What Are Its Grounds? (1)

In this part of the sermon: Martin reviews previous sermons, using the Westminster Larger Catechism's definition of justification as a framework. He reiterates that God alone is the author, sinners are the…

Martin uses the definition of justification from the Westminster Larger Catechism (Q. 70) as an organizing framework to systematically expound the biblical doctrine.

And my method has been to take the definition of justification given to us in the larger catechism of the Westminster Standards and using it as a framework of instruction to open up the portions of the word of God relevant to the various words and phrases of that definition. The definition is this. In answer to the question, number 70, what is justification? The framers of that catechism have responded by writing, justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners in which he pardons all of their sins, accepts and accounts their persons righteous in his sight, not for anything wrought in...

3:16 - 4:43 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And remember, God would sooner damn the entire human race and send us to hell than threaten one beam of the glory of His own integrity as a whole.

The example of angels who sinned being immediately cast out of heaven and consigned to hell illustrates God's inflexible justice, setting up the question of how He can justify sinners.

On what basis can God do this? The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 2.4 that the angels that sinned were immediately cast out of heaven put in chains and consigned irrevocably to hell. God treated holy angels in an irreversible act of pure justice and angels and redeemed sinners will worship Him when He sees angels forever shut up in hell in the day of judgment.

9:23 - 10:00 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Not for anything wrought in them or done by them, but for, and here's the positive, the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ.

Martin describes the 'not for anything wrought in them... but for the perfect obedience...' structure as a 'marvelous biblical pattern' to define truth and insulate from error, citing Titus 3:4-5 and 2 Timothy 1:9 as examples.

Now notice, here's the grounds. Not for anything wrought in them or done by them, but, see there's the negative, not for anything wrought in them or done by them, but for, and here's the positive, the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ. There is the negative, not for anything wrought in them, done by them, then the positive, but for the perfect obedience of Christ and the full satisfaction of Christ. Now this negative, positive statement is a marvelous biblical pattern by which to define truth and to insulate from error. You see it all through the scriptures. For example, in Tit...

12:24 - 13:34 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin provides extensive scriptural proof for his first proposition, primarily from Romans 3-4 and Galatians 2. He demonstrates that the law reveals sin, and no human works, even…

The law is described as a 'searchlight' and 'God's pincer move upon the soul' to expose sin, rather than a 'ladder' by which to climb to heaven, illustrating its function in justification.

the accepting and receiving of his person as righteous. Why? For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. God's precepts do not become a ladder by which we climb or construct a ladder and climb to heaven.

27:38 - 27:56 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin offers three theological reasons why human works cannot be the ground of justification: their inherent imperfection, their inability to satisfy the demands of a broken law…

A story of a prisoner who commits capital crimes, then has a change of heart and becomes virtuous in jail, illustrates that subsequent good behavior cannot cancel the debt owed for past violations of the law.

Secondly, because none of our works, even if sinlessly performed, could satisfy the demands of the broken law. We've broken the law. And could we? Imagine with me this illustration.

42:24 - 42:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Utterly despair of thinking anything you have done or can ever do can contribute in the slightest way to make God forgive your sins and receive you as righteous.

Martin quotes Abraham Booth from 'The Reign of Grace' to underscore the profound importance and centrality of the doctrine of justification to all Christian truth and experience.

I know. But dear people, as I said earlier, our spiritual forefathers spilled their blood to maintain this truth. And this truth is one man of God said, and I will read this quote in closing. This is from a book entitled The Reign of Grace by Abraham Booth, a man born exactly 200 years before I was born.

49:46 - 50:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Utterly despair of thinking anything you have done or can ever do can contribute in the slightest way to make God forgive your sins and receive you as righteous.

Martin quotes the hymn 'No, Not Despairingly' to express the sinner's plea for salvation based solely on Christ, not on personal works or merit.

the hymns I sing most frequently on the front end of getting alone with God, to commune with God. Do you know what they are? One is in our hymn book, hymn number 411, No, not despairingly come I to thee, No, not distrustingly bend I the knee, Sin has gone over me. Lord, this day, yesterday, sin has gone over me.

53:41 - 54:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Go out of yourself entirely, come buck naked spiritually, and let God wrap you in the beautiful robe of the righteousness of His beloved Son.

Martin quotes Horatius Bonar's hymn 'I Hear the Words of Love' to illustrate the peace and stability found in Christ's work alone, contrasting it with the changing nature of human love and joy.

I hear the words of love. I gaze upon the blood. I see the mighty sacrifice. And I have peace with God.

55:05 - 55:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Go out of yourself entirely, come buck naked spiritually, and let God wrap you in the beautiful robe of the righteousness of His beloved Son.

The metaphor of coming 'buck naked spiritually' to God, to be wrapped in Christ's robe of righteousness, illustrates the complete abandonment of self-righteousness required for justification.

The tithe, oh sinner, you'll never know the blessedness of the full pardon of all your sins. And acceptance of your person as righteous till you go out of yourself entirely. Come buck naked spiritually. And God will wrap you in the beautiful robe of the righteousness of his beloved Son.

56:03 - 56:26 Read in full sermon