What Is Its Source?

In this part of the sermon: Martin opens with an analogy of a condemned murderer who discards a letter offering a just and righteous way to avoid execution, prompting reflection on why someone would reject…

A man convicted of premeditated murder receives a letter offering a just way to avoid execution but discards it unread. This illustrates the irrationality of rejecting God's offer of justification.

The following sermon was delivered on Sunday morning, July 16, 2006, at Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. As we begin our study of the Word of God this morning, I want you to marshal with me all of your powers of imagination and reflection, that peculiar faculty that God has given to you and to me as image bearers. I want you to marshal all of those powers of imagination and construct in your mind the following scene with me. A certain man has been convicted of premeditated murder. He has confessed that indeed the court has made no mistake. He is a murderer. And he lives in one ...

0:02 - 1:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that coming to Christ requires being 'poor in spirit,' acknowledging one's utter lack of merit and begging for mercy.

Adam and Eve's attempt to cover their sin with fig leaves is a metaphor for humanity's inherent pride and desire to create their own righteousness, making it hard to accept salvation by grace alone.

power of the devil but because of the resisting influence of human pride human pride that wants to do something in order that it may take credit to itself you remember what Adam and Eve did the moment they sinned they run from God at the same time they tried to hide by making a covering of fig leaves and from that moment on every one of us is born with a fig leaf apron factory in our hearts we'll make a covering for ourselves for ourselves for our sin and the sense of our guilt that covering may be resting in our heritage as Paul did Philippians chapter 3 Hebrew of the Hebrews circumcised the ...

46:18 - 47:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Cast yourself upon Christ, turn from your sin, and throw yourself in the lap of divine mercy, knowing God is prepared to declare you righteous.

A poem is read where Jesus speaks to the Father, presenting a 'worthless child' and claiming him as His own, pleading His shed blood and sorrows as the basis for the child's pardon, illustrating Christ's intercession for the justified sinner.

to you and to me here is Jesus speaking to his father father I bring this worthless child to thee to claim thy power in once yet once again receive him at my hands for he is mine he is a worthless child who owns his guilt look not on him he cannot bear thy glance look thou on me his vileness I will hide he pleads not for himself he dares not plead his cause is mine I am his advocate by each pure drop of blood I shall be shed for him by all the sorrows graven on my soul by every wound I bear I claim it due father divine I cannot have him lost he is a worthless soul but he is mine sin has destro...

67:26 - 68:54 Read in full sermon