sin in one's life.

judgment day in the light of what they've heard this morning may they not go away like the man who looks in the mirror sees himself sees the smudges on his forehead and walks away and forgets all about it but oh God may there be some smudge removing this day in our homes in our deep and close relationships help us our father that we may by your grace be a people marked more and more by likeness to our beautiful savior we ask you to have mercy upon those who have no heart to be like him who are utterly content to go on befaced marred twisted image bearers of yourself oh Lord bring them to the p...

56:48 - 57:53 Read in full sermon