God's Glory in the Accomplishment of Salvation #2

The point: Take seriously what Scripture tells us about our sinfulness to appreciate God's redemption.

The glory of God's redemption shines most brilliantly against the dark backdrop of man's utter depravity, just as a diamond shines against black velvet.

Its application is what God does in the life history of a sinner. From the time he lays hold of that sinner, calls him into his state, his grace, all the way to the point where he glorifies that sinner at the last day. And so we are concerned to understand from scripture how God's glory, God's perfection, shine out of his work in the life history of Jesus, in procuring, securing, redemption for people, and in the life history of the sinner. And then the second thing I attempted to do was to give you an accurate picture of the backdrop of God's work of redemption accomplished and applied. I use...

2:18 - 3:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Take seriously what Scripture tells us about our sinfulness to appreciate God's redemption.

Human guilt is likened to a vast, dark cloud hanging over heads, ready to break and press sinners into hell, emphasizing the frightening reality of sin.

It's the condition that I described from the scriptures as the frightening reality of human guilt. Our guilt is like a vast, dark, present cloud hanging over our heads, waiting to break upon us and press us into hell. Our guilt is like a vast, dark, present cloud hanging over our heads, waiting to break upon us and press us into hell. Our terrible, sinful state can be likened to a sickening reality of our human defilement.

3:38 - 4:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He focuses on the 'most neglected aspect' of God's glory in redemption accomplished: His justice. This section details Christ's perfect life of obedience 'under the law' from…

Martin describes Mary's experience of pregnancy, feeling Jesus move in her womb, to emphasize the reality of Christ's human nature.

And in the mystery of the person of Jesus, the two distinct natures in the one person, in Mary's womb, there is a real human baby. At the time when a baby's birth has the signs of the fuddling of life, Mary with excitement ran to Joseph out in the carpenter's shop and said, Joseph, Joseph, I felt white. And as his tummy began to swell and the little baby Jesus would poke an elbow and kick and do a flip-flop, he'd say, Joseph, Joseph, come and see it. I think it's his elbow.

18:01 - 18:36 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He focuses on the 'most neglected aspect' of God's glory in redemption accomplished: His justice. This section details Christ's perfect life of obedience 'under the law' from…

He critiques the carol 'Away in a Manger' for its line 'the little pure Lord Jesus, no crying he makes,' arguing it misrepresents Christ's true humanity as a baby who cried like any other.

I think it's his foot. God, God, God encased in the womb of a little peasant girl in Judea. And yet, that God is taking a real humanity. And when he's brought forth, don't believe that sister's fondness says, the cattle are lowing, the poor babe awake, but the little pure Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.

18:36 - 19:01 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He focuses on the 'most neglected aspect' of God's glory in redemption accomplished: His justice. This section details Christ's perfect life of obedience 'under the law' from…

Martin uses the examples of Jesus learning the alphabet and tying His sandals to underscore His full humanity and perfect obedience in everyday life.

That's a lot of baloney. When the cows woke him up, he cried, like any baby. He was a real baby who cried like any baby. And think of, think of the God who had the wisdom enough to design the universe.

19:01 - 19:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He focuses on the 'most neglected aspect' of God's glory in redemption accomplished: His justice. This section details Christ's perfect life of obedience 'under the law' from…

He illustrates Jesus' perfect obedience as a child by imagining scenarios where Jesus never disobeyed Mary, never touched forbidden things, or took cookies without permission.

He was made under the law. Think of it now. From the first time Jesus could sing, and Mary said to him, no, Jesus, you must not touch that. Never once did he look over his shoulder and when she wasn't looking, reached out and touched it.

20:47 - 21:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He focuses on the 'most neglected aspect' of God's glory in redemption accomplished: His justice. This section details Christ's perfect life of obedience 'under the law' from…

Martin draws on his own experience in a large family to illustrate the temptations to selfishness and meanness, emphasizing that Jesus never succumbed to these, even in a crowded home.

And she went out in the backyard to hang up the clothes and never once did Jesus look around and see those cookies and have his mouth watered and take even a piece off one of them in disobedience to his mommy Mary. Never once. Never once. And from Scripture it's evident he became part of a large family as Mary and Joseph had other children.

21:16 - 21:37 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He focuses on the 'most neglected aspect' of God's glory in redemption accomplished: His justice. This section details Christ's perfect life of obedience 'under the law' from…

He imagines Jesus seeing another child with a new toy and never experiencing a covetous thought, highlighting His perfect adherence to the Tenth Commandment.

Never once was there a covetous thought in his heart. He could see a kid on the block that had a brand new wife, and he didn't look out his window and drool in his heart with covetousness and envy. Never once he was made under the law, and he kept that law so perfectly that when he became a full grown man at age thirty, he stood in the Jordan waters to be baptized. And what did the Father say out of heaven?

24:53 - 25:23 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He focuses on the 'most neglected aspect' of God's glory in redemption accomplished: His justice. This section details Christ's perfect life of obedience 'under the law' from…

The Father's declaration at Jesus' baptism, 'This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,' is likened to a perfect report card for Jesus' first thirty years of life.

This is my beloved Son in whom I am one. Well, please, think of it. In a sense, the Father was giving Jesus a report card for the first thirty years of his life. And he said straight A pluses.

25:23 - 25:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin vividly describes Jesus' agony in Gethsemane as He contemplated drinking the 'cup' of God's unmixed wrath against sin, and His subsequent suffering on the cross as a…

Martin critiques common artistic depictions of Jesus in Gethsemane as serene and peaceful, calling them 'heresy' because they fail to capture the crushing agony that made Him fall flat on His face.

Don't believe that picture of Gethsemane. And so Jesus with his well-arranged robe and his well-arranged beard and the serene look in his hands upon a rock and a sweet, peaceful look up into the heavens in a halo that's full of heresy. Something was so crushing him that he fell on his face. It didn't say he got down and kneeled.

32:09 - 32:39 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin vividly describes Jesus' agony in Gethsemane as He contemplated drinking the 'cup' of God's unmixed wrath against sin, and His subsequent suffering on the cross as a…

Jesus' falling on His face in Gethsemane is described as 'stumbling like a drunk,' conveying the overwhelming grief and pressure He experienced.

And Mark uses the tense of the verse that gives the picture that he would continually fall. He was stumbling like a drunk, my son. Something was overtaking him and pressing him with such grief that he falls to his face, not to his knees, flat upon his face on the cold dampness of the night ground in Gethsemane. What in the world is going on?

32:49 - 33:19 Read in full sermon

Driving home: That cup was full of the fury and the wrath and the anger of God against the sins of the people for whom Christ was about to die.

The 'cup' Jesus prayed about in Gethsemane is explained as an image of the Father presenting to the Son a cup filled to the brim with God's fury, wrath, and anger against the sins of all His people.

As surely as when I hold this glass, I look upon it and think of what it contains, I present to my lips pure drinkable water. Jesus saw the Father holding out a cup to his lips, but that cup was not full of pure water, the point is this. That cup was full of the fury and the wrath and the anger of God against the sins of the people for whom Christ was about to die. And as the Lord Jesus was standing under the shadow of Calvary there in Gethsemane, the cup that the Father put before him was that cup filled to the brim with the anger and fury and unmixed wrath of God against the sins of every ma...

35:11 - 36:38 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin vividly describes Jesus' agony in Gethsemane as He contemplated drinking the 'cup' of God's unmixed wrath against sin, and His subsequent suffering on the cross as a…

The three hours of darkness on the cross are described as 'midnight at noon,' symbolizing the terrible darkness of hell itself as Jesus bore God's wrath.

down from the cross. Then you'll believe on your sins. Hey, daughters, do it for yourselves. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn't complain. He didn...

41:48 - 42:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Confess your sins, knowing that God is faithful and just to forgive because Christ has paid the price.

Martin quotes a hymn to illustrate how Christ's wounds and intercession make God's justice work for the confessing sinner, rather than against him.

I thought when I sinned, justice was against me. Outside of Christ it is. But when I sin and I look to Christ, justice is for me. There for me my Savior stands, shows his wounds and spreads his hands. And when the sinner says, O Father, I've sinned, what am I supposed to do to punish my sin? For Jesus Christ's sake, magnify your justice. In forgiving the sin already paid for by your Son. And I'm speaking figuratively now. The Lord Jesus takes my case into his hands and says, Father, how can you deny that plea? Look at my wounds. Father, look at the prints in my hands. Look at the prints in my ...

51:57 - 52:49 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He describes the manifold grace in the application of salvation, detailing how God restores everything lost by the Fall through calling, regeneration, justification, adoption…

He reuses an illustration of a prisoner whose bail is paid but who loves his chains and hates the jailer, to explain that the Holy Spirit must regenerate sinners to make them willing to accept salvation.

In part, it's the sinner on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus, of everything man lost by the fall. God restores it all back, plus some more. Plus some more. Remember our illustration last night? We had our young friend down in the jail over here. He's not in jail tonight. He's over against the wall. He was in jail down here last night. And we talked about the man who puts up the veil. He pays the price for the man's release, but then he's not released until the jailer goes and opens the jail, and then he's released. And he's not released until the jailer goes and opens the jail,...

59:15 - 59:46 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He describes the manifold grace in the application of salvation, detailing how God restores everything lost by the Fall through calling, regeneration, justification, adoption…

Martin quotes a hymn to describe the experience of regeneration, where spiritual chains fall off and the heart is freed to follow Christ.

He opens our eyes to see that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost do not entreat us and command us to come to Christ because they want to spoil our fun and ruin life, but because they want to deliver us from that which is our destruction. So what does God have to do? Put forth an act of power to open our eyes and open our ears and give us spiritual sanity until we joyfully walk out of the prison. Thine eyes effuse the quickening light.

60:28 - 60:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Get serious about sin and about Christ; give yourself no rest until you know you are in Him.

Unbelievers are called 'little creature, little worm of the dust, little spider' to emphasize their utter insignificance and inability to face God's wrath compared to Christ.

Listen, friends. If God, Jesus Christ, if the God man faced that touch and it almost killed him, if God couldn't face the touch without sin, what in God's name will you do when you face your touch? Full of your sin, you little creature, little worm of the dust, little spider. When God in Christ finishes the touch, he tumbles like a drunken man.

67:30 - 68:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Avoid media like MTV that turns your mind off heaven, hell, God, and sin.

Martin warns against watching MTV and similar media, calling it 'fucker come right out of the pit of hell' for its calculated effect of turning minds away from serious spiritual realities like heaven, hell, and sin.

You watch MTV and video watchers and I guarantee you'll never get furious about yourself or anything. There's nothing more calculated to turn your mind off heaven and hell and God and sin than to watch that fucker come right out of the pit of hell without a help. All the chances upon the bizarre the foolish illicit sex the high the distorted the grotesque you mock my words you get put on that set and you may never think of thinking you're a serious part of our heavenly house until you're in that mess.

70:40 - 71:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not model yourself after worldly figures, but after godly Christian women in the church.

He exhorts young women not to model themselves after 'punk rocker' or 'slut' figures who 'spread their legs for any old guy,' but rather after godly Christian women.

Don't make your model punk rocket. Do you mourn the donkeys who spread their legs for any old guy to come along like an animal and poop? Don't model yourself after that slut.

71:30 - 71:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not model yourself after worldly figures like Stallone, but after real Christian men in the church who love their families and Jesus.

He exhorts young men not to model themselves after figures like 'mumbling Stallone' with bulging biceps and violence, but after real Christian men in the church who love their families and Jesus.

You guys don't make your model the mumbling Stallone with his bulging biceps and cut toes that can't even talk a decent straight sentence but can just go around with his rippling muscles and his big guns and blow people to pieces. Don't make your model Stallone model. Try this self-centered man married divorced living like the animals of most of the people in Hollywood so much in your model. Find men in this church that are real men who work hard who love their wives who love your kids enough to romp you on your buns when you need it and call you about Jesus and carry you to church and say God...

72:01 - 72:45 Read in full sermon