Distinctive Sexual Identity, Part 4

Driving home: In fact, if you were to listen and if you were to read the pronouncements of the so-called evangelical feminists you would assume that this was the only verse in the Bible concerning male and female roles and relationshi…

Martin quotes James Hurley's 'Man and Woman in Biblical Perspective' to explain the central issue of Galatians 3 and 4 (law vs. faith) and how Galatians 3:28 fits within this framework, emphasizing that Jew and Gentile come to God by faith.

We use a much simpler word, context. Context is the universe of discourse. In other words, this statement comes embedded in relationship to other statements and other units of thought. Well, in the book of Galatians, you remember Paul's great concern is to demonstrate that salvation is by grace, in faith, Jesus Christ, plus nothing.

8:14 - 8:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize each other's God's estimation and acceptance in Christ, ensuring that fixed roles are assumed without a demeaning, tyrannical, or superior spirit.

Martin uses the analogy of a diverse congregation (different colors, shapes of eyes, social tastes, clothing) to illustrate that the 'glue' holding them together is their common ground as sinners in Adam and their acceptance in Christ, which Galatians 3:28 describes.

one recognizes in the other God's estimation of him or her God's work in him or her there is no rivalry between the social classes between the racial classes between the sexes there is a blessed wonderful relaxed unqualified mutual acceptance and respect and that ought to smack people between the eyeballs the moment they come in for the visitors sitting here this morning sitting perhaps closer to the back and they look around and say well there's different colors here different shaped eyes we have some orientals here we've got differing social tastes some of the men are sitting here with a lov...

16:38 - 18:07 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin uses 1 Peter 3:1-7 to show that the Bible can simultaneously affirm distinct role responsibilities (wives' submission, husbands' honor for the 'weaker vessel') and equal…

Martin quotes Elisabeth Elliot's 'The Mark of a Man' to summarize the teaching of Galatians 3:28, highlighting that distinctions of nationality, social status, and sex are gone in the realm of grace, while still acknowledging functional differences in bearing God's image.

of the grace of God and all the marvelous gifts that grace brings in its train you see that in the passage so there is no contradiction in the mind to be a fossil definitive role responsibilities irreversible yes but in the context joint heirs with respect to that life which grace has imparted and which grace has brought to us in the book that I keep recommending the mark of a man by Elizabeth Elliot on page 166 notice how she has caught the heart of the teaching of Galatians 328 in this comment in the realm of the operation of grace distinctions of nationality social status and sex are gone t...

21:04 - 22:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Take the posture of subjection and willingness to be a servant to every brother and sister in Christ, regardless of sex or social standing.

Martin lists the five participles from Ephesians 5 (speaking, singing, making melody, giving thanks, submitting) as the conduits of a Spirit-filled life, contrasting them with charismatic manifestations like falling, jumping, speaking in tongues, or prophesying, to correct misunderstandings of spiritual experience.

with wine or in his riot but be filled with the spirit and then you have five participles that follow these are as it were the five conduits by which one two three four a spirit filled life will express itself and not one of them is falling flat under the power or jumping up and down or speaking in tongues or giving prophecies be filled with the spirit speaking one to another in songs and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord giving thanks always for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to God even the Father subjecting yourselves one to anoth...

25:32 - 27:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Christian women should embrace their God-assigned role of submission to their husbands 'as unto the Lord,' trusting that a loving Savior would not mark out a role intended to harm or diminish their dignity.

Martin uses the analogy of an 'egalitarian soteric relationship' with Christ, where believers would 'call the shots' and Christ would be subject to them, to highlight the blasphemous nature of applying egalitarianism to the church's submission to Christ, thereby refuting egalitarian interpretations of marital submission.

head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church being himself the savior of the body but as the church is subject to Christ so let the wives be to their husbands in everything now dear people you may think it's strange but please believe me I am not misrepresenting reality there are responsible people with earned doctor's degrees propagating the notion that verse 21 advocates egalitarian marriages in which the husband and wife are mutually submissive to one another in the full extent of the marital relationship not submissive to one another in the general sense of verse 21 in which all be...

30:00 - 31:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Christian women should embrace their God-assigned role of submission to their husbands 'as unto the Lord,' trusting that a loving Savior would not mark out a role intended to harm or diminish their dignity.

Martin uses the metaphor of a 'schizophrenic Christ' to argue that if Jesus loved a woman enough to die for her, he would not then assign her a role (submission to her husband) intended to harm or diminish her dignity, emphasizing the consistency of Christ's love with his commands.

enough to die for me and if the great shepherd loved me enough to seek me and track me down until by grace he subdued me to embrace his own salvation then surely he would never mark out for me a role that was intended to harm me that was intended to crimp my style that was intended to shrivel and obliterate my dignity how could that that would be may I say it without irreverence a schizophrenic a schizophrenic Christ who could on the one hand be the Lord my Savior and do all that he did to become that and yet be the Lord my oppressor by telling me to be submissive to my husband now you can't h...

34:28 - 35:58 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He illustrates how purified roles manifest in the home, emphasizing that a godly husband's headship is evident through loving service and order, not tyranny. He contrasts this…

Martin describes a scenario where visitors observe a godly husband's headship in the home, not through overt displays of authority (throne, crown, scepter) but through loving service (helping with food, watching children) and the children's respectful obedience, demonstrating that order and structure are evident without tyranny.

seeing that all different classes and races and social and economic background people from all of that are obviously standing on common ground in redemptive privilege and in the enjoyment of that privilege then when they get into your home and they are there for 20 minutes it ought to be very evident hey somebody is calling the shots around here somebody is in charge no house has this kind of peace and order with everyone doing what is right in his own eyes and you see they are impressed with the fact that somebody is in charge not because you have a little mini throne you have built right in ...

38:56 - 40:25 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He illustrates how purified roles manifest in the home, emphasizing that a godly husband's headship is evident through loving service and order, not tyranny. He contrasts this…

Martin extends the previous illustration to a congregational meeting, where visitors observe certain men (elders) rising to propose biblical direction, which the congregation embraces, demonstrating that leadership and order are evident in the church without tyranny, contrasting it with the world's methods of rule.

just happen somebody's in charge but it's not because you come wearing a big badge or a fake crown or go around with a scepter of barking orders but they notice that when your wife says to you honey the meal's ready and you say alright kids wash your hands time to come to the table there's no I don't want to and neither is there that innocent look that I didn't hear they notice each of the children runs off to the appointed place washes his hands and they say hey somebody's in charge around here that's what ought to impress them and then they really scratch their heads and say wait a minute tw...

40:25 - 41:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Every Christian man should honor every woman, whether wife, other women, or daughters, recognizing their equal privileges in Christ as joint heirs of the grace of life.

Martin recommends James Hurley's book, specifically the chapter describing Jesus and his apostles' relationship to women, to counter the argument that Paul accommodated rabbinic prejudice. Hurley demonstrates that Jesus and the apostles cut across existing rabbinic tradition, affirming women's dignity and contradicting sinful aspects of it.

that sin and the demands of the gospel and the disruption of society produce a situation where often singleness is the lot of a man or a woman but the dynamics of redemptive grace even sanctify singleness from a curse to a blessing and we're going to look at specific passages in which that is the teaching of the word of God and then we will have seen hopefully the glorious design and dynamics of restorative grace and let me again recommend if any of you do purchase Mr. Hurley's book read the wonderful chapter on page 82 and following where he describes Jesus and his apostles and their relation...

43:24 - 44:53 Read in full sermon