Work of The Triune God

Driving home: stating a half-truth as a whole truth, creates a whole untruth.

Martin quotes Dr. Packer's statement that 'stating a half-truth as a whole truth, creates a whole untruth,' to explain how errors in doctrine, specifically regarding sanctification, arise from distorting or isolating parts of the truth.

And as with so many other matters of Christian truth and practice, the errors arise fundamentally from the distortion of truth, or from holding one set of truths at the expense of other truths. As Dr. Packer has said in his statement on this point, it has become almost proverbial, stating a half-truth as a whole truth,

5:52 - 6:20 Read in full sermon

Driving home: stating a half-truth as a whole truth, creates a whole untruth.

Martin uses the example of stating 'Jesus Christ is truly God' as a half-truth, which becomes a whole untruth if followed by 'He is only God,' to illustrate how partial truths can lead to error in understanding the agents of sanctification.

creates a whole untruth. Now it is true to say that Jesus Christ is truly God. That's a truth, but it's only a half-truth. If we then go on to say Jesus Christ is only God, we have stated a whole untruth. It is true to state that Jesus Christ is truly man.

6:22 - 6:48 Read in full sermon

Driving home: mortification from self-strength carried on by ways of self-invention unto the end of self-righteousness is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world.

Martin quotes John Owen, 'mortification from self-strength carried on by ways of self-invention unto the end of self-righteousness is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world,' to underscore the danger and pervasiveness of the error of sanctification by naked human effort.

John Owen is bold enough to say, mortification from self-strength carried on by ways of self-invention unto the end of self-righteousness is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world. And I speak this morning out of a deep and growing pressure of pastoral concern.

10:10 - 10:37 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Holiness by faith in Jesus, not by effort of my own.

Martin uses the analogy of a fruit-bearing branch not groaning or struggling but simply staying connected to the vine, to illustrate how proponents of 'sanctification by negation of human effort' misinterpret John 15 to advocate for passivity.

I am the vine, you are the branches. And they look at that so long and they begin to draw conclusions from it. What does a branch do to bear fruit? Did you ever go by a fruit-bearing branch and hear it groaning or struggling or working up a sweat? No, all it does is stay rightly related to the main trunk and the main stalk of the vine or the tree. And it just stays there and the fruit just comes from the light that flows through. And suddenly...

12:04 - 12:33 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Holiness by faith in Jesus, not by effort of my own.

Martin quotes a hymn couplet, 'Holiness by faith in Jesus, not by effort of my own,' as an epitomization of the defective understanding of divine agency in sanctification, where human effort is negated.

as to result in a doctrine of sanctification by the negation of human effort. Now, generally speaking, wherever this view prevails, it's because there is a defective understanding of how the divine agency operates in the life of a Christian. It's epitomized in a couple of lines from a hymn written by someone of this school of thought, and these are the words of the hymn, Holiness by faith in Jesus, not by effort of my own. And that couplet is sung with great devotion by earnest Christians who are convinced that

13:02 - 13:55 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Holiness by faith in Jesus, not by effort of my own.

Martin cites Watchman Nee and the Keswick or higher life movement as examples of authors and teachings that emphasize sanctification by the negation of human effort, clarifying that he is critiquing teaching, not character.

that the way to make progress in sanctification is by the negation of effort, holiness, by faith in Jesus, not by effort of my own. Now, without in any way casting aspersions upon the character of the man who suffered greatly for the cause of Christ, I'm talking about teaching. This is the overall emphasis of such writers as watchmen need.

13:56 - 14:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: This road is strewn with wreckage. The wreckage on the one hand of sanctification by naked human effort, and the wreckage on the other hand of sanctification by the negation of human effort.

Martin uses the analogy of a road 'strewn with wrecked cars and mangled bodies' to emphasize the importance of understanding the correct biblical teaching on sanctification, as errors in this area have caused much spiritual damage.

But my friends, if you knew you were to take a trip down a road that you saw was strewn with wrecked cars and mangled bodies on either side, surely you'd want to know how those cars got wrecked and those bodies got mangled before you ever went down that road. And that's all I've tried to do this morning, is to say when we go down this road of biblical teaching concerning progressive sanctification, particularly the issues Who is the responsible agent? This road is strewn with wreckage. The wreckage on the one hand of sanctification by naked human effort, and the wreckage on the other hand of s...

18:03 - 18:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate the communion of the Holy Spirit, recognizing it as more than a notion, and delight in the Trinitarian fellowship in the process of sanctification.

Martin expresses his admiration for John Owen, noting Owen's treatise on the believer's privilege of cultivating conscious communion with each person of the Triune Godhead, highlighting the depth of Trinitarian engagement in sanctification.

Oh, how careful we will be to cultivate dependence upon Him. How careful we will be not to grieve Him. And to us, then, communion with the Holy Spirit will be more than a notion. My admiration for John Owen leaks out many times. But Owen, as no other author I'd ever read, actually has a treatise in which he opens up the Scriptures showing that the believer's privilege in cultivating conscious communion with each of the persons of the triune Godhead in this great process of sanctification. Well then, in summary and conclusion this morning, in answer to the question, who is responsible for this ...

44:51 - 45:45 Read in full sermon