Act of Pardon and Acceptance

The point: Recognise that only God's pronouncement from the bench can cancel the sentence of guilty; self-absolution and the opinion of others are worthless at the court of heaven.

A man is tried, convicted, and sentenced. Back in his cell he convinces himself by mental gymnastics that he is innocent. His family campaigns across the land. Another country telegraphs its opinion. None of it changes the real verdict in the real court. Only God's court matters.

or we are utterly and eternally undone. In other words, a sentence of condemnation that comes from the court of heaven can only be reversed by an equally clear sentence of justification coming from the same court. Let me illustrate. Here is a man who belongs in a certain country in which he has committed a crime contrary to the laws of the land.

12:45 - 13:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognise that only God's pronouncement from the bench can cancel the sentence of guilty; self-absolution and the opinion of others are worthless at the court of heaven.

Imagine the judge had power to transform a murderer and rapist into a sweet, gentle man who would not crush an ant. Brought back to court with the list of crimes, his changed heart does not satisfy the broken law. Regeneration inside the criminal does not resolve the court's demand.

We come to find out upon examination that he had an angry, bitter, sour heart that led him to commit murder and rape and pillage. Now suppose while he's in his place of incarceration, the judge had power to completely change that man's personality. from a heart full of hate and murder and uncleanness that would lead him to rape and to pillage. Suppose the judge had the power to utterly transform that man's psyche, utterly transform his whole personality into a sweet, gentle, loving man who wouldn't crush an ant under his foot.

16:51 - 17:36 Read in full sermon

When God says 'I will not remember thy sins,' it is not divine amnesia. He remembered them fully when His own Son hung on the cross, pouring the fierceness of His anger into the holy soul of His Son. That remembering at Calvary is why God can forget now.

But what he is saying is I will not remember them. That is, I will not call them to remembrance in order to bring upon them the sentence of my wrath. As we shall see in subsequent studies, He remembered them fully when His own Son hung upon the cross. And it was in that baptism of agony in which God remembered our sins.

31:42 - 32:07 Read in full sermon

A master gives two servants five duties and five prohibitions, with reward for obedience and punishment for disobedience. One obeys perfectly and is rewarded. The other breaks two prohibitions, takes his punishment, and then asks for the reward - only to hear that punishment paid cannot produce a commendation. Justification requires both pardon AND positive obedience credited.

then you must grasp this distinction. And perhaps I can illustrate to set the framework for the few verses we shall look at. Imagine a master who had two servants, and he's about to leave them for a time, and he leaves very, very clear instructions to both servants. There are five specific tasks that they are to perform in his absence.

42:19 - 42:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not drift from the naked faith of your early conversion to a subtle reliance on your obedience and new life for peace; go out of yourself as thoroughly after 50 years as on day one.

In Philippians 3 an old apostle about to die says he desires to be found in Christ, 'not having mine own righteousness which is of the law.' Martin observes Paul was going out of himself right up to the moment his head rolled into the basket of execution.

An old man who served Christ effectively for decades is about to die. And you know what he says? He says, that I may be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but the righteousness which is of God by faith. He was going out of himself to the very moment his head rolled into a basket.

54:26 - 54:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Send every conscience-accusation for guilt directly to Christ and Christ alone; never let the voice of sin's guilt return your heart to legal bondage.

The Heidelberger teaches: though conscience accuses me of transgressing all the commandments and though I am still inclined to all evil, notwithstanding, God imputes to me the perfect righteousness of Christ as if I had never committed any sin. Martin uses it to distinguish conscience accusing for guilt from conscience accusing for reality of sin.

Oh, may God help us this morning to lay hold afresh upon the great provision that is ours in the Lord Jesus. the problem so many of you have is so beautifully stated in the old Heidelberg Catechism some of you thought you left circles where you were going to hear the old Heidelberger didn't you? well you were going to get it this morning how art thou righteous before God? the answer only by a true faith in Jesus Christ so that though my conscience accuse me that I have grossly transgressed all the commandments of God, and kept none of them, and am still inclined to all evil,

55:56 - 56:44 Read in full sermon