Holiness: Its Nature, Part 1

Driving home: Whatever this death is, its result is not only a new standing, but a transformed walk, that we might walk in newness of life.

Martin pauses to underscore that those who interpret Romans 6 as purely forensic are not honest with the phrase 'walk in newness of life,' emphasizing that death to sin results in a transformed walk, not just a new standing.

We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live then? Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. And may I pause to underscore that those who would take this chapter and make it purely forensic, are not honest with this phrase, walk in newness of life.

1:28 - 2:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Fasten your mental seat belts and attempt to cover the broad spectrum of concern regarding the nature of sanctification.

Martin humorously notes his recent return from Australia, where 'process' is pronounced differently, and asks for forgiveness if he uses the Australian pronunciation, highlighting a minor cultural difference.

All right, in the time allotted this morning, let us fasten our mental seat belts and attempt to cover this broad spectrum of concern forced upon us by the teaching of the Word of God. What is the nature of sanctification? Well, we must begin with grappling with that aspect of teaching that I have entitled sanctification begun, the radical cleavage with sin. Now, most of the writing on the subject of sanctification focuses upon sanctification continued, that is, the process by which we mortify remaining corruption, on the one hand, and develop in the positive graces of Christ's likeness on the...

9:47 - 11:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be too ready to give heed to empirical facts of Christian profession that contradict scripture's clear line of demarcation regarding death to sin.

Martin illustrates the devil's logic by imagining a 'mountain of sin ten thousand feet high' and grace superabounding 'fifty thousand feet,' leading to the false conclusion that one should 'continue in sin that grace may abound.'

that if our salvation in terms before God and obedience of that other is received by faith and faith alone then the devil's logic is now added to that theology by the stated objection. If I raise a mountain of sin ten thousand feet high and you tell me Paul this price is a righteousness adequate for that of sin fifty thousand feet all the more. If you tell me the peak of sin then continue in sin that grace may abound mountains of our sin that's the devil's logic added to the truth of justification based on the doing and the dying of another

19:33 - 21:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be too ready to give heed to empirical facts of Christian profession that contradict scripture's clear line of demarcation regarding death to sin.

Martin quotes Professor Murray's 'Principles of Christian Conduct' to vividly describe what 'death to sin' means: a decisive transition from the realm of sin, as real as physical death, where the person no longer lives in that sphere.

in terms of the glorious doctrine of justification so thoroughly expounded in chapter 321 to the end of chapter the word of God is teaching anything in this passage it is teaching that basically then what does this concept of death to sin mean well I can do no better than to whet your appetite for the material that I'll mention by way of a little bibliography later on than to quote from professor Murray who says on page 204 of principles of Christian conduct the person who has died knows and acts in the sphere or realm of sin in the moral there is a transition as real and decisive as in the re...

26:50 - 28:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that if we live in sin, we have not died to it, and if we have not died to it, we cannot live in newness of life.

Martin uses the analogy of losing a 'vision of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus' and an ethic that has 'lost its dynamic' to explain the consequences of not understanding the power of death to sin, leading to conformity to the world.

is the kingdom of this world and lies in the wicked one the person who has died to sin no longer lives there it is no more affection will life and action his well springs are now kingdom which is antithetical the kingdom of God and of his righteousness it is of this translation that Paul speaks elsewhere when he gives thanks to the father who delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the son of his love Colossians 1 we are too ready and all listen to the dear man of God who now looks upon the face of his savior with joy we are too ready to give heed to what ...

28:19 - 29:47 Read in full sermon

The point: If you have never carefully examined the dimension of definitive sanctification, obtain and study Professor Murray's selected writings and 'Principles of Christian Conduct'.

Martin recommends Professor Murray's 'Selected Writings Volume Number 2' and 'Principles of Christian Conduct' as essential resources for studying definitive sanctification, providing specific page numbers.

there's all that but don't lead away the vigor of these passages then another line of emphasis in the new testament of course is the whole concept that we are a washed people it's stated very clearly in such passages as first 611 you have been washed a once for all washing and it's put in the same context as the definitive justifying act it's also in Titus chapter 3 and then it's beautifully taught by our Lord in John 13 he that is bathed all over needeth not save to wash his feet what is that bath all over that's definitive sanctification that's sanctification begun the radical cleavage with ...

37:00 - 38:25 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I say that man is ignorant of his own heart and ignorant of the fools of the demands of this process

Martin recounts hearing a man claim he had not felt 'proneness to wonder' for 13 years, using this as an example of someone ignorant of their own heart and the demands of the sanctification process.

told me and so it was confirmed by two witnesses so it's biblical that I should repeat it that someone dared to claim that he could no longer sing with any degree of enthusiasm or self conviction prone to wonder Lord I feel it prone to leave the God he dared to claim that for 13 years he had felt no proneness to wonder I say that man is ignorant of his own heart and ignorant of the fools of the demands of this process and then sanctification is going to be complete some day sanctification will be completed as it was begun it was begun with a radical definitive work and thank God it's going to ...

44:13 - 45:41 Read in full sermon

Driving home: to know that God has decreed that the moment this spirit is wrenched from this body all of the energy and virtue of the death of Christ that procured the perfecting of my spirit will come may I say it reverently crashing…

Martin describes the moment of death as the spirit being 'wrenched from this body,' and the 'energy and virtue of the death of Christ' crashing in to purge 'every last stain of sin' from his spirit, allowing him to look upon Jesus sinlessly.

but how I thank God for Hebrews 12 23 where the writer to the Hebrew says you have not come and then he describes the peculiarities of the mosaic economy may I say that the passage is pivotal in some other controversies with which some of you are wrestling you are not come but he says you are and the many privileges and realities to which I come through Christ the mediator of the new covenant inserted is this precious little word to the spirits of just men made perfect oh I tell you if I must pass through death this is one of the things among many others that takes away the dread of death itse...

45:41 - 47:09 Read in full sermon

Driving home: to know that God has decreed that the moment this spirit is wrenched from this body all of the energy and virtue of the death of Christ that procured the perfecting of my spirit will come may I say it reverently crashing…

Martin vividly describes his 'old beat up carcass' being put in the ground for worms to have a 'thanksgiving meal,' but only until the trump of God, when it will be fashioned like Christ's glorious body.

sinlessly and they'll stick this old beat up carcass in the ground and the worms will have a thanksgiving meal but only until the trump of God and when he speaks upon all the prostituted like unto his own glorious body and that will be the completion of the process in the language of Philippians 3 21 he shall fashion the body of our humiliation like unto his own glorious body and that perfected spirit will then join its proper habitation a perfected body and now there'll be none of that tension where the spirit enjoys more desires of grace than the body can hold when with all that is within us...

47:09 - 48:36 Read in full sermon