No Master Key

Driving home: There is no single master key to living the Christian life with success and vigor.

Martin uses his personal master key for the church building to illustrate what a master key is: one key that opens all doors. He then applies this to the Christian life, asserting there is no such single key for spiritual success.

There is no single master key to living the Christian life with success and vigor. Now I believe all of you, even the children, know what a master key is. Here is my own personal key ring. And there is one key here, that has a key.

9:32 - 9:51 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The principle is explained by highlighting historical and contemporary teachings that propose a single master key. Examples include the 'Rwanda Revival Key' (immediate confession…

This example describes a revival in Burundi and Rwanda where the dominant emphasis was public confession of sin, captured in Roy Hession's book 'The Calvary Road.' It illustrates a 'master key' teaching that focused on one aspect of Christian living as the solution to all problems.

to which people will travel over thousands of miles. And the bottom line in each of these avenues of communication is to attempt to persuade Christians that such a master key does exist, and that they ought at any cost to seek to acquire it and use it. As an example, let me describe, several of these master key teachings. There is the one that we might call the Rwanda Revival Key.

13:10 - 13:51 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The principle is explained by highlighting historical and contemporary teachings that propose a single master key. Examples include the 'Rwanda Revival Key' (immediate confession…

This example describes the Keswick Convention's teaching, associated with Hannah Whithall Smith and William Boardman, which posits that just as faith alone saves, so simple faith alone (plus no effort) allows Christ to live His life of triumph through the believer ('let go and let God'). This illustrates another 'master key' approach.

And that which was a dominant emphasis in that Rwanda revival was not an unbiblical concept. But the problem was, it was one facet of one dimension the Christian life solidified and petrified into a master key to the Christian life. And there's all the difference in the world from having a whole ring of keys, each one suited to open a specific door, and saying all I need is one master key that will open all doors. For another example, there is the Keswick Victorious or Higher Life Key. Keswick, spelled K-E-S-W-I-C-K, after the place in England where that convention has convened for many years....

17:55 - 19:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The principle is explained by highlighting historical and contemporary teachings that propose a single master key. Examples include the 'Rwanda Revival Key' (immediate confession…

This example describes Campus Crusade's teaching, likened to breathing out self-life and breathing in Christ's life, as a simple, effortless 'master key' to the Spirit-filled life. It highlights the idea of no struggle or battle.

and let the living Christ live his life of triumph through me. Then there is the newer Campus Crusade Spirit-filled doctrine, which embodied in their little booklet, Have You Discovered the Secret of the Spirit-filled Life? has a whole approach that they liken unto breathing. I breathe out my self-life.

22:05 - 22:29 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Taught this wretched doctrine of the master key being letting go and letting God.

A Bible school teacher used a power drill that wasn't plugged in to illustrate that Christians struggle because they aren't 'plugged in' to Christ, teaching the 'let go and let God' master key. Martin uses this to show how even godly men can promote this 'wretched doctrine.'

Not his act through the vine. A passage used to teach that false view of letting go and letting Christ live through you. I had a dear man of God in my Bible school days. A godly man.

45:06 - 45:27 Read in full sermon