Only for the Obedience of Christ

Driving home: Therefore the question, how shall sinful man be just with God? Or how shall guilty man find forgiveness from God? Is not a light or a secondary issue.

Martin asks listeners to imagine having only ten hours to live, arguing that in such a sober moment, the question of how to stand before God would be paramount, eclipsing all other concerns.

And there's not a one of us who, if we were true to our own consciousness and knew that we had but ten hours to live, would regard everything, every other question as of no consequence whatsoever, but this question, how shall I stand before the God into whose presence I will soon be ushered and not receive judgment, but receive his favor? Well in the course of our Sunday morning studies in basic Christian doctrine, we're presently engaged in an examination of that provision of God's grace which is addressed specifically to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. which is addressed specifically to the...

2:00 - 2:43 Read in full sermon

The point: When the mind and spirit are taken up with the issue of guilt, learn the discipline of excluding every other consideration from the mind and spirit but the consideration of the perfection of the Lord Jesus and of the rig…

He uses the analogy of cutting off a right hand or plucking out a right eye to illustrate that while mortification involves focusing on specific sins, the issue of guilt requires focusing solely on Christ.

how to subdue certain passions, there are many facets of Christian duty and responsibility which involve our being occupied with something other than Christ. We must be occupied with other concerns if we are biblical in our thinking. And anyone who tells you that the only answer for every dimension of the Christian life is to be occupied with Christ is spouting nonsense. When you are occupied with cutting off a right hand and plucking out a right eye, you are occupied with your hand and your eye.

17:32 - 18:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not use the doctrine of justification as an excuse not to be serious with mortification, nor use truths pertaining to mortification to cripple yourself in having the joy of justification.

He describes believers who use the doctrine of justification as an excuse not to mortify sin, saying, 'I'm complete in Christ,' highlighting a misuse of a wonderful truth.

ought to be the focus of your consciousness and of your spiritual activity at what particular point in your spiritual pilgrimage. And the problem with many believers is when the mind is oppressed with guilt, they take up the truths dealing with the mortification of the sin that produced the guilt instead of being taken up with Christ to find relief from the guilt and in the joy of forgiveness to get on with the work of mortification. And then the other problem is you have people who sin and who are playing games with God. And instead of setting themselves to mortify their sin, they say, Oh, we...

21:05 - 21:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not use the doctrine of justification as an excuse not to be serious with mortification, nor use truths pertaining to mortification to cripple yourself in having the joy of justification.

He uses the metaphor of being 'between the rock and the hard place' to describe how many believers get 'fouled up' by either abusing justification or crippling themselves with mortification truths, instead of rightly applying each.

They're using a wonderful truth in the wrong way. And between those who abuse the doctrine of justification as an excuse not to be serious with mortification and those who use the truths pertaining to mortification to cripple themselves in having the joy of justification, between the rock and the hard place, so many of God's people get fouled up in their Christian experience. And that's why I've been so tedious and tried to be so simple and plain and go back over this ground again and again and again that the ground of our justification which has to do with guilt

21:55 - 22:38 Read in full sermon

Driving home: How then does love cut a channel for men's salvation consistent with justice and holiness, consistent with the magnifying of the law of God, maintaining intact the righteous standard of that law? Here is the way. Jesus C…

He states that he will not rob unborn generations of the legacy of theological history, explaining why he uses terms like 'satisfaction' that have a rich history in Christian theology.

The language of the old confession is theological language, but it's good language. God pardons and accepts us for the full satisfaction of Christ. Now the word itself occurs only twice in the Authorized Version, but it's a rich word in the history of Christian theology. And one of the things you will not find in this pulpit is robbing unborn generations of the legacy of the history of theology.

28:40 - 29:13 Read in full sermon

Driving home: How then does love cut a channel for men's salvation consistent with justice and holiness, consistent with the magnifying of the law of God, maintaining intact the righteous standard of that law? Here is the way. Jesus C…

He uses Adam's reaction to sin (running from God) as an example of how a guilty conscience creates an aversion to God, making communion impossible.

Now on what basis can the Apostle plead that sinners be reconciled to God, that they return to God? You see, as long as the conscience is filled with the sense of guilt, there is an aversion to God. Isn't that your experience? When the conscience is filled with guilt, there is an aversion to God.

31:45 - 32:06 Read in full sermon