Reformation Soteriology—Original Elements

The point: Draw near to God with the expectation of the Spirit's help, confessing your need.

Martin shares a personal anecdote about his old, handwritten notes being scanned into a computer, highlighting the effort involved in preparing the material and the challenges of converting old formats.

Some of this was written out, well, I'll let you in on a little secret. Some of this was written out, uh, like 30 years ago. And, and, and actually I came to stuff that had never been input into a computer. So, dear John DeVito back there found a way to, uh, to, uh, scan it into a computer.

0:17 - 0:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Repose your confidence only in the death of Christ, trusting in nothing else, committing yourself wholly to it.

Martin quotes Anselm's pastoral directions for visiting the sick, which instruct the dying to cast Christ's death between themselves and God's judgment, sins, and displeasure, illustrating the practical, pastoral emphasis on the necessity of the atonement.

This view was a practical and pastoral matter for Anselm and played a part in, for instance, Anselm's somewhat famous directions for the visitation of the sick. Quoting from a source, A source, a direction for the visitation of the sick, was composed by Anselm, the substance of which is as follows. Two previous questions were to be asked by the minister. The first was, Dost thou believe that thou deservest damnation?

16:00 - 16:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not rely on your own ability to achieve 'due' contrition, as it leads to perplexity and torment, and you can never know if you have done your utmost.

Martin quotes Calvin's Institutes, where Calvin argues that the Romish doctrine of contrition makes repentance impracticable for concerned sinners because they can never know if their sorrow is 'due' or sufficient, thus preventing peace of conscience.

Repentance is thought of as a work Repentance is thought of as a work and part of a merit system vitiates its character. Calvin Institutes 343. It makes repentance impracticable for concerned sinners. Calvin writes in the Institutes, But if forgiveness of sins depends on the conditions to which they bind it, nothing can be more wretched and deplorable than our situation.

36:51 - 37:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not focus solely on enumerating external sins, but seek to understand and confess the 'lurking hydra' of secret iniquities and internal defilements.

Martin quotes Calvin's Institutes, where Calvin criticizes the Romish focus on enumerating external sins, arguing it makes sinners hypocritical and ignorant of their deeper, 'lurking hydra' of internal defilements, neglecting the true depth of sin.

It also focuses sinners' attention in the wrong place. Calvin writes in the Institutes, but there is a great difference between teaching that forgiveness of sins is merited by a full and complete contrition, which the sinner never can give, and instructing him to hunger and thirst after the mercy of God, that recognizing his wretchedness his turmoil, weariness, and captivity, you may show him where he should seek refreshment, rest, and liberty, and teach him in his humility to give glory to God. And the other problem is that it neglects the main part of repentance, sorrow for inner corruption,...

39:03 - 40:12 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin addresses questions from the audience, clarifying John Murray's concept of 'consequent absolute necessity' of the atonement as a supplement to Anselm and Luther, not a…

Martin references Doug Wilson's argument that if the Bible isn't self-authenticating and self-interpreting, then papal decrees shouldn't be either, highlighting the inconsistency in Rome's argument for infallibility.

One thing that a lot of people don't realize with the Roman Catholic Church is it's such a wide, I mean, it's in some ways as wide as Protestantism, you know, in terms of the types of views that are presented. Yeah, and that's startling because it seems inconsistent with their doctrine of papal infallibility. And yet, this reminds me of a point that Doug Wilson makes in his Persuasions book, that, you know, you know, if the Bible isn't self-authenticating and self-interpreting, why should we think that papal decrees are self-authenticating and self-interpreting? And why can't they be subject t...

48:29 - 49:34 Read in full sermon