Repentance: Sin, Self, Self-Righteousness

1 Thessalonians 1:9 Manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church

Pastor Albert N. Martin expounds on the second essential element of genuine conversion: a lifelong disposition of repentance and faith. He argues that while God is the primary object of repentance, it necessarily involves three related issues: sin (specifically our particular sins), self (the repudiation of self as the center of one's universe), and righteousness (a radical change of mind regarding one's standing before God, moving from indifference or self-righteousness to embracing Christ's imputed righteousness). Martin applies these truths by challenging listeners to self-examine whether this disposition is present in their hearts and lives, emphasizing that true repentance is a gift from God yet commanded of all.

3 illustrations in this sermon

The Issue of Sin: Turning from Idols and Particular Wickedness

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Leaky Balloon and Life Preserver

In this part of the sermon: The first related issue is sin. Martin uses 1 Thessalonians 1:9 and Acts 14:14-20 to show that turning to God is inseparable from turning from idols. He illustrates this with an…

A child clinging to a leaking party balloon while a solid life preserver is offered illustrates that one cannot cling to idols (flimsy, leaky means of salvation) and simultaneously cling to the living God (the solid life preserver); one must turn from the former to the latter.

Whether they be the idols made by men's hands, whether they be the idols that are fashioned in the imaginations of men and then celebrated in literature and poetry, or whether it be the idolatry of the love of things, for Colossians 3 says covetousness is idolatry, whether it is the God of sensuous passion, for the Bible says whose God is their belly, their passions and their animal appetites, whatever the idol is that claims my devotion, to which I give my energies and my time, the thing before which I bow. God says we must turn. We must turn from these vain and empty things unto the living G...

15:16 - 16:31 Read in full sermon

The Issue of Self: Repudiating Self-Centeredness

palette metaphor

Man's Solar System

In this part of the sermon: The second related issue is self. Martin explains that fallen humanity has replaced God with self as the center of its 'solar system,' living unto itself. Jesus' command to 'deny…

Man's condition before sin is likened to a solar system where God is the central sun and all man's desires revolve around Him. After sin, cursed selfhood replaces God as the central sun, and all ambitions revolve around serving fallen selfhood.

When God put Adam and Eve in the garden, two perfect people in a perfect environment, perfectly supplying all of their needs, all of man's desires and appetites, his joys and ambitions were centered in God and revolved around God. In the orbit of doing the will of God to the glory of God. So if we can liken man to our own solar system, God was the central sun and all of man's appetites and capacities and faculties and ambitions were like planets in their proper place revolving around that central sun. Now when man sinned, what happened?

32:41 - 33:23 Read in full sermon

The Issue of Righteousness: From Indifference/Self-Righteousness to Christ's Righteousness

compare analogy

Rotten Burlap Bags

Driving home: And God says all our righteousnesses are just like that. But in the Lord Jesus is that robe of perfect pure. Linen. In which we may be clothed.

Human self-righteousness is compared to appearing before a king in stinking, rotten burlap bags that once held fish and vegetables, bragging about them as beautiful royal robes. This illustrates how God views our 'righteousnesses' compared to the perfect robe of Christ's righteousness.

Who's been seeking to establish his own righteousness. Realizes what is the stuff of his own works. In the eyes of a holy God. It's like going out and finding rotten burlap bags.

46:47 - 47:00 Read in full sermon

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